The Consequences Of Passive Listening English Language Essay

The Consequences Of Passive Listening English Language Essay Passive listening occurs when a person is fully aware of a lecture, Conversation, or something audio that is going on in his or her presence but the person does not react to it. This essay is going to attempt to explain in details the consequences of passive listening. A passive listener does not interrupt the speaker or perform any action whatsoever at the same time in which the speaker is delivering his or her speech. In most cases, a passive listener does not nod his or her head, make appropriate facial expressions, and make eye contacts with the speaker or any other action that indicates whether a person is paying attention or not. When a person concentrates on making non-verbal cues (nodding, eye contacts and so on), then he or she is probably not paying much attention in other words, listening passively because those actions come naturally to a person who is actively listening i.e. he or she does not have to concentrate on doing them. In some cases, passive listening is associated with students in the class room. A student who is listening passively to a lecture barely pays attention to details but at the end of the lecture, the student tends to remember 10% or less of the information passed through during the lecture session. This is because although the student was not paying much attention to the details, the student will zone in and out of his or her mind at regular intervals and in the process accidentally take in some valuable information. Usually, passive listening in students is caused by a dull lecture or an interruption in which a student is attracted to for example, cell phones. It is not always the fault of the lecturer because some topics are uninteresting by nature. Despite all the reasons and excuses a student might have for his or her lack of interest during lectures, the consequences for this action will have to be put into consideration because it can adversely affect a persons academic participation and result. Listening passively without checking in on a conversation to verify whether or not you have correctly received the message often leads to deviation from accuracy in communication. By merely being in a conversation without insinuating questions or active accounts that divulge the speakers real message, a persons personal ideas might begin to mold about the probable implication of the message instead of the tangible meaning. An example is when an apprentice technician joins the audience in an inaugural lecture. If he listens passively, he will only superintend to get wind of the sounds, he will be unable to meaningfully identify the spoken cues, talk less of correctly interpreting what has been said. This will result in errors in the p ersons solutions or answers. If a person is listening passively, then the person is not speaking. Effective communication allows both the message sender and the receiver to express themselves in an even exchange of ideas. A passive listener positions an indirect comparison to a cobblestone, you can see it and you know it is there, but it seems incapable of absorbing anything that you are saying. The reason why passive listening is mostly associated with students is because it occurs mainly with teenagers. Passive listening requires a lot of focus because a passive listener severely focuses on what he or she is listening to but is not doing anything apart from listening meaning he or she is not absorbing any information. The strain on unmonitored focus affects a persons ability to understand. A person can store information correctly in the brain only when both the mind and brain of the individual are relaxed. Straining the brain to listen without any interest on details therefore results in a persons lack of understanding, wastage of time and possibly head ache or brain clogging. Some other practitioners of passive listening techniques are those attempting to learn a foreign language the audio way that is through an mp3 player or an audio CD player. This is common because when advertising these products, the marketing team make promises of satisfying results to whoever uses them. They include attractive slogans like learn French the easy way just by listening to this audio CD while finishing your chores. If a person is performing a task while listening to something, then the person is listening passively. The shocking truth is that passive listening cannot get a person to fluency in a language because it ever rarely produces any good results. What is even worse is that it will not help the ability of the person to understand the language he or she is attempting to learn. It is a fact that a passive listener is unable to correctly store, interpret and recall information, this fact also applies to a language learner who is listening passively. In plain words, a language learner who is listening passively will not be able to store, interpret and recall what has been said because language learning needs some amount of focus and understanding. In some cases, a person does not deliberately listen passively to a lecture or speech, passive listening can occur due to absent mindedness. In this situation, the source of this action is either the speaker or the listener. The speaker can be the cause of passive listening in an individual if his or her voice volume is too low and the listeners will have to strain their ears to listen. There will come a point in time when the listeners will finally give up on listening to the lecture because they are tired of straining their ears and the rest of the valuable information the speaker has to deliver will pass by the listeners ears and go to waste. There is also the case of complexity. When the speaker is using too many complex words or unnecessary issues and details, the listener tends to zone out and start to imagine all sorts of consequences for the discussion at hand and in the process missing out on some of the important key points. The listeners can also be at fault because at tim es, they focus on passing judgment on the speaker, topic or lecture so much that they forget the currently important speech they are supposed to be actively listening to and as a result they listen passively and miss out on the most important parts of the lecture. In my research I have learnt that the word consequence means outcome. The outcome of an event can be both good and bad since everything that has an advantage has a disadvantage. Everything I have mentioned on passive listening so far has been negative but it also has its own advantages. People have a medley of reasons to listen passively by due deliberation, in other words, by choice. Passive listening by choice does not occur amongst teenagers only; it is a mode of listening adopted by a lot of people in this world since an era before now. The positive thing about the variety of people that adopt the passive listening mode is that most of them use it in their leisure hours not when they are supposed to be listening to something important. For instance, after a long days studying and sports, a teenage high school girl finally freshens up to go to bed. As she lay on her bed, it is possible that the sleep does not come to her eyes immediately. This is an appropriate time to adopt passi ve listening. The girl can play a slow music that makes her feel relaxed and comfortable to assist her exhausted mind in getting some rest and sleep. Judging from the intention behind playing the slow music, the appropriate mode of listening is passive. This is because the girl might be very well into the music but she will only listen to the soothing waves of sounds the music is producing without making an attempt to pay attention to the lyrics. Another instance is when a house wife is struggling with the daily household chores while her husband is away at work and her kids in school. She can play any type of music she sees fit while she works and she will get the job well done in no time because her attention on both the work and music will be passive. The positive results that passive listening produce here is that it will help the girl get some sleep without stressing her mind about it since she will not be paying attention, and it will help the house wife to get the job done wi thout feeling bored and lonely. In conclusion, the main points mentioned above is that if passive listening is adopted when listening to lectures or something important, it is considered to be a bad habit because it produces negative results. If passive listening is adopted when listening to an mp3 or radio then it is positive and even recommended.

Insights on Style :: Style Writing Styles Essays

Insights on Style A writer sits down on his hickory brown leather upholstered chair in a lowered den of a cape-cod house in the country. He slips his bifocals up the ridge of his nose and pulls his typewriter with both arms to a comfortable typing distance. He is now ready to write and write with style. He has in mind that his certain eloquence will provide cohesion, concision and elegance that will be clear and concise so the reader will be able to determine exactly the message he is portraying. He begins with the intent to be clear, concise and understood. Making an impression on a reader is the idea I have about style. When a completed composition is read, there should be a feeling of understanding and comprehension about a certain idea, thought or consciousness. But, â€Å"Who can confidently say what ignites a certain combination of words, causing them to explode in the mind (Strunk and White, pg. 66)?† This is true in most cases; it is not the combination of words that cause a mind to stir but the way it creates thought and stimulus that create an explosion. There is a conscious effort required to give a work of writing style. Two major contributions to the subject of â€Å"good writing† are the books Style: toward Clarity and Grace by Joseph M. Williams and The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White. Before I explain about what it is I gained from these two books about style I want you to get an overall, summed-up insight to the books. Strunk Jr. and White have an idea and knowledge of â€Å"g ood writing† and call it style. In their book, The elements of Style, I can depict it like this: they give you the paint, paintbrush, canvas and the tools and say â€Å"This is what style is made of.† Williams, in his book paints a picture and says â€Å"this is style,† leaving the color out and letting that be determined by the reader. â€Å"We visibly organize essays, articles, reports, memoranda into paragraphs, subsections and major sections to signal readers that we have finished developing one part of an idea and are moving to another, to a new thought.

Mendin Wall Essay -- essays research papers

Walls Have Two   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Robert Frost’s “Mending Wall,'; he shows a man views about a wall. The man names both pros and cons of having the wall. He also hints at how a wall might affect a particular society. The poem is a conversation between two neighbors on either side of a wall. The main speaker’s conversation shows his views about the purpose of the wall, and it’s effectiveness to either bring people together, or it’s tendency to separate them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The main speaker’s conversation shows his feelings about the purpose of the wall. His monotonous feeling toward mending the wall shows his reluctance to having the wall. In his conversation he explains that there is no need for a wall because, “My apple trees will never get across and eat the cones under his pines'; (25). Since the speaker can find no reason for the wall he questions his neighbor on it’s purpose. And the other speaker can only answer with, “Good fences make good neighbors'; (27). With this answer the main speaker considers the fact that the wall must have no real purpose. Since the wall is not “walling'; anything in or “walling'; anything out (33).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Though the speaker sees the wall as having no purpose, he does name at least one good thing about it. The thing that he views as being good about the wall is it’s Moo...

Pizza USA Term Paper Essay

Abstract This case involves Pizza USA, a small independent chain restaurant operation that offers both dine-in and carry-out services for customers that has received feedback for a potential change that will require the implementation of design process to add services. Currently, customers have indicated that they are pleased with the food offered by the restaurant but they would increase pizza purchases if a delivery service was available. This dilemma ties into two separate issues. First, in order to remain competitive within the industry, customer wants and preferences need to be heard. After all, if you cannot please your customer base, you will lose them. Secondly, the changes required must be done in a manner that combines data gathering and analysis and implementation of a plan that best suites this particular type of business in order to maximize success. Customer service has been a recurring theme in many discussions regarding business operations and management in recent weeks. The prevailing thought is that in order for your business to grow and be successful, you must identify what your customers want and find a way to deliver it. This paper will analyze and discuss how process design can be implemented to assist this business to achieve its goals. Within the process design analysis and discussion, several factors will be reviewed to include: identification of what customer satisfaction means to the business and how we can identify the things that are most valuable to customers, the potential net yield of achieving a high level of customer satisfaction and efficiency, and the characteristic of developing an efficient pizza delivery (from stove to door) system. The paper will also assess creation of market â€Å"advantages† to not only maintain but grow the customer base. Pizza USA: An Exercise in Translating Customer Requirements into Process Design In the last five years leading up to 2012, the Pizza Restaurants industry has experienced the results of a downturn in economy. Restaurants have been directly affected by changing market conditions such as changes in intense competition, decreasing consumer spending and an increase in overall health consciousness (Kalnins, A., & Mayer, K. , 2004). However, despite such overwhelming odds and challenges, businesses were able to overcome economic hard times by reinventing themselves through creative marketing and adjusting their menu’s to adapt to customers preferences (Kelso, 2012). This allowed the industry to recover effectively and consumer spending and market growth returned in 2010. As more consumers returned to the restaurants, overall demand increased. The U. S. Pizza industry averages about 410 million pizzas per year (Kelso, 2012). In 2012 alone, pizza sales are expected to reach an incredible $36. 1 billion in revenue which is a 3. 8 percent increase from the previous year (Kelso, 2012). This growth is expected to continue at a rate of 2. 9 percent per year through 2017. Based on gathered data, 97 percent of U. S. consumers have ordered food from a pizza restaurant or establishment within the past 12 months (Kelso, 2012). No matter how you look at it, pizza consumption is on the rise and creates an exceptional opportunity for success in this industry. According to Gregory Badishkanian, a CITI Analyst, the big three of the pizza industry: Pizza Hut, Domino’s, and Papa Johns are currently in position to increase market share. (Bloomberg, 2012). Although the big three comprise of 30% of the total pizza market, the remaining 70% comprise largely of other large chains with less market coverage and of course the smaller independent chains (Kelso, 2012). While the larger chains are improving profits independent chains are struggling to stay afloat amidst the fierce competition among the larger more established companies such as the big three (Kelso, 2012). Understanding this dilemma, it would be most prudent for any independent restaurant operator to maximize operations by insuring that internal process design enables not only efficient productivity but generates a process that is customer friendly and focused on customer’s needs and preferences (Kalnins, A. , & Mayer, K. , 2004). This would be critical in the business’ ability to survive in such a monopolistic type market. Successful operation within a smaller independent chain restaurant faces challenges that may not be as apparent to a larger and more established national chains. Pizza USA is a small chain operation that currently provides two services: dine-in and carry-out options. Customers have commented that if delivery services were added to the restaurant offerings, they would potentially buy more pizzas (Jacobs & Chase, 2011). Based on this information, it is apparent that the owner needs to assess his business operations and consider a process design that would include adding this service to current operations. The addition of delivery services would potentially require additional capital to finance changes and may involve the hiring of additional staff. However, revenue increases as a result of the added service would off-set the costs associated with these additions. Near and long-term implications would include survivability within such a competitive market. As a customer, the primary focus of my satisfaction with this type of business relates primarily to efficiency and the level of customer service provided. If delivery service was provided, the two areas that would be most prevalent in my mind would be the delivery time and the state of the pizza once received. Far too often, I’ve received delivered food that was warm and in some cases cold. Needless to say, I never contacted that restaurant again. The thing that would create a unique experience would be the restaurant’s ability to not only deliver within an exceptional time period but also to provide a pizza that is piping hot as it would be while dining in. Another aspect would be an incentive to order delivery by way of discounting or some type of rewards service. These are experiences that have not been typical in my experience with pizza deliveries. Method. The perceived situational analysis are as follows: Strengths-Due to the smaller nature of the business, It could potentially create a more personal experience for the customers thus increasing customer satisfaction; Weaknesses-As a smaller business entity, they have less resources and limited options in implementing changes to meet customer demands. Also, the business would be less tolerant of negative impacts that may result from changes compared to larger established chains with additional resources available; Opportunities-A stronger customer relationship tends to allow more flexibility due to stronger loyalty among satisfied customers. Loyal customers are willing to wait changes out rather than making an initial determination and moving on to another business; Threats-The primary threats are of course the larger and more established chains such as the big three. Again, due to resourcing issues, these smaller and independent operations have less flexibility and opportunity if changes become less than desirable. The primary causes and effects are business survivability and customer satisfaction. Although these two areas are mentioned separately, they are in fact one. If changes are not made to meet customer needs and preferences, the business risks losing clientele and eventual closure. The term customer loyalty has been described as a process of capturing how well an organization is performing in three critical market measures: customer retention, share of wallet, and price sensitivity relative to competitors (Jacobs & Chase, 2011). Studies have shown that customer loyalty relates directly to business success and survivability. There exists a major distinction between product design from the user’s standpoint from what may have been intended by the manufacturer (Jacobs & Chase, 2011). The main difference deals primarily with the intended versus perceived usefulness of a given product. In short, if the customer’s input is not considered, product or process design could potentially be a major waste of time on the from end of the planning cycle with even a worse outcome once in the market. Table-1 below indicates quick-serve satisfaction rates among the top companies in the market to include the big three (Verma, R. , & Thompson, G. , 1999). As you can see, each of the larger chains has high overall scores in customer satisfaction. Albeit, this is only one of many areas that could potentially be assessed. The independent chains can learn something from this data. The large chains didn’t survive the market and become who they are today without success in this particular area (Verma, R. , & Thompson, G. , 1999). Table-1 Although the case situation described is consistent with most other business operations, â€Å"what can be done to be more profitable? † it is unique in itself due the detail andlevel of changes discussed. There are probably 100 areas that could be looked at that deals with efficiency and customer satisfaction. However, for the purpose of this paper we will only analyze the above mentioned areas. If assessing profitability and customer satisfaction is an everyday occurrence, which is the case in most businesses, then this case could most certainly be considered as a preexisting situation. However, this paper has little to do with assessing a documented loss in profits or revenue streams so the evolution is unknown at best. There are many course concepts that can be applied to understand this situation. However the two most prevalent areas of operations philosophy that comes to mind are: Chapter 3-Product and Service Design and Chapter 5-Process Analysis. Quality Function Deployment (QFD) in chapter 3 discusses the process of getting the customer’s â€Å"voice† involved in design specifications (Jacobs & Chase, 2011). This concept and application relates to any and all industries and organizations. It is directly related a process of studying and listening to customers to improve upon a product or service (Jacobs & Chase, 2011). Measuring Process Performance in Chapter 5 primarily deals with how well a particular process is performing. This is accomplished by assessing many different types of metrics such as: productivity, efficiency, flow time, throughput, and value added time to name a few (Jacobs & Chase, 2011). In order to adequately analyze whether your operation is running efficiently, a system of measurement is required to assess the performance. Results/Discussion The problem of addressing the customers’ needs and preferences are easily solved. Immediately implement planning to accommodate your customers’ request for the added feature of delivery service. Consider the most efficient manner of transition to minimize disruption to current business operations while planning the change. Insure that additional feedback is solicited and gathered from customers to re-validate the need to add the additional service and proceed with design process reviews and analysis to achieve goals. This satisfies the earlier discussion regarding identification of what the customer really wants and prefers. The task of developing and implementing the plan is what is the most difficult. Recommend that the owner begins with data gathering methods such as GAP Analysis. This method is used to assess the business’ performance relative to the expectations of its customers (Jacobs & Chase, 2011). An additional form of Gap Analysis includes the benchmarking of certain industry standards and measures the business ‘performance against established standards within the industry (Jacobs & Chase, 2011). Questions to be asked would be: What are other smaller independent chains offering? Is delivery service a value added service or just a waste of money? What are the industry standards in regards to delivery times and what is considered acceptable to customers? Do have the resources to provide that type of service or will it require additional equipment, supplies, vehicles and staff? This will allow the owner to see where his restaurant is versus where he wants to be. Moreover, this would be an ideal tool to gather additional information from Customers to obtain additional feedback. It can be accomplished in many ways such as through paper or email mailers and in store surveys. The method selected would primarily depend on the owner’s available resources and preferences and of course size of targeted population. The follow-on recommendation is to conduct a cost impact and payoff analysis using a decision tree or what some would call a consequence diagram. This process allows the planner to map out several alternatives with different end results to assess risk (Jacobs & Chase, 2011). In essence it is a risk matrix. When planning or considering restaurant equipment purchases or even additional staff hires, this process could be beneficial in assessing the risks involved with each decision (Jacobs & Chase, 2011). Table-2 is a representation of a typical decision tree used to make informed decisions. As you can see, it is a process of identifying the problem (or situation) and working through several COA’s to determine what works best for you. Table-2 Implementation is the next step. I would recommend the utilization of responsibility charts to organize and manage tasks. Again, this particular tool is a type of matrix that lists all the projects and tasks to be completed while identifying certain responsible parties or stakeholders (Jacobs & Chase, 2011). In such a small business environment, it would probably be most beneficial for the owner to get all staff involved with the design process to obtain full buy-in.this can be accomplished through the use of this tool. Of all the steps involved with planning and execution, this is probably the most labor intensive due to the potential resourcing required. After plans are implemented, the owner needs to assess the customer reactions to the added service. Anticipating a given response and getting the actual response are sometimes two different things. Again, the same process used during the Gap Analysis can be used to capture post-implementation feedback from customers (Jacobs & Chase, 2011). The bottom line is that as a small business, you more reliant on customer loyalty than larger chains and operations. As a result, you must pay attention to any feedback received regarding your products and services, In this case we’re talking about pizzas but it applies in many other situations and industries as well. Once the feedback id obtained develop a smart and affordable plan and implement the plan. Once you have transitioned fully into your new plan, solicit additional feedback from customers to see how things are going. You may find other areas of your business operations that require attention. Customer feedback has to be a part of your daily operations. Without it, your business is at serious risk. References Kalnins, A. , & Mayer, K. , (Dec 2004), Franchising, ownership, and experience: A study of pizza restaurant survival. Management Science Journal, Vol. 50 Issue 12, p1716-1728, 13p, 3 Charts. doi: 10. 1287/mnsc. 1040. 0220 Kohli, A. , & Gupta, M. , (Apr 2010), Improving operations strategy: Application of TOC principles in a small business. Journal of Business & Economics Research, Vol. 8 Issue 4, p37-45, 9p Verma, R. , & Thompson, G. , (1999), Managing service operations based on customer preferences. International Journal of Operations and Production Management. Vol. 19 Issue 9/10, p891-908, 18p, 6 Charts Jacobs, F. R. , & Chase, R. B. (2011), Operations and supply chain management. (13th ed. ), New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin Kelso, A. , (Sep 2012), Survey: U. S. pizza market tops $40 billion, pizzamarketplace. com, Retrieved: 1 Mar 2013 http://www. pizzamarketplace. com/article/200667/Survey-U-S-pizza-market-tops-40-billion AP News, (Sep 2012), Analyst: Big pizza chains could take bigger slice, Bloomberg Business Week News, Retrieved: 1 Mar 2013 http://www. businessweek. com/ap/2012-09-18/analyst-big-pizza-chains-could-take-bigger-slice.

Community teaching work plan proposal Essay

Lorenz et al. (2005) define end- of –life as a chronologically indefinite part of life when patients and their caregivers are struggling with the implications of an advance chronic illness. Every person’s end- of – life trajectory is different and the need for quality healthcare services, hospital or homecare interventions, family and patient legal rights, government policies and regulations pose some challenges to some patients at the end of their life. Therefore, the provision of good end- of- life care should be driven mainly by the concern to enhance life at end- of – life. The important issues for policy makers and healthcare services planners and providers are to find a lasting solution that required client’s autonomy in decision making, excellent healthcare management, love and family support throughout the end- of-life period. Moreover, the healthcare industries should understand that the altitude toward the process of dying is a reflection of the social values the society placed on how its members are supported and cared for at the end-of their lives by nurses, caregivers, social worker, and counselor’s and doctors. Furthermore, the reason majority of our elderly people die outside their own home are due to the nature of the illness and the varying stages and changing needs of the patients, which required certain hospital setting or services that most home caregivers or family members are not trained for or capable to handle. Even with the emergent of palliative care programs and hospice programs, the majority of elderly people do not die in their home because of their preference to seek better care outside the home in order prolong their lives. Although, family members, friends, partners and neighbors commonly assist with the care of older relatives, but when the patient become chronically ill or disable and not responding to treatment, the better option is to transfer the patient to the hospital or home care placement. Before making these decisions most families or caregivers factors in other problems such as patients lack of financial support, patient condition becoming burdensome to the care givers both financially and times spent in taking care of the patient. Furthermore, family members knowing that the patient is at the point of dying at any moment, the best option would be to place the patient in the hospital or homecare setting where the illness would be managed with special care and less painful services and with dignity before they die. As a nurse, I would consider first the well- being  of my patient, treat all my patients with compassion and respect, respect patient’s right and confidentiality, maintain accurate patient clinical records and refrain from denying treatment to patients. On the issue of deciding how I would help my clients at the end –of- life care stage, would be based on the guidelines of the official positions taken by the American Medical Association on end- of- life- actions. AMA’s Code of medical Ethics ( AMA,2012-2013) which provides health care physicians with a guidelines on how to deal with issues regarding end- of- life, likewise the nurses ANA;s Code of Ethics (2001) also have a guide line on what is expected from nurses when confronted with end of life issues. However, these actions should be based on clients wishes, such as Do- Not- Resuscitate Orders, Futile Care process, Quality of Life, Withholding or withdrawing life – sustaining medical treatment, Optimal Use of Order- not to intervene and Advance Directives in clients living will, health care treatment plan, health care power of attorney and do not resuscitate at home. Furthermore, we all know that some people are contented to leave decisions regarding their death in the hands of the others. By doing so, they expose themselves to the unnecessary treatments and restrictions. Family members are often forced to make decisions about life- support and treatment without knowing whether their loved one would have wanted these interventions. I would help the patient and the family plan and make the appropriate ethnical choices in accordance with the Hospice and palliative Nursing Association directives. Also, knowing the end – of –life often involves risks and ethical dilemmas such as in withdrawal of life- sustaining treatment like dialysis or feeding tube and the large need of doses of opioids, I would address the patients need based on ANA guidelines, which stated in the case of administering opioids on end-of- life patient, nurses must use effective doses of medications prescribed for symptom control and nurses have a moral obligation to advocate on behalf of the patient when prescribed medication is insufficiently managing pain and other distressing symptom. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) 2011 CQG series between elderly patients under the palliative care and family evaluation of Hospice care patients who have died, shows the extensive evidence and numerous interventions available for patients in palliative care, such as  applying many types of medications and other interventions to treat pain are supported by strong evidence of reductions in pain severity and helps to prolong patients life. On the other hand, patients who are in Hospice care before death has a lot of complaint from the family members and noted that 18.2 percent of the family members stated inattention to the needs of their love ones and support from hospital among hospices varies from 12.6% to 21.4%, and 9 percent of family members reported that their need for emotional support was not met. References AMA’S Code of Medical Ethics-American Medical Association. www.ama-assn.org/go/codeofmedicalethics. Code of Nurses Ethics for Nurses-American Nurses Association. www.nursingworld.org/codeofethics.

How visual and/or verbal features showed you that this idea was important Essay

Freedom; a right all human beings cherish and strive for, banishing any ideas of captivity. It is powerful and even more so the ability to control it. â€Å"The Truman Show†, directed by Chrsitof expresses the control of freedom in a utopian society that contradicts the purpose of reality television. This is done through the setting, costume, dialogue and camera shots intertwined in the unique world of Truman Burbank. â€Å"Ladies first†, a common cliche used to emphasizes the polite nature of gentlemen. Yet one can wonder whether it is purely the position and routine application of authority that ensures the power and control of females. In the opening scene of chapter nine â€Å"there’s no place like home†, a three shot of: Truman’s grandmother, Truman and Meryl portrays the genuine hierarchy in Truman’s life. Truman is confined and contained in between these two feminine figures; he is immobile and unable to break free. The setting itself is a cage; surrounding Truman in a world where his freedom is absent. Prevented and restricted from going anywhere, it almost seems like a cruel form of torture. Because I never have†, he has never had the chance to explore the unknown to go anywhere beyond Seahaven. To some this is immoral and wrong, to others it is just â€Å"good† television. Humorous yet serious, a phrase filled with irony and contradiction: Reality television. Reality is defined as a resemblance of what is real, a presentation of the good and bad of life. However like most reality television shows the â€Å"Truman Show† is not reality at all and the entire show completely contradicts its â€Å"mission statement†. Christof has installed different ways of controlling Truman in order to keep him on Seahaven. â€Å"We’re just going to walk away from our financial obligations? † Christof uses Meryl and many other major characters in Truman’s life to influence and exercise power over him, preventing him from daydreaming about the unknown beyond Seahaven. The sea is Christof’s strongest hold over Truman. Filled with memories of loss and pain and afraid from experiencing anymore the sea is Truman’s final frontier. It was the place where his â€Å"dad died† and where his high school sweetheart was taken away from him. After a spontaneous burst of slight madness and insanity in an attempt to leave Seahaven, an overshot of Truman and Meryl in their car stationary at the bridge shows just how much control and manipulation that has stripped Truman of his freedom in order to make a television show. â€Å"It’s all true, it’s all real, nothing here is fake†¦ it’s merely controlled†, unfortunately the control takes away the aspect of reality. Life is not controlled and there is no way that we can control it, which is possibly why reality is so beautiful. The ironic sense of the â€Å"Truman Show† is widely broadcasted in its Utopian society. Utopia is a place everyone wishes to be in, a place of bliss and relaxation where everything is perfect. An establishing shot of Seahaven’s centre expresses the â€Å"utopian† society which confines Truman. Clean streets, perfectly built buildings, beautiful sunshine and impossibly clean mown grass are few of the many â€Å"utopian† aspects in Seahaven. The costume of Meryl also prevents the audience with a stereotypical 1950’s housewife; fair skin, glossy hair, perfect body structure and a beautiful face; all features of every man’s dream girl. Yet in â€Å"There’s no place like home† even beauty and utopia cannot keep us from our hearts desires. The wedding day; a day every single person looks forward to, â€Å"the happiest day of our lives†. However through a medium close up shot of Truman as Meryl says this reveals Truman grunting and rolling his eyes. In the same scene as Meryl and Truman’s grandmother are trying to evoke happy memories of his past, the cross cutting from photos to Truman shows a lack of interest from Truman about what is being discussed. Hidden from Meryl and Truman’s grandmother but wide open for the audience to watch and digest. Truman is not currently happy and satisfied with life because he wants what he has never had. It is a part of human nature to always long for the things we do not have, but Truman has never had the chance to attempt to fulfil his desires as he has been a slave to the world of reality television. Reality is life; it is never in control, never following a set plan because that is what makes reality; reality. â€Å"What you are doing is wrong and sick! † Taking away the freedom of an individual is certainly not a resemblance of reality. You cannot control life no matter how hard you try. It is supposed to be lived out of control in a place where there are no bounds. Though this might be why so many people succeeded in life; because they weren’t held back.

Marketing Explanation Essay

Background of marketing: Starting In the 1920’s it was the production era. A product was thought to be good if it was bought by a customer. Producers could only sell what they could produce. From the 1950’s marketing was shown in a sales era. Customers didn’t buy anything unless they needed it. Communication and persuading customers to buy your good was now stronger then it was so some companies goods were better than others. From the 1960s onwards most markets have become saturated (the size of the market remains the same). This means that there is now intense competition for customers. The sophistication of marketing management has therefore developed into what we now see in a modern marketing department. Marketers are involved at a strategic level within the organisation and therefore inform an organisation about what should be produced, where it should be sold, how much should be charged for it and how it should be communicated to consumers. Modern marketers research markets and consumers. They attempt to understand consumer needs (and potential needs) and allocate organisational resources appropriately to meet these needs. Modern marketers are particularly interested in brands. They are also increasingly interested in ensuring that employees understand marketing, i.e. that everyone within the organisation involves themselves with marketing activities. Started from the 1990’s organisation had to start considering what customers actually want and had to form relationships to create ‘loyal customers’. Function of marketing: â€Å"The function of marketing is to encompass the whole process of deciding which product and services the customer will want and how will they be delivered to the customer†. (Travel & Tourism book 1, Page 112) What are the aims of marketing? * Meet customers’ needs * Know the competition * Manage any threats * Research customers need * Know the market Marketing Mix: The marketing mix describes the key elements that an organisation uses to inform and persuade and meet the customers’ needs using the 4 P’s. The 4 P’s are: * Product * Price * Place * Promotion Product: â€Å"a product is anything that is offered to the marketplace that can satisfy a customer’s perceived need† (Eric Davies, Successful marketing book, 2012, page 78) Price: How much the product is being sold to the customer for? Place: The place of marketing focus of how the product is contributed to the customers and where it is being stored. Promotion: who the product is being sold to (target audience) Marketing Segmentation: marketing segmentation is the way how the target market is divided into different sectors that are a best fit for them. The 4 groups are: * Demographic * Social-economic * Geographical * Psychograph Demographic segmentation: â€Å"Gender, age, income, housing type, and education level are common demographic variables.† (http://www.decisionanalyst.com) Social-economic segmentation: Mainly split you’re through your personality. The main groups are consumer attitudes, values, behaviours, emotions, perceptions, beliefs, and interests. Geographical segmentation: This is based on where you live e.g. post code Psychographic segmentation: â€Å"This is perhaps the most common form of market segmentation, wherein companies segment the market by attacking a restricted geographic area. For example, corporations may choose to market their brands in certain countries, but not in others.† (http://www.decisionanalyst.com) E-marketing: The process of using digital technology to market products and services. Company ethos: Values and beliefs that define the company, normally expressed in vision & mission statements. Virgin Atlantic Mission Statement: â€Å"Safety, security and consistent delivery of the basics are the foundation of everything we do.† â€Å"The success of our three year strategy requires us to build on these foundations by focusing on the business and leisure markets and driving efficiency and effectiveness.† (http://www.virgin-atlantic.com) Ryanair Mission Statement: Ryanair will become Europe’s most profitable lowest cost airline by rolling out our proven ‘low-fare-no-frills’ service in all markets in which we operate, to the benefit of our passengers, people and shareholders. Ryanair’s objective is to firmly establish itself as Europe’s leading low-faresscheduled passenger airline through continued improvements and expandedofferings of its low-fare service.’ Ryanair’s goal is to provide a no frills service with low fares designed to stimulate demand. (http://www.scribd.com) Consumer protection: Rules & legislations that protect customers from many bad problems e.g. fraud, flight delay. There are 3 Main act that cover consumers. They are: * The Consumer Act 1987 * Data Protection Act 1998 * The Unfair In Consumer Contract Regulations 1999 The Consumer Act 1987: An Act to make provision with respect to the liability of persons for damage caused by defective products; to consolidate with amendments the Consumer Safety Act 1978 and the Consumer Safety (Amendment) Act 1986; to make provision with respect to the giving of price indications; to amend Part I of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and sections 31 and 80 of the Explosives Act 1875; to repeal the Trade Descriptions Act 1972 and the Fabrics (Misdescription) Act 1913; and for connected purposes. (http://www.legislation.gov.uk, 15th May 1987) So if there was an item on the plane that says its 69p but its scanned as 80p you have a right to purchase it for 69p. Data Protection Act 1998: The Data Protection Act (DPA) gives individuals the right to know what information is held about them, and provides a framework to ensure that personal information is handled properly. (http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk) The Unfair In Consumer Contract Regulations 1999: The Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 (SI 1999 No 2083) (the Regulations) recognize that, in many circumstances, consumers have no power or influence over the details of the terms which they are asked to agree to when entering into consumer contracts. The purpose of the Regulations is to set a framework within which firms must work when drawing up their contact terms and conditions, and appoints certain third parties (known as â€Å"Qualifying Bodies†) who are authorized to challenge firms when they think a particular term is unfair. (http://www.cml.org.uk) Standards of practice: The advertising standards authority is an independent body set up to police the rules for advertising, sales, promotion and direct marketing. The system is aiming to protect consumers and maintain the integrity or marketing communications. P.E.S.T: P.E.S.T stands for: * P- political * E- economic * S- sociocultural * T- technological Travel & tourism organisations have to be aware of the external factors that affect or influence their business. Political factors: Some political factors that would affect an organisation are: * Changes of government * Increase in tax * Security law Economical: Some economic factors that would affect an organisation are: * Recession * Exchange rates * Unemployment Socio-cultural: Some socio-cultural factors that would affect an organisation are: * More tourists * Income/trends Technological: Some technological factors that would affect an organisation are: *New technology * Websites * IT References: 1. (www.cim.co.uk) 2. http://www.atkinsmarketingsolutions.com/wp/2011/04/07/dr-philip-kotler-defines-marketing/ Friday, 16 November 2012 3. (Eric Davies, Successful marketing book, 2012, page 8) 4. (Travel & Tourism book 1, Page 112) 5. (Eric Davies, Successful marketing book, 2012, page 78) 6. (http://www.decisionanalyst.com/publ_art/marketsegmentation.dai) 7. (http://www.decisionanalyst.com/publ_art/marketsegmentation.dai) 8. (http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/gb/allaboutus/missionstatement/index.jsp) 9. (http://www.scribd.com/doc/80225985/Marketing-Plan-for-Ryanair) 10. (http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1987/43,15th May 1987) 11. (http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/dataprotection/)