Air Carriers

Air carriers compete through cost leadership, differentiation and horizontal integration. Adoption of deregulation policies around the world led to opportunities for entry of new players. However, since existing large air carriers have decades of first mover advantage, the air transportation industry became segmented into two general groups, the traditional carriers comprised of flag and luxury air carriers and low-cost carriers differentiation by price and cost structures.Competition occurred on two levels, between traditional and low-cost carriers and among the air carriers belonging to these segments. Traditional airlines commonly compete based on differentiation of service quality, brand equity, and provision of additional value to consumers. Low-cost airlines compete based on cost leadership by developing pricing policies and cost structures that allow the provision of basic services at the lowest possible price. (Costa et al., 2002)Although, low cost carriers targeted a specifi c market, the low cost market, this meant a pull from the existing market of traditional airlines because of an alternative low cost option.Traditional airlines responded to this by engaging in horizontal integration by buying out low cost airlines as well as engaging in strategic alliance and consolidation strategies ranging from intensive ‘hub and spoke’ networks and code sharing to mergers and acquisitions intended to fill in the service gaps of low cost airlines and keep their market.These constitute exclusionary practices by exploiting industry practices such as overcapacity to dominate national routes and make it difficult for new entrants to use the same routes that goes against the competitive expectations from deregulation.Anti-trust regulations emerged in many jurisdictions to monitor and regulate practices that end up stifling competition. Monopolistic or quasi-monopolistic alliances and consolidation are subject to regulation necessary to ensure competition that balances the interests of various stakeholders. (Kleymann & Seristo, 2004)This led to the implementation of competitive strategies maximizing options within regulatory limits.How does the speed in air carriers impact inventory levels of firms using air transportation? and how the speed advantage relates to the choice of modes when choosing between air carriage and other modes of freight and passenger transport?The speed of air carriers impacts inventory levels of business firms using air transportation services because air carriers become a party in the logistics and supply chain partners of business firms (Thompson & Strickland, 2003).The air transportation industry plays a key role in many industries such as manufacturing and retail serving international markets and the tourism industry that all rely on the service quality and speed of air carriers to meet consumer expectations.In the case of manufacturing and retail companies, one goal is to maintain a fast rate of inventory turnover, which means product delivery to consumers the soonest possible time after production leaving only sufficient inventory in the warehouse to meet sudden upward shifts in demand and minimizing unnecessary costs.A fast inventory turnover then translates to growth in sales and profit and even a sustainable market. (Baldwin et al., 2000) However, to ensure a fast inventory turnover, the air carriers engaged by business firms should be fast enough to meet the period of delivery to all its consumers around the world.As such, speed advantages in an important consideration in the decision of business firms in preferring a mode of transportation to another. With advancements in technology in other modes of transportation, air, land and sea transportation have become substitutes. Bullet trains can offer comparative speeds as air carriers and sea vessels have always been the traditional mode of transportation.Air carriers need to differentiate its transportation services relative to t he other modes of transportation gain a competitive advantage and influence the decision of passengers and cargo owners to prefer air carriers.Since speed is a factor for passengers and cargo owners, this should be cultivated by air carriers as an advantage by developing aviation technology, maintaining their air carriers regularly,   continuing training of staff,   and coordinating with air transportation authorities and airports to support its speed advantage. (Doganis, 2001)ReferencesBaldwin, C., Dyer, H., & Fites, D. (2000). Harvard business review on managing the value chain. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.Costa, P. R., Harned, D. S., & Lundquist, J. T. (2002). Rethinking the aviation industry: New strategies could help the business recover-but will also put more pressure on established players. The McKinsey Quarterly, 2, 88-100.Doganis, R. (2001). The airline business in the twenty-first century. London: Routledge.Kleymann, B., Seristo, H. (2004). Managing strat egic airline alliances. Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing.Thompson, A. A., & Strickland, A. J. (2003). Strategic management (13th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Facebook IPO Essay

Facebook, a social networking site, has grown at an exponential rate that far surpasses market expectation, so much so that its growth rate is referred to as the â€Å" Facebook phenomenal†. In 2004, Facebook had 1million monthly active users, and in comparison, it had reached 845million monthly active users in 2011. This phenomenal led to one of the biggest initial public offerings (IPO) the market had seen in recent years, with total capital raised to be valued at $16B, given the $38 per share offering price. Facebook was valued at around $96.6B in total. Prior to the IPO, the market perceived the valuation with positive approval signaled by both Facebook’s private market share auctions and analyst’s reviews. However, as it will be examined below, Facebook has been significantly over-valued by the underwriters. In addition, the market changed its opinion of Facebook shortly after the IPO, criticizing the valuation of the company was too high. The differences in market reaction showcase shortfalls in valuation, and it is recommended that analysts and Facebook should have used real option to valuate its market value. Over-valuation There are three main reasons why Facebook is overvalued at $38 per share. Aggressive Assumptions made by underwriters The first reason is the $38 per share price is based on overly aggressive assumptions made on Facebook’s future revenue. Facebook generates its revenue in two ways – display advertisements on its website and retain royalties from third-party developers for using Facebook’s online payment platform. Out of the two streams of revenue, advertisement accounts for about 82% of the total revenue, and royalty payment only accounts for 18%. Lead underwriter Morgan Stanley, has justified its pricing based on the assumptions that Facebook’s revenue will grow moderately considering the increasing popularity of its mobile app. Morgan Stanley estimated Facebook revenue to grow at 28% CAGR from 2013 – 2016, with advertising revenue growing at 31% and payment revenue growing at 17% per year. However, it is arguable that these assumptions are overly aggressive, and they will be extremely hard to realize. Upon examining the future prospect of revenue generated from advertising, it can be said that the estimated 31% growth rate cannot be achieved. First of all, given the online advertising market size, and current Facebook market share, Facebook will not be able to achieve the projected annual growth. In 2011, Facebook’s share of the online advertising market is 27% of the $25B industry. It is projected that the online advertising sector will grow to $45B in 2015, and given Facebook’s current market share, Facebook should be able to generate $12.15B in advertising revenue in 2015. However, this only accounts for 20% CAGR. Second, it is uncertain whether Facebook will be able to continue maintain its 27% market share. Facebook disclosed to the public that its current advertisers do not have long-term advertising commitment with Facebook, and many of its advertisers only spend a small proportion of their marketing budget with Facebook. In addition, many companies have started to question the effectiveness Facebook ads. Facebook differentiates its service by emphasizing the premise that ads are more effective if a friend recommends it on Facebook compares to traditional online advertising. It can be observed that companies, such as GM, are starting to doubt the effectiveness of the so-called social advertising by pulling out their ads on Facebook. This can significantly impact Facebook’s share of online marketing in the future. In addition, Facebook disclosed to the public that it might not be able to retain advertisers if it does not reduce its current ad price. However, considering that Facebook is already pricing its ads lower compares to other websites – Facebook charges $0.58 per click vis-à  -vis the industry norm of $1, it is hard to argue that Facebook will maintain its current revenue level even if it retains 27% of market share as it continues to reduce its ad price. Given the factors mentioned, it can be concluded that the estimated 31% growth rate in advertising revenue is overly aggressive. In addition, Morgan Stanley estimated royalty revenue would grow by 17%; however, by looking at the current royalty revenue, it is unlikely that Facebook will achieve the predicated growth rate. Facebook collects royalty payments from developers that use its payment infrastructure to charge players. Currently, Zynga accounts for a substantial portion of the royalty. Considering the intensified competition that Zynga is facing, and its lack of ability to monetize mobile apps, Zynga will continue to experience sagging growth and will not be able to contribute a substantial amount of royalty to Facebook in the foreseeable future. Thus, it is unlikely that Facebook will achieve 17% growth in its royalty revenue. Lastly, Morgan Stanley made these aggressive assumptions based on the premise that Facebook will be able to monetize its mobile app. However, Facebook has not been able to monetize its mobile app to-date. In addition, with the growing number of users using the mobile app as a substitute for accessing Facebook, Facebook is starting to see a decrease in its revenue, which led to the decrease in its stock prices after the IPO. Overall, the assumptions made by underwriters to justify the $38 per share IPO price are overly aggressive. Estimated fair value of common shares is much lower than $38 Facebook has estimated its Class B common stock to be at $30.89 per share as of Jan 31, 2012, and even if one continues with the aggressive estimation method that Facebook used, one will not reach the $38 per share valuation. Facebook adopted a mix of Discounted Cash Flow Method (â€Å" DCFM†), Guideline Public Company Method (â€Å"GPCM†), and Market Transaction Method (â€Å"MTM†) to determine its business enterprise value and fair value of its private share price prior to the IPO. To achieve the price of $30.89, Facebook assigns a 50% weight to the MTM, where it considers the volume of transaction of its private shares, the timing of these transactions, the pricing of private shares in the secondary market, and whether the investors involved in the transaction have access to Facebook’s financial information. It then assigns 25% weight to GPCM and DCFM each to determine fair value. GPCM uses multiples of financial ratios in comparable companies in the same industry, and DCFM sums up the net present value of future cash flow at a discount rate of 15%. The discount rate is conservative, given the risk free rate is at 2.3%, beta for IT services is at 1.06, and the market risk premium of 7%. The assigned weight of the method is questionable. Facebook assigns a significant weight to MTM due to the large volume of third-party private stock sales. But considering that the volume transaction and pricing of the private shares were driven by the hype of the Facebook IPO and the positive reactions from the market prior to the IPO, it is hard to justify that the MTM valuation represents the true value of Facebook instead of an inflated hyped-up value. It is arguable that Facebook should have assigned less weight to MTM, and more weight to DCFM and GPCM. In addition, it is hard to justify the $7.11 increase of fair market value in a span of 4 months considering that Facebook share only increased by $5.35 in estimated fair market value between 2011 and 2012. The methods discussed above and the historical estimates support the conclusion that Facebook IPO price is over-priced. Comparable Company Valuation The last reason is based on multiples generated by comparable companies, namely Google and Apple, it can be calculated that Facebook valuation is not close to the $96.6B valuation. See Appendix A. Market Reactions The market has perceived the IPO with positive remarks. One analyst even valued Facebook to be at $234B compares to the $96.6B IPO valuation. Most analysts either thought Facebook was valued right on the spot or thought it was undervalued. The hype about the stock was more obvious in the private market. Prior to its IPO, Facebook stocks were trading at a high of $42 compares to its $30 estimated fair market value. In contrast, immediately after the fall, most analysts jumped on the bandwagon of claiming the underwriters have overvalued the company. Some investors even blamed Mark Zuckerberg for failing to signal to the investors that the company has been overvalued. The difference in market reaction showcased three shortfalls in valuation. They are objective valuation method that fails to account for dynamic business environment, asymmetry of information, and low level of corporate governance. First, the valuation method that most analysts used to valuate Facebook is based on some types of discounted cash flow method. Analysts will look at future growth prospective of the company, and discount the estimated profit by a discount rate that would be appropriate to capture risks that are foreseeable given the historical financial record. In addition, the traditional discounted cash flow method depends on obtaining information that would allow one to correctly forecast future earnings and free cash flow, and to assess the strength of company management and future earning abilities. The model ignores that companies could change their business practices to the dynamic business environment that cannot be properly valuated based on historical data. Facebook does not provide adequate information to allow analysts to generate reliable valuations. It has limited record of its profits, its revenue has been highly volatile, and the business environment it operates in changes frequently. One instance that the underwriters may have overlooked is Facebook’s ability to monetize its mobile app as mentioned above. The underwriters may have ignored the importance of substitution of web-accessed Facebook usage by the mobile app accessed usage at the time of the valuation given that this risk was not reflected in historical revenue record. The second challenge relates to valuation is asymmetry of information, which is arguable that it had drove up investor expectation that a â€Å"free lunch† scenario will take place. Morgan Stanley was sued and fined for only disclosing softer revenue and profit forecasts to selective investors prior to the IPO and for failing to disclose the cannibalization of Facebook revenue by the increasing popularity of its mobile app adequately to retail investors through the prospectus. Investors with the additional information were able to make a better-informed decision of whether to purchase Facebook share or not. The asymmetry of information also led to market hype. Investors, without the softer revenue and profit forecasts, interpreted the market price to be much higher than the private trade price prior to the IPO and the IPO price. This drove the private share price to $42 from $34 on the secondary market. Investors thought by buying shares before IPO, they would be able to rip a bigger profit considering that the market price will be higher than $38. Lastly, the asymmetry of information led investors to believe that it will be extremely hard to buy Facebook stocks at IPO price given the mentality that the demand for the shares will not meet the supply despite the fact that  ¾ of Class B shares are locked in to be sold at a later time. The market hype, combined with the surging demand of shares and the lack of investor rationality drove the valuation of the company to be higher than what it really is. The last challenge is the lack of corporate governance. As investors have pointed out, the CEO of the company and the underwriters should have disclosed the information adequately in the prospectus. The lack of corporate governance could be driven by the lack of serious fine for improper disclosure of information. Morgan Stanley was only fined $5M compares to the $68M underwriting fee it gained from the deal. Also, the lack of governance was driven by hubris and greed. The underwriters stand to gain a bigger underwriting fee for a higher IPO price, and the company stands to gain more capital for higher IPO price. In addition, it is also easier for the underwriter to justify its valuation for a company that cannot be properly valuated based on the traditional discounted cash flow method. The combinations of driver lead to lack of corporate governance in this case. Suggested Valuation Method It is suggested that analysts and Facebook should have used real options to valuate the company given the volatility of the business environment Facebook is in, and the ever-changing business practices to meet these volatilities. Real option valuation allows the company to include R&D, brand development, and technology initiatives to be built into its valuation. It is also flexible enough to account for company’s ability to change its business practices in the future. Valuation will change in accordance to the options that management will take to delay, expand, contract, switch uses, outsource or abandon projects. Real options would allow Facebook to valuate its new platforms, new mobile apps, and new technology initiatives to renovate Facebook’s current operations. In addition, real option does capture the benefits of discounted cash flow model by assigning weights to future cash flow given the past company performance in the market. Given the current Facebook operation model, it is commended that real options should be used to valuate the company. Conclusion It is extremely hard to valuate a company properly, especially given a company, such as Facebook, which does not have a long history of stable income nor information that would solidify its future earnings. Market reaction prior to and after the Facebook IPO indicates issues within the current valuation models that companies and analysts are using. It is recommended that companies should start to consider using the real option method to valuate companies with similar business characteristics as Facebook. Bibliography Primary source: Facebook. (2012). Registration statement – facebook inc.. (p. 47). Retrieved from http://sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1326801/000119312512034517/d287954ds1.htm. Secondary source: Berthelsen, C. (2012). Massachusetts hits morgan stanley on facebook ipo. Wall Street Journal , Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324407504578185580869680410.html. Buley, T. (2009). Facing up to facebook’s value. Forbes, Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/2009/04/06/facebook-advertising-rates-technology-internet-facebook.html. Damodaran. (2012). Betas by sector. Retrieved from http://pages.stern.nyu.edu/~adamodar/New_Home_Page/datafile/Betas.html. Dunand, E. (2012). Morgan stanley fined $5 million over facebook ipo. Reuters, Retrieved from http://www.cnbc.com/id/100322264. Gustin, S. (2012). Do facebook ads work? . Time Magazine, Retrieved from http://business.time.com/2012/08/07/do-facebook-ads-work/. Joiner, S. (Interviewee), & Ruggeri, C. (Interviewee) (n.d.). Valuation issues in a down market Mergers and Acquisitions series : Part 1. [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from http://www.deloitte.com/view/en_LB/lb/centers/cfo-center/3e9619288f709210VgnVCM200000bb42f00aRCRD.htm?theme=cfo. Latimore, D. (2002). Calculating value during uncertainty: Getting real with â€Å"real options†. Retrieved from http://www-935.ibm.com/services/hk/igs/pdf/g510-3248-calculating-value.pdf. Martin, S. (2012). Zynga shares slide nearly 5%. USA Today, Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2012/12/17/zynga-apple-app-store-ios-iphone/1775403/. Olanoff, D. (2012, 12 17). Morgan stanley fined $5m over facebook research and handling of ipo by massachusetts. Retrieved from http://techcrunch.com/2012/12/17/morgan-stanley-fined-5m-over-facebook-research-by-massachusetts/. Raice, S. (2012). Is facebook worth $100 billion? . Wall Street Journal , Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304584404576442950773361780.html. Smith, R. (2012). Hot item: Pre-ipo facebook shares. Wall Street Journal , Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203833004577249512827646658.html. US Treasury. (2012). Daily treasury long term rate data. Retrieved from http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=longtermrate. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Facebook. (2012). Registration statement – facebook inc.. (p. 47). Retrieved from http://sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1326801/000119312512034517/d287954ds1.htm. [ 2 ]. Ibid. p.1 [ 3 ]. Ibid. p.13 [ 4 ]. Olanoff, D. (2012, 12 17). Morgan stanley fined $5m over facebook research and handling of ipo by massachusetts. Retrieved from http://techcrunch.com/2012/12/17/morgan-stanley-fined-5m-over-facebook-research-by-massachusetts/. [ 5 ]. Ibid. [ 6 ]. Raice, S. (2012). Is facebook worth $100 billion? . Wall Street Journal , Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304584404576442950773361780.html. [ 7 ]. Ibid. [ 8 ]. Supra Note 1 at p.13. [ 9 ]. Gustin, S. (2012). Do facebook ads work? . Time Magazine, Retrieved from http://business.time.com/2012/08/07/do-facebook-ads-work/. [ 10 ]. Buley, T. (2009). Facing up to facebook’s value. Forbes, Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/2009/04/06/facebook-advertising-rates-technology-internet-facebook.html. [ 11 ]. Martin, S. (2012). Zynga shares slide nearly 5%. USA Today, Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2012/12/17/zynga-apple-app-store-ios-iphone/1775403/. [ 12 ]. Supra Note 1 at p.14. [ 13 ]. Supra Note 1 at p.76. [ 14 ]. Ibid at p.77. [ 15 ]. Ibid. [ 16 ]. Damodaran. (2012). Betas by sector. Retrieved from http://pages.stern.nyu.edu/~adamodar/New_Home_Page/datafile/Betas.html; US Treasury. (2012). Daily treasury long term rate data. Retrieved from http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=longtermrate. Re = 2.3%+1.06(7%) = 9.72% Facebook does not have any long term debt. [ 17 ]. Supra Note 1 at p.78. [ 18 ]. Ibid at p.77 and 78. The estimated fair value of Facebook’s shares $25.54 on Mar 31, 2011, and $30.89 on Jan 31, 2012. [ 19 ]. Supra Note 6. [ 20 ]. Smith, R. (2012). Hot item: Pre-ipo facebook shares. Wall Street Journal , Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203833004577249512827646658.html. [ 21 ]. Joiner, S. (Interviewee), & Ruggeri, C. (Interviewee) (n.d.). Valuation issues in a down market Mergers and Acquisitions series : Part 1. [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from http://www.deloitte.com/view/en_LB/lb/centers/cfo-center/3e9619288f709210VgnVCM200000bb42f00aRCRD.htm?theme=cfo. [ 22 ]. Berthelsen, C. (2012). Massachusetts hits morgan stanley on facebook ipo. Wall Street Journal , Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324407504578185580869680410.html. [ 23 ]. Supra Note 20.

Characters of Journeys End by R.C. Sherriff and Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks Essay

The First World War is known to be one of the worst, if not the worst war in military history. The strategies used were often ineffective and repetitive, meaning a lack of movement and years of stalemate on the western front. Soldiers had to live in conditions which were squalid and foul, they had to deal with diseases such as trench foot and millions of rats and lice infestations. These general images of soldiers living in these fetid conditions has become widely known and linked with the huge suffering caused by the First World War. The use of literature can enable us to gain a picture of what trench warfare was really like. ‘Journey’s End’ a play written by R.C. Sherriff in 1928 based on his own life experiences gives a realistic image of life as a soldier in the trenches. However, the novel ‘Birdsong’ by Sebastian Faulks which was not written till 2005 gives a version of what Faulks believed trench warfare to be like; it is a fictional idea based on knowledge and understanding of World War One. Also the authors chose different formats with one being a novel the other a play, thus giving them contrasting ways of conveying soldiers’ experiences of war. A play deals with the actions and reactions of characters using dialogue and yet a novel can go into the heads of characters, giving the reader an understanding of a person’s emotions and feelings through description and narrative. The characters presented in both Journey’s End and Birdsong are attempting to avoid and deal with the horrors of trench warfare in many different ways including; drinking, violence, and memories of loved ones and trying to use humour as a way of distancing themselves from the horrors facing them. Each character has to find there own way of dealing with the situation, as anyone would when faced with the constant fear of death. In both Journey’s End and Birdsong we get a glimpse of what the characters Stanhope and Wraysford were like before the terror of war affected them. In Journey’s End although we don’t see Stanhope before the war; Sherriff cleverly uses Raleigh to give us an idea of what he was like when he was younger. We see Raleigh as this optimistic, patriotic man excited at the prospect of going into war alongside his childhood hero. His confession to Osborne that he was ‘Keen to get out here’ is a representation of many patriotic soldiers at the break out of the first world war and could show us how Stanhope may have felt before the realisation of what warfare was really like. The growing sense of conflict between Stanhope and Raleigh just shows how much the war has changed Stanhope, and affected him. Not only do we see Raleigh as a young version of Stanhope but also we hear from him background information on Stanhope’s life, ‘he was skipper of Rugger at Barford, and kept wicket for the eleven. A jolly good bat, too.’ This is not needed in Birdsong as we gain a background on what Wraysford was like before the war in part one of the novel. Novels allow writers to add descriptive back stories through narrative rather than dialogue, we can learn about one person’s perspective unlike in a play when we are unable to hear thoughts and feelings – these can only be expressed through actors portraying the role. Birdsong can go into depth about the emotional effects war can have on a person, which is a tricky detail to encapsulate in a play and yet I believe R.C. Sherriff uses dialogue and the actions of each individual to show their emotional state. We can see strongly in both, just what the war can do, seeing and living in those conditions certainly would bring about change in a person however it is the way they deal with it that helps them continue on through. An easy escape for many soldiers during the war was drink. For an ordinary private on the front line getting alcohol was hard and they were only allowed a small drop before going over the top, however officers were allowed to drink (as believed responsible enough for it) and alcoholism among officers was common. Both Stanhope in Journey’s End and Wraysford and Weir in Birdsong use drink as a method of getting through the horrors in front of them, ‘She doesn’t know that if I went up those steps into the front line – without being doped with whisky – I’d go mad with fright’. Drink was a way to forget, and maybe for a moment be away from the front line in their heads, although eventually become addicted not needing it for any purpose but for wanting, ‘cast his eyes round hopefully. Stephen reluctantly pushed a bottle towards him’. Drink was not the best way to deal with the situation though, it may have clouded their memories but would not have completed erase them ‘if sleep came it was as a gift and was as likely to come after tea as after alcohol’. Soldiers on the front line could turn on each other, either because of alcohol consumption or just the fact that these men were pushed together in such bad conditions. Maybe getting angry at one another would give them something other than fighting the enemy to focus on ‘Hibbert raises his stick and strikes blindly at Stanhope’. The violence shown in Journey’s End could also represent the battles taking place outside, as an audience member you never get to see any conflict between the enemy and therefore Stanhope’s arguments and fights with the soldier’s substitutes this. The anger Stanhope feels towards Hibbert and also Raleigh, could also show us how he feels and acts in battle situations. Unlike Journey’s End in Birdsong we are able to follow Stephen as he goes out into No-man’s land, fighting for his life but we also get violence in the trenches too ‘Fuck off, Weir, fuck off out of my way’. The use of the word ‘fuck’ is a powerful one; we can understand Wraysford’s fear just through that one word, all his fear for the battle ahead builds up the tension. In Journey’s End Stanhope is worried about what Raleigh would write home in his letter, I believe that maybe another matter that Stanhope uses to redirect his thoughts away from memories, it gives him something else to think about. Which again leads to more violence ‘D’you understand an order? Give me that letter!’ Despite these small areas of conflict there is a strong theme in both Journey’s End and Birdsong, of comradeship. Men on the front line were often forced into forming new relationships with people and often because of this gained extraordinarily strong bonds with men they were fighting alongside with. This is shown by the example of Stanhope and Osborne, and shown to the audience in many scenes but mostly through the touching goodbye scene before the fatal raid and right at the end Stanhope and Raleigh final bond over his death, ‘Stanhope sits with one hand on Raleigh’s arm’ they had fought together in the same battles and known what the other men had seen, they understood. In Birdsong the strong relationship between Wraysford and Weir grew throughout the novel and like many soldiers on the frontline Wraysford needed Weir for company and to help his sanity, ‘Weir alone had made the war bearable’ friendships like Weir’s and Wraysford’s meant that soldiers could get through the war together. They did not need to be alone. Although Raleigh in Journey’s End believed he needed to distance himself when Osborne dies, Raleigh who is first seen as this innocent character in the beginning of the play is opened to this horror after the death of Osborne, he now knows truly just how hard . He eats away from the officers with the other men, he finds it disrespectful that the others are eating and drinking. Maybe some may believe distancing themselves would mean when or if it came to them dying it would not be as hard. Many soldiers needed to be friends, to join together because even though loss is hard the sharing of jokes in such a situation as terrible as this one may have helped. In Journey’s End many of the characters particularly Trotter’s main form of escapism is in making jokes about the war and the Germans ‘I expect a nasty old German’ll cop out of it and say, ‘Ock der Kaiser’ in doing this they are able to cover up their fear and make light of the situation. In Birdsong the use of comedy is more subtle, the soldiers go down to the pub and watch entertainment and laugh with each other as friends rather than making obvious jokes. Jack performing for the soldiers gave some time for the men to relax and enjoy themselves. ‘If they could shout loud enough, they might bring the world back to its senses; they might laugh loud enough to raise the dead’ although raising the dead was not possible, the idea that in laughing and having as good a time as you can they could remember their losses and keep them alive in their thoughts. In Journey’s End some of the soldiers liked to talk about home and familiar things like rugby and cricket to take their minds of the horrors of trench warfare. Thinking about home would help them to remember how their life was before the war; it would make them want to get out and gave them something to live for. Another thing they might think about is their girlfriends, wives or just women in general, ‘I just prayed to come through the war – and – and do things – and keep absolutely fit for her’. Jack Firebrace wanted to survive for his family, dealt with the struggle with the belief he had his wife and child to return to ‘His endurance was for them; the care he took to try to stay alive was so that he would see the boy again’. As for Stephen he did not have a family or anyone really he wanted to go home for, he kept on fighting and wanting to survive for the men who had died before, he wanted to win, to continue for their benefit. The idea and hope that the men he had lost had not died in vain. With trench conditions as foul as they were; rats, lice and illnesses such as trench foot one thing that could keep the men going was the idea and the relief of getting food. The importance of food in Journey’s End is shown by how many times the men talk about it and bring it up in general conversation. Complaining about inconsequential things like chunks of pineapple instead of apricots take their minds of the war ‘I say, Stanhope, it’s a terrible business. We thought we’d got a tin of pineapple chunks; it turns out to be apricots’. The men on the front lines wouldn’t very often have the nicest of food, and when Stanhope has to visit the Colonel and is given really expensive foods he immediately thinks of his men but he will eat the food as it is the one thing that he can gain pleasure from ‘A thin stew followed, then ripe cheese and fresh bread. Lunch went on past three o’clock†¦Stephen smiled to himself, aware that his bri ef flight from reality would soon be ended’. Birdsong touches on the idea of religion and how this can be affected by war. Many soldiers lost their faith due to the mass slaughter or even the loss of a son at home like Jack Firebrace however Stephen seemed to gain a belief in God, the idea that nothing this cruel can be the end. He hoped that when Weir or any other Soldier died they had a better world to escape to and maybe this idea kept him going helped him deal with the death of his friends. Journey’s End doesn’t really touch on the men’s faith or religion, however the idea of hero worshipping used by Raleigh could be linked. The belief in a God and a higher being could also be like Raleigh looking up to Stanhope ‘I believe Raleigh will go on liking you – and looking up to you – through everything. There’s something very deep, and rather fine, about hero worship.’ Many soldiers may have used the method of positive thinking like Osborne to cover up just how scared and fearful they were ‘I never knew the sun could rise in so many ways till I came out here’. Each soldier on the front line had to choose their own way of escaping and dealing with the horrors of trench warfare. The putrid living conditions and the everyday horror of death meant that it was necessary for them to break out of the truth they were living. Many of the methods used in both Journey’s End and Birdsong are similar but their methods were carried out in different ways. Others didn’t use methods at all, they just didn’t cope; like Hibbert in Journey’s End faking an illness to get away. Each character in either Journey’s End or Birdsong took on different methods of dealing with their long hardships and suffering. The true horrors of the war however could not be forgotten, the sight of death and the stench in the trenches would not be quickly removed from their thoughts. These literary texts both play and book give us, today, just a brief insight into the lives of men on the western front, the challenges faced by these men were truly horrific and just surviving must have been a hardship. No one now or then on the home front could ever know the true extent of the struggle and the effects it had both mentally and physically, ‘If they could see the way these men live they would not believe their eyes. This is not a war; this is an exploration of how far men can be degraded.’

Write up Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Write up - Essay Example For example there is a probability a particular section in Plot1 has higher concentration of herbicides. E (i) Coleoptile is a pointed protective sheath which grows towards the surface during germination. When the coleoptile has reached the surface it shops growing allowing flag leaves to penetrate its top. The coleoptiles function is to provide protection to the tender flag leave to the surface. It also has vertical water vessels to carry water throughout the germination process. (ii) Magnification is different on different microscopes. To be certain that the reading are accurate a microscope must be calibrated before use. However, there is still a small scope of error after calibration is complete. A non calibrated microscope will profile incorrect data. (iii) Toluidine blue stains the cells wall it is applied to on the basis of organic composition of the subject. Applying Toluidine blue to coleoptile stains the epidermal and cortical cells making them visible under a microscope. When the cross section is used under the microscope, we can easily distinguish the epidermal and cortical cells of the coleoptile. (iv) The study was conducted to find the changes found in the coleoptile exposed to gamma radiation. To cover all aspects it is necessary that we measure the epidermal and cortical cells as each might reach differently to the gamma radiation. Therefore we measure the measure both the epidermal and cortical cells. I placed the test tube holder on the platform and stood the test tube in its hold. I also removed the cap. We then positioned the stand of the Cs/Ba isotope generator over the test tube and ensured that the hole in the top of the stand is centred over the test tube. I removed the both the red end-caps of the isotope generator while handling it with tongs. The writing on the generator was made to face upwards. I then attached a piece of plastic tubing to a syringe and drew up 2

Structured English Immersion in ArizonaSschools Research Paper

Structured English Immersion in ArizonaSschools - Research Paper Example Then SEI has achieved a new status in 1991as a result of advanced studies conducted by David Ramirez and he coined two basic components like teachers maximize instruction in English and teachers use and teach English at a level appropriate to the abilities of the ELL in the class (Clark 2009). As a result of adopting Proposition203 (English Language For Children in Public Schools) in November 2000 Arizona State established English as the official language of Arizona and demanded all public school education in the state be practiced in English. Charlene Rivera, Eric Collum states that; â€Å"ELL students are to be placed in a structured English immersion program for not more than 1 year, at which point they are mainstreamed in to English classrooms† (Rivera & Collum 2006, p.212). The web article The Case for Structured English Immersion gives valuable information about the implementation of SEI Programs in Arizona State. Kevin Clark said that Arizona’s English Language L earner Task Force launched in late 2006. In its initial stage many teachers and academics have confused with ESI programs with submersion. Some of them believed that the implementation of ESI task force in regular classrooms have little or no instructional modification. In spite of the jumble definitions, messages and grass root level emotions, educators and academics in Arizona district have implemented SEI programs in both elementary and secondary level. It is significant for a reader to understand that all materials and instructions in SEI programs are practiced in English since the beginning. Other important characteristics of SEI program is that it calls for direct, active and explicit instructional methods and strategies for SEI... This essay approves that Arizona district have implemented SEI programs in both elementary and secondary level which, the government is planning to propose in other levels. The SEI programs have basically divided the strategies into three components: policy, structure, and classroom practices. These strategies also take into account certain other factors like the size of the school, the location of the school, the grade levels at the school, the number of English language learners and the percentage of English language learners, and so on. This report makes a conclusion that the proposed study leads one to the inference that the implementation of SEI in Arizona schools had a greater impact among the students and the teachers and as such, it exerted a decisive role in uplifting the educational standards of that country. The critical analysis of the research topic unveils the fact that the Structured English Immersion in Arizona schools could influence and attract many students to English language learning. The SEI programs are well structured and it can certainly make the students aware of the systematic study of English language. The program has been designed for the students of the school and secondary levels to help them improving their language skills; specifically focusing on reading, writing, speaking and listening. The classes are scheduled for one year, four hours per day with the support of a well structured lesson plan and materials. The students are grouped by considering their ability in language use.

Literacy Practices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Literacy Practices - Essay Example In practice text-user reading can be learned from schooling itself. Teachers are a good source for students to improve their abilities as a text-user reader. In schools students were taught the basics of any language. Basics are pillars for any subject that holds construction strong. In school students were taught how to use these texts for various purposes. Out of curiosity students starts to pose questions on different topics and slowly arguments starts to arise from other pupils. This interaction leads to know on what they were arguing, whether their argument is in accordance with the subject, where the argument will lead to from here, will the argument lead to fruitful conclusion, how can they organise themselves to get the best out of it, how can they present their opinions and finally what can they learn from this. The text-user practice reader's pose themselves some questions to come into some conclusion to achieve their task. Questions like 'Purpose of the text', 'How will be the text useful', 'Will this be enough to achieve the task', 'Is this text effective', 'In what ways it can be used', How can I work around this Let's look at the skills and strategies for being a text-user.

Trying to fit in Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Trying to fit in - Essay Example The outcome was successful and I completed all tasks as expected by the group members. Before I expressed my willingness to join the group, I first assessed the openness and closeness of the group. It understood that the group was interested in discussing topics that concerned me since I could hear their conservations while seated next to them during my break time. I introduced myself sincerely and openly by greeting all members and telling them my name. I asked them on how long they had been working together and make a positive statement about the group. I also made a positive statement about myself and expressed my willingness to join and fit in the group since I shared the same objectives with all the group members (Crisp and Turner 108). The main objective of joining and fitting in the group was to combine our unique talents, skills and knowledge in accomplishing our classroom work. At the formation stage, each member talked politely and outlined the duties and responsibilities o f each individual. For instance, the group members openly provided suggestions on the time schedules of the meetings and also number of hours for the meetings. The members had adequate time to adapt to the unique personalities of each group member. For instance, the members selected a common mode of communication which was official English language (Crisp and Turner 109). ... In the group work decisions, the group laid down a framework of clarifying the factual ideas and suggestions of the members towards the discussion including reviewing academic literature that is contained in classroom notes. In addition, any arguments during the discussion were based on opinions, ideas and not individual personalities (Crisp and Turner 110). The members had diversity of opinions and view points on the discussion topics and the discussion process was well organised. Showing my confidence and asking questions made the other members easily accept me in the group. I also played an additional role of note taking and organizing the meeting venues which made me an active and crucial member of the group. At the fitting stage, I exercised my listening skills and leadership skills which were critical for the attainment of the group objectives. In deed, some members suggested that I should take up the group leader role due to my self-confidence, decision making skills, assertiv eness and politeness while dealing with conflicts or countering opposing arguments and ideas. Sitting next to the group and making positive comments made me easily join and fit in to the group. I attained my outcomes of fitting in to the group since the group provided me an opportunity to share my ideas and opinions and also counter the arguments of the rest of the members. I understood that individuals have different cultural backgrounds, personalities and values thus it is essential that group members focus on ideas and not differing personalities. It is important that group members familiarize themselves with discussion materials and clearly understand the rules and

Gender Stereotypes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Gender Stereotypes - Essay Example If the husband has an understanding towards wife then disputes never occurs but if the husbands are adamant and of dominating temperament then the wife is not of docile kind then conflicts arise in the family leading to the disturbed family lives for both the partners finally leading to separation or divorce. Q. Is the husband still expected to be the head of the household If so, explain what roles the husband will be in charge of as the head of the household. If not, explain the distribution of roles within the home. In majority of the families husbands are still considered to be the head of the family and every member of the family has to follow his commands, but with changing trends, awareness and education husbands are also contributing their efforts in helping the spouse and in raring the children, like picking the children from school, bringing household articles from the market, helping wife in kitchen and other household work, devoting time for the family, helpin

Relation between speed and weight of cars Speech or Presentation

Relation between speed and weight of cars - Speech or Presentation Example Ideally, the speed of the vehicles will be the dependent variable while the weight of the vehicles will be the independent variable. The first step in examining the relationship between the two variables is use a scatter plot. The aim of this step is to form a general pattern and establish whether there is any deviation from this general pattern. The next step will be taken if we shall establish the existence of a linear relationship between the two variables. Figure 1 above shows how the weight of cars correlated with their speeds. A clear inverse linear relationship is evident, though not very strong as evidenced by large variation. This means that, generally, as the weight of the car is increased, the speed is reduced. Figure 2 above shows how the weight of trucks correlated with their speeds. A clear inverse linear relationship is evident, which is very strong since variation is relatively low (Vining et al. 15). This means that, generally, as the weight of the tricks is increased, the speed is reduced. To supplement the graphs, a numerical measurement will be conducted through correlation. This technique measures the strength and direction of the linear relationship between the two variables. To do this, more columns are added to the raw data in the same manner that is done when calculating Pearson coefficient of correlation, as shown below: Incidentally, the close r is to 1, the better the model since it is considered to be less subject to sampling errors. Therefore, the two models are relatively fit for performing the predictions because they are not too far from 1, but model one (cars) is stronger because it is nearer to 1 than model two. Although it has been established that there is an inverse relationship between the variables in the two models, there is no evidence to show that these relationships have not resulted from other variables that have not been factored into the study (Vining et al. 15). Ideally, the heavier an object

Sickle Cell-Advocacy Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sickle Cell-Advocacy Paper - Assignment Example United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC (2014) shows that it costs $11,702 to treat those children with SCD under Medicaid cover and $14,772 for those children under the employer-sponsored insurance. Combined, both groups had no less than one hospital stay. Furthermore, a research by Kauf, Coates, Huazhi, Mody-Patel and Hartzema (2009) estimates the median lifetime costs for people with SCD at $186,406 when discounted and $392,940 when undiscounted. Thus, the economic cost of SCD is a critical public health concern which makes paediatric SCD inaccessible. As such, this memo appeals to the Department of Health and Human Services to subsidise on the costs and take regulatory action that would promote paediatric SCD care initiatives that seek to increase access of the much needed paediatric SCD healthcare services. The sickle cell disease would normally cause the red blood cells to harden and become sticky, adopting a C shape, thus its name from a similarly looking farm tool. With the sickle cells dying early, there would constantly be a shortage of red blood cells, causing severe pains, infections, organ damage or anaemia (MCHB, 2014). These complications make patients constantly seek for medical services. Even though the exact number of people living with the disease remains unknown, CDC (2014) estimates between 90,000 and 100,000 Americans to be affected. Of these, African-Americans are worst hit with 1 in every 500 newborns diagnosed with SCD. These are significant numbers going by the costs already associated with caring for patients with SCD. As noted by Kauf et al. (2009), the components of cost of care for SCD patients include the inpatient and emergency department, ED hospitalisation, having found out from their study that patients with SCD incur averagely one ED visit per patient yea r, 3.7 inpatient hospitalisations and about 24.1 hospital days. According to Raphael et al. (2013), placing children under high-acuity services such as

CHESAPEAKE BAY STORM SURGE, SEICHES, AND FLOODING Research Paper

CHESAPEAKE BAY STORM SURGE, SEICHES, AND FLOODING - Research Paper Example s and light wind shear, the resilient southeasterly winds in the right-front quadrant of the storm forced water in Chesapeake Bay to move northward as a single layer, which eventually formed flooding and high sea levels in the northern region of the bay including Annapolis and Baltimore (Ming et al., 2006). Apparently, the hurricane traveled from northwest on an almost conventional line that had mysteriously emerged 3 days prior to the landfall and persisted to the eventual dissipation of the hurricane over the Great Lakes (Ming et al., 2006). After hurricane Isabel passed the west land side of Chesapeake Bay, the prevailing wind direction changed from northeasterly to southeasterly, and the land along the coast was inundated causing severe erosion in the bay (Gao & College of William and Mary, 2011). In the bay, the utmost sustained wind reached 30.8 miles/second in Virginia with squalls that were as high as 43.7 miles/second, water levels reaching 5 feet over the average tidal echelons in Annapolis Maryland, a substantial increase in turbidity and salinity levels in the bay to approximately 10-4 psu/m (Ming et al., 2006). If Hurricane Isabel had approached the bay from the east side, the direction of the wind would have changed from northeasterly to northwesterly, thus causing melodr amatic differences in the bay’s barotropic response. In Washington, D.C., the largest surge reaching 2.7m over the ordinary high tides was created as a result of the arrangement of the long fetch of the lower Potomac River and southeasterly winds. The figure below portrays the storm surges and sea level distribution in Potomac River on 19th September, 2006 around 0400 hrs. At the same time, sea echelons in the arctic bay were rising speedily. From the figure, it is ostensible that the water was blown into the bay by Isabel’s strong southeast-to-southerly winds. Moreover, moving at a speed of 1.5 ms-1, this water was dripped against the head of the bay. However, the high sea

Platos Apology Essay Example for Free

Platos Apology Essay Platos The Apology is an account of the speech Socrates makes at the trial in which he is charged with not recognizing the gods recognized by the state, inventing new deities, and corrupting the youth of Athens. Socrates speech, however, is by no means an apology in our modern understanding of the word. The name of the dialogue derives from the Greek apologia, which translates as a defense, or a speech made in defense. Thus, in The Apology, Socrates attempts to defend himself and his conductcertainly not to apologize for it. For the most part, Socrates speaks in a very plain, conversational manner. He explains that he has no experience with the law courts and that he will instead speak in the manner to which he is accustomed: with honesty and directness. He explains that his behavior stems from a prophecy by the oracle at Delphi which claimed that he was the wisest of all men. Recognizing his ignorance in most worldly affairs, Socrates concluded that he must be wiser than other men only in that he knows that he knows nothing. In order to spread this peculiar wisdom, Socrates explains that he considered it his duty to question supposed wise men and to expose their false wisdom as ignorance. These activities earned him much admiration amongst the youth of Athens, but much hatred and anger from the people he embarrassed. He cites their contempt as the reason for his being put on trial. Socrates then proceeds to interrogate Meletus, the man primarily responsible for bringing Socrates before the jury. This is the only instance in The Apology of the elenchus, or cross-examination, which is so central to most Platonic dialogues. His conversation with Meletus, however, is a poor example of this method, as it seems more directed toward embarrassing Meletus than toward arriving at the truth. In a famous passage, Socrates likens himself to a gadfly stinging the lazy horse which is the Athenian state. Without him, Socrates claims, the state is liable to drift into a deep sleep, but through his influenceirritating as it may be to someit can be wakened into productive and virtuous action. Socrates is found guilty by a narrow margin and is asked to propose a penalty. Socrates jokingly suggests that if he were to get what he deserves, he should be honored with a great meal for being of such service to the state. On a more serious note, he rejects prison and exile, offering perhaps instead to pay a fine. When the jury rejects his suggestion and sentences him to death, Socrates stoically accepts the verdict with the observation that no one but the gods know what happens after death and so it would be foolish to fear what one does not know. He also warns the jurymen who voted against him that in silencing their critic rather than listening to him, they have harmed themselves much more than they have harmed him.

Critical Appraisal Of A Research Paper Nursing Essay

Critical Appraisal Of A Research Paper Nursing Essay Research is the key contributor of professional development in many professions, particularly healthcare. It allows practitioners to inform, adjust and monitor particular ways of practice or issues. The ability to evaluate research evidence appropriately is essential to avoid the assumption that all published research is of equal merit and validity. In order to critically appraise the article, Clinical handover in the trauma setting: a qualitative study of paramedics and trauma team members (Evans, Murray, Patrick, Fitzgerald, Smith Cameron, 2010), the ten point CASP (Critical Appraisal Skills Programme, 2006) framework is used. Current literature will be utilised to guide the discussion and reflection in order to conclude the overall strength of this article. The studys aims are concisely stated and numbered clearly. This is of importance in research keeping the main focus well established and succinct, allowing readers to easily understand the objectives (Collins, 2010; Gerrish Lacey, 2010; Stommel Wills, 2004). and reduce the chance of inter-researcher confusion. The authors discussed their reasons for focussing on clinical handovers, highlighting that communication difficulties can lead to serious, even fatal mistakes. A previous study is used to confirm the severity of this problem. Khan (2008) illustrates the benefits of using previous studies in ones background enforce the discussion of why the research is relevant. The researchers discuss the MIST (Mechanism-Injuries-Signs-Treatment) template used in the military, pointing out that little is known about its effectiveness in more general settings. Other ways of improving communication are discussed, such as radio pre-alerts and the use of electronic tablets, noting that as yet eff ectiveness is unproven, supporting the value of this new research. The researchers have not disclosed reasons for choosing qualitative methodology; however, it is appropriate to their aims. They intended to obtain and illuminate personal views and subjective experiences of using the MIST template during handover, in turn modifying the template in response to recurring findings. The stated aim of understanding issues affecting handover efficiency can be best researched via the qualitative method in order to gain participants interpretations of the other professionals involved and to enlighten the interactions between these groups (Block, 2006). The gathering of opinions on data transmission methods and data display within the emergency department (ED) provides a more in-depth understanding of how errors occur and furthermore, how this problem could be improved (Bowling Ebrahim, 2005). The research design used in this study is grounded theory. This specifically enables a new theory to arise from data in order to explain social phenomenon and human behaviour (Chears, 2009; Williams, 2012). It could be argued that the researchers are not developing a new theory in relation to the improvement of the minimum dataset as they merely adapt the MIST template (an already established theory), whereas typically, grounded theory forms a theory from original data collected during a study, not by testing a theory from previous literature in the field (Giles, 2002). In contrast, Henandez (2011) recommends using datasets from previous research in order to collate secondary and primary research, allowing the combination of ideas to form a theory. Furthermore, the findings seem to show that grounded theory has been used within attributes of an affective and ineffective handover: A set of ideas designed to explain what constitutes handover quality has been developed. An example: 11 o ut of the 17 participants expressed that a poor handover includes extraneous information and interruptions. The researchers developed this as a theory to explain why poor handovers may occur. They have described their use of grounded theory but not clarified why they have used this method or with what aims they wished to develop new theories. In relation to the recruitment strategy, Daymon Holloway (2011) illuminate the importance of disclosing the setting, timeframe and people involved in research in order to clarify the boundaries of the study. Here, details of inclusion of participants are thorough and well recorded, including geographical locations, timeframes and demographics. Table 1 shows all participants had a mean of 5 years post-graduate experience, indicating that those with considerable experience were selected. The researchers used purposive sampling method to find a representative group (participants with experience of transporting trauma patients to a trauma service) and used convenience sampling within this representative group to ensure all participants could contribute to the data (Monsen Horn, 2008). Purposive sampling is highly targeted and forms a specific group, resulting in this method being subject to bias, however, if the researchers are aiming to investigate a phenomenon relating to specific gr oups of people (e.g. paramedics and trauma team members), then purposive sampling is appropriate to warrant the correct target group is selected (Newell Burnard, 2011). In addition, the researchers have explained how they have selected a representative trauma team sample; by involving individuals from different specialty groups involved in management of trauma patients (e.g. burns, anaesthetics). There is no record of anyone who chose not to take part. Data collected via semi-structured interviews was an appropriate way to address the research aims, but there are flaws. Researchers needed to record the subjective experiences of this group of professionals in order to determine the key factors causing communication errors. However, information such as the location of interviews is not stated. Japec (2008) points out how the social context of interviews can affect responses. We do not know whether interviews were carried out in a controlled environment (i.e. in the same room, similar time of day and without disturbances). Moreover, the researchers have not disclosed the reasons why the interview method was chosen. Moniff and Whitehead (2010) and Blaikie (2010) illustrate the importance of including this information, to allow the reader to see the relevance of chosen data collection techniques. Furthermore, there is no description of how the data was recorded; a vital element in research to increase confirmability and replicability (G errish Lacey 2010). The form of data cannot be distinguished through the software used (NVIVO 8.0) as it can upload text, videos and tape recordings (Edhlund, 2007). The use of a minimum topic guide for interviews ensures that similar data is collected from participants and eliminates the sequence of questions being different (Holloway Wheeler, 2010). However, the researchers were ambiguous when discussing their use of the topic guide in the study design. They state it was used when interviewing the trauma team speciality groups about the minimum dataset for handover, yet, do not clearly state whether it was used for questions on effective and ineffective handovers, data transmission or data display (even though these prompts appear in the topic guide). There is also no reference to use of the topic guide during interviewing paramedics (although paramedic specific questions are present on the guide leading to assumption that the guide was used). The interview method enhances data as it shows body language and non-verbal interactions (Gerrish Lacey, 2010). However, it can skew results: social desirability can lead to the participant answering a question so as to please the researcher or sound like a good practitioner (Rubin Babbie, 2010). In addition, the interviewer effect may occur (where interviewers subtly influence participants responses through wording of the questions or body language), especially as some researchers belonged to the professions being studied. In this research, the relationship between researchers and participants has not been sufficiently reflected upon. There has been no consideration of how reflexivity and experimenter bias may have influenced the choice of questions (e.g. the topic guide), the sample selection and location. With no comment on who developed the topic guide, we do not know if it was one researcher or a collaboration. This information is essential: if experimenter triangulation was utilised, this would decrease the chance of experimenter bias and reflexivity skewing the questions, increasing credibility of the research (Merrian, 2009). Researchers have not examined their role within sample recruitment either. One researcher is employed by Ambulance Victoria, and another by the Alfred Hospital Presumably personal backgrounds influenced the choice of these two institutions for sample collection, however, there is no personal reflexivity expressed to determine that they have considered their potential bias in this area. Reflexivity is critical in order to increase the rigor of the research; recognising how personal experiences, disposition and emotions can influence research choices allows researchers to compensate for this where possible, and understand the importance of documenting subjective issues (Kirby, Greaves Reid, 2006). In consideration of ethical issues, the researchers have not discussed how, or even if they briefed and debriefed the participants. Adequate briefing is essential do participants know exactly what to expect and are aware of their rights (Fowler, ONeill Helvert, 2011). Briefing also allows participants to give informed consent and avoids passive deception, whereby the researchers deceive participants by omission (Cottrell McKenzie, 2011). Debriefing is equally important, allowing participants to raise any issues experienced during the research (Jackson, 2011; Morrow, Boaz, Brearley Ross, 2012). An ethics committee has approved this research, meaning the emotional impacts on researchers and participants have been assessed and the safeguards and well-being of the participants have been evaluated (Holloway Wheeler, 2010). This implies that ethical considerations have adequately been taken into account, although more detail should have been provided. With respect to the data analysis, grounded theory is defined and clearly explained. In the abstract, thematic analysis was said to be used, but there is no reference to it in the data analysis section. There is, however a clear demonstration of its stages in the description of how the 3 nodes were developed through collecting reoccurring responses and developing them into codes and themes. Open coding has been used, which primarily allows codes and subsequently themes to emerge from the text alone; by using axial coding in addition, the researchers concepts and categories are implemented  whilst re-reading the text in order to check that categories truthfully represent responses and to examine how concepts are related, increasing credibility and validity (Babbie, 2012). However, researchers have not explained how they collaborated to determine what data to present, nor do they disclose any outliers or contradicting results. Reflexivity can affect this process as their subjective thoughts may influence their choices. The researchers have not considered this issue, resulting in reduced credibility (Brink, 2006). They refer to a general consensus when talking about the usability of MIST rather vague and ignoring differing responses. Nevertheless, sufficient data is presented to support the findings. Quotes are implemented to support the data and MIST is rewritten and displayed, including responses. The attribute box allows readers to distinguish differing views between professionals; adding credibility to the data transmission results. Finally, by assigning a third researcher, experimenter bias is reduced and to some degree helps the issue of reflexivity, as researchers past experiences will all differ, affecting how they may perceive participants ans wers, and subsequently code the text. Triangulation of researchers adds rigor to the research (Inoue, 2012). There is a relatively clear statement of findings in the research; data is affirmed under primary nodes developed by thematic analysis clearly and concisely and they are also logically discussed in the order of aims. Hinshaw (2011) emphasises the importance of clearly presented results to allow the reader easy access to the main outcomes and suggested action points. Specific quotes arising from the interviews to corroborate and increase dependability of the results (Streubert Carpenter, 2011). Discussions are made for and against the researchers suggestions. Supporting discussions include the concept of time out in theatres where team members pause and complete a checklist to ensure safety (this current practice boasts reduction in surgical error), reinforcing the results where paramedics state an effective handover is one where the receiving body stop and exercise listening skills. An example where researchers challenge their findings is the reference to a study, concluding informa tion recall of just 36% even when paramedics were provided with handover training. Using evidence to challenge their research demonstrates that the researchers are not prejudiced in favour of their own results and that they recognise the need to consider additional barriers (Brink, 2006). However, the researchers have not discussed the credibility of their findings; they have employed researcher triangulation to reduce intrinsic biases, but have not mentioned how this improves credibility and rigor in the discussion. There is no comment about respondent validation, raising the question whether this was carried out. It is a of checking the truthfulness of research, by giving participants the findings to comment on if there is any misinterpretation: an effective way of reducing researcher bias (Pope Mays, 2006). The value of this research is limited: the researchers acknowledge their results form a basis for development and recognise that trails and further research must be carried out. Findings are discussed in light of current practice, recognising that the MIST tool needs to be trialled further. Researchers also acknowledge that training will have to be developed for paramedics (as with any new proposed method in ambulance services). It is stated that noise barriers need to be evaluated, however, no new areas of research are proposed. Researchers have not discussed whether their research can be transferred to other populations. They have briefly discussed generalizability, stating the research should be generalised to other hospitals with caution as the data was collected in a busy referral hospital. They also recognise that selecting paramedics with experience in trauma settings can lead to decreased generalizability, as paramedics with less trauma experience may have differing views. In conclusion, this research boasts excellent presentation and structure comprising strong background and aims. Utilising qualitative methodology enabled researchers to gain subjective experiences and views from healthcare professionals to provide a deeper understanding of how communication errors occur during handover and propose a multifactorial strategy for improvement. It could be argued that the researchers are not developing a new theory, therefore not utilising grounded theory correctly, however, there is ample literature disputing this, stating that it is acceptable to build on existing theory in order to develop a new one. The research has been carried out in the light of the original aims throughout and the results are clearly presented, with additional quotes to enforce points. However, there is minimal consideration of potential biases and the effect of reflexivity, reducing credibility. Furthermore, many methods have not been justified (research method, use of grounded t heory, data collection and data presentation) leading to overall low rigor and credibility. Finally, it is recognised that this research will not change future practice without further research and trailing. Nevertheless, the original data collected here and strategies for improvement presented make this research a valuable contribution to the field. (182) =2199 References Babbie, E. (2012). The practice of social research. (13th ed.). Wadsworth: Cengage Learning. Blaikie, N. (2010). Designing social research. (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Polity Press. Block, D. (2006). Healthcare outcomes management: strategies for planning and evaluation. London: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Bowling, A. Ebrahim, S. (2005). Handbook of health research methods: investigation, measurement and analysis. Berkshire: Open University Press. Brink, H. (2006). Fundamentals for research methodology for health care professionals. (2nd ed). Cape Town: Juta Co. Chears, V. (2009). Taking a strand for others: a grounded theory. USA: ProQuest LLC. Collins, H. (2010). Creative research: the theory and practice of research for the creative industries. London: AVA Publishing. Cottrell, R. McKenzie, J. (2011). Health promotion education research methods: using the five-chapter thesis/dissertation model. (2nd ed.). London: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Critical Appraisals Skills Programme (CASP). (2006). Qualitative research: appraisal tool. 10 questions to help you make sense of qualitative research. Oxford: Public Health Resource Unit. Daymon, C. Holloway, I. (2011). Qualitative research methods in public relations and marketing communications. (2nd ed.). Oxfordshire: Routledge. Edhlund, B. (2007). NVivo essentials: the ultimate help when you work with qualitative analysis. Stallarholmen: Form Kunskap. Evans, S., Murray, A., Patrick, I., Fitzgerald, M., Smith, S. Cameron, P. (2010). Clinical handover in the trauma setting: a qualitative study of paramedics and trauma team members. BMJ: Quality and Safety Health Care, 19(6), 1-6. Fowler, C., ONeill, L. Helvert, J. (2011). The handboom of emergent technologies in social research. New York: Oxford University Press. Gerrish, K. Lacey, A. (2010). The research process in nursing. (6th ed.). Sussex: Blackwell Publishing. Giles, D. (2002). Advanced research methods in psychology. Sussex: Routledge. Henandez, C. (2011). Grounded theory: the philosophy method, and work of barney glaser. USA: Brown Walker Press. Hinshaw, A. (2011). Shaping health policy through nursing research. New York: Springer Publishing. Inoue, A. (2012). Writing studies research in practice: methods and methodologies. USA: Southern Illinois University Press. Jackson, S. (2011). Research methods: a modular approach. (2nd ed.). Wadsworth: Cengage Learning. Japec, L. (2008). Advances in telephone survey methodology. New Jersey: John Wiley Sons. Khan, J. (2008). Research methodology. New Delhi: APH Publishing. Kirby, S., Greaves, L. Reid, C. (2006). Experience research social change: methods beyond the mainstream. (2nd ed.). Ontario: Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication. Merrian, S. (2009). Qualitative research: a guide to design and implementation. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Moniff, J. Whitehead, J. (2010). You and your action research project. (3rd ed.). Oxfordshire: Routeledge. Monsen, E. Horn, L. (2008). Research: successful approaches. (3rd ed.). USA: Diana Faulhaber. Morrow, E., Boaz, A., Brearley, S. Ross, F. (2012). Handbook of service user involvement in nursing healthcare research. Sussex: John Wiley Sons. Newell, R. Burnard, P. (2011). Research for evidence based practice in healthcare. (2nd ed.). Sussex: John Wiley Sons. Pope, C. Mays, N. (2006). Qualitative research in healthcare. (3rd ed.). Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. Rubin, A. Babbie, E. (2010). Essential research methods for social work. (2nd ed.). Belmont: Cengage Learning. Stommel, M. Wills, C. (2004). Clinical research: concepts and principles for advanced practice nurses. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams Wilkins. Streubert, H. Carpenter, D. (2011). Qualitative research in nursing. (5th ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams Wilkins. Williams, J. (2012). The paramedics guide to research: an introduction. Berkshire: Open University Press.

Case Study: Psychopathic Genes

Case Study: Psychopathic Genes Many people are afraid of the concept of death and what happens after life. But, many arent aware of the people that take life from others. Killers roam our streets but, arent easy to spot. They blend in with our looks and sometimes personalities. It is only possible to tell by their actions, for example when they have committed a gruesome crime. Little is known about psychopaths, many assume they are inspired, pressured or forced into doing what they do. Many of the killers have hard time in their life, as do normal people, but their problems accumulate, which add up to their emotions and do the unthinkable as we refer it to. As in the case of Marybeth Tinning who murder her 4-month daughter with a pillow mentions after the deaths of my other children I just lost it. However, there has been study and theories to show that psychopathic traits can be found in genes. Daniel M. Blonigen and his crew took 626 pairs of 17-year-old male and female twins from the community. And resulted wi th this Psychopathic traits were indexed using scores on the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire. Symptoms of internalizing and externalizing psychopathology were obtained via structured clinical interviews. Structural equation modeling was used to estimate genetic and environmental influences on psychopathic personality traits as well as the degree of genetic overlap between these traits and composites of internalizing and externalizing. The Twin analysis revealed significant genetic influence on distinct psychopathic traits (Fearless Dominance and Impulsive Antisociality). Moreover, Fearless Dominance was associated with reduced genetic risk for internalizing psychopathology, and Impulsive Antisociality was associated with increased genetic risk for externalizing psychopathology. So, studies have been done to show that both genetic and environmental factors play a role in a variety of behaviors in humans. What is a psychopath? Many people dont know much about psychopaths or what it is. They know them by the way the media portraits them to be. O. Lilienfeld says that there are three big myths that are untrue; one is that all psychopaths are violent. Researched by psychologists such as Randall T. Salekin, indicates that psychopathy is a risk factor for future physical and sexual violence. Second, all psychopaths are psychotic. In contrast to people with psychotic disorders à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦psychopaths are almost always rational. They are well aware that their ill-advised or illegal actions are wrong in the eyes of society but shrug off these concerns with startling nonchalance. Third psychopathy is untreatable. Although psychopaths are often unmotivated to seek treatment, research by psychologist Jennifer Skeem of the University of California, Irvine, and her colleagues suggests that psychopaths may benefit à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦from psychological treatment. The real term for psychopath is Antis ocial Personality Disorder, psychopathy and sociopathy are generally considered subsets of ASPD, it was given by American Psychiatric Association, its the term used for a personality disorder characterized by an abnormal lack of empathy combined with strongly amoral conduct but masked by an ability to appear outwardly normal. The main characteristics of a psychopath are the lack of sympathy / remorse for others, even including love ones. Other characteristic features: superficial charm, self-centered self-important, need for stimulation prone to boredom, deceptive behavior lying, conning manipulative, little guilt, cruelty to animals, callous with a lack of empathy, living off others or predatory attitude,   poor self-control, promiscuous sexual behavior, early behavioral problems, disregard for safety, impulsive lifestyle, irresponsible behavior, blaming others for their actions, short term relationships, juvenile delinquency, breaking parole or probation, and variety of    criminal activity. There are two types of psychopath that are easily distinguished. The two types of psychopath are Fearless Dominance and Impulsive Antisociality. Beth Terrel quoted Professor Dr. Stephen Benning from Vanderbilt University. The two seem to be different in their own ways but are still psychopaths. The fearless dominance is often a paradoxical mix of charm and nastiness, cool and calm under pressure, the FD type is not easily rattled. They lack the same kind of anticipatory anxiety that most people have so, instead of thinking they do it. Fearless Dominance is associated with a number of things our society considers desirable or good: high verbal I.Q., high performance, and economic success. The FD type is often charming and socially influential. He or she relishes directing other peoples activities and basking in their admiration. The FD type is sexually adventurous and often takes risks. Its not that they cant feel fear or anxiety; its just that it takes a much more extreme situation to elicit those emotions. FD types live for the thrill, the excite ment, the adrenaline rush. The Impulsive Antisociality type is an aggressive, unorganized, and a suspicious person. An IA types doesnt generally make plans, and they dont think societys rules are worth following. They often abuse drugs, and like the FD type they often are extremely sexually active. Its not the thrill that motivates the IA type, its the relief of boredom, alienation and because of the need to do something. They are extremely reactive and have a lot of raw, aggressive energy. Usually, they have a long history of antisocial behavior, such as brawling and vandalism. These are the two types of psychopaths. Fox reported that there are three genes that may play a strong role in determining why some young men raised in rough neighborhoods or deprived families become violent criminals. One gene called MAOA that played an especially strong role has been shown in other studies to affect antisocial behavior, said sociology professor Guang Guo, who led the study. I dont want to say it is a crime gene, but 1 percent of people have it and scored very high in violence and delinquency, Guo said in a telephone interview. The other two genes are called the dopamine transporter 1 (DAT1) gene and the dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) gene, which are also associated with bad behavior, but only when the boys suffered some other stress, such as family issues, low popularity and failing school. Guo said These results,..link molecular genetic variants to delinquency, significantly expand our understanding of delinquent and violent behavior, and they highlight the need to simultaneously consider their social and genetic origins. Three examples of genes that have a role in psychopaths. An article Child Psychopaths, the author back fires by saying that its the parents fault, they are the ones that created a psychopath. Psychologist Lonnie Athens takes the approach that antisocial behavior results from a series of evolutionary stages. He came up with the idea that people become violent through a process that he calls violentization, which involves four stages: brutalization and subjugation, belligerency, violent coaching, and criminal activity. First, this person is a victim of violence and feels powerless to avoid it. Then he is taught how and when to become violent and to profit from it. Then he acts on that. If a person from a violent environment does not become violent, it is because some part of the process is missing. He connects a serial killers, Gary, actions were formed from violence and lack of empathy by the instability and brutalization of his family life. But, there is evidence to say that environmental influence isnt the key to a full developed psychopa th and there is still genetics that contribute to there actions. Young children can be spotted for some psychopathic symptoms. Some mental health professionals say they can recognize early markers in kids as young as toddlers for what may later develop into psychopathy. Experts also emphasize that not all children who appear to be at risk for psychopathy go on to become psychopathic adults Studies show that a significant portion of children who show psychopathic traits often referred to among researchers as callous-unemotional traits, which include not being concerned about others feelings and not feeling bad or guilty as early as the preschool years have the same traits when they are teens. And adolescence is a time when they are more likely than other kids to exhibit extreme behavior problems, aggression and delinquency. These teens with significant CU traits are then more likely to become psychopathic adults. Other studies resulted with some brain malfunctions when doing something they shouldnt be doing so, they wont feel remorse or have fear like a normal person would. Scientists interviewed hundreds of prison inmates, to learn about what makes them tic, and which parts of the brain lead them to live an emotionally disconnected and often violent life. They resulted with faulty wiring in the limbic system (the brains emotional center) and the amygdala (which generates fear) make psychopaths able to do horrendous things and feel nothing, and never fear danger or consequences. They also believe that genes contribute 50 percent of the puzzle and life experience the other 50 percent (Heatherturgeon). Meaning environmental factors still play a role. In another study done by Dombeck stated available data regarding the causes of psychopathic personality suggests that both nature and nurture are at work there as well. He interviewed prison inmates and did a Psychopathy Checklist, asked about thier history of their abuse experience, and a few other questionnaires. He resulted with this: Our findings indicate that a history of  child abuse  or neglect relates positively but weakly to global psychopathic features. Abuse is unrelated to the core affective and interpersonal traits of psychopathy but relates preferentially and moderately to the impulsive and irresponsible lifestyle or externalizing features of psychopathy. Dissociative experiences do not significantly mediate this relationship. Our findings call into question etiological models positing that early abuse and neglect shut off affective responding, thereby resulting in individuals who possess the cold and callous features of primary psychopathy. So, abuse was not found to predict psychopathy as a whole, but an abuse history did predict a certain feature of psychopathy; namely the tendency to be impulsive. So, what can be the cure for such genes or the process to prevent such horrific crimes from psychopath? Its also possible for some kids with CU traits, particularly the youngest ones who have the greatest capacity to change, to simply grow out of them. CU traits are most reliably assessed starting at age 4, but even 2 year old can exhibit signs that they are lacking early empathy, says Paul Frick, chair of the department of psychology at the University of New Orleans who studies youth behavior problems (Stenson). The Fitness First Club: Marketing communications The Fitness First Club: Marketing communications With the background information I have been given in this assignment, I have created a key objective for the Fitness First club. I will gather a report that reviews and analyses the marketing communications activities of Fitness First, and outlines recommendations for future communications activities. My aim at first place is to increase the number of members aged 10 35 by Jun 2013, I will also propose to use more personal selling to develop new accounts, this will increase the amount of trials and encourage other members to join a fitness club and be made aware of other promotions. Fitness First is one of the largest health club group in the world. It has 540 branches worldwide and having more than 1.7 million members in 21 states. Fitness First clubs campaign to encourage more people to find out what fitness regime works for them by using former spice girl as the face of the week fitness international. In the UK, it holds 160 fitness clubs with over 405,000 members (Source: Wikipedia). Here is the background information on factors that have impact on Fitness First Political In the UK and worldwide government policy has potential influence on the market, specific initiatives could benefit the industry, but theres also a broader push on the part of the government to try and promote healthy eating and exercise, possibly resulting in more people seeking gym membership. Early this year the government encouraged people to get fit ahead of the Olympic to come. Economic The economic factors such as utilities prices and wage rates will affect numerous aspects of Fitness First, the fitness costs will rise and members may need to prioritise their spending as cuts are made on their disposable income, especially in the prospect group. Not a lot of people are willing to spend much in the fitness club when they could on their own practice physical exercise at home, however price will be reviewed in order to well compete in the market and encourage subscribers to join Fitness First. Social Lifestyle factors such as growth in convenience foods and home entertainment have resulted in more muddy lifestyles; consumption levels of alcohol are rising which will effect gym participation and subscription. In todays celebrity cultures, theres lots of pressure to be looking good in the social life and have better appearance; It has influenced the way people are improving themselves to build six pact bodies to attract more females from the mens view and such are also the desire of some women encourage their men not to be obese. Technological Its important that Fitness First has up to date machines to compete with others and satisfy the needs of the members. Fitness First also uses technology to target the public in an effective way, text messages with special offers and online free trial vouchers and also create a page on the socials network (Source: Fitness First). Legal: Fitness First should examine legal requirements pursuant to the code of practice and should not use high pressure tactics to make sign a membership agreement or take unfair advantage of the lack of your understanding if you do not comprehend certain documents. Fitness First must display a sign that says about the health risks that may affect participation in fitness services. The Signs shall be clearly visible for anyone entering the fitness center. Environment: Fitness First should build in an ideal environment for the well-being of the planet and its members by seeking to reduce the environmental footprint of the equipment and invest the most on self-power cardiovascular machineries. Where the proper motion of the user produce all the energy needed to operate the machines, it will attract new customers by providing clean machines that are free of toxic substances, which is environmentally friendly material ( Source: athletics business). Task2. Marketing communications mix Like many fitness clubs devote themselves to schedule a marketing plan, research shows that promotion for health club is managed by using telephone (telemarketing) Radio (radio advertising) Biz (business membership programs) Mail (direct mail and email marketing), TV (cable advertising) News (newspaper advertising), etc (Source: fitness360). Looking at the previous campaign made by Fitness First when taping in the power of digital marketing, including display advertising and affiliate marketing. Their goal were to ensure that the skills of a professional fitness and qualifications remain relevant by increasing the number of downloads, due to the evolution of mobile advertising, Fitness First took rapid action to introduce click-to-call extensions with the current locations of users, which was essential for success and having the most competitive position in terms of mobile advertising. O2 been the selected mobile telephonic provider in the UK worked alongside with Fitness Firsts by l aunching a mobile marketing campaign for Fitness first club. The campaign was to offer five days free subscription and personal training session via SMS to O2 customers who live in specific postal codes near Fitness First clubs (Source: Mobile Marketing). The use of the site for the target consumer maximizes both efficiency and relevance of the offer. By creating this campaign in favor for Fitness First, O2 launched brand communication opt-in on O2s customers who are interested in health, wellness and sports, aged between 18 and 35 years. O2 provided a daily email with qualified leads in number of mobile customers and postal codes to call the client and make an appointment. The use of this highly targeted medium of communication helps to ensure maximum effectiveness of campaigns, which proves to be moving one of our tools to acquire the most successful to date. Fitness First has also launched an affiliate displaying ads on Facebook and campaigned display advertising targeted Adjug w ith the use of PPC (Pay Per Click) which is the most common form of internet marketing currently in use worldwide. The purpose of using PPC was to send instant traffic to any website niches most commonly used to send targeted traffic to a page using only keywords related to the product page of the advertiser or trying to sell. It is also very useful for testing long-term strategies of SEO and ensure that your targeted keywords will convert. PPC is a fast and effective way of generating revenue to almost any website. However, if done incorrectly, it devalue your site very quickly and you will lose money, some of the biggest PPCs networks are Google Adwords, Google Maps, Google advertising investments Yahoo, Microsoft AdCenter and Facebook. As a result of these actions, downloads increased significantly (Source: Latitude) The tools used by Fitness First have been tested and proven that promotion is custom designed in particular relation with demographics region, time of the season, current members and other information gathered from the clubs profile before starting of the promotion. When analyzing the marketing campaign of Fitness First thought it lead them at the extend they were expecting to be. Nevertheless, I still find some improvement needed to be done to acquire more subscriber in their fitness club, because not many people are on the O2s network also taking an account of internet marketing, was of good use in the point that technology is mostly used in this 21st century we living on but it could have been far more better to also make the use of other medium channels such as TV, Radio etc. Why so? Because everyone in the UK, living in their own house uses at least one of these tools to be informed of what is happening in the other side of the world. Task3. Marketing communication plan Knowing that digital marketing, including display advertising and affiliate marketing worked well for Fitness First, I will in this section shield the strategic day to day aspects of setting up my plan into action to enhance more the advertising portfolio of Fitness First, without pulling apart what have been done by Fitness First, where the use of my judgment and discretion on deciding how to schedule and plan activities, calculating costs and measuring progress will be outlined. Here is how I am going to illustrate my idea of marketing campaign. Every fitness and health club plans is designed base on the personal exercise and nutrition history Ill suggest to employ a pull up strategy, with most prospects aged between 10- 35 mostly targeting primary school to Higher education to offer them services that encourage students. I will also suggest targeting the affordable sector of the market with a competitive pricing. The marketing communications mix will be divided around objectives, message, and media. The objectives will aim to provide Fitness First consumers, access to sport and exercise opportunities to the top range facilities by adopting a healthy lifestyle. Fitness First will have to work with its local partners in education and people to share information, knowledge, skills and expertise, for example with schools, Higher Education an arrangement of work placements for students will be assigned and will share good practice at national competitive sporting events. My message should sound making bold statements to draw the attention of people, in belief of my commercial messages by organizing a public speaking and fitness group to bring people together to motivate each other by allowing people to be aware of what we are attend to do and reminding them of our existence. To achieve this, Ill suggest the use of current staff and get them trained and have sufficient knowledge to encouraging people to subscribe, by telling their own experiences regarding the good effect since they j oined the fitness club and how physically fit must you be. In so doing, people will understand my overall message, where the key point is to promote physical exercise, sustain encouragement and then for sure people might now develop the need to join Fitness First club.( source: sales-and-marketing-for-you). Media: when hoping to bring a new product or in my case to promote a new service, that will be ruining at Fitness First, you need to carefully consider possible ways to promote your product. However, using different mediums such as Radio, Bus, TV and social network (source: ehow), in order to increase brand awareness. The adverts will show the benefits of healthy lifestyles, giving people the idea about getting in shape. However: Population trends by socio economic group are an important influence on ability and prosperity to spend on fitness club membership. Consumers from the socio economic groups are the most likely to use health and fitness clubs regularly, most are light TV viewers so this medium is not an effective target, Radio is likely to be more effective. (Source: sales-and-marketing-for-you).The use of social media has exploded in recent years as a way to raise awareness and generate free traffic it includes sites and services such as Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, and many others. The main advantages are that it is free to communicate and has a capability of going viral and reach a vast numbers of people without additional effort ( source: clickbank) The cost of the marketing will certainly play a big part in what I am intend to do. Bad sales and marketing is as a general announcement focused on no one in particular. In order to maximize a huge return profit, it is always good to approach the marketing plan with consideration and not devote a lot of money on a single marketing channel or campaign. I will instead try to shape up a range of successful publicity approaches over a time, I will also outline its cost, and how much money will I have to spend on advertising campaign? How long and how much each communication method will be balanced against the marketing communication budget. I will at first place, be concerned about the break-even point before developing any sales and marketing program, including advertising cost. I will also find out how much is each new customer and exiting customer worth to the fitness club? When observing the lifetime value of the health and fitness club subscriber, I will use approximation such as fi guring out, how long each customer stays with Fitness First, where the contract will be given for 1-3 years for the new subscribers. Once I know the number and frequency of sales I derived from the average customer, I can then use profit margin to estimate how much each customer worths to the fitness club and how many customers is needed to obtain the specific marketing campaign, in order to consider it as a success: However, to run the campaign of Fitness First, I found that the cost for ITV 1 Yorkshire channel per month is of  £48336, people will be target on the daytime services of 11am to be aware of the services, the local radio station is of  £160 per month with 8 short spot adverts of 15 seconds per day, cinema advertising will be of  £900 per month along with billboard advertising  £1920 the month and the cost of transport advertising is of  £6360 per month ( Source: Blackboard). My message needs to reach customers, therefore the out home advertising buses will be these that are seen on high street shops and go to different places of the city, where middle and junior management of the social class are living. Based on my research, I will therefore recommend 9 months of advertising on radio, buses and billboard along with 4 months advertising on ITV1 Yorkshire and cinema the total average budget for the advertising will be estimated at the price of  £232,188.00 for a whole 9 mo nths period advertisement of all these chosen mediums where the first 5 month will be to remind the people on the existence of Fitness First along to inform them what Fitness First is planning of doing and after the 5 months period have gone Fitness First will now differentiate itself from other competitors by adopting a unique approach and machineries that are of people expertise, when visiting the fitness first club and then persuade them by meeting the needs of people with the choice of services and materials that are environmentally friendly. Report Executive Account Statement To: Brand Spanking Agency 29/10/2012 I Daniel Kevin AMATCHA, I am please to submit my report describing on how I intend to promote the fitness and health club. The purpose of this report was to gather sufficient information to render professional opinion about advertising your health and fitness club. This assessment includes research and figures concerning the cost of the whole month budget when using the mass media to promote the fitness club: however. I have also included the PESTEL analysis, which is an effective way to analyse external impacts on the health and fitness club, and planned the strategic action that will be of good use for the marketing communications mix as I separated into discussions around objectives, message, and media. I have also introduced a marketing communication plan on how to work side with the marketing mix, which I have designed along with its schedule and plan activities including the cost of the advertising. You may also find on my plan the monthly statement budget and the chosen mediums to promote Fitness First club for 9 months period. Bibliography: Source: Wikipedia//>> article//>> Fitness First//>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitness_First viewed on the 17/10/12 Source: Fitness First//>>  © Fitness First 2012//>> http://www.fitnessfirst.co.uk/ viewed on the 17/10/12 Source: athletics business//>> home//>> articles//>> hot topics//>> environmental issues//>> Fitness Facilities Go Green//>> written by Amy Scanlin, on October 2007//>>http://www.athleticbusiness.com/articles/article.aspx?articleid=3278zoneid=1 viewed on the 17/10/12 Source: fitness360//>>campaign types//>> services/>> sales and promotions//>> © 2012 fitness marketing systems //>> http://www.fitness360online.com/fitness-marketing-services/on-site-membership-promotions viewed on the 24/10/12 Source: Latitude//>> where I am//>> home//>> whom we work with//>> Fitness First//>> http://www.latitudegroup.com/what-weve-done/who-weve-worked-with/fitness-first-2/ viewed on the 17/10/12 Source: Mobile Marketing//>>News//>> Analyses//>> O2//>> Fitness First campaign//>> written by David Murphy released 4 years ago //http://www.mobilemarketingmagazine.co.uk/content/o2-launches-fitness-first-campaign viewed on the 17/10/12 Source: 2.warwick//>>fitnessfirst//>>pdf//>>context analysis and promotional//>>http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/alumni/services/eportfolios/bsqjfb/fitnessfirst.pdf viewed on the 17/10/12 Source: sales-and-marketing-for-you//>>marketing communication plan//>>Copyright  © 2012//>>http://www.sales-and-marketing-for-you.com/marketing-communication-plan.html viewed on the 17/10/12 Source: ehow//>>ways-promote-new-product//>>http://img.ehowcdn.com/author-avatar/studio-image/ver1.0/Content/images/store/0/5/10f337f6-807a-4881-a57c-27efbd75408f.Small.jpg by Larry Amon//>>http://www.ehow.com/way_5162681_ways-promote-new-product.html viewed on the 17/10/12 Larry Amon Larry Amon has been working in the computer field for more than 10 years and has experience writing scripts, instructional articles and political commentary. He has been published online, as well as in NRB Magazine and Delmarva Youth Family. He started a nonprofit media organization in 2000. Source clickbank//>>common ways to promote products//>>http://www.clickbank.com/help/affiliate-help/affiliate-guides/common-ways-to-promote-products/ Source: Blackboard//>>x-stream.leedsmet.ac.uk//>>http://x-stream.leedsmet.ac.uk/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_33250_1%26url%3D Viewed on the22/10/12 Source: myadbase//>> guide//>>advertising radio station//>>http://myadbase.com/guide_final.php?page=advertising_radio_station viewed on the 20/10/12 Source: ukbusiness//>> UK Business forums//>> Business forums//>> General business forum//>>http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=49219 viewed on the 26/10/12 Source: outdooradvertisingltd//>>Bus stop advertising//>> http://www.outdooradvertisingltd.co.uk/pages/bus-stop-advertising.php viewed on the 26/10/12 Source: sunriseradio//>> advertising//>> http://www.sunriseradio.fm/innerpage.php?rank=2 viewed on the 24/10/12