Shakespeares Comedy Vs. Tragedy Essays - , Term Papers

Shakespeare's Comedy vs. Tragedy Certain parallels can be drawn between William Shakespeare's plays, "A Midsummer Night's Dream", and "Romeo and Juliet". These parallels concern themes and prototypical Shakespearian character types. Both plays have a distinct pair of ?lovers', Hermia and Lysander, and Romeo and Juliet, respectively. Both plays could have also easily been tragedy or comedy with a few simple changes. A tragic play is a play in which one or more characters is has a moral flaw that leads to his/her downfall. A comedic play has at least one humorous character, and a successful or happy ending. Comparing these two plays is useful to find how Shakespeare uses similar character types in a variety of plays, and the versatility of the themes which he uses. In "Romeo and Juliet", Juliet is young, "not yet fourteen", and she is beautiful, and Romeo's reaction after he sees her is, "O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night As a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear Beauty to rich for use, for the earth too dear!" Juliet is also prudent, "Although I joy in thee, I have no joy in this contract tonight. It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden." She feels that because they have just met, they should abstain from sexual intercourse. Hermia is also young, and prudent. When Lysander suggests that "One turf shall serve as a pillow for both of us, One heart, one bed, two bosoms, and one troth," Hermia replies "Nay, good Lysander. For my sake, my dear, Lie further off yet; do not lie so near." Although this couple has known each other for a while (Romeo and Juliet knew each other for one night when the above quote was spoken), Hermia also abstains from even sleeping near Lysander even though she believes he does not have impure intentions. Romeo's and Juliet's families are feuding. Because of these feuds, their own parents will not allow the lovers to see each other. In the a differnet way Hermia is not allowed to marry Lysander. Hermia's father Egeus says to Theseus, Duke of Athens, "Full of vexation come I, with complaint Against my child, my daughter Hermia. Stand fourth, Demetrius. My noble lord, This man hath my consent to marry her. Stand forth, Lysander. And, my gracious Duke, This man hath bewitched the bosom of my child." Egeus tells the Duke that his daughter can marry Demetrius, not Lysander. Hermia replies ". . . If I refuse to wed Demetrius," Egeus replies "Either to die the death, or to abjure for ever the society of men." If Hermia does go against her father's wishes, and weds Lysander, she will either be put to death, or be forced to become a nun. Both pairs of lovers also seek help from another. Juliet and Romeo seek Friar Lawrence, and Lysander and Hermia seek Lysander's aunt, who lives in the woods near Athens. Both sets of youths have the same character type. They are young, their love is prohibited, both women are prudent, and both seek the help of an adult. Yet they have their subtle differences. For example, Lysander, never mentioned a love before Hermia. Romeo loved Rosaline, before he loved Juliet. Hermia's family and Lysander's family were not feuding, whereas the Montagues' and Capulets' feude was central to the plot of the play. The stories of "Romeo and Juliet" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream" are very different however. "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is a comedy. Oberon, king of the fairies, sends a mischievous imp named, Puck, to play a trick on the queen of the fairies, Titania, and on a pair of Athenian youth. Puck turns Nick Bottom's head into that of an ass (Nick Bottom is the man in the play production within "A Midsummer Night's Dream"; he tried to play every part), and places an herb on Titania that causes her to fall in love with him. This is quite humorous. However, at the end of the play all the couples are back together, with the ones they love. Thus Lysander and Hermia do get married. If Egeus had showed up at the wedding, he could have killed

Free Essays on Contract Creation

A contract is formed any time two people make an agreement to do, or not to do something. Contracts can take on many forms, from a verbal agreement sealed with a handshake, to a formal complex written contract. Certain types of contracts, involving commercial transactions, must be in writing in order to be valid. The parties may only modify written contracts through written agreement. In addition, if an estimate is incorrect or the scope of work changes in a contract, the parties need to write an addendum and both parties need to sign it to modify the original agreement. Business clients can rarely define every requirement and foresee every implication that may result. Project managers cannot foresee every risk or problem that may come up on their projects. The key to successfully managing the project is to make sure that there is agreement on a process for revising the requirements when needed. Amendments should contain the same degree of specificity for changes that the original contract contained. The principle areas where changes are made and for which amendments are required include scope of work, costs, and period or performance. (www.ofm.wa.gov) The contract between Span and Citizen-Schwarz (C-S) is a very complex contract which involved the efforts of many people over an extended period of time. While the goal of every reputable contractor is to deliver a high quality product, sooner or later a customer may be unhappy with the quality of the work on a particular project. On occasion, this may lead to a dispute of the terms of the contract. In the past months, we have earnestly attempted to meet C-S new requirements, which have caused us to have to spend time reviewing the changes, incorporating them into the workflow, which has caused us to fall behind in our delivery schedule. When any one aspect of a project is delayed, it can create a domino effect for the subsequent phases of the project. It is very important to review wh... Free Essays on Contract Creation Free Essays on Contract Creation A contract is formed any time two people make an agreement to do, or not to do something. Contracts can take on many forms, from a verbal agreement sealed with a handshake, to a formal complex written contract. Certain types of contracts, involving commercial transactions, must be in writing in order to be valid. The parties may only modify written contracts through written agreement. In addition, if an estimate is incorrect or the scope of work changes in a contract, the parties need to write an addendum and both parties need to sign it to modify the original agreement. Business clients can rarely define every requirement and foresee every implication that may result. Project managers cannot foresee every risk or problem that may come up on their projects. The key to successfully managing the project is to make sure that there is agreement on a process for revising the requirements when needed. Amendments should contain the same degree of specificity for changes that the original contract contained. The principle areas where changes are made and for which amendments are required include scope of work, costs, and period or performance. (www.ofm.wa.gov) The contract between Span and Citizen-Schwarz (C-S) is a very complex contract which involved the efforts of many people over an extended period of time. While the goal of every reputable contractor is to deliver a high quality product, sooner or later a customer may be unhappy with the quality of the work on a particular project. On occasion, this may lead to a dispute of the terms of the contract. In the past months, we have earnestly attempted to meet C-S new requirements, which have caused us to have to spend time reviewing the changes, incorporating them into the workflow, which has caused us to fall behind in our delivery schedule. When any one aspect of a project is delayed, it can create a domino effect for the subsequent phases of the project. It is very important to review wh...

Analyse the change process at the Lady Magazine from the period prior Essay

Analyse the change process at the Lady Magazine from the period prior to the appointment of Rachel Johnson as Editor to the pres - Essay Example SITUATION ANALYSIS In this advance and emerged era of globalization, The Lady Magazine was not enhancing its contents creatively that can hold the attention of the readers. It was continuously losing its market share for two decades and was standing on the dying market position with only a circulation of average 31,000 readerships with a segment of age group of 70 and above customers. The magazine never has changed its concept of designing the magazine and it had not made such innovative improvements that can lead them to the scale of prosperity. Ben is now the head of the five member’s board which is consists of five family members. Ben did not have a publishing experience but he deeply realized that the lady magazine desperately needed a new concept and image. He introduced some changes when he became the head of the board, that includes adventure travel trips, full-color advertising and to consternation of some of the more seasoned staff members-a website. Nature of the cha nge The nature of the change was reactive because it was forced by the customer market demand and with the dying market share of lady magazine so it was pressurized by continuous decrease in the market share of lady and the loss of readership. ... She aimed to double the readership of the lady magazine with her ideas and editing skills along with the concept of a real successful woman. The level of change that has occurred at the Lady Magazine can be referred as Gamma. When an organization makes a paradigm shift, then the level of change is referred as Gamma (Burnes, 2004; By, 2005). The idea and concept has been changed and redefined in order attract higher readers, therefore such a change is being referred as Gamma. Stakeholders viewpoint When these changes occurred, it also captured the attention and interest of the present stakeholders along with attracting new investors as well, because it was a new idea of increasing the market share and generating a handsome profit with a good pace of success. So it holds the investors interest with the perspective of generating more profits with it. The investors always are attracted with new concepts and ideas that can generate handsome amount of money in a short time period (Cameron, & Green, 2012). So the new investors who were attracted by this idea have realized that with this changed idea, the lady magazine will be able to generate a handsome amount of profit for them. Besides investors, the other stakeholders of the magazine are also important (Cummings, and Worley, 2009). Other stakeholders were also excited such as distributors, employees, readers, potential readers, society, competitors, managers and other stakeholders (Martin, 2006). Therefore these changes would influence each of the stakeholders as the company plans to redefine itself (Balogun, and Hailey, 1999). Threats of competitors is always important to analyse (Daft, and Marcic, 2006) and this threat would have increased as with this new idea, the sales and

Turkey Foreign Policy and AK party Research Paper

Turkey Foreign Policy and AK party - Research Paper Example Turkey has changed its political dimension now as it is no longer a country which depended on Western compliance. Turkey as an independent country, has all the power and potentiality to rise as a strong nation , which is assertive on its rights and position in the global platform. Here the focus is on the Turkey’s foreign policy and its vibrancy in achieving new global dimension as self confident nation. Nevertheless, the arguable point here is whether the turkey’s foreign policy, under the control of AK party will proceed to establish a secure place in the European Union. As a matter of fact, establishment of human right freedom and secularism is the only way through which the country can get the status of European country. Since turkey is sharing boundaries with Middle East and Europe, its political responsibility is different from other countries. Here, the foreign affairs Minister Mr. Davutoglu has vested with the immense duty for empowering the nation. According to (Robinson,2012)â€Å" Mr. Davutoglu believes Turkey can play an important role in constructing this new political, economic and cultural system†. Event though, Turkey is struggling to establish its own political identity, its eligibility to come forward as a global power seems to be an achievable ambition.†. ... For the very same reason, it has a population comprised of Muslims, Christians and Jews. Before coming under the control of AK party, Turkey considered itself as a European country and missed out to recognize itself as an individual strong nation. The foreign policy of the country was fragile and offered less importance to social elements like cultural ethnicity and gender identity. Turkey was considered by world as a nation with a weak political foundation and vulnerable foreign policy agenda. Turkey in ancient times was more deep rooted in unrealistic political ideas and more complex democracy oriented principles .The country was more secluded and less visionary and globalization was a dormant political aspiration. If a country hesitates to open its door to its neighboring countries, then the economic and social interest of the country would lie in darkness. Due to the unpolished foreign policy strategy of Turkey, during 1990s, the co –operation of the country with Iran and Syria was dull. Before the arrival of AK party, the foreign policy of Turkey aimed at non –interference with neighboring countries and this made the country secluded from Middle Eastern countries. The global aspiration of Turkey In recent times, Turkey has gained a reputation of being an ambitious, independent and self confident country, with a foreign policy agenda to achieve a global status of being a pivotal country geographically and politically. Nowadays, Turkey is not seeing itself as a fragile and weak nation but wants to establish itself as a country with immense political authority and cultural heritage. According to the new foreign policy, the key element is the security and freedom of the citizens of the country. In recent times, it has been acknowledged

US Constitution and gun Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

US Constitution and gun - Research Paper Example However, not all these reasons have eliminated the numerous cases reported on a daily basis within the country of civilians’ improper usage of firearms. As such, civilian gun ownership led to a number of unnecessary deaths and injuries in the country. For instance, in most cases, the civilians cited that they needed to use these guns against fellow civilians in self-protection or to prevent a crime. Few of such cases rarely prove that the civilian had any justification to hold a gun against another civilian. Furthermore, the usage of guns in the United States has escalated to considerable levels whereby criminal gangs have ease of access to firearms for which to use in doing their criminal activity. This holds the entire country at ransom, as well as depreciates the level of security in the country. Many a times have irate minded, or persons with mental illnesses held civilians at hostage with firearms, and some even shot at innocent children and schoolteachers at an elementary school. As such, it is evident that civilian gun ownership requires a high level of discipline from the civilians. This is the key reason that civilians give for wanting to own private firearms. This is a valid reason especially considering the high rate of crime and insecurity within the country. It is no doubt that an individual will at one point come across a compromising situation that requires personal protection and self defense with the use of a gun, such as a rape scare for the women, a kidnap attempt for the rich, as well as a carjacking attempt for car and vehicle owners. For these reasons, a gun comes in handy, as the threatened individual will use it to protect himself or herself from the aggressor, and if lucky prevent the occurrence of a crime. Others keep guns in safekeeping at their homes for such cases of insecurity, especially in the event a burglar attacks their home and attempts to steal or make away with their property. The United

Juvenile Delinquency: Psychological Concepts

Juvenile Delinquency: Psychological Concepts Abstract   The following essay will be used to depict the psychology of a juvenile delinquent in comparison to that of an individual that is considered to be normal. Various perspectives will be taken as well. For example, there will be a direct comparison between the male and female population of certain age groups in regards to delinquency. Aside from gender, which will be the initial comparison, other factors such as race and location of upbringing will be evaluated. Ideally, the essay will prove that delinquency is directly correlated to surroundings and upbringing. This will focus particularly on the age group of 12-17. There will be many different sources of statistics. Some will show that many delinquents have endured traumatic, life-changing events that contribute to these irrational and usually dangerous behaviors. Possible motives will also be questioned (for example: revenge, adrenalin rush, gang affiliation, etc.). There will be a portion dedicated to evaluating the brain itself and which parts are affected during the course of certain activities. There are some theories that state delinquency is based upon genetics and acquired at birth, as opposed to a learned behavior. This will be addressed and, ideally, disproved. And finally, the psychology of different types of crimes will be taken into account. For example, one that has partaken in gun violence most likely has a different psychological mindset than a teen that stole from a store. Ultimately, the paper will conclude reminding the reader of the most valuable statistics to suggest that there are many contributions to juvenile delinquency, and that these must be taken into account, should a young person make a mistake in his or her life. Introduction Throughout history people have tried to explain why a person would commit crimes. Some consider a life of crime better than a regular job- at least until they are caught (Bettmann/Corbis). Is It true to say that more often than not, such behavior as an adult began when one was merely a teenager or even younger? Certainly. In what is noted to be the cycle of violence, the causes of delinquency are adopted and continued throughout generations of a family. In this cycle of violence, neglected and abused children show signs of delinquency and later become criminals as adults. Because of this, these acts of violence must serve as an outcry to s psychological disorder (as opposed to a personal decision). Scientifically speaking, researchers have discovered a correlation between neurochemicals of the brain and criminal behavior. Those who commit crimes have lower levels of serotonin- which tends to calm a person- and higher levels of dopamine (which expresses aggression). Therefore it is inaccurate to claim that juvenile delinquency (or all crime, for that matter) is nothing more than someones irresponsible decision based upon factors such as money and gang affiliation. When a child grows up in a poor family environment, he or she will often turn to a gang instead. Receiving nothing at home, the young individual seeks a gang, where he or she may acquire different level of respect from the other members. Gangs, which in actuality are only based upon a desire for materialism (drugs, alcohol, money, etc), always require crime to be committed. Because a young individual finally feels a degree of acceptance, he or she will not turn down a request to commit a crime and risk losing position in the gang. These behaviors and gang involvement follow one throughout their lifetime, once more continuing the cycle of violence. These teens are unknowingly making criminals of the future generations of their families by being in gangs themselves. Statistical Overview Despite the fact that juvenile delinquency is still problematic in the United States, there have been statistical declines since the 1990s (particularly in instances of violent crimes). Between 1994 and 1999, there was a thirty-one percent decline in rape, a fifty-three percent decline in robbery, and a thirty-nine percent decline in correlation to arrests for weapon violations (Archer, 240). These numbers decrease into the early twenty-first century, as well. Between 1992 and 2001, there was a sixty-two percent decrease in the rates of manslaughter among adolescents, a forty percent decrease in burglary, and a fifty-one percent decrease in auto theft (Archer, 240). However, despite the fact that overall crime was decreasing, the rate of crime among the female population has skyrocketed. Since the early 1990s, the rates of female court cases have increased approximately eighty-three percent. Majority of these offenses are not related to violence, though. On the contrary, most adolescent females are arrested for either running away from home or for prostitution. Behavior in Regards to Delinquency The hereditary and environmental factors play a considerable role in the development of delinquent and criminal behavior. As the individual grows older alongside the influences of his or her norm, negative behaviors may develop as well. Those that tend to commit crimes tend to show signs of traits such as aggressiveness or constantly acting impulsive. Such traits demonstrate the desire to defy authority, which is obviously evident in every criminal. Aside from those characteristics, one who becomes a delinquent is typically more socially withdrawn and reserved. More often than not, these are caused by a traumatic event or series of events in the delinquents childhood. As he or she grows up, he will be characterized by a sense of defiance and with skewed vision of the social norm. Because the delinquent is not, socially speaking, similar to others, becoming social or talking to others is greatly difficult. However, this is irrelevant, for many delinquents avoid unnecessary social contact altogether. Many criminals are centrally based and disregard the well-being of others (tied tightly into the idea of solitude), Aside from this, he or she will be very self-centered and focusing on ones own well-being. Despite behavioral patterns that may be going on for generations, there is a way to alter these mental standings in certain people in order to help them stray away from the negativities of a life of crime. One of the most significant therapeutic methods is to find a way to help the delinquent comprehend and relate to the idea of nurturing, beneficial social connections with other people. This is the final result of a potentially long process of assisting a delinquent to help with his or her mental state of being. Other Factors Regarding Delinquency A study done within the Psychology department of the University of South Carolina at Charlotte shows that cases of insomnia result in a deterioration of inhibitions and an increase of reckless behavior. However, aside from this, one of the most significant contributions would be the social relations of ones life. According to the social learning theory, processes occurring in daily social interaction provide the proximal nexus at which these casual factors converge to exert their influence (Lahey, 27). Rationality for the Juvenile Legal System It is greatly debated whether children and teenagers caught committing crimes should endure the same extents of punishment that an adult committing the same crime would receive. Some rationalize that the brain of adolescents are not fully developed, and therefore not completely responsible for juvenile delinquency. It is possible that there is a scientific, chemical relation to an adolescents inhibitions (Corriero, 48). There are many areas, however, that disagree. In many states, a young child may go on trial at the age of 13 and may be tried for murder as young as the age of 14 (Corriero, 35). In Oklahoma, for example, a child as young as the age of seven may be held accountable for crimes, no matter what the degree of severity. This is highly arguable and debated in many states. On one hand, the child is personally responsible for the crime. As a result, he or she should be punished just like anyone else would (if for nothing else, then for the sake of learning). On the other hand, the child should not be held accountable for wrongdoing, for he or she does not have a brain that is fully developed. Putting a youngster in jail or forcing them to deal with the law at such a young age may prove to me highly unbeneficial. He or she does not have a fully developed mind and may therefore be manipulated by dark experiences, thus increasing ones chance of repeated delinquency at a later date. All states hold trials against the young quite harshly in all states. In the United States, there are 200,000 youth younger than the age of eighteen that are tried as adults. Of this statistic, approximately twelve percent of the delinquents are under the age of sixteen (Corriero, 35). In older times, children were punished as brutally as adults. However, as time progressed and psychological studies deepened, it showed that much of the traditional actions were ineffective. In its place, a greater concern was being directed towards delinquents. As opposed to punishment in itself, those imprisoning or looking after delinquents must make sure that the child see the error of his ways and acquire a substantial knowledge of the differences between right and wrong. The offended was not meant to only be imprisoned and isolated, but reformed. This significant change within the American courts ended up changing the psychological studies of delinquents for the remainder of time. Delinquents are often given probation as opposed to jail time, for many within the court system felt they must endure the real world to better learn to establish themselves.

Drug Dependence :: essays research papers

Drug Dependence In order for a chemical to be considered a drug it must have the capacity to affect how the body works--to be biologically active. No substance that has the power to do this is completely safe, and drugs are approved only after they demonstrate that they are relatively safe when used as directed, and when the benefits outweigh their risks. Thus, some very dangerous drugs are approved because they are necessary to treat serious illness. Digitalis, which causes the heart muscle to contract, is a dangerous drug, but doctors are permitted to use it because it is vital for treating patients whose heart muscle is weak. A drug as potent as digitalis would not be approved to treat such minor ailments as temporary fatigue because the risks outweigh the benefits. Many persons suffer ill effects from drugs even though they take the drug exactly as directed by the doctor or the label. The human population, unlike a colony of ants or bees, contains a great variety of genetic variation. Drugs are tested on at most a few thousand people. When that same drug is taken by millions, some people may not respond in a predictable way to the drug. A person who has a so-called idiosyncratic response to a particular sedative, for example, may become excited rather than relaxed. Others may be hypersensitive, or extremely sensitive, to certain drugs, suffering reactions that resemble allergies. A patient may also acquire a tolerance for a certain drug. This means that ever-larger doses are necessary to produce the desired therapeutic effect. Tolerance may lead to habituation, in which the person becomes so dependent upon the drug that he or she becomes addicted to it. Addiction causes severe psychological and physical disturbances when the drug is taken away. Morphine, cocaine, and Benzedrine are common habit-forming drugs. Finally, drugs often have unwanted side effects. These usually cause only minor discomfort such as a skin rash, headache, or drowsiness.

Competitive advantage Sony Essay

1 Introduction Nowadays it has become more and more important for organizations, such as Sony, to differentiate themselves from their competitors by enhancing the way their customers perceive and experience their brand and products. This has become more crucial for the success of Sony due to the fact that the demands and expectations of customers have changed. Today’s market is not only looking at the direct benefits of purchasing a product but also at the added benefits that come with it. More and more competitors of Sony have  changed the way they interact with their customers in order to gain and maintain competitive advantage (Sony, n.d.). This paper will explore the possibilities for Sony to increase sales by drawing attention to the experience of customers using their products. 2 Research problem statement In order to stay competitive, Sony needs to find new ways to enhance customer experience of their products. This entails emphasizing on the whole offering of the organization including, of course, the quality of customer care and product features, but also creative advertising, packaging, ease of use, and reliability (Meyer & Schwager, 2007). At the moment, Sony is facing heavy competition in all their market segments. According to Gianforte (2012), nowadays an organization cannot only successfully compete based on their products/services and price alone. Customer experience has become the new critical differentiator that a successful business should be based up on. This customer experience can have an influence on the buying intention through the following process: Satisfaction Howard (1977, 1983, in: Fornell & Johnson, 1991) found that a positive customer experience leads to high levels of customer satisfaction. According to Olsen, Wilcox & Olsson (2005), consumer satisfaction is a global evaluation or a state of feeling towards a product or service. According to Giese and Cote (2000), satisfaction consists of three general components, namely: – The consumer satisfaction is an emotional or cognitive response. – The response is associated with a particular focus, expectations, product and consumption experience. – The response happens in a particular time Trust With regard to satisfaction brand trust plays an important role in satisfaction in developing a customer base committed to the brand. Trust is a key variable in the development of an enduring desire to maintain a relationship in the long term (Morgan and Hunt, 1994, in: Delgado-Balester, Munuera-Alà ©man). Seybold (2001) adds that trust grows from every experience customers have with a product and service. Bowers, Richardson & Swan (1998) agree with the statement that a positive customer experience can be created  by building trust with them. Brand trust can be created by sending out credible and expert messages. Also, adding a trust appeal to messages (for example â€Å"You can trust on the fact that we do our job well†) increases brand reliability, leads to a more positive attitude towards the brand and increases purchasing intention (Hornikx, 2002). Paul, Schneider and White (1998) found that when customers are satisfied thus have positive perceptions of an organization, they are likely to remain a customer of that organization. In line with this statement Espejel, Fandos & Flavian (2004) and Howard (1977, in: Fornell & Johnson, 1991) found that a higher satisfaction leads to greater levels of loyalty and buying intention of the service or product. This is also confirmed by Gentile et al. (2007) who state that when customers have a positive customer experience, an emotional tie will be created between a firm’s brand and its customers, which in turn enhances customer loyalty. Loyalty European researchers studying during the 1970s business-to-business marketing discovered that suppliers who formed close working relationships with their customers tended to have better customers. Better refers to the fact that the customers were more loyal to the organization. Also, the customers evaluated the suppliers higher. Subsequent research found that loyal customers are more profitable to a firm. The profitability is thought to be generated by reduced servicing costs, less price sensitivity, increased spending, and the recommendations passed on to other potential customers. To strengthen relationships with their customers, and bond them to an organization, most organizations are interested in loyalty programs (Dowling & Uncles, 1997). Buying intention Loyalty is a crucial factor when it comes to buying intention. Light (1994, in: Palumbo & Herbig, 2000) states that building brand loyalty will endure profitable growth as well as sales volume. The positive effect of loyalty on sales is also emphasized by Bowen and Chen (2001). Their research shows that loyal customers increase sales by purchasing a wider variety of the products and by making more frequent purchases. Relation between customer experience and buying intention When taking an overview at the literature mentioned above, a relation between the several factors can be noticed. Literature teaches that a positive customer experience leads to a higher satisfaction. This in turn increases the brand trust. This trust simultaneously affects the loyalty of customers in a brand. In the end this loyalty results in an increase in buying intention. 2.1 Purpose of research Based on the importance of the customer experience and its influence on the buying intention the general purpose of this research is to get an insight in the important determinants of this experience. In order to investigate what determinants Sony should particularly focus on, in the following sections the main research question and the sub-questions are defined. After the questions there will be a review of the relevant literature on the topic of customer experience. Thereafter an explanation of the methods used will be given, followed by the analysis and the conclusion. Based on these conclusion there will be given an advice to the management. 3 Research question Based on the problem statement, the following main research question is proposed: In what way can Sony adjust their communication strategy to improve the costumer experience in order to increase sales? The main question can be answered due answering the following sub-questions: What is meant by â€Å"customer experience† and what are its determinants? Which determinants are of most importance determining the costumer experience? 4 Proposed literature In order to answer the main research question it is of importance for Sony to exactly know what is meant by â€Å"customer experience† and what the determinants of the experience are. This can be found through a literature study. After that they can investigate which determinants are of most importance according to the customers of Sony. In literature several definitions on the concept of ‘customer experience’ have been mentioned. According to Berry, Carbone and Haekel (2002) customers always have an experience whenever they purchase a product or service from a company. Meyer and Schwager (2007) state that customer experience is â€Å"the internal and subjective response customers have to any direct or indirect contact with a company. Direct contact generally occurs in the course of purchase, use, and service and is usually initiated by the customer. Indirect contact most often involves unplanned encounters with representatives of a company’s products, services or brands and takes the form of word-of-mouth recommendations or criticisms, advertising, news reports, reviews and so forth†(in: Verhoef, Lemon, Parasuraman, Roggeveen, Tsiros & Schlesinger, 2009, p. 32). Gentile, Spiller and Noci (2007) on the other hand, use a different definition of customer experience, namely: customer experience â€Å"originates from a set of interactions between a customer and a product, a company, or part of its organization, which provoke a reaction†. This experience is strictly personal and implies customer’s involvement at different levels; on a rational, emotional, sensorial, physical or spiritual level. Verhoef et al. (2009) also state that the experience factor plays an increasingly important role in determining the success of a company’s offering because of the competition in the global. Therefore, organizations need to manage the customer experience in order to improve the company’s success. In order to aggregate a positive customer experience, it is crucial that Sony is aware of the influences on this experience. When looking at determinants of customer experience in literature, the conceptual model by Verhoef et. al (2009) provides an overview of all the factors that have an influence on one’s customer experience. The model can be found in appendix A. Based on the abovementioned model the determinants of costumer experience are: social environment, service interface, retail atmosphere, assortment, price, customer experiences in alternative channels, retail brand, past customer experience. Current research will focus on these determinants and therefore the constructs will represent these determinants. These constructs  can be found in appendix B. Situation moderators and consumer moderators will not be included, because the organization can not influence these factors. 5 Methods and techniques In order to answer the main research question a complete overview of the most important determinants of costumer experience by the Dutch Sony customers is needed. This overview will be accomplished by a thorough questionnaire amongst the Dutch customers. Based on the answers of this questionnaire a focus group will follow in order to indicate the factors which can be improved so a higher customer experience is created. Questionnaire The constructs of the questionnaire are based on the determinants of customer experience by Verhoef et al. (2009), the constructs can be found in appendix A. They are used because their causal effect on customer experience is proven in literature. The questionnaire will be sent to Sony customers as well as non-Sony costumers (details see appendix C). Appendix D shows the questionnaire sent to the respondents. The questions of the questionnaire are linked to the constructs, this linkage can be found in appendix E. After receiving the answers the questionnaire will be analyzed, this process can be found in appendix C. The results of these questionnaire indicate which determinants have the most influence on the consumer experience of the Dutch (Sony) customers. Focus groups The focus groups with a number of twelve respondents per group will consist of six Sony costumers and six non Sony costumers. A detailed overview of the target group and focus groups can be found in appendix C. The content of the sessions will be based on the results of the questionnaire, which will show the determinants that have the most influence on customer experience. The group of people will discuss what they find convenient subjects with regard to these constructs. Based on these subject there can be analyzed which things Sony has to adjust within its communication strategy so the strategy will match the customer’s optimal customer experience. 6 Analysis In order to answer the main research question one must first answer the second sub-question. This question covers the determinants that are of most importance concerning the customer experience. The answers to the questionnaire will provide the information for answering the sub-question. Questionnaire The first analysis is oriented at determining the average scores of each question and eventually for each construct. Appendices F till L show the average score of every question, displayed per construct. These scores are distracted from the scale, reaching from 1 till 5, with 2.5 as the mean of the scale. Questions concerning the social environment show above mean scores, with a 3.6 as the minimum. This means that the social environment is a very important determinant of customer experience. Service interface also has very high scores. With an average of 4.3 the highest scored question of this construct states that customers agree with the fact the co-customization adds value to products. The role of the retail atmosphere seems to be of less influence on the customer experience. The average scores of these question are significantly lower, with 5 out of 10 questions scoring below the mean of the scale. Questions within the assortment and past experiences construct have a score far above the mean. While the questions concerning both retail brand and price mostly score below mean. Next to the average scores of the questions appendix M shows the average score per construct. One can see from the bar chart there are four out of seven constructs that score far above the mean, and three constructs that score about the mean. Therefore there will be concluded that these four constructs (social environment, service interface, assortment and past experiences) are the determinants that are of most importance determining the costumer experience. Focus groups Following to the questionnaire are the focus groups. During these sessions the customers discussed about each of the highly important constructs: social environment, service interface, assortment and past experiences. Certain subjects came up during these discussions, these subjects were labeled, see appendix N. During the focus groups it was found that the past experience mostly concerned the service interface (e.g. the service  personnel) and the assortment (e.g. quality of the product). An important label that was mentioned was the trust that derives from positive past experience, which makes them willing to buy more of Sony. Besides the service interface and the assortment the customers within the focus groups also discussed about the social environment. Reviews and the opinions of other with regard to the experience of a product are seen as important influencers. 7 Conclusion and advice to the management This research is conducted in order to investigate in what way Sony can adjust their communication strategy to improve the costumer experience in order to increase sales. Therefore there is already stated what the definition of customer experience is and what its determinants are. The results of the questionnaire and focus groups show that there are four determinants that are of most influence with regard to the customer experience. Two of these components can be influenced by Sony, namely the service interface and the assortment. The other two constructs, social environment and past experience, are in turn influenced by these components and can not be directly influenced. With regard to the service interface it is of importance that the personnel of Sony meets the requirements that the customers find of importance: kind, helpful, advising and knowledge. These characteristics are perceived to be very important when it comes to a pleasant experience within the store. In addition to the social experience, logically another important factor is the assortment of Sony. The quality and the variety of this assortment is of great importance. The social experience, through service interface, and the practical experience, through the assortment, are both constructs that can be influenced by Sony. The construct past experience can not be influenced by Sony, because of the fact that the experience is already in the past, nevertheless Sony can improve their current service interface and assortment. In that way customers’ past experiences for the future will be positive. In line with  Morgan and Hunt (1994) and Seybold (2001) there was found that positive experiences with the brand creates trust with the customer. These positive past experience will therefore create trust in Sony, which will lead to remaining buying intentions. With regard to social environment the importance of the experience of others and online reviews was noted. Sony can only influence these factors by providing good services (service interface) and products (assortment), so people will evaluate these products and services positive. Based on these conclusions the advices for the management are: Develop a training program for all of the employees: they have to meet certain requirements with regard their knowledge about the products of Sony and to the way they provide their services. After implementing the program make sure that the customers also know of the training, so they know they can trust the advice of the skilled personnel within the store. This can be mentioned at posters, commercials etc. (e.g. on a poster: â€Å"Feel free to visit our store for questions or advice, we keep ourselves up-to-date especially for you!†) Make sure that all the communication expressions emphasize the quality of the products and to enhance the quality of these products customers can be asked to give their opinion about the product on the Sony website. Through this system the chance will increase that a big part of the online reviews will be given at the Sony site. In this situation the communication department of Sony can quickly detect negative reactions on which they can respond to solve the problem. All the visitors of the review will so experience the involvement of Sony, which creates sympathy. Send good quality products to influential people that make movies on YouTube and ask them to review the product. Make clear that you want them to give their honest opinion, and that they also mention that to their viewers. A good Sony product will then get an excellent review viewed by a great amount of customers. 8 References Berry, L.L., Carbone, L.P., & Haeckel, S.H. (2002). Managing the total customer experience. MIT Sloan Management Review, 43(3), pp. 1-6. Bowen, J.T., & Chen, S.L. (2001). The relationship between customer loyalty and customer satisfaction, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 13(5), pp. 213 – 217 Bowers, M.R., Richardson, L.D. & Swan, J.E. (1998). Customer trust in the salesperson: an integrative review and meta-analysis of the empirical literature. Journal of Business Research, 44, pp. 93-107. Delgado-Ballester, E., & Munuera-Alemà ¡n, J.L. (2001). Brand trust in the context of consumer loyalty, European Journal of Marketing, 35(11), pp. 1238 – 1258 Down, C.W., & Adrian, A.D. (2004). Assessing organizational communication. New York, United States: the Guilford Press. Dowling, G.R., & Uncles, M. (1997). Do Customer Loyalty Programs Really Work?, Sloan Management Review, 38 (4), pp. 71-82. Espejel,J., Fandos, C., & Flavia ´n, C.(2004). Consumer satisfaction: A key factor of consumer loyalty and buying intention of a PDO food product. British Food Journal, 110 (9), pp. 865-881. Fornell, C. & Johnson, M.D. (1991). A framework for comparing customer satisfaction across individuals and product categories. Journal of Economic Psychology, 12, pp. 267-286. Gentile, C., Noci, G. & Spiller, N. (2007). How to sustain the customer experience: an overview of experience components that co-create value with the customer. European Management Journal, 25(5), pp. 395-410. Gianforte, G. (2012). Seven Power Lessons for Customer Experience Leaders. Oracle White Paper. Giese, J.L. & Cote, J.A. (2000). Deï ¬ ning consumer satisfaction, Academy of Marketing Science Review, 1, pp. 1-24. Hornikx, J. (2002). Vertrouwen in nieuwe producten van nieuwe merken in reclame. Tijdschrift voor Communicatiewetenschap, 30(3), pp. 249-261. Kaplan, R.S. & Norton, D.P. (1996). Linking the Balanced Scorecard to Strategy. California Management Review, 39(1), pp. 53-79. Martin, C.L. & Charles, A.P. (1989) Compatibility Management: Customer-to-Customer Relationships in Service Environments. Journal of Services Marketing,3(3), pp.5 – 15. Olsen, S.O., Wilcox, J., & Olsson, U. (2005). Consequences of ambivalence on satisfaction and loyalty, Psychology & Marketing, 22 (3), pp. 247-69. Palumbo, F., & Herbig, P. (2000). The multicultural context of brand loyalty, European Journal of Innovation Management, 3(3), pp. 116 – 125 Paul, M.C., Schneider, B. & White, S.S. (1998). Linking service climate and customer perceptions of service quality: test of a causal model. Journal of Applied Psychology, 83(2), pp. 150-163. Seybold, P.B. (2001). The Customer Revolution: How to Thrive when Customers are in Control. Luzern, Switzerland: getAbstract. Sony (n.d.). Last retrieved on December 12th, 2012, from: http://www.sony.net/

Using the Spanish Verb Saber

Using the Spanish Verb Saber Saber is a common verb whose basic meaning is to have knowledge or to have knowledge of. Although it is often translated as to know, it should not be confused with conocer, which also is often translated as to know. The basic meaning of saber can be seen most clearly when it is followed by a noun or a phrase functioning as a noun:  ¿Sabe alguien los horarios de los buses desde el aeropuerto? Does anyone know the times of the buses from the airport?Nuestra presidente no sabe inglà ©s. Our president doesnt know English.No se sabe mucho de su muerte. Not much is known about his death.Sà © bien la verdad. I know the truth well.Nunca sabemos el futuro. We never know the future. When followed by an infinitive, saber often means to know how: El que no sabe escuchar no sabe entender. The one who doesnt know how to listen doesnt know how to understand.No saben escribir en cursiva. They dont know how to write in cursive.El problema era que los dos no sabà ­amos nadar. The problem was that the two of us didnt know how to swim. Saber can mean to find out. This is especially true when it is used in the preterite tense: Supe que todos tenemos cosas en comà ºn. I found out that all of us have things in common.Nunca supieron que estaban equivocados. They never found out that they were mistaken. In context, saber can be used to say to have news about someone or something: No sà © nada de mi madre. I dont have any news about my mother. The phrase saber a can be used to indicate what something tastes like: Yo no he comido iguana, pero se dice que sabe a pollo. I havent eaten iguana, but they say it tastes like chicken. Remember that saber is conjugated irregularly.

Ambush essays

Ambush essays When reading Ambush by Tim OBrien, I was a little thrown off at first. It seemed to start very abruptly and I wasnt too clear on the direction it was going. There was no real background information, like which war it was about, or even an introduction, so I had to read the first two paragraphs over again to get a better idea. As the story developed, I noticed the way OBrien lead into it, particularly how he set the scene and then used very engaging imagery to illustrate a better picture. For example, Very gradually, in tiny slivers, dawn began to to break through the fog.. The way he describes the setting made me feel like I was right there in the story and watching it all happen. The more detail he used in his writing, the more suspense there was towards what would happen next. Then as he began to recall the systematic way he was thinking, it gave a full understanding of the thoughts going through his mind, and the time frame they happened in. OBrien then explains how he ...did not hate the young man; I did not see him as the enemy; I did not ponder issues of morality or politics or military duty... What I found most interesting was the way he structured his sentences in brief, separate verses, just as his thoughts would have been at the time; very sporadic and inconsistent. This made it more interesting, especially when he balanced out the shorter sentences with longer more descriptive details further along in the story. Then he even continues with a different style of sentence form, switching to dashes: The grenade made a popping noise-not soft but not loud either-not what I expected-and there was a puff of dust and smoke-a small white puff-and the young man seemed to jerk upward as if pulled by invisible wires. He fell on his back. I think the way he structured this sentence in particular was to portray the panic he was feeling, and how quickly i ...

Filmmaking Techniques Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Filmmaking Techniques - Coursework Example The parameters for my discussion of realism in cinema come from theorists like Bazin, Bordwell, and Comolli. As the filmmaker stages an event to be filmed, s/he has to establish first what to put in front of the camera and visualize the conflicts of the story as embodied in the script. The approach and style have to be decided first before starting on the setting, space, acting and choreography. The filmmaker can employ a pool of creative people, aside from the writers and actors and all the crew needed. S/he has to decide on the appearance, gestures, facial expression, what to use whether professional or non-actors. Art and filmmaking, nevertheless, can be performed or made by a team or by one person. The dilemma of the filmmaker or artist is whether his/her message is understood correctly the way s/he wants it to be understood. Some artists do it profoundly, some vaguely, to let the viewer think, or get an instant reaction. These techniques in art and filmmaking, whether digital or in films, are introduced in different ways. A few of these are discussed in this paper. Art, according to Aristotle, is the realisation in external form of a true idea, and is traced back to the natural love of imitation which characterizes humans, and to the pleasure which we feel in recognising likenesses1. There may be contradictions today of his notion on art by various artists because according to him art is limited to mere copying. It idealises nature and completes its deficiencies: it seeks to grasp the universal type in the individual phenomenon2. Such imitation may represent people either as better or as worse than people usually are, or it may neither go beyond nor fall below the average standard. Comedy is the imitation of the worse examples of humanity, understood however not in the sense of absolute badness, but only in so far as what is low and ignoble enters into what is laughable and comic3. When teaching at the Lyceum, Aristotle had a habit of walking about as he discoursed. It was in connection with this that his followers became known in later years as the peripatetics, meaning "to walk about". What has this to do with art and filmmaking Lecturers and speakers in those times used strategies in conveying their message or in relating to their audience. Aristotle and the peripatetics presented their theories, and the Rhetoric, by giving lectures and telling stories in front of a live audience, as if showing a movie without the aid of any technology. "Walking about" in front of a live audience with your mouth uttering words your mind dictates is a form of story-telling, like a film presentation, although what you are doing is live, and the film is recorded. What the peripatetics were doing was art itself. New Digital Cinema: Reinventing the moving image Evolution of contemporary cinema as it intersects with the formerly separate realms of film-making, video art, music video, animation, print design, and live club events to

The Youthquake of the 1960s resulted in the launch of many magazines Essay

The Youthquake of the 1960s resulted in the launch of many magazines aimed at young women - Essay Example This decade was stated as â€Å"both the best of times and the worst of times†. One of the transformational highlights that took place during this decade was a cultural revolution and transformation for of the women. The feminist trends were introduced during the sixties and the subsequent decades were affected by the feminism that came forward during the sixties. Women were following the new culture of feminism which reflected in their workplace decisions, marriage decisions, child-bearing issues and freedom of choice in their personal lives (Walsh 2010). The 1960s was a decade of change and revolutionary changes throughout the fashion trends with emerging new ideas and images, the reflection of which is still depicted through today’s fashion. The significant aspect of the 1960s was that the main focus of the fashion industry was the young population as previously only the wealthy and mature elite class was aimed at by the fashion designers and industry. This new and e volutionary trend in the fashion world led to a â€Å"Youthquake† of the 1960’s which was highlighted and communicated with the masses through a plethora of magazines such as Spare Rib, Cosmopolitan or New Woman. ... The result was a striking increase in the births of baby in America and Britain. This â€Å"baby boom† was higher in America with the birth of 75 million babies between 1946 and 1964 (Farber & Bailey 2001). The post-war economy in Britain also experienced an optimistic rise after the boom period. According to the British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan in 1957, â€Å"Most of our people have never had it so good† (1957: Britons ‘have never had it so good’ 2005). Britain’s economy also experienced a powerful boost due to the baby boom after the World War. These babies when reached their teens, they were a part of the post-war period and had grown in well-educated and favourable environments. These baby boomers were rebellious and did not agree with the conservative and conventional ideas of their parents. The American history observed these baby boomers to emerge as people of power and intellect such as the U.S. president George Bush and Bill Clinton. The teenagers ruled the 1960s with their rebellious yet fresh and young ideas. Not just the politics or the media, the youth culture was also depicted in the fashion and it is most likely that even after retirement pensioners will be seen in T-shirts rather than tweed suits! (60s Season: baby boom 2012). The young population formed a major part of the consumer population and they gave a new shape to both the market place and their own new lifestyles (Farber & Bailey 2001). The age of the baby boomers was characterized by the youth population brought up in an atmosphere of optimism and prosperity which ultimately affected their goals, aims, trends and future behaviours as well. The 1960s was characterized by new fashion trends which depicted in the attires and different clothing styles