Brand Reinforcement

STRATEGIC BRAND MANAGEMENT ASSESSMENT Birmingham University Business School Msc Marketing 1205306 TA-CHENG LIU Words: 2992 Question: Brands need to be managed over time. This involves ‘Toscani’sToscani’s’. With reference to academic theory outline how brands have reinforced and revitalized themselves. You should illustrate your points with examples This paper aims to discuss that organizations how to use strategic actions to enhance brand and revitalize brand equity in strong competition. In terms of innovative marketing, amounts of organizations want to be managed as brands in order to generate benefits and profits for organizations. Kapferer, 2008) Indeed, brands are built on past marketing efforts obtained from consumers. As Kapferer (2008) documented, brands could be also seen as assets which produce benefits within long period. However, brands possibly encounter aging and decay in their lifecycle. (Keller, 1999) Furthermore, some brands may be inabilit y to compete in the strongly competitive market, because consumers may change their motivation on this category. In addition, regulations and advanced technology possibly influence brands losing their presence in the target market. Thomas & Kohli, 2009) Therefore, this paper will discuss two brands of cigarette, Mild Seven and Marlboro. They have suffered the difficulties at different moments, hence, both company had experience on brand reinforcement and brand revitalization. According to Thomas & Kohli (2009), brand enhancement aims to maintain the top-of-mind recall with consumers. Marketers actually could redesign marketing mix in order to fortify position. More importantly, brand equity will consist with brand extension. However, brand revitalization attempt to revive aging or decaying brands.When the brands are going to decay, the brand equity will decrease at the same time. Therefore, Wansink (2000) provided 7 steps include reposition and product innovation to rejuvenate brand s. Indeed, Ind (2007) argued that storytelling is another important technique which integrates past experience and future direction of brands. Companies sometimes merely think about reposition, but describing a brand story could benefit companies building stronger relationship with consumers. Overall, companies should prepare long term strategy to sustain the brand life.Moreover, I am convinced that brands need to transfer their communication channel besides traditional mass media. It benefits them extend brand image in consumers mind. According to Kaperer (2012), Brands are assets that could generate benefits to company within long time. Therefore, companies need to ceaselessly manage their brand equity over time in order to avoid lose presence in the industry. Specifically, the standard of brands life could be defined as birth, growth, maturity, decline, and death. During the brand life cycle, companies inevitably encounter dynamics of market.Consequently, their brand equity may g radually suffer the difficulties and be diminished in the future. (Lehu, 2006) Therefore, marketers need consider brand reinforcement and brand revitalization to sustain the brand. Indeed, it is the important responsibility that determine the when the brand should assess reinforcing or revitalizing for brand managers. As Keller documented (1999), brand reinforcement concentrates on avoiding brand aging and decaying. It will benefit companies fortify the brand image and brand awareness by innovating product and service in competitive market.On the other hand, brand revitalization mainly recapturing the brand equity which has been decaying and aging over time. As for maintaining the brand equity in a long period, organizations need to conduct strategy for brand enhancement. The purpose of reinforcing brand is maintaining top-of-mind recall in the competitive industry. (Thomas & Kohli, 2009) Literaturely, there are two major considerations of brand reinforcement for marketers: staying at young stage and brand consistency. In order to stay at youthful stage, marketers should create younger brand image to instead chronological age of brand.Specifically, companies could regularly advance their products or services in order to adapt in dynamic environment. (Lehu, 2006) Therefore, Keller (2012) suggested that companies could enhance the product-related performance to raise the value of brands. Moreover, organizations could use either category extension or line extension to strengthen brand awareness. On the other hand, reinforcing non-product-related performance of brands is expected to pursuit emotion and belief to consumers. Furthermore, I consider that excessive updating or extending may result in negative perception of consumers.Actually, they possibly confused on overmuch products from the specific brand. Consequently, it will decrease the favorability of the brand. In addition, maintaining brand consistency is a crucial aspect of reinforcing brand. Because keepi ng loyal consumers is the most important task of the brand. Hence, marketers should protect their elements of brand equity advance. Nevertheless, brand managers could attempt to reformulate elements of brand equity under the consistency concept. I am convinced that it is important to integrate consistency and youthfulness at the same time for brands.Therefore, companies would redesign their marketing mix in order to meet the both objectives of brand enhancement. As for distribution, companies can establish online shop to contact with youngsters in the digital generation. Moreover, they should enhance their service in order to easily contact with consumers. (Lehu, 2006) In terms of communication channel, he asserts that exhibitions are a vital medium which could demonstrate and promote products with consumers. It benefits companies fortify their brand image in consumers’ mind. In addition, event and sponsorship can reach more potential consumers due to widely exposing.Subseque ntly, companies could innovate their merchandising to strengthen the brand image. (Olaito, 2010) More importantly, brand research is most important technique before aforementioned actions. As LePla, Davis & Parker documented (2003), brand research can benefit companies for understanding the need of new generation. Furthermore, brand managers need to monitor changes in consumer perceptions. (Thomas & Kohli, 2009) Hence, brand managers can conduct suitable strategies to adapt the trend. In order to apply the theory above in the real world, Mild Seven is an adequate case to interpret brand reinforcement.It is the third most smoked tobacco in the industry. They dominated the domestic market and Asia market for long time because they continually maintaining brand equity. (http://www. jt. com) Moreover, their sales of global market gradually grew at the current moment. (http://global. tobaccofreekids. org) Indeed, the company concentrates on younger smokers due to the increasing need of y ounger smokers. This targeting strategy benefited Mild Seven remain the younger brand image in the industry. Initially, Mild Seven attempt to develop variable products from 10mg of tar to 1 mg of tar of cigarettes.New products were generated with milder taste and lower level of tar to meet consumers’ requirement. (http://www. tobaccoasia. com) It is expected maximize brand equity by line extension. Furthermore, Mild Seven constantly advances new filter technologies to protect its advantages. As for packaging, Mild Seven reformulate some of brand image. The company created a symbolic image to support the brand name. Furthermore they use blue and white motif of appearance for whole products in order to youthfulness. (http://www. thedesignassoc. om) Although Mild Seven changed the part of image, the brand still maintained the consistency in consumers’ mind. Moreover, Mild Seven used the recycled materials on packaging for improving negative image when selling cigarettes. (http://www. thedesignassoc. com) Subsequently, Mild Seven sponsored a team of Formula One in order to expand brand exposure worldwide. It made a significant contribution to the brand awareness. (http://www. auto123. com) Moreover, the symbol of Mild Seven has been impressive in audiences’ mind in the global market. Ultimately, Mild Seven decided to manufacture cigarettes in Switzerland for quality license.Consequently, consumers in Europe have more confidence on its products. This efficiently enhances brand equity for Mild Seven. (http://www. ciggiesworld. com) Conversely, Marlboro is another significant example. It has ever become a decaying brand in 1950s, but they now are the best-selling cigarette brand in the world. (http://www. bukisa. com/) After revitalization, the company attempt to sustain the brand equity in a long period. Marlboro encountered several difficulties few decades ago such as: advertising limit (http://www. marketingweek. co. uk) and healthy concern. M organ, 2007) Therefore, the company decided to continually fortifying their branding equity to against dynamics. Because governments prohibit advertisement of cigarette on majority of mass media in majority of countries, Marlboro cannot promote their characters and products efficiently even though Marlboro Man has already been impressive in consumers’ mind. (http://www. marketingweek. co. uk) Consequently, the company moved into sponsorship which benefited the brand being exposed on mass media. (Hemdev, 2005) Refer to Lehu (2006) mentioned, Marlboro transferred their distribution to night clubs which are admitted promotion for adult. Hemdev, 2005) It benefited the company reach target consumers directly. Simultaneously, Marlboro changed the product name with different color before the FDA limited misleading brand name. (Hemdev, 2005) It may decrease the risk of brand equity because changing brand name suddenly results in making consumers confused. But Marlboro still attempted to remain the brand consistency over time. To maximize brand equity, Marlboro developed an electronically heated cigarette for smokers who concern health issues. Moreover, it will benefit the company expanding brand association into the potential market and improving healthy concern.In addition, Marlboro authorized the brand name for clothing manufacture. (http://www. marlborooriginals. co. za) It benefits them maximizing brand awareness when implementing category extension. The cases indicate that both brands actively implement brand reinforcement in order to fortify their competition in the cigarette industry. However, both companies use similar strategies for strengthening brand equity. It possibly decreases degree of strength and uniqueness of brand associations. Hence, I concur that brands are expected to differentiate promotion because unique brand enhancement could attract consumers’ attention.As for youthfulness, brands should concentrate on Internet medium and socia l media in the digital generation because younger generations spend a lot of time on it. Consequently, brands could reach more potential consumers than before. In addition, there are less limits of advertisement of cigarette than normal mass media. Companies have more opportunities to reinforce their brand equity. On the other hand, some brands have already lost their value from consumers. Therefore, marketers need to rejuvenate the decaying brands in order to revive in the market. Thomas & Kohli, 2012) In addition, some organizations are interested in acquiring aging brands or declining brands and they attempt to reinvent the brands. It may benefit them expanding to different market. (Kaperer, 2012) In terms of revitalization process, Berry (1988) suggested that 7 steps of revitalizing strategy for companies. Initially, it needs to reposition innovative products or services with high quality. This probably gets consumers’ attention again. Secondly, the quality should be conn ected with their heritage and reputation.Thirdly, companies need to improve customer relationship in order to benefit the brands. Moreover, marketers should accelerate visible brand value to consumers. Subsequently, promoting the unique selling point is crucial to differentiate previous products and competitors. Specifically, brand manager should pursue additional value and good quality at competitive price to consumers. Moreover, companies could also provide superior functional benefits which may refresh the brand image. (Thomas & Kohli, 2009) In addition, organizations should integrate rejuvenation with marketing mix.More importantly, brands need to hold an event or campaign in order to announce their revitalization. Besides 7 steps, Keller (2012) mentioned that brand manager could identify additional or innovative usage with consumers on brand revitalization; simultaneously, they sometimes identify different direction to utilize a brand. Therefore, reposition becomes a common tec hnique of revitalization, but brand managers have to carefully define a new target market when they decided to reposition the brands. (Thomas & Kohli, 2009) However, there are some risks when companies assess the reposition strategy.Firstly, it is difficult to change brand image for consumers due the stereotype. Secondly, consumers may confuse between the previous image and new brand image. Finally, it possibly loses loyal consumers. (Keller, 2012) In order to rejuvenate brand image, most organizations attempt to modify the visual identity of brand. Indeed, changing the brand name is a frequent revitalization strategy by marketers. It could improve negative image of original brand name with consumers. However, renaming the brand probably decrease the degree of loyalty, brand recall and brand association. Keller, 2012) In addition, Mininni (n. d. ) suggest that revitalization needs to transfer the logo, trademark and trade dress could refresh brand image. But it may require repackagi ng with innovative products to younger generation at the same time. Although modifying either brand name or logo is expected to promote innovative meaning of brand to consumers, companies possibly invent huge amounts of expenditure on interpreting a new identity from an old one. Indeed changing the colors and the fonts is an easier and cheaper action for modifying visual identity and moving toward the fresh image.According to Ind (2007), storytelling is another tool for brand revitalization. Consumers and companies could be engaged in the story which describes brand history. Because brands possibly become aging within long time, consumers gradually have weak association with aging brands. Hence, Storytelling is a crucial medium to awake consumers’ memory of brands. In fact, I am convinced that storytelling could efficiently benefit companies on consumer retention while companies change the elements of brand equity. Additionally, celebrity endorsement is a useful technique for brand revitalization.Because celebrities can provide additional value from celebrities’ image, they can improve brand image and attract consumers’ attention for aging brands. Moreover, celebrity endorsement could extend communication channel of brand such as TV, magazine, activities and film. Consequently, companies attempt to sign a contract with younger and fashionable in order to returning youthfulness. Furthermore, celebrity could easily build association when companies assess repositioning. However, celebrity endorsement sometime has negative impact on brand image when celebrities have negative behaviors or news.More importantly, organizations should carefully choose suitable celebrities who own the public image as same as brand. (Lehu, 2006) The Marlboro Cigarettes is a famous example to understand the revitalization steps in reality. In the early period, Marlboro Cigarettes failed on female market in the United Stated in 1902. They initially introduced the camp aign â€Å"Mild as May† in order to reach lady’s image. Furthermore, they tried to design red tips with cigarettes in order to meet female’s requirement, but it did not benefit the sales of Marlboro. (http://www. bukisa. om/) In addition, the need of cigarette annually increased in the United Stated during the World of War II, whereas, Marlboro gradually was taken off the market due to weak brand awareness. Consequently, Marlboro tried to launch the filtered cigarettes for the female markets. The new products also aimed to against a study linking smoking to lung cancer. (http://voices. yahoo. com) However, the strategy could not benefit the company getting strong presence in the market. It is evidenced that Marlboro failed on brand enhancement even though they worked hard for consumers’ perception. http://www. bukisa. com/) Therefore, Marlboro decided to completely revitalize the brand position. The company changed the target consumer from females to male s with a campaign called â€Å"tattooed man†. The character is expected significantly establishing strong image in consumers’ mind, because the stereotype of man was a worker, a captain, a marine and an adventure in the United Stated in 1900s. Specifically, Marlboro created a cowboy as the Marlboro man in advertisement. (http://adage. com) The companies also use celebrity endorsement as Marlboro Man to strengthen their personality.Since then, the cowboy has become an impressive image for both smokers and non-smokers when they thought about Marlboro. As for product innovation, Marlboro developed a longer and white color of appearance of cigarettes. Compared to competitors, it was a unique feature which appealed high quality of cigarettes to consumers. http://www. bukisa. com/ Simultaneously, Marlboro redesigned the packaging with red, white and black-lettered in order to convey the independent spirit. (Hemdev, 2005) After revitalization, Marlboro turned round in the cig arette market in the USA.Furthermore, the brand became the premium brand and market leader in the world. As a result, the theory of Berry (1988) is convinced to success on brand revitalization. Comparing to Marlboro, Mild Seven did the brand well for long time, but the company plans to revitalize brand due to moving to global market. In order to obtain more market share in the regions besides Asia, Mild Seven decided to create a new brand name, Mevius which instead of Mild Seven. (http://www. jt. com/) In fact, the new name would benefit the company adapting in FDA’s policy of brand name.Although Mevius is a new name, it still remained the meaning of brand. Furthermore, the new name is expected to evaluate to premium position for western consumers. In addition, the packaging strategy keeps the icon and color of origin with new exterior design. (White, 2012) Indeed, Mild Seven integrated brand equity of past and future; this may decrease risk of brand association with consumer s. Both brands attempt to reposition their brand equity for revitalization, but they did not efficiently connect to previous elements.Mild Seven and Marlboro have rich heritage in the industry, they could actually utilize their history conveying a story to consumers. As Ind documented (2007), storytelling can remind the consumers’ perception on brands. Moreover, it benefits brands retaining older consumers. In my opinion, the best technique of brand revitalization will retain the loyal consumers and refresh brand equity at the same time. In conclusion, brand reinforcement and brand revitalization are crucial consideration for brand managers. Both of them have similar strategy in the market, but they are implemented at different moment.Therefore, organizations tend to maintain brand consistency and protect source of brand equity in order to survive in the competitive environment. Although most of scholars assert that brand should consistently evaluate their products and consum ers’ perception, I personally consider that organizations need to innovate their communication channels in the modern society. Because of advanced media, people would obtain information widely; therefore, Strengthen communication benefit brand fortifying brand equity and easily contacting with more potential consumers.On the other hand, companies concentrate on refreshing brand image by brand revitalization; hence, they always reposition the brand to improve negative brand equity. But it is expensive to reposition brands, some brand managers would redesign logo and packaging to rejuvenate brands. It possibly diminish the degree of risk for companies. In fact, I assert that it may be dangerous to rename the brand, which may lose their heritage with consumers. Although Mild Seven was successful on the decision, most consumers can not associate it between the Mevius and Mild Seven.In my opinion, revitalized brand should convey messages in order to make younger generations realiz ing brand heritage and value. It could build stronger relationship with consumers. In addition, Remaining brand history benefit companies retaining loyal consumers. Overall, brand managers should conduct long term strategy before building brands because sustaining brand equity is a profitable contribution to companies. References: A Busy Year for Japan Tobacco (2012) Available from: http://www. tobaccoasia. com/previous-issues/95-articles-q2-12/519-a-busy-year-for-japan-tobacco. tml [Accessed on 3 March 2013]. Berry, N. C. (1988) ‘Revitalizing brands’. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 5 (3): 15-21. Burnet, L. (1999) The Marlboro Man. Available from: http://adage. com [Accessed on 2 March 2013] Hemdev, P. A. (2005) ‘Marlboro-A Mini Case Study’. The Marketing Review, 5, 73-96 Ind, N. (2007) LIVING THE BRAND (3rd edition). London: Kogan Page. Japan Tobacco Inc and Japan Tobacco International (2011) Available from: http://global. tobaccofreekids. org/files/pdfs/e n/Japan_Profile. pdf [Accessed on 9 March 2013] JT â€Å"MILD SEVEN† (n. d. Availavle from: http://www. thedesignassoc. com/en/solutions/branding/br_mildseven. html [Accessed on 3 March 2013]. JT to Expand New Mild Seven Product to Nationwide Sales (2007) Availavle from: http://www. jt. com/investors/media/press_releases/2007/01/20070122_01. html [Accessed on 3 March 2013]. Kapferer, J. N. (2008) THE NEW STRATEGIC BRAND MANAGEMENT (4th edition). London: Kogan Page. Keller, K. L. (1999) ‘Managing brands for the long run: Brand reinforcement and revitalization strategies’ California Management Review, 41 (3): 102-124 Keller, K. L. , Aperia, T. amp; Georgson, M. (2012) Strategic Brand management: A European Perspective (2nd edition). England: Pearson Education Limited Lehu, J. M. (2006) BRAND REJUVENATION: How to protect, strengthen & add value to your brand to prevent it from ageing. London: Kogan Page. LePla, J. , Davis, S. & Parker, L. (2003) BRAND DRIVEN. London : Kogan Page. Marlboro Originals : The Story. Available from: http://www. marlborooriginals. co. za/history. html [Accessed on 10 March 2013] Mild Seven: a long history of motorsport involvement (2005) Available from: http://www. uto123. com/en/racing-news/mild-seven-a-long-history-of-motorsport-involvement? artid=35432 [Accessed on 3 March 2013] Mild Seven evolves to Mevius (2012) Available from: http://www. jt. com/investors/media/press_releases/2012/pdf/20120808_02. pdf [Accessed on 9 March 2013] Minini, T. (n. d. ) Revitalizing, Rejuvenating and Reformulating a Struggling Brand. Available from: http://www. brandchannel. com/papers_review. asp? sp_id=1240 [Accessed on 9 March 2013] Morgan, M. (2007) A History in Marketing of Marlboro Brand Cigarettes. Available from: http://voices. yahoo. om/a-history-marketing-marlboro-brand-cigarettes-204451. html? cat=9 [Accessed on 2 March 2013] Olaito, Y. (2010) Brand building: how brand reinforcement helps Available from: http://yinkaolaito . com/2010/09/brand-building-how-brand-reinforcement-helps/ [Accessed on 2 March 2013] The Magic of Mild Seven (n. d. ) Available from: http://www. ciggiesworld. com/mild-seven/ [Accessed on 3 March 2013]. The History of Marlboro Cigarettes (2009) Available from: http://www. bukisa. com/articles/207783_the-history-of-marlboro-cigarettes [Accessed on 2 March 2013] Tobacco giants still sending smoke signals (2005)

Illusive Infatuation

Illusive Infatuation Growing up I did not believe in the concept of love and long term relationships. My family members consisted of mainly single women. All of which were bitter and unable to maintain healthy relationships with men. Divorce seemed to be second nature to me. My mother along with several other close female members have all been married three or more times. This made me want to stray away from relationships and love in general. As I got older I realized that most of the time they seemed to rush into love based off early infatuation, lust, and their biological clocks ticking.I have learned from all of their situations. I realized that many people, not just in my family, marry quickly based off â€Å"love at first sight. † It seems many don’t seem to take the time to know the person they are committing to. It makes me wonder what the rush is all about. I have decided to put a three year waiting period on any relationships I enter. I want to make sure I know someone and that I am marrying for more than love and infatuation. I do not want to fall in the deception of confusing â€Å"puppy love† with the real thing. I have based my realizations off of my personal experiences.I do wonder if there have been accounts of people marrying in short periods of time and actually staying together for 20 or more years. I have heard of instances of arranged marriages working out in that manner but most were kept for political or family reasons. I have yet to see a genuine story of a couple marrying during the fascination phase of early relationships and actually staying together. I would like to explore more into the depths of how and why we fall in love. Is it possible for someone such as myself to find happiness even when I have only seen the negative outcomes in relationships?Is loneliness the better option? As a child of a divorcee, it led me to feel hopeless and apprehensive towards commitment. In Eve LaPlante’s article entitled â €Å"Breakfast† she states that: â€Å"Like many offspring of divorce, I grew up with a poignant sense of loss. Besides  the trauma of the breakup and its aftermath, there’s the prolonged pain of missing  one parent and the security of an intact family. During my teens, I dreamed of a  future happy family, but believed my chances of ever attaining one were in? nitesimal. I felt inadequate as a potential marital partner; my parents’ divorce served  as a scar. (LaPlante, 476 ) This excerpt was comforting. This was exactly how I felt through most of my younger years all the way up until adulthood. I felt hopeless and considered any relationships that I pursued to be temporary. LaPlante, however, isn’t discouraged for long. She ends up falling in love. This article is actually written fifteen years after marrying her soulmate. She says her success is based off of â€Å"the ability to be grateful for comparative happiness (LaPlante,476 ). † I to ok this to mean that even though marriage is not perfect, if they compared their happiness to others they would be satisfied.This article definitely made me feel as if there is still hope for my own romantic future. The fact that her outlook went from a bitter young woman that dreaded the idea of marriage and was â€Å"almost turned off marriage forever† (LaPlante,476) to a charismatic happily married woman is astounding. She states that â€Å"Marriage is good for my body as well as my soul. I like my physical self more than I did before. David ? nds me beautiful, which helps me feel beautiful. To be   known by him is part of the pleasure: we have nothing to hide. I ? d every human  detail of him delightful, no less so as we age (LaPlante,477). † It gives me the feeling that my past does not have to determine my future. My outlook can change. Even with the success shown in LaPlante’s article I do realize that those results are not always typical. Is loneline ss the better solution? It would allow me to skip over the failures, heartbreaks, and all the awkwardness in between. In the article â€Å"Loneliness and Isolation† by Jean M. Twenge she states that: â€Å"Isolation and loneliness readily lead to anxiety and depression. A mountain of  scienti? evidence links loneliness (and being alone) with negative mental health  outcomes. Single and divorced people are signi? cantly more likely to become depressed or suffer other mental health problems. Even people in unhappy marriages are happier than those who divorce. † (Twenge, 456) This leads me to believe that even an unhappy marriage is better than going through life alone. I am not sure I entirely believe that. I understand that loneliness can account for severe depression but I think there are many other things we can focus on throughout life that make us happy.The reference to her friend â€Å"Peter† is very saddening. He spends his time being rejected via perso nal ads and spends his weekends alone. I honestly think he could take up another hobby, make friends, and enjoy life in other ways rather than just searching for a mate. A very good example of why spending all your time searching for love and maintaining relationships does not always work is displayed in the author’s story of Leslie: â€Å"The cycle of meeting someone, falling in love and breaking up is a formula for anxiety and depression. .  . In college, many people ? nd that their romantic relationships are a lifeline in an otherwise lonely place—until the relationship ends. Leslie, 20, went through a breakup a month ago. â€Å"He was basically my whole life besides school and family,† she says. â€Å"Now I am very lonely and depressed because I don’t have many friends and the friends I do have are all away at their colleges. †(Twenge,455) If Leslie did not devote all her time to her relationship and her quest for love then she would not hav e lost as much as she did. It seems as if it works both ways.Breakups and divorces can lead to depression just as fast as loneliness. It seems that either way you end up taking a risk. The fact that divorce rates for first marriages are at 41% (DivorceRate. org ) is even more a deterrent from marriage. I still believe I would rather take my chances with loneliness. I believe I would end up losing far less and involving less people. What exactly is love? I know that I cannot possibly keep up this idea of romanticism for a lifetime. There must be much more to real love outside of the idea of love based off romance and lust.In the article â€Å"Grown up love† by Joan Konner she states that: â€Å"In America we live in a culture that glori? es passionate, romantic love. Our  friends are in love, dreaming or daydreaming of it, waiting and dating to fall into  it. Women and men begin new lives in love. Romantic love is our inspiration, our  motivation—our reason to be . Romance is a cultural obsession, an imperial ideal. We believe that love can be found, here and now and forever, in an instant, across  a crowded room—or tomorrow, just around the corner. It can—but rarely. In reality, romance is more ? eting and more dangerous  than we are told, more complicated than we could have imagined, more elusive  than we’ve been led to believe. Love is a promise made every day only to be  broken tomorrow. †( Konner, 485) This goes deeper into the psyche that most of us have as we grow older. Our culture glorifies romantic love, lust, and passion rather than the actual hardships of maintaining real love. It makes us to believe that we cannot live a fulfilled life without it. We are fed fairytales of lifelong love, princes with magic kisses, and images of happy families in the media.We never truly learn the difference between infatuation, romance, and real love. The author states that she wants to â€Å"distinguish love f rom romance, to explore the ideal of true love, or real love (Konner,485). † We often cannot determine the difference between temporary infatuation and â€Å"puppy love. † This could be another main focus in the causes of divorce and breakups. The author goes on to say that â€Å"The fact that we say ‘romance’ when we mean ‘love’ shows  us that underneath our language there is a psychological muddle. .  . We are con- fusing two great psychological systems within us, and this has a devastating effect  on our lives and our relationships (Konner,485) . † This inability to separate romance from real life could be the reason why many tend to marry so quickly based off those initial feelings rather than taking the time to actually fall in love with someone completely. I have learned that no matter what lifestyle I choose whether it is being a wife or a happily single woman that it will come with hardships. If I am ever able to find someo ne that I am truly compatible with then I should take more time to get to know them.I should develop a foundation and wait for the initial infatuation and romance phase to subside so that I can make a clear decision on a lifelong commitment. I no longer believe that I am prey to the past of my family members when it comes to romance. I just need to make better decisions in choosing a mate and if I can’t find one then I can lead a happy life regardless. I should find fulfillment within myself rather than completely confiding in a mate for it. Works Cited Konner, Joan. â€Å"Grown Up Love. † The Aims of Argument: A Text and Reader. By Timothy W. Crusius and Carolyn E. Channell. 7th ed.New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2011. 485-87. Print. LePlante, Eve. â€Å"Breakfasts. † The Aims of Argument: A Text and Reader. By Timothy W. Crusius and Carolyn E. Channell. 7th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2011. 475-78. Print. â€Å"Marriage and Divorce. † Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 05 Oct. 2010. Web. 26 Feb. 2012. . Twenge, Jean M. â€Å"Loneliness and Isolation. † The Aims of Argument: A Text and Reader. By Timothy W. Crusius and Carolyn E. Channell. 7th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2011. 454-57. Print.

Leadership Profile Essay

In the entertainment industry, football is America’s choice of sport. Not only does it drive fans crazy just watching it, but a game that brings really serious injuries to players but yet, generates billions of dollars during the season. Football consists of a team of talented, skilled individuals that display strength, power and speed to play the game. Without these traits, a player will certainly be a failure to the game and the team. It is a very rough form of entertainment that we all love to watch with our families and friends. It is rather ironic that although we do not promote players to hurt each other; in the game of football, we seem to send the opposite message that it’s alright to get hurt, nonetheless, a sport where players understand that in order to stand out amongst other players, the harder they exert effort into the game also increases their risk of sustaining unpredictable injuries. Hiring prospective players is not an easy task. It involves copious amount of time tracking, observing and careful scouting of candidates for consideration. National Football League (NFL) teams make decisions on drafting players from various colleges and consider questions like whether a candidate is willing to spend a number of years physically beat up and willingly put up with the severity of the game. Can they endure enough punishment for the love of the game? Recent hiring history has shown that hiring management has been an 82% failure due to poor interviewing tactics (Gallup’s Why Great Managers Are So Rare). Gallup considers great managers who motivate each employee who has a mission and a vision, an assertive character that drive outcomes and an ability to overcome resistance and adversity. They are very accountable and build relationships that have full transparency, open dialogue and trust. Lastly, their decisions are based not on politics but productivity. For a NFL team to be successful in the entertainment world, the team must have Core Values and Purpose. A prospective candidate for the team must be interviewed and asked if they agree with the company’s Core Purpose or Mission. This strategy will certainly tell if the candidate is a good fit for the team’s  culture. If they don’t (Core Purpose/Mission or Core Values), then they don’t possess a good long term fit for the team. According to the 3 Dimensions of Purpose by Brian Sooy, a Purpose declares intent. It provides perspectives and is strategic. The chart below, popularized by John Welsh from GE has created a method of evaluation for their employees seeking to have â€Å"A† players at GE. ( See chart below) This matrix, also referred to as a talent review can and may be a good tool for NFL managers to use in determining the best candidates for the team. Another form of selecting the best candidates is through the use of a system referred to as â€Å"Topgrading†, a system that reduces time reviewing candidates. This system not only increases professionalism, but sets up a website where applicants can answer questions and get the information about the candidate. References Harter, R. B. (2014, March 25). Why Great Managers Are So Rare. Retrieved July 5, 2014, from http://businessjournal. gallup.com/content/167975/why-great-managers-rare.aspx. Sooy, B. (2014, May 2). 3 Dimensions of Purpose. Retrieved July 5, 2014, from http;//smartblogs.com/leadership/2014/05/02/3-dimensions-of-purpose. (Wick, 2014) Wick, D. (2014, May 8). NFL Draft-Hiring the Right People-One Question. Retrieved July 5, 2014, from http://strategicdiscipline.positioningsystems.com/blog-0/bid/103386?NFL-Draft-Hiring-the-Right-People.

Sabra and Shatila Masacre Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Sabra and Shatila Masacre - Essay Example The Sabra and Shatila Massacre is considered a forgotten incident in the western media. [2] How ever the incident is considered to be a controvercial issue with the Palestinian, Arab and International Muslims, alleging Israel to be the main culprit behind the tragic incident, acusing the Jewish State of Master minding the Israel event incidents. Israel on the contrary partially agrees of its link with the incident but denying any knowledge of a mass murder during the time of its procession clearing itself with the direct massacre of the refugee camp inhabitants. Israel supported Bachir and considered the maronite forces to be the counter balance to the PLO and thus the relationship between Israel and Maronites became stronger, with the Falangists in particular, by the passage of time. How ever, nine days before he was due to take oath, Bachir was assasinated in a bomb detonation attack at the head quarters of the Phalangists party on 14th September 1982. The attack was alleged by the Falangists to be the work of PLO activists which later became a misperception as investigations and confessions later on reveald a Syrian hand in the assasination. Mr.Arial Sharon, who is considered the master mind behind the incident, declared that there were 2000 PLO activists in the refugee camp. Sabra and Shatila was surrounded by tanks and and soldiers with check points to monitor entry and exit of people. Despite of the check points around 150 Falangists, motivated with the feeling revenge after the assasination of their leader, entered the Sabra and Shatila Refugee camp alleging it to be a sanctuary and breeding nest for the PLO activists and aiming to wipe out their presence iniatiated. -these fighters are alleged to inserted by Israel- A plan of defence Minsiter Ariel Sharon [3] According to witnesses, a carnage of mass murder, rape, desecration of corpses & demolition of buildings with the residents still inside. The "genocide" as discussed above cotinued for 62 hours from 16th September going on to Saturday morning and had resulted in casualties speculated to be in 750-3400 estimated by various sources. IDF intelligence suggests a death toll to be between 700-800 persons [4] Dr. Ang Swee Chai, an eye witness to the Massacre reveals in her book " From Beirut to Jerusalem: "The truth hit me painfully...Besides being shot dead, people was tortured before being killed. They were beaten brutally, electric wires were tied round limbs, eyes were dug out, women were raped, and often more than once, children were dynamited alive. Looking at all the broken bodies, I began to think that those who had died quickly were the lucky ones. Extract from p67 of the book "From Beirut to Jerusalem". [5] United Nations Condemns On Dec 16 1982 United Nations Organization's General Assembly condemned the massacre terming it as an act of "Genocide" The General Assembly, Recalled its resolution 95 (I) of 11 December 1946, It also recalled its resolu

Instructional planning and design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Instructional planning and design - Essay Example While no textbook is perfect, how do teachers go about deciding if a proposed textbook will be chosen? What makes a particular instructional material adequate? One of the most important criteria is design. If the textbook in question does not align with the standards being addressed, then what use can it be? Textbooks that actually help achieve these standards must also be free from errors with documented sources that can be referred to if a question of accuracy arises. This is especially important in subjects such as geography where place names and maps change over time. Textbooks must also address both the desires of teachers and students in order to be effective. It is here that design tends to overlap with the criteria of clarity, efficiency and procedure. Teachers wish to have a book that emphasizes important points. Actual text should provide enough information in a grade/age appropriate manner but also facts that can assist in initiating discussions. While students should be challenged to go beyond the basics of the standard being addressed, they do not need to be overwhelmed with irrelevant information. Teachers want a sufficient number of questions to reinforce the topic being studied but not so many that students take one look and panic. Activities should provide practice of the basic skill but also encourage students to stretch a little and engage their critical thinking skills. While many teachers have created their own assessments over the years, some may want to be able to use the prepared assessments that come with new textbooks. If the teacher has to make major revisions to the prepared assessments in order to use them then the textbook may not be adequate. In addition, teachers want to be able to train students to use the textbook as an aid in the individual learning process. Once this training has been completed, the instructions for textbook activities should be such that teachers can use them

Law in Relation to the Identification Procedure Essay

Law in Relation to the Identification Procedure - Essay Example Amongst the suspects is Barry, who has a bad stutter. The custody officer informs Barry of his right to see a solicitor but he initially refuses saying, â€Å"I’ve done nothing wrong. Why would I need a Brief?† At a police identification parade, Alan picks out Barry on the basis of his â€Å"bulging eyes†. Alan does not ask to have the persons in the line-up speak. Barry is 5 feet 5 inches tall. All of the other persons in the line-up are 5 feet 9 inches or taller. Later, at a police interview, Barry refuses to answer any questions and repeatedly states: â€Å"This is a fit up – you can’t prove anything†. Frustrated with Barry’s stubborn refusal to admit his involvement, the police decide to plant a listening device connected to a tape recorder in Barry’s cell in the custody suite, and put an undercover police officer, Colin, in the same cell as Barry. Colin asks what Barry’s in for. Barry replies, â€Å"Robbery. They’ll never prove it though if I keep my mouth shut. They’ve already messed up the identification parade.† Eleanor alleges that Dean had invited her to sleep on the floor of his room, to save her from walking h ome in the dark. She claims that at 3.00 a.m. she awoke to find Dean molesting her. She says she tried to push him away but he hit her and carried out the alleged offense. She says that she waited until he had fallen asleep and then escaped. She first complained of the rape to her friend, Flora, six hours later. Flora had come into Eleanor’s room saying: â€Å"Where were you last night? Gareth was looking for you. He says he’s going to finish with you if you’ve been out with other men.† Gareth is Eleanor’s boyfriend. She then described the alleged rape to Flora, who says she observed her tear-stained face on which there was slight bruising.

Leadership and entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Leadership and entrepreneurship - Essay Example Most of the basic organizational problems such as distorted structural design, poor morale of managers and employees, communication gaps, resistance to change, inefficient controls, iniquitous salary structure, scarcity of resources, incompatibility with external environment and so on are attributed to poor leadership. Entrepreneurship on the hand, which is derived from the French word â€Å"entrprende†, as defined by the famous economist Adam Smith as, â€Å"the economic agents who transform demand into supply for profits†. One of the definitions of the term, includes, the founding of an enterprise which apparently includes all those associated with it such as the decision makers, the stakeholders and the initiators of business or a business idea. In conclusion, entrepreneurs are leaders who develop and grow enterprises. (Stephen Robins, 2004) Bill Gates or McDonald could well be considered as entrepreneurs due to their sheer vision and dedication of converting a business idea into a profitable and economically viable business option. The size of the business rarely affects the leadership qualities. For example, a leader of a national or international enterprise / organization, commands wide – spread influence over a large number of people while the influence of the leader of a small work group in an organization is relatively limited in scope. However this does not affect the fact that they leaders in their own right and fulfill all the duties and responsibilities of an entrepreneur. In a formal organizational setting, a leader enjoys a position of command and exercise power over their subordinates in order to get the work done and achieve the entrepreneurial goals laid down by the organization. The larger the group the greater the difficulties in exercising control over their subordinates. In such a situation, the leadership roles are often distributed among the subordinates, chosen

Mathematical Methods in Business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mathematical Methods in Business - Assignment Example The function below approximates the weekly box office receipts for a popular movie, where x = the number of weeks the movie has been playing.  The function below approximates the weekly box office receipts for a popular movie, where x = the number of weeks the movie has been playing.  What is the rate of change of weekly receipts per theater after 10 weeks?The selling price of a product is $400, and the manufacturer is able to sell every unit it makes. The cost of producing x units is given by this formula.A company has developed a function that describes its profit over time. The x variable measures time. If the first derivative of the function is negative at a value of x, it means that the company is not making a profit at that point in time.A function has the characteristics listed in the bullets below. Use the characteristics to construct a rough sketch of the function using this x axis:_________________________________________________________________________________-20                   -15                   -10                  -5                     0                     5                   10                   15                   20†¢ The function has three critical points†¢ When x = -20, the first derivative is positive†¢ When x = -10, the first derivative is zero and the second derivative is negative†¢ When x = 5, the first derivative is zero†¢ When x = 15, the first derivative is zero indicates whether each of these statements is true or false11. T F When x = 0, the first derivative is positive12. T F When x = 5 the second derivative is positive13. T F When x = 15 the second derivative is positive14. T F the basic shape of this curve is more like an M than a W15. T F For any value of x larger than 15, the first derivative will always be negative

14 Principles of the Toyota Way (Toyota Production Systems) Thesis

14 Principles of the Toyota Way (Toyota Production Systems) - Thesis Example Corporation is the world’s largest automaker and the high quality ratings for its vehicles are a result of very few defects found in them in comparison to any other competitors. Across all its production facilities throughout the world, Toyota has been known to raise the bar for maintaining quality and efficiency in a consistent fashion thereby bringing in a sense of excellence into manufacturing, procedures and product development. The result of this management strategy has been its steady rise into amassing a market share and revenue margin to such an extent that saw it making a larger profit than every other major automaker in addition to gaining the respect, admiration and praise of every business leader and management expert around the world (Jeffrey Liker, 2004). The ‘Toyota way’ is a management philosophy that revolves around a set of management principles followed by Toyota that are known to have contributed to the enhancement of its reputation the world over in terms of reliability and quality. These management principles are collectively used under the ‘Toyota production system’ also known as ‘Lean production’ (Michael Hoseus, 2007). The purpose of such a production system is aimed at improving the speed with which business processes are executed, provide more quality in the product or service, reduce the cost of operation and management and achieve all this irrespective of the industry where such a management system has been adopted. The Toyota Production System is one of the foundational principles which is a part of the corporate culture within the Toyota group. Over the years, the system has evolved into a paradigm par excellence for the manufacturing world and has transformed the prospects for several industries. The approach has helped foster better involvement from the employees across all levels of the organization and has provided a tangible oversight over the seemingly visible different between the traditional approaches to

UPS Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

UPS - Case Study Example The last part of the paper will sum up the main points discussed and recommendations will be given with regards to the measures that can be taken in order to effectively deal with the problems discussed. Description of the organization and problem identification United Parcel Service was founded in 1907 in USA and it specifically dealt with delivering an assortment of parcels and goods sent through its office to different clients. It started from humble beginnings where all packages were delivered by foot, street bicycle as well as street car. However, the company re-engineered itself to become a state-of-the-art delivery service when it introduced its first delivery car, a Model T Ford in 1913. The organization witnessed positive developments and went through different stages until 1980 which saw the passage of the passage of Motor Career Act which deregulated the whole trucking industry. The organization even introduced air services as it sought to diversify its activities to counter competition which was intensifying as a result of the deregulation exercise of this industry. However, increased competition as a result of deregulation compelled the organization to allocate large amounts of capital to modernize its data processing department. The deregulation of the freight industry also posed immense challenges to UPS given that the emerging entrants utilized low cost services such as the Federal Express Corporation. As such, it has been observed that data processing operated with poor equipment and the service provided was poor given that it fell beyond the competition that existed in technological and programming capabilities. Up until 1981, the department of information faced unprecedented challenges of technologically more advanced competition from Federal Express and RPS. It was realized that in order for UPS to remain the dominant carrier package delivery service, it had to join the competitors in the age of computer technology. Whilst UPS had the most extensive ground network, it had apparently been left in core areas such as technological innovations which included scanning, radio-dispatched pickups, package tracking, and data-acquisition devices. Despite the mission which was meant to â€Å"to provide management with the information it needs to meet the company’s goals in a responsive manner and at a reasonable cost,† the company fell short of achieving this goal given that it had limited numbers of employees with the requisite skills to execute the information requirements of the company. The main problem facing UPS is that it has to implement changes in order to meet the marketing and technological challenges that have been co mpounded by the deregulation exercise in this industry. It is facing a dilemma particularly in making decisions to hire or recruit talent from within the company or hire experienced people in information systems from outside. The problem with locating talent within the company is that most of the employees have experience in hub and package centers and have less experience in the new dispensation of information and communication technology. On the other hand, the problem related to hiring people from outside is related to re-orienting them to fit in the culture of the organization, training them, matching their expectations and helping them grow to meet the expectations of the organization. Stakeholder analysis The main players in this particular case are the employees who are responsible for executing all the tasks within the organization. Any change to the

Viewing the Globe in 2006 and 2056 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Viewing the Globe in 2006 and 2056 - Essay Example Entertainment-wise, everything is done locally. There are scheduled local dances and events at particularly planned days. The greatest worry one possesses is the thought of growing too old and not being able to provide for my family. They all look upon me for assistance. Concepts of Globalization Globalization is defined as the process through which regional economies, societies and culture have become incorporated through a global network politically through communication. This is basically the transnational circulation of ideas and language. Globalised culture is basically the integration pattern of human knowledge, belief and behavior associated with globalization. Such a town is known as a globalised village (Marques, 2005). Differentiating between Americanization and Globalization, Americanization is the process through which different cultures around the world learn the American cultures and hence try to act like them introducing imperialism. Globalization does not introduce th e idea of imperialism but actually brings together different cultures through one network. Some of the selected cultural norms include fine arts and humanities. Different people tried to perfect their culture by practicing fine art. Developing the art means developing a philosophical soul and is considered as one of the highest possible ideal concepts of human development.

Generational Welfare Essay Example for Free

Generational Welfare Essay Generational Welfare For most of America’s history, farmers, entrepreneurs or shop owners could live their entire lives without getting any assistance from the federal government except maybe mail. But those days are long gone. In 2012 the total number of Americans on government assistance or welfare reached 4,3000,000. Many of which are 4th or 5th generation Welfare recipients. For whatever the reason, we have become a culture of dependency in which poverty is a trap. Long-term recipients loose job skills, work habits as well as work contacts. For this reason the government should require recipients to work as much as they can. It could be called â€Å"workfare† and could help recipients increase potential long-term earnings. Generation poverty is defined as children of parents in poverty grow up to live in poverty themselves in a continuous cycle for at least two generations. All too often this is a result of a traumatic event-taking place such as a illness or divorce that alters the family structure Hard working, self-reliant men and women built this country, but these work ethics began to change during the great depression in the 1930’s. A federal welfare program was introduced, it granted monthly cash and food coupons to assist with basic living needs, it was established to assist those who were living below the poverty line. This system went virtually unchanged since 1930, and was due for a much-needed reform. In 1996 President Bill Clinton made great strides to give welfare a long overdue facelift. He gave the duties of welfare to the states by implementing the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act. This act restricted aid to most legal residents. The bill had a 5year lifetime maximum for cash assistance and, required recipients to search for employment among other requirements. This welfare reform law was very successful. More than 60% percent of recipients were able to get off the welfare program. However, the core of this program was done away with in 2012 by the Obama administration. A directive was issued stating that TANF (Temporary assistance for needy Families) work requirements could be waived or over ridden by section 1115 waiver authority under the Social Security law. This has fueled an ongoing debate over whether welfare dependency in one generation causes welfare dependency in the next generation. Psychologist, Albert Bandura is considered the pioneer  behind the Social Learning Theory. This theory states that people learn from their so cial contexts and much of social behavior is learned through observing and practiced through modeling. This observational learning can occur in three ways: live modeling, symbolic learning and instruction. This explains the cycle of generational welfare among our nations poor. Last year the Wall Street Journal reported that 49% of the population of the United States lives in a household where at least one person receives some type of government assistance. The Heritage Foundation’s annual Index of Dependence on Government, tracks government spending, and the score is adjusted for federal programs that contribute to government assistance dependency. In 2010 the foundation reported that nearly 67.3 million Americans received Social Security, TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, educational support for higher learning, or some other assistance that was once considered to be the responsibility of families, individuals, churches, and neighborhoods. A culture has developed within families in which welfare is reinforced and sometimes even encouraged by parents who are also receiving benefits and their children. Children also become more accepting of the idea of assistance because their parents are currently receiving welfare benefits. The goal of public policy should be reducing poverty, not just the reduction of caseloads. The plan that was implemented by former President Clinton did just that. Jobs have to be created and av ailable before we can reduce the number of persons receiving government assistance. More often than not, when jobs are created they are low-skill jobs and do not pay enough to meet employees basic needs which results in many quitting and going back on government aid. We need more programs set up to provide training in work skills or a trade so that citizens will be able to receive wages that will easily sustain their families and encourage them to become self sufficient and non dependent on government assistance. It gives great satisfaction for a person to know that they are completely self-sufficient and can provide their family with at least its basic needs. It gives a sense of purpose and builds self-confidence that you do not have when you have to rely on the government or another person for financial help. It requires decision, determination, and discipline. Some may argue that generational poverty is determined by poor health across generations and not by observation or modeling of ones parents. However the statistics  from the changes made during the Clinton administration, give proof that the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, that works and should be reinstated. Most citizens have a desire to be successful but just don’t have the skills or self-esteem they need to accomplish these goals. Sometimes it takes a little push to get them headed in the right direction and this program seems to do just that. It provided nearly any means of assistance for individuals to become job ready. It provided assistance with transportation problems; self-esteem issues like dental work or even haircuts. Individuals were coached in interview skills and good work ethics. Many classes were provided to help assist in lifestyle and finance management changes. Individuals were encouraged to further their education and were given assistance with college enrollment applications as well. All of the qualities that are needed to preform a job to the fullest of ones ability were provided to wean recipients off of welfare. We have to reach the core understanding of why some people get stuck in a cycle of generational poverty and work on the core problem if we want long-term results. In which individuals receive jobs, perform their duties to the best of their ability and take pride in being self-sufficient. When individuals are proud of their accomplishments and are confident that they will be able to provide for themselves and their family, then we will begin to see a decline in numbers of generational welfare recipients and will be able to witness our economy grow and flourish. Works Cited Axelrod, Norman. Chicago Tribune: Chicago Breaking News, Sports, Business, Entertainment, Weather and Traffic Chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune: Chicago Breaking News, Sports, Business, Entertainment, Weather and Traffic Chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2011. Web. 01 Aug. 2013. . Bowen, Barry D. 1996 Welfare Reform Facts. 1996 Welfare Reform Facts. N.p., 1996. Web. 01 Aug. 2013. . Gaiser, Elliot T. Obama Guts Welfare Reform. Heritage.org. N.p., 8 May 2013. Web. McLeod, Saul. Bandura Social Learning Theory. Albert Bandura. Simply Psychology, 2011. Web. 01 Aug. 2013. . Generational Welfare For most of America’s history, farmers, entrepreneurs or shop owners could live their entire lives without getting any assistance from the federal government except maybe mail. But those days are long gone. In 2012 the total number of Americans on government assistance or welfare reached 4,3000,000. Many of which are 4th or 5th generation Welfare recipients. For whatever the reason, we have become a culture of dependency in which poverty is a trap. Long-term recipients loose job skills, work habits as well as work contacts. For this reason the government should require recipients to work as much as they can. It could be called â€Å"workfare† and could help recipients increase potential long-term earnings. Generation poverty is defined as children of parents in poverty grow up to live in poverty themselves in a continuous cycle for at least two generations. All too often this is a result of a traumatic event-taking place such as a illness or divorce that alters the fami ly structure Hard working, self-reliant men and women built this country, but these work ethics began to change during the great depression in the 1930’s. A federal welfare program was introduced, it granted monthly cash and food coupons to assist with basic living needs, it was established to assist those who were living below the poverty line. This system went virtually unchanged since 1930, and was due for a much-needed reform. In 1996 President Bill Clinton made great strides to give welfare a long overdue facelift. He gave the duties of welfare to the states by implementing the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act. This act restricted aid to most legal residents. The bill had a 5year lifetime maximum for cash assistance and, required recipients to search for employment among other requirements. This welfare reform law was very successful. More than 60% percent of recipients were able to get off the welfare program. However, the core of this program was done away with in 2012 by the Obama administration. A directive was issued stating that TANF (Temporary assistance for needy Families) work requirements could be waived or over ridden by section 1115 waiver authority under the Social Security law. This has fueled an ongoing debate over whether welfare dependency in one generation causes welfare dependency in the next generation. Psychologist, Albert Bandura is considered the pioneer  behind the Social Learning Theory. This theory states that people learn from their social contexts and much of social behavior is learned through observing and practiced through modeling. This observational learning can occur in three ways: live modeling, symbolic learning and instruction. This explains the cycle of generational welfare among our nations poor. Last year the Wall Street Journal reported that 49% of the population of the United States lives in a household where at least one person receives some type of government assistance. The Heritage Foundation’s annual Index of Dependence on Government, tracks government spending, and the score is adjusted for federal programs that contribute to government assistance dependency. In 2010 the foundation reported that nearly 67.3 million Americans received Social Security, TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, educational support for higher learning, or some other assistance that was once considered to be the responsibility of families, individuals, ch urches, and neighborhoods. A culture has developed within families in which welfare is reinforced and sometimes even encouraged by parents who are also receiving benefits and their children. Children also become more accepting of the idea of assistance because their parents are currently receiving welfare benefits. The goal of public policy should be reducing poverty, not just the reduction of caseloads. The plan that was implemented by former President Clinton did just that. Jobs have to be created and available before we can reduce the number of persons receiving government assistance. More often than not, when jobs are created they are low-skill jobs and do not pay enough to meet employees basic needs which results in many quitting and going back on government aid. We need more programs set up to provide training in work skills or a trade so that citizens will be able to receive wages that will easily sustain their families and encourage them to become self sufficient and non dependent on government assistance. It gives great satisfaction for a person to know that they are completely self-sufficient and can provide their family with at least its basic needs. It gives a sense of purpose and builds self-confidence that you do not have when you have to rely on the government or another person for financial help. It requires decision, determination, and discipline. Some may argue that generational poverty is determined by poor health across generations and not by observation or modeling of ones parents. However the statistics  from the changes made during the Clinton administration, give proof that the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, that works and should be reinstated. Most citizens have a desire to be successful but just don’t have the skills or self-esteem they need to accomplish these goals. Sometimes it takes a little push to get them headed in the right direction and this program seems to do just that. It provided nearly any means of assistance for individuals to become job ready. It provided assistance with transportation problems; self-esteem issues like dental work or even haircuts. Individuals were coached in interview skills and good work ethics. Many classes were provided to help assist in lifestyle and finance management changes. Individuals were encouraged to further their education and were given assistance with college enrollment applications as well. All of the qualities that are needed to preform a job to the fullest of one s ability were provided to wean recipients off of welfare. We have to reach the core understanding of why some people get stuck in a cycle of generational poverty and work on the core problem if we want long-term results. In which individuals receive jobs, perform their duties to the best of their ability and take pride in being self-sufficient. When individuals are proud of their accomplishments and are confident that they will be able to provide for themselves and their family, then we will begin to see a decline in numbers of generational welfare recipients and will be able to witness our economy grow and flourish.

Origins of Tissues Macrophages

Origins of Tissues Macrophages Ryan Lewis    Discuss current ideas about the origins of tissue macrophages and whether these origins influence the subsequent functions of macrophage Graphical Abstract Figure Legend: This figure highlights possible tissue macrophage origins and their development pathways. The essay discusses contradicting findings in the literature, involving three different publications; Sheng et al, 2015 (blue pathway), Hoeffel et al, 2015 (red pathway) and Perdiguero et al, 2015 (green pathway) which are shown in the figure. Cell positions relate to the time point they are established during embryonic development. Positions of yolk sac and foetal liver are also related to the times they are developed. Introduction In the late 19th century Ilya Metchnikoff discovered macrophages (Tauber, 2003) and since then our understanding of the immune system and its complexity has progressed to a stage where the macrophage is no longer as simple as was originally depicted by Metchnikoff. Although much more is known about tissue specific macrophages and their functions, the origins of these macrophages are less well understood including how their origins relate to the functions they have within specific tissues. This essay aims to address the current ideas about the origins of tissue macrophages and whether these origins influence the subsequent functions of macrophages. Macrophage Discovery and History As previously mentioned Metchnikoff discovered the macrophage late in the 19th century (Tauber, 2003). Metchnikoff published a paper talking about phagocytic cells he had observed in frogs, he described the phagocytic cells as being involved in host defence but also the clearing of dead and dying cells (Gordon, 2007). Mechnikoff then discovered the presence macrophages in starfish, which dont have a vascular system, which led him to the discovery of tissue-resident macrophages (Gordon, 2007). Metchnikoff received the Nobel prize for his studies on cellular immunity to infection in vertebrates which he shared with Paul Ehrlich who discovered humoral immunity (Gordon, 2007). It took roughly 80 years after Metchnikoffs discovery before the origin of the tissue macrophage was uncovered. It was proposed that tissue macrophages originated from circulating monocytes in the blood (van Furth and Cohn, 1968), this theory has persisted for the last 40 years however from recent studies we know t hat this is not the primary origin of the tissue macrophage. Shortly after the theory that tissue macrophages originated from circulating monocytes was proposed, it was discovered that tissue macrophages and monocytes are heterogenous and their heterogeneity is conserved in humans and mice (Gordon and Taylor, 2005). The discovery of monocyte subsets followed shortly after in 1983, which supported the theory that tissue macrophages originated from circulating monocytes (Yona and Jung, 2009). The theory that tissue macrophages are derived from circulating monocytes has been the prevailing view until very recently partly due to the arrival of advanced techniques including; fate mapping and ionizing radiation. In the last 5-6 years, many definitive publications have redefined our understanding of the origins of tissue macrophages (Epelman et al, 2014). Recent studies have shown that many tissue macrophages are established during embryonic development and continually self-replenish into adulthood independently of any input from circulating monocytes in the blood (Epelman et al, 2014; Ginhoux et al, 2010; Hashimoto et al, 2013; Yona et al, 2013). Tissue Macrophage Heterogeneity and Function Tissue macrophage have a huge degree of heterogeneity which reflects upon the specialization of their functions in different tissues and locations (Gordon and Taylor, 2005). Macrophage heterogeneity is required to ensure the tissue macrophage has the most effective phenotype to tackle its specific microenvironment, this is particularly important in the gut. Tissue macrophages in the gut isolated from the lamina propria have a unique phenotype characterised by high phagocytic and bactericidal activity but very poor production of pro-inflammatory cytokines which makes them perfectly suited to their microenvironment (Gordon and Taylor, 2005). There are many specialised tissue macrophages that have very distinct functions including; osteoclasts in the bone which breakdown bone deposits for bone remodelling, alveolar macrophages (dust cells) in the lung that break down foreign material and pathogens, and microglia in the brain which play a role in neuronal development homeostasis and the recovery from pathology (Boyce et al, 2008; Rubins, 2003; Prinz et al, 2014). The theory that tissue macrophage populations are replenished from circulating monocytes in the blood is somewhat true but the most diverse tissue macrophages such as microglia, alveolar macrophages and osteoclasts are replenished through self-renewal and proliferation (Yona and Jung, 2009). There is a substantial number of studies discussing whether macrophages originating from monocytes in the blood can differentiate into resident tissue macrophages. In most cases the monocyte subset that the macrophage originated from determines its ability to differentiate into a specialized resident tissue macrophage, this is particularly true in the lung as studies have shown only Ly6Clo, not Ly6Chi, monocytes have the ability to differentiate into enchymal lung macrophages (Landsman et al, 2007). In regards to the more complex and specialised alveolar macrophages in the lung, studies have shown that these macrophage s require a parenchymal lung macrophage intermediate (Landsman and Jung, 2007). Circulating monocytes in the blood were long believed to be the origin of specialised tissue macrophages but recent evidence has shown that this is incorrect and proven that many of these tissue macrophage populations are developed long before birth (Epelman et al, 2014). Origins of Tissue Macrophages Macrophages are first observed during embryonic day 6.5 and are produced in the yolk sac during what is termed as primitive haematopoiesis (Epelman et al, 2014). During this early stage in development macrophages are the only immune cell produced due to restricted progenitors in the yolk sac. During embryonic days 8.5 10.5 hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) emerge from the aorta-gonad meso-nephros (AGM) and give rise to all immune lineages (Epelman et al, 2014). At embryonic day 10.5 HSCs migrate from the AGM to the foetal liver, the foetal liver then becomes the major hematopoietic organ until birth. Only after birth do bone marrow HSCs become the primary progenitors and produce all immune lineages (Orkin and Zon, 2008). Microglia are the only tissue macrophages that are established in the yolk sac and are self-maintained through-out adulthood, all the other tissue macrophages are established from embryonic day 14.5 to birth and either self-maintained by proliferation or replenished b y HSCs in the bone marrow (Ginhoux et al, 2010; Sheng et al, 2015). The arrival of fat-mapping techniques have enabled researchers to precisely track embryonic macrophage populations into adulthood, giving an insight into the relationship between resident tissue macrophages and circulating blood monocytes (Epelman et al, 2014). As previously discussed, microglia are the only tissue macrophage originating from the yolk sac and arise before embryonic day 8 (Ginhoux et al 2010). Fate mapping analysis was used to determine that the origin of microglia was the primitive myeloid precursors in the yolk sac and also proved that microglia are self-maintained independently of any circulating blood monocytes (Ginhoux et al, 2010). There is also evidence that Langerhans cells originate from the yolk sac but only partially (Sheng et al, 2015). The fate mapping study by Sheng proved that microglia and Langerhans cells were the only tissue macrophages that originate from yolk sac precursors and th at most adult tissue macrophages originate from a second wave of haematopoiesis driven by HSCs. (Sheng et al, 2015). The number recent of publications concerning tissue macrophage origins is staggering and is most likely attributed to the arrival of fate mapping techniques. With the large surge of new studies regarding tissue macrophage origins it is important that a clear understanding is generated but this is not always possible with such a complicated subject. Contrasting Studies into Tissue Macrophage Origins There are a few recent studies concerning tissue macrophage origins which are particularly interesting. Sheng (Sheng et al, 2015) arrived at the conclusion that most tissue macrophages originate from HSCs however there are a few publications which contradict Shengs findings. Perdiguero concluded that yolk sac derived erythro-myeloid progenitors, were origin of almost all tissue macrophages which contrasts greatly with Shengs observations. (Perdiguero et al, 2015). Perdiguero also concluded that microglia were derived from erythro-myeloid progenitors rather than primitive yolk sac progenitors that was observed by Sheng, although both do come from the yolk sac (Perdiguero et al, 2015; Sheng et al, 2015). Perdiguero predicted that almost all other tissue macrophages originated from erythro-myeloid progenitors (Perdiguero et al, 2015; Sheng et al, 2015). A study by Hoeffel aligned well with Perdigueros observations but Hoeffel observed that primitive yolk sac progenitors gave rise to mic roglia rather than erythro-myeloid progenitors that was observed by Perdiguero (Hoeffel et al, 2015; Perdiguero et al, 2015). As well as the difference in the development of microglia, Hoeffel predicted that erythro-myeloid progenitors migrated to the foetal liver, giving rise to foetal monocytes which were then responsible for the production of tissue macrophages. (Hoeffel et al, 2015). Each of these 3 examples also propose a separate proposed major path of ontogeny and differentiation to adult tissue macrophage state. Perdiguero proposes erythro-myeloid progenitors from the yolk sac as the major precursor of tissue macrophages, Heoffel proposes erythro-myeloid progenitors from the foetal liver, as foetal monocytes, as the major precursor and, Sheng proposes that HSCs from the foetal liver are the major precursor (Perdiguero et al, 2015; Hoeffel et al, 2015; Sheng et al, 2015; Guinhoux and Guilliams, 2016). Although the observations made by Sheng are profoundly different to those m ade by Perdiguero and Hoeffel it could be down to the fate mapping technique they used. The model they used is not adapted to distinguish between late erythro-myeloid progenitors and foetal HSCs which has clearly effected the conclusion they have come to (Guinhoux and Guilliams, 2016). Although fate mapping has great potential in advancing our knowledge of cellular ontogeny there are certain limitation that come with it and these limitations must be considered when designing experiments and analysing data (Guinhoux and Guilliams, 2016). Do Tissue Macrophage Origins Matter? Determining the origins of tissue macrophages may be valuable for furthering our knowledge and understanding of their development but do their origins have any influence in determining their function? As well as ontogeny, diversity in the functions of tissue macrophages can also be attributed to the local signals received by the macrophages. These local changes can drive the expression of unique transcription factors which in turn lead to different functions (Lavin et al, 2015). There is a lot of evidence to suggest that the tissue macrophages microenvironment can alter its function, the plasticity of tissue macrophages allows them to adjust their functions to inflammatory events (Lavin et al, 2015). Using ionizing radiation most embryonic-derived tissue macrophages can be eliminated, they can then be replaced with donor-derived bone marrow progenitors to determine if the wild type state of the tissue can be restored. Using this technique, studies have proven that bone marrow progeni tors can completely restore the enhancer profile and transcriptional programme of the embryonic-derived tissue macrophages that were eliminated (Lavin et al, 2015). A very recent study has shown that yolk sac macrophages, foetal liver monocytes and adult bone marrow monocytes can all successfully differentiate into alveolar macrophages in the lung after the removal of the native alveolar macrophages using ionizing radiation (van de Laar et al, 2016). The study also showed that other already developed tissue macrophages, liver, peritoneal and colon macrophages cannot successfully differentiate into alveolar macrophages in the lung. This finding suggests that the plasticity of the mononuclear phagocyte system is at its largest during the precursor stage and after differentiation to tissue-resident macrophages no further phenotypic changes of macrophage types can take place (van de Laar, 2016). Perhaps the most interesting finding from this study is that the alveolar macrophages differ entiated from yolk sac macrophages, foetal liver monocytes and bone marrow monocytes were still able to self-maintain and prevent alveolar proteinosis (van de Laar, 2016). Similar results have also been observed with Kupffer cells. Kupffer cells were eliminated from the liver using diphtheria toxin-mediated depletion allowing its niche to become vacant. Observations showed that circulating monocytes can engraft the liver and adopt the transcriptional profile of the eliminated Kupffer cells and also become long-living self-renewing cells like their eliminated counterparts (Scott et al, 2015). These new findings question whether the origin of tissue macrophages is truly important to their function as the progenitors and monocytes tested have all been able to restore the tissues lost macrophages successfully without any loss of function. Conclusion Although determining the origins of tissue macrophages and other members of the immune system is important for the progression of our knowledge it remains to be seen whether the actual origins have any implications on the function of the tissue macrophages. The techniques used in the publications discussed are still very new and still require refinement, I believe further refinement of the techniques will enable a more detailed and accurate description on the origins of tissue macrophages and the role the origins play in their function. References       BOYCE, B.F., YAO, Z. XING, L. 2009Osteoclasts have multiple roles in bone addition to bone resorption.Critical Reviews in Eukaryotic Gene Expression, 19.3, 171-180 EPELMAN, S., LAVINE, K.J. RANDOLPH, G.J. 2014Origin and functions of tissue macrophages.Immunity, 41.1, 21-35 GINHOUX, F., GRETER, M., LEBOEUF, M., NANDI, S., SEE, P., GOKHAN, S., MEHLER, M.F., CONWAY, S.J., GUAN NG, L., STANLEY, E.R., SAMOKHVALOV, I.M. MERAD, M. 2010Fate mapping analysis reveals that adult microglia derive from primitive macrophages.Science, 330.6005, 841-845 GUINHOUX, F. GUILLIAMS 2016Tissue-resident macrophage ontogeny and homeostasis.Immunity, 44.3, 439-449 GORDON, S. 2007The macrophage: past, present and future.European Journal of Immunology, 37, 9-17 GORDON, S. TAYLOR, P.R. 2005Monocyte and macrophage heterogeneity.Nature Reviews: Immunology, 5.12, 953-964 HASHIMOTO, D., CHOW, A., NOIZAT, C., TEO, P., BEASLEY, M.B., LEBOEUF, M., BECKER, C.D., SEE, P., PRICE, J., LUCAS, D., GRETER, M., MORTHA, A., BOYER, S.W., FORSBERG, E.C., TANAKA, M., VAN ROOIJEN, N., GARCIA-SASTRE, A., STANLEY, E.R., GINHOUX, F., FRENETTE, P.S. MERAD, M. 2013Tissue-resident macrophages self-maintain locally throughout adult life with minimal contribution from circulating monocytes.Immunity, 38.4, 792-804 HOEFFEL, G., CHEN, J., LAVIN, Y., LOW, D., ALMEIDA, F.F., SEE, P., BEAUDIN, A.E., LUM, J., LOW, I., FORSBERG, E.C, POIDINGER, M., ZOLEZZI, F., LARBI, A., NG, L.G., CHAN, J.K., GRETER, J.K., BECHER, B., SAMOKHVALOV, I.M., MERAD, M. GINHOUX, F. 2015C-Myb(+) erythro-myeloid progenitor-derived fetal monocytes give rise to adult tissue-resident macrophages.Immunity, 42.4, 665-678 LANDSMAN, L., VAROL, C. JUNG, S. 2007Distinct differentiation potential of blood monocyte subsets in the lung. Journal of Immunology, 178.4, 2000-2007 LANDSMAN, L. JUNG, S. 2007Lung macrophages serve as obligatory intermediate between blood monocytes and alveolar macrophages.Journal of Immunology, 179.6, 3488-3494 LAVIN, Y., MORTHA, A., RAHMAN, A. MERAD, M. 2016Regulation of macrophage development and function in peripheral tissues.Nature Reviews: Immunology, 15.12, 731-744 ORKIN, S.H. ZON, L.I. 2008Haematopoiesis: an evolving paradigm for stem cell biology.Cell, 132, 631-644 PERDIGUERO, E.G., KLAPPROTH, K., SCHULZ, C., BUSCH, K., AZZONI, E., CROZET, L., GARNER, H., TROUILLET, C., DE BRUIJN, M.F., GEISSMANN, F. RODEWALD, H.R. 2014Tissue-resident macrophages originate from yolk-sac-derived erythro-myeloid progenitors.Nature, 518, 547-551 PRINZ, M., TAY, T.L., WOLF, Y. JUNG, S. 2014Microglia: unique and common features with other tissue macrophages.Acta Neuropathologica, 128.3, 319-331 RUBINS, J.B. 2003Alveolar macrophages: wielding the double-edged sword of inflammation.American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 167.2, 103-104 SCOTT, C.L., ZHENG, F., DE BAETSELIER, P., MARTENS, L., SAEYS, Y., DE PRIJCK, S., LIPPENS, S., ABELS, C., SCHOONOOGHE, S., RAES, G., DEVOOGDT, N., LAMBRECHT, B.N., BESCHIN, A. GUILLIAMS, M. 2016Bone marrow-derived monocytes give rise to self-renewing and fully differentiated Kupffer cells.Nature Communications, 7, 10321 SHENG, J., RUEDL, C. KARJALAINEN, K. 2015Most tissue-resident macrophages except microglia are derived from fetal hematopoietic stem cells.Immunity, 43.2, 382-393 TAUBER, A.I. 2003Metchnikoff and the phagocytosis theory.Nature Reviews: Molecular Cell Biology, 4, 897-901 VAN DE LAAR, L., SAELENS, W., DE PRIJCK, S., MARTENS, L., SCOTT, C.L., VAN ISTERDAEL, G., HOFFMANN, E., BEYAERT, R., SAEYS, Y., LAMBRECHT, B.N. GUILLIAMS, M. 2016Yolk sac macrophages, fetal liver, and adult monocytes can colonize an empty niche and develop into functional tissue-resident macrophages.Immunity, 44.4, 755-768 VAN FURTH, R. COHN, Z.A. 1968The origin and kinetics of mononuclear phagocytes.The Journal of Experimental Medicine, 128.3, 415-435 YONA, S., KIM, K.W., WOLF, Y., MILDNER, A., VAROL, D., BRECKER, M., STRAUSS-AYALI, D., VIUKOV, S., GUILLIAMS, M., MISHARIN, A., HUME, D.A., PERLMAN, H., MALISSEN, B., ZELZER, E. 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Al Jazeera Broadcasting Company: PESTEL Analysis

Al Jazeera Broadcasting Company: PESTEL Analysis Executive Summary The objective of this report is to analyse the key external issues affecting Al Jazeera Broadcasting Network using the PESTEL Co. mnemonic. This analysis will consider the opportunities and threats facing Al Jazeera and its competitors in the broadcasting industry. Al Jazeera is generally regarded as a controversial TV network and has faced various forms of censorship in different countries. These censorships represent a significant threat to their desire to increase market share. Increasingly, viewers are demanding a more rounded coverage of news rather than a perceived ‘one side to the story’ served up by existing networks like BBC and CNN. Al Jazeera are seen as one of the main networks to provide this rounded coverage. Al Jazeera faces competition from new Arab network stations who are copying the former’s format. Since the launch of their English services, the Qatar based network is now in direct competition with the likes of BBC and CNN which brings challenges prevalent when competing against well established brands. Al Jazeera’s External Environment: PESTEL Analysis Although external forces are beyond its control, Al Jazeera can use proactivity to improve its position based on its understanding of this environment (Scholes, 2004). It enables Al Jazeera to be in a position to determine its position in the industry and subsequently identify and implement strategies and activities that will exploit the opportunities in the external environment and minimise the threats faced (Grant, 2004). The mnemonic, PESTEL Co., will be used to carry out an appraisal of the external factors affecting Al Jazeera. The mnemonic stands for the following: Political Economic Social Technological Ethical Legal Competition (P)olitical Al Jazeera is seen as a controversial TV network station. Consequently, it has had run-ins with many countries. A lot of these have resulted in censorship of some sort. The US and UK have been reported registering strong protests against the TV network’s perceived anti-US and anti-UK stance in reporting the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In Spain, in 2003, a reporter was arrested for allegedly providing support to Al Qaeda members (www.wikipedia.com). These controversies impacted negatively on Al Jazeera in terms of increasing its customer base. The more censorship and negative publicity that they attract, the less they are able to make inroads into the market share of their major competitors like CNN and BBC. This represents a significant threat. In 2004, allegations, though unsubstantiated, were made against the US, of a plot to deliberately target Al Jazeera headquarters in Doha (www.wikipedia.com). On the plus side, Al Jazeera is known for covering post-war issues. (E)conomic Al Jazeera survives on the funding provided by the Emir of Qatar and through advertising revenue. Al Jazeera’s main strategy is based on increasing market share instead of profits. ‘The Economist’ reiterated as such in its November 2006 edition, ‘influence more than profits are Al Jazeera’s driving force’. Due to increased globalisation and a general economic upturn in the world economy, i.e. low interest rates, higher levels of spending and investment, Al Jazeera are exposed to increased opportunities in terms of attracting more viewers. Viewers worldwide are better able to afford satellite TV stations in their households, therefore Al Jazeera is perfectly poised to exploit the opportunities presented. Through its web-based subscription-free service, the TV network also has an increased reach across the globe. (S)ocial This represents a significant opportunity to Al Jazeera. In Abram Sauer’s article ‘Al Jazeera Tough Enough’ (www.brandchannels.com), the writer intimated that the channel is seen as providing alternative views from the normal propaganda allegedly served up by mainstream stations. Recently, residents of countries like US and UK are registering their concerns and displeasure on what they perceive as misinformation and increased propaganda of the news presented by well-established international TV networks like CNN and BBC. The concern is based on the beliefs that these stations are sympathetic to their respective governments. Increasingly, Al Jazeera is seen as the alternative providing a more realistic and credible news and more important providing views from the ‘other side’ (i.e. views of Palestinians, Al Qaeda etc). This is translating itself into increased viewing figures for the Qatar based channel. In just over 10 years, Al Jazeera recently estim ated its worldwide audience at approximately 45 million with over 150000 US households included in that figure (www.aljazeera.com). (T)echnological Web based services in Arabic and English present the TV network with good opportunities to reach a wider audience. (E)thical In the western world, for example, the powers that be accuse Al Jazeera of promoting or supporting terrorist activities which worldwide is regarded as unethical. In the Middle East, the opposite view is held. Al Jazeera has cleverly constructed an image of itself as the station for the ‘underdog’. (L)egal In a nutshell, the obligation to provide fair and impartial news places a great duty of care on organisations such as Al Jazeera to be responsible in disseminating news. The threat here is failure to adhere to legal obligations can end in closure for the station. Competition Two Arab networks are eating into Al Jazeera’s share of the Arab market particularly in the Middle East, these are Al Arabiya and Al Hurra. Since launching their English based service, the TV network is now in direct competition with international broadcasting giants like BBC World and CNN International. Porters Five Analysis Porter’s Five Forces model will be used to analyse the competitive forces in the industry Al Jazeera operates in. Each will be looked at in turn and an assessment made on whether each of these forces present opportunities or threats to Al Jazeera. Bargaining power of suppliers The suppliers of Al Jazeera consist of providers of products and services to help Al Jazeera conduct its operations. These include suppliers of vehicles, equipment and hotel accommodation. There are also consultants and presenters who are lured to the station for big money, for example Sir David Frost. The bargaining power of suppliers can be considered low and therefore present opportunities to the TV network to attract the best. Bargaining power of buyers Increasingly, audiences are looking at alternative news coverage as their concern on alleged propaganda offered by mainstream TV news channels grows. This provides a fantastic opportunity for Al Jazeera, who are considered as the prime channel for more balanced views. In the TV news network industry, the power of the audience is very high. What is also high is the level of audience loyalty to established brands like CNN and BBC. The threat from such stations is clear as more of these diversify into programmes for ethnic minorities and other programmes presented by Al Jazeera. Barriers to entry This is high due to high capital and stringent legal requirements to be met. New entrants find it hard to compete with the TV broadcasting giants. This enables Al Jazeera to focus more on existing competition and worry less about new entrants. The main opportunity here is the strategies put in place to maintain or improve their competitiveness can be more effective than if a threat from new entrants was significant. Availability of substitutes Many people follow the news on the radio and online. However, TV is the preferred medium. Al Jazeera has increased its distribution channel by having their web based service. Therefore, the availability of substitutes is regarded as low and therefore the threat is not significant enough to worry Al Jazeera. However, complementary substitutes like other TV news channels, especially the Arabic ones will provide a significant threat once they become more established, in terms of eating into Al Jazeera’s core customer base. Extent of competitive rivalry Buyer power is high in the industry. The audience are demanding and getting greater choice of channels, thereby ensuring that broadcasting organisations place greater emphasis on the quality of their programme offerings. This poses a threat. The threat of new entrants is low as is the bargaining power of those who supply goods and services to TV network stations. Therefore, the threat from these two forces are low. The availability of substitutes provides a significant threat to Al Jazeera but the threat is well mitigated through the TV news network’s creation of a niche market for itself, i.e. one which provides a more balanced alternative view to the norm. Conclusion Significant threats and opportunities exist in the world of TV news. The threats for Al Jazeera mainly come from political, ethical and competitive forces while the opportunities are provided by social, high entry barriers and technological forces. Al Jazeera are able to mitigate threats through cleverly carving themselves a niche in the industry. They are able to exploit the opportunities as more people are demanding a more rounded view of what’s actually happening in the political news world, rather than being fed, what is widely being considered as propaganda news. 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WIPO Arbitration and Media Centre, 2006, ‘Aljazeera Space Channel TV Station v AJ Publishing aka Aljazeera Publishing’, Case NO. D2005-0309, viewed 23 March, www.wipo.int/amc/en/dmains/decisions Zednik, R, 2002, ‘Perspectives on War: Inside Al Jazeera’ Columbian Journalism Review, viewed 23 March 2007, www.cjr/org/year/02/2/zednik.asp