YouTube. Is YouTube a threat to the film industries or a democratic Essay

YouTube. Is YouTube a threat to the film industries or a democratic godsend to the masses - Essay Example Content available includes movie clips, video songs, TV shows and clips, video blogging, sports events, business management speech; user generated content and other types of video content (Miller, 2011). The company was acquired by Google in 2006 for 1.65 billion USD by Google. Only registered users are allowed to upload content and they can upload unlimited number of videos. Unregistered users can however view all types of barring movies flagged as premium. The viewership figures are very high. In 2010, more than 14 billion movies were viewed while 800 unique users visited the site every month. About 60 hours equivalent of new movies are uploaded to the site every minute (Anderson, et al, 2012). With such a large portfolio of movies and entertainment available, the statement that examined is ‘if YouTube is a threat to the film industries or a democratic godsend to people’. Thus, two issues will be examined and these are the threat to film industries and the advantages f or the masses. Various issues such as nature of content, partnerships formed with media houses, business model and other such issues are examined in detail. An analysis and discussion is then formed along with a conclusion. The position taken by the paper is that YouTube is not a competitor to media houses and the film industry but it acts as a channel partner and media outlet and that the masses use the services for learning new skills, entertainment, for advertisements and product demos. 1.1. Problems and issues faced by the film industry The film industry across the world is facing increasing competition, cannibalisation and parasitic behaviour by a number of entities. These include pirated and illegal CDs of movies that are sold for a few Pounds on the sidewalks and which are also available as illegal downloads. Then there are the satellite channels such as HBO, Star Movies and others that broadcast reruns of old movies by paying some amount to the movie production house. Then t here are websites such as NetFlix that offer legal movies on rent but the revenue earned by the film producer is less. The film industry makes profits mainly when patrons visit movie theatres (Jenkins, 2009). People tend to stay away from theatres since they can view movies through other legal and illegal channels. People will of course flock to the movie theatres to see hit films such as Avatar and the Harry Potter series but older movies see near empty houses. In such a case, a movie-sharing website such as YouTube that offers movies free viewing would be highly unwelcome since the website will further reduce the revenue (Lievrouw and Livingstone, 2012). The point is that the film industry would stand to suffer monetary loss and not loss of any reputation or identity theft since YouTube would not claim that a particular movie was filmed in-house. However, media houses are willing to consider services and offers that help them to obtain additional revenue. This issue is examined in the next section. 2. Analysis of YouTube Some important topics are first analysed with reference to the business model and content related topics. Observations from these discussions will be used in arguing for the statement. 2.1. Business Model Used The business model used by YouTube is advertisement revenue obtained from click through rates by users when they visit pages that host the movies. Advertisers pay a certain amount to the website to carry the Ads. It differs from the retail model of Netflix and Spotify in that it does not directly charge rentals for movies that are hosted. It is somewhat similar to Napster and Limewire but YouTube does not encourage illegal hosting of movies and it is not possible to download movies easily unless some special

Doppelganger Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 4

Doppelganger - Essay Example The Nolans use nonlinear narrative approach to capture the themes in the screenplay in a whole new fashion that not only entertains, but captures new aesthetics of a 21st century film. This paper analyses how different styles such as mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing and sound design affect the overall outcome of the themes and aesthetics in â€Å"The Prestige.† Robert Angier and Alfred Borden cut the image of two would-be illusionists working in harmony in Victorian London, but upon the unintended elimination of Angier’s wife, the two characters turn against each other; Bordwell (2013) noted that â€Å"with Julia’s death, the men become enemies.† Hell-bent on proving that the other is weaker and incapable, both parties discover a new center or focus in the elegant Olivia Wenscombe. By virtue of Wenscome, each of the two sinks deeper into mystery in an attempt to demonstrate that they he is the more powerful magician. â€Å"The Prestige† takes an atmospheric turn that seamlessly integrates magic’s natural mystery and secrecies with well-connected scenes that constantly ensure the audiences follow the story to the end while chasing unending solutions to the mysteries. Although, the storyline jumps from one time period to another in an effort to underscore the seriousness of the rivalry between the magicians, director Christopher Nolan clearly delineates the scenes to avoid any confusion among the audience. The carefully designed mise-en-scenes style featuring the two characters on the foreground at night in the outdoor scene, with lines of bulbs planted to the background, for example, not only creates an intriguing social life of the two characters at the beginning of the film, but also evokes a particular dreamlike value that is both attractive and mysterious (Bordwell, 2013). Neither of the two protagonists is predominantly likeable especially in the dark clothes they adorn and their shadowy movements. Both men have somehow

Clausewitz in the 21st Century Essay Example for Free

Clausewitz in the 21st Century Essay The work of Carl von Clausewitz continues to bring about heated debate in the 21st Century. While many scholars see Clausewitz’s On War as an indispensible military thought in the modern times, others view it as an obsolete or morally repellent argument for unlimited, unrestrained and brutal warfare. [1] Notwithstanding the opposition of present times, this renowned work is considered incomplete and its lack of prescriptive contents has subjected it to interpretations and discourses. Facing this encumbrance, the study of On War has to go beyond textual analysis to an appreciation of the historical context which influenced the author’s thinking and the evolution of the book over time. Fortunately, with the enduring efforts of numerous historians, we now know that Clausewitz’s experiences in the Napoleonic Wars and his study in the age of Frederick the Great (and beyond) allowed him to create a unified, all encompassing theory of war. [2] To date, much literature has been written to attest to the relevance of Clausewitz’s theories in modern warfare and assert the timelessness of On War. This paper examines the insights gained from the great studies on Clausewitz’s works and re-confirm the continued relevance of his theories by: (1) identifying the character of 21st Century warfare, followed by (2) an interpretation of Clausewitz’s theories and his underlying thinking, and finally (3) examining the relevance of the theories concerned and determine how they can be applied in the 21st Century. The 21st Century Warfare The character of warfare has evolved since the passing of Carl von Clausewitz 180 years ago. The likelihood of massive clashes between onventional forces seems to be diminishing and the world has seen the dawn of non-state actors challenging established states with asymmetric warfare[4] techniques. William Lind aptly chronicled the evolution of warfare in four generations, which began with the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. He described present day warfare as fourth-generation warfare (4GW) that is characterized by a universal crisis of legitimacy of the state, where militaries had to fight against threats that are transnational in nature and are very difficult to deal with. 5] The capabilities of these threat entities stem from the effects of globalisation that have enabled further, faster, deeper and cheaper means to reach around the world. [6] In addition to the physical reach, today’s information technology has also brought about various modern communication avenues that allow collaboration and ready access to information. Consequently, this also allowed rapid access to media pipelines enabling belligerents to exploit them to further their cause. These have bestowed transnational terrorist organisations such as Al-Qaeda, and the more sophisticated Hezbollah[7], with the abilities to acquire equipment, knowledge and instruments that rival those of the traditional state to wage wars. According to Lind, 4GW also brings together the relevance of mass firepower dominated by artillery in the second-generation warfare and manoeuvre concepts of third-generation warfare, making it more complex than ever before. Therefore, we can conclude at this point that 21st Century strategists and war-fighters have to contend with both conventional threats from traditional states and unconventional threats from non-state actors, both whom are capable of waging wars. Intricacies of Clausewitz’s Work To grasp how Clausewitz’s theories can be applied in 4GW, it is necessary to decipher the underlying thinking of the author’s work. Many of Clausewitz’s theories articulated in On War are remarkably well integrated despite the fact that On War is an unfinished book. Without going into details, this can be illustrated using Clausewitz’s famous paradoxical trinity. The constructs of the trinity comprises three interrelated components of war, namely â€Å"the commander and his army†, â€Å"the people† and â€Å"the government. †[8] Clausewitz connected each of these human actors to three sets of forces: (1) The commander and his army are paired mainly with non-rational forces of riction, chance and probability, (2) the people are paired mainly with irrational forces that refers to the emotions of primordial violence, hatred and enmity, and (3) the government, which is less of a concern in this paper, is paired mainly with the rational force of calculation and reasoning. [9] As illustrated, Clausewitz has unified many ideas and concepts he developed over the period of study in his own youth and middle age. The following discussion will examine the specific ideas and theories concerned. The Irrational Elements Irrational forces† is one of the three forces that were interpreted by Bassford to provide a symmetrical representation of dominant tendencies in Clausewitz’s trinity. [10] While the three sets of forces were paired with each component of the trinity, it must be stressed that Clausewitz actually used the word â€Å"mehr†¦zugewendet† in his original German manuscript, which means â€Å"mainly,† in the associations. [11] Thus, it is clear that the author did not rule out that any one of the forces can be present in all components to some variable extent, and that this is the reason behind dialectical relationships between components. Indeed, looking at the real world, military men and politicians are also members of â€Å"the people,† given that they may belong to different parts of society. In that sense, irrational forces are linked to all human actors and therefore its dominant beliefs will provide the fuel for political decisions[12]. This in turn may shape the outcome of a military campaign, which is consequential based on Clausewitz’s argument that â€Å"war is an instrument of policy. † In his book, Clausewitz contended that the â€Å"[population is] an integral element among the factors at work in war†[13] and conceived the idea of â€Å"People’s War,† defining it as a state-sponsored insurrection by armed civilians against an invader in support of action by army and the regular forces of allies. [14] This phenomenon was observed during the Napoleonic period where enormous armies that were raised using conscripts led to overwhelmed defending states to adopt â€Å"another means of war† by arming their people. 15] When a state has to wage a People’s War, the significance of irrational forces heightens and the interplay amongst the three components of Clausewitz’s trinity become more distinct. In the light of this discussion, it implies that the irrational elements in war can be referred to both the human actors of Clausewitz’s trinity, predominantly â€Å"the people†, and also, what Clausewitz called it, the â⠂¬Å"blind natural force† of primordial violence, hatred and enmity. [16] Friction, Chance and Uncertainty The concepts of chance, uncertainty and friction can hardly be examined independent of each other. When Clausewitz himself introduced friction, he brought in chance as the key subject to friction in war: â€Å"This tremendous friction cannot†¦be reduced to a few points, is everywhere in contact with chance, and brings about effects that cannot be measured, just because they are largely due to chance. †[17] For Clausewitz, friction is neither extrinsic nor abnormal[18]; it is the reflection of the effects in the real world. Friction can be generation internally within the military â€Å"machine†[19], as in physics, and externally by the collision of two opposing armies. [20] Thus with the concept of friction, Clausewitz conveyed that one can never fully anticipate how the battle will unfold, and it is only through a good military system and the strong will of the commander that friction in war can be counteracted. [21] Throughout On War, apart from Clausewitz’s pervasive mention of chance, its definition can nowhere be found. Beyerchen aptly brought in the three forms of chance conceived by the late nineteenth-century mathematician, Henri Poincare, to explain Clausewitz’s interpretation of chance. The first form is a statistical random phenomenon whereby Clausewitz referred to the role of possibility in a commander’s assessment. While some statistical analysis can be used, this form of chance requires the judgment of an experienced commander in war. The second form is the amplification of a microcause, where Poincare explained on a system point of view that certain deterministic system can cause disproportionately large effects at later time. Clausewitz work has embedded this idea in his very articulation on uncertainty and friction where the various contact of chance at the micro level, which may be concealed, can develop and produce effects at the macro level. The third form is the function of analytical blindness which is a result of simplifying the real world phenomena by people and making war seems like a linear concept instead of a complex and nonlinear state of affairs[22]. With all the complexities involved, Clausewitz stressed that the play of chance goes beyond the commander’s simple calculation of probability to a need for an intuition that allows him to exploit chance to his advantage. Culmination of the Attack Clausewitz defined culminating point of the attack as â€Å"the point where [the attacker’s] remaining strength is just enough to maintain a defence and wait for peace. † Moving beyond that point exposes the attacker to counterattack from the enemy â€Å"with a force that is usually much stronger than that of the original attack. [23] According to Clausewitz, losses will usually be greater than the gains in an attack. As the army advanced, its lines of communication will be stretched, forces will be pulled aside to control areas and other situations may be developed which will turn against the attacker. [24] As a result, the attacker has to stop at some point to rest and adopt a defensive posture for a period of time before proceeding. This is the point where the commander has to decide and exercise his imagination, as Clausewitz concluded, â€Å"what matters therefore is to detect the culminating point with discriminative judgement. †[25] Center of Gravity Antulio J. Echevarria II, a lieutenant colonel in the U. S. Army, observed that center of gravity (CoG) appeared more than fifty times in On War, and explained Clausewitz’s conceptualization of the centre of gravity as being based on mechanical sciences, just as he had conceived his theory on friction. [26] Clausewitz described CoG as a focal point, â€Å"the hub of all power and movement, on which everything depends. †[27] By this, which is often misunderstood, he does not mean that the CoG is the source of power. In fact, it is the centralizing function that holds power system together, and in some cases give them purpose and direction. Clausewitz qualified that CoG is valid only when the enemy, â€Å"whether a single state or an alliance of states, have a certain unity and therefore some cohesion. †[29] When the enemy’s CoG is identified, Clausewitz advocates that all â€Å"energies should be directed† at this point to defeat the enemy. [30] Relevance of Clausewitz’s Theories in the 21st Century Thus far, the paper has briefly built a foundational understanding on present day warfare and some of Clausewitz’s brilliant ideas. Already it is quite obvious that many of Clausewitz’s thoughts still stand in present day context and are potentially applicable in 4GW. This proposition is contrary to what many critics have suggested; On War as bloodthirsty, misguided and obsolete. [31] These comments can easily be dispelled because they are often made on the superficial understanding that went little beyond the textual analysis of the book, and often built upon erroneous readings from others. Nevertheless, the fact remains that On War was written almost two centuries ago where the political, social, economic and technological evolutions of today could not be foreseen by Clausewitz. Therefore, in order to render Clausewitz his deserved place in the today’s modern age of technology, the following discussion on his ideas and concepts will not be critical towards the material changes in the 21st Century. Significance of Irrational Elements in 4GW It is axiomatic that conflicts nation-states engage in today relate closely the effects from irrational elements. Following the September 11 attacks, the world saw invasions into Afghanistan in 2001 followed by Iraq in 2003 by coalition forces. In the case of Operation Enduring Freedom (the war in Afghanistan), the cause of war stemmed from worldwide public uproar and support to root-out terror. Given the mandate by the people, the governments gain legitimacy and political will to commit their armed forces to the enduring global war on terror (GWOT). On the other hand, Operation Iraqi Freedom presented a case of â€Å"unconvincing† invasion of Iraq. As seen from how the operation unfolded, the war lost its popularity amongst the populace due to controversies that were presented as a result of the prolonged and seemingly unending war. Pressures began to be exerted by the public on their governments to draw down their armed forces’ involvement. After three years of coalition occupation in Iraq, it was found that majority of the British and Canadian people believed that the war in Iraq was unjustified. [32] A poll conducted on by the BBC World Service in January 2007 had also shown that 73% of the world population was against the handling of the Iraq War by the U. S. [33] It is thus arguable that the large-scale withdrawal of coalition forces which followed in 2009 was largely a result of public disapproval. Therein, it aptly demonstrated the significance of irrational elements, even in the context of the GWOT. Another noteworthy case in the GWOT will be the utility of â€Å"force† by terrorists. Their strategy resembles the â€Å"People’s War† which Clausewitz described. Despite being technologically and numerically inferior, Taliban operatives in Afghanistan are able to capitalize on the people, the natives of the land, to solicit like-mindedness through provocation and propaganda of the deed. [34] Until the NATO coalition is able to sever linkages between the terrorists and the natives, a repeat of the U. S. efeat in Vietnam War remains in prospect. This is an arduous task but nevertheless is in progress. It is thus clear that irrational elements of both sides (own and the native population) have to be part of the strategic and operational considerations in the 4GW. Without due considerations to pacify and buy-over the irrational elements will result in an unbalance trinity and ultimate defeat. Influence of the CoG in 4GW The wide recognition and various adaptations by various militaries of the CoG concept allow this paper to further examine on how this concept influenced the conduct of modern wars. If the current war in Afghanistan is a People’s War, like the paper has suggested, the native population becomes a logical focus. Indeed, the new strategy adopted by NATO since 2010 has placed the Afghan people as the CoG in this conflict. [35] Two of the main thrusts announced by NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander, Admiral James Stavridis include the protection of the Afghan people and to conduct effective strategic communication to win their hearts and minds. [36] Correspondingly, the U. S. ’s Af-Pak strategy that is in effect since early 2009 also focuses on the protection of Afghan people as a top agenda. Over the past one year, U. S. counterinsurgency (COIN) efforts have been more deliberate in their intelligence gathering and analysis to ensure that the most appropriate actions are taken, even at the lowest tactical level. In essence, the enhanced intelligence work effectively supports the traditional hunt-the-enemy role and at the same time, prevents unnecessary collateral damage thereby keeping the population safe. [38] With this brief account of the coalition effort in Afghanistan, it suffices to show that tremendous energies from all levels are directed at the CoG. Therefore, it can be concluded that the CoG concept remains relevant in 4GW and once it is identified, it produces consequential downstream effects that influences operations at the operational and tactical levels. Relevance of Friction, Chance and Uncertainty in the Technological World While it was earlier noted that Clausewitz would not have envisaged the technological development of today, his arguments on the variables of war – friction, chance and uncertainty – had not been altered. In fact, the element of uncertainty has now been compounded by the introduction of a new dynamic variable – technology itself. The advancement of technology has brought about chain of effects, impacting the social, political, bureaucratic, managerial and psychological systems. All these caused a quantum jump in the complexity of warfare. [39] Correspondingly, this led to the increased specialization and compartmentalization of the military which in turn create internal friction. If the contact with chance creates friction, like what Clausewitz suggested, with the existing military technologies today that enable longer range communication and observation capabilities, the amount of contact with chance increases and hence friction from external sources. Take for instance, intelligence collection – with so much information that can be acquired with the use of today’s technology, that is far from being unreliable as during Clausewitz’s time, the commander may be overwhelmed and become paralyzed just by trying to sift the relevant data from the trivial ones. As Clausewitz put it, â€Å"We now know more, but this makes us more, not less uncertain. †[41] While technology today may have eradicated many of the old-time difficulties, it created new problems. Among the problems, include a tendency of over-reliance on technology which may hinder the development of intuition and readiness to accept risk,[42] the qualities of commander that are necessary to exploit chance and counter friction. Hence, in today’s military context, friction that arises from both external and internal sources should be dealt with.

Theoretical And Conceptual Framework Of Airlines

Theoretical And Conceptual Framework Of Airlines In the past of few decades ago, airline industry is being control very tightly with lots of regulations. For example, United State (US) air transportation industry is being control tightly by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) on price, route and schedule of flight. After that in 1978, domestic air transportation market of US is having a free competition among airlines which allowed by the Airline Deregulation Acts of 1978. Through this act, every airline is allowed to set their own price, how frequent they are flying and the destination they want to fly to (Thomas, O.G., 2004). After the deregulation of American airline market, European air transport also experienced deregulation in the middle of 1980. The result of regulation is an increase competition of airlines and to open new entry to new airlines. The airline structure has changed due to deregulations. The airline industry becomes more competitive with numbers of competition. Changes of pricing strategy, marketing strategy and airlines networks such as hubs and spokes had made. There are lots of changes from deregulation such as service patterns, pricing, computerized of the management systems and industry structure. Deregulation and air transport liberalization make a turning point of airlines structure and marketing strategies. Travelers are rational and not willing to pay for a level of service which is not necessary (Pourat, H., 1994). Technological development had improved the management system of airline where they are now having seats inventory system and reservation system had been improved. During that time, lots of existing regulated airlines meet failure and left the airline industry. There are numbers of new entry airlines joined the airline industry as well. (Kaplan, D.P., 1995 cited in Thomas, O.G., 2004) report that, 19 jet operator formerly regulated by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), only 7 survived until 1995. The most famous survivor, Southwest Airlines (created in 1971) remains a prosperous carrier today. Deregulation of airline market also brings in another form of new business model which is the low cost business model into the airlines industry as well. This will be further discussing in the next section. 1.2 Problem Statement The new idea of low cost business model was first brought up by Southwest Airlines in the 1970. It took 15 years for the US airline industry and 20 years for the EU airline industry to take up the challenges of the emergence of low cost airline business model. After the deregulation, in 1978, there are huge numbers of new entry of low cost airlines into the airline industry. Initially these new entry airlines was doing quite success but due to by having only low fare would not be able to sustain their business. They are lack of financial support to compete in the competitive airline industry during that time. There are new entries of airlines and airlines which faced failure and left the industry (Natthida Taweelertkunthon, 2006). There is another new generation of low cost business model emerged in the airline industry in 1990. They startup their business with a strong financial support and with a better and younger aircraft used. This new generation of low cost airline has rewritten the business model to compete in the US competitive airline business environment and also with the commercial airlines market. They had also shifted from their business strategy from product differentiation into low cost. They become more cost advantages through efficiency where their operational efficient help to bring down the cost. The emergence of low cost airline manage to steal customer from the commercial airlines especially price sensitive customer and served with wide range of services. Even those high end customers are not longer willing to pay such a high fare on air transport where this bring benefit toward the low cost airlines. Air transport is not a luxurious thing anymore. At this point of time, traditional airlines faced challenges from low cost airlines where they find difficulty on sustaining their business. In Asia, low cost airline business model is still a new idea and just started in year 2000. Nevertheless, this new business model do faced problem of restrictive of two countries involved. Problem had been solved through the agreement among Southeast Asia (SEA) countries. Air Asia the successful pioneer established in the year 2001 and took the sky in November 2002. The success of Air Asia with low cost business model is the reason of the growth of low cost airlines rapidly in Southeast Asia. There are numbers of new entries of low cost airlines such as Tiger Airways, Nok Air and etc. The fact that Southeast Asia has a massive population is crucial, more than 50 million people with a rising middle class and a growing propensity for travel. The geographical location of surrounding islands without viable and competitive alternatives modes of transportation in Southeast Asia will enhances LCCs an enormous competitive advantage over surface and ground modes. (Natthida Taweelertkunthon, 2006) Low cost business model of low cost airlines is different in between of SEA and US and EU. The application of low cost principle is different. For example, in US and EU, they could have a lower fare on landing at secondary airports. But in SEA, they couldnt be able to avoid air traffic congestion at the core airport easily. Therefore, SEA low cost airlines cannot be able to save and lower fare on landing fees and etc. Besides that, the competition faced by SEA low cost airlines is much competitive as compare to US and EU low cost airlines. This is because of there are lots of competitor in SEA country with low cost airlines. Therefore, the marketing strategy that being implement by the low cost airlines to stay and being competitive is important. This research proposal is focusing on the marketing strategy that implement by low cost airlines to gain competitive advantages in the competitive environment. 1.3 Research Question From the problem statement above, it brings to several research questions where the researcher need to collect information for the purpose of this proposal. What are the marketing strategies implementing by Air Asia? How does marketing strategies influence the sales of Air Asia? What are the objectives, benefits and cost of the marketing strategies implementing? Are there any differences in between of traditional and low cost airlines marketing strategies? How Air Asias marketing strategies make Air Asia to be competitive among other low cost airlines? 1.4 Research Objective Research objectives have been listed down at below to guide the researcher in getting and answering the research questions which had stated above. Identify the marketing strategies that being use by Air Asia. Analyze on the marketing strategies that had being used. Analyze the sales trend of Air Asia. Compare the sales trend and marketing strategies that had implemented. Evaluate the objectives, benefits and cost of the marketing strategies implemented. Compare the marketing strategies of traditional and low cost airline. Evaluate the competitive advantages of Air Asia. 1.5 Theoretical and Conceptual Framework 1.5.1 Conceptual Framework 1.5.2 Theoretical Framework The process of this research proposal is shown in the diagram above. First of all, the problem statement would be discussing that the emergence of low cost airlines in the airline industry. 1.6 Scope and Limitation 1.6.1 Scope In the business world, there are plenty of strategies that are implementing by different company to stay competitive in the business environment. The strategies implemented by company are such as marketing strategy, financial strategy, research and development (RD), management information system (MIS) and etc. in this research proposal, the strategy that is being focus on is marketing strategy of an airline. It is to research on the ways of an airline manage their marketing strategy well to gain competitive advantage. Airlines industry is a huge industry which consist of full service airlines and no frills airlines. This research proposal has limited the research topic into a small scope which is focusing on analyzing the marketing strategy of no frills airlines. Besides that, there are numbers of no frills airlines in the world as well. Therefore, the researcher has further scope the topic down to low cost no frills airline of Malaysia which is Air Asia. 1.6.2 Limitation In every research proposal, there would have some limitations which limit the researcher to collect better information or result for the presentation of proposal. There is limitation which face by the researcher when doing research for this research proposal. AirAsia.com (2010), Air Asia is the only low cost airline available based in Malaysia (which not consist of low cost airline (FireFly) with subsidiaries of Malaysia Airline System Berhad). There do not have choice to researcher where Air Asia is the only available choice to be included as the scope of the topic. Besides that, there are limited journals available about the marketing strategy of a low cost airline. Therefore, it is a limitation for the researcher to collect journals for review the literature. In addition, the marketing strategy of low cost airlines differs from airline to airline. It is difficult to finalize the main marketing strategy that is implementing by low cost airlines. 1.7 Significance of the Study This research proposal is important to YBhg. Dato Tony Fernandes, the CEO of Air Asia and the marketing manager of Air Asia. This is because the research proposal has a summary of the effectiveness of the marketing strategies that being implementing by Air Asia where it makes them to be competitive advantage and a head above other low cost airlines. They would have the opportunity to have an outlook on a different angel of view in order to further improve on their current marketing strategy by advancing the current strategic planning model. Besides that, another targeted reader of this research proposal is the marketing managers of other airlines (such as low cost or full service airlines). This is because they could have the idea of how Air Asia is having such an excellent marketing strategy which brings it to where it is right now as the Worlds Best Low Cost Airline. They could use the strategic that Air Asia is implementing as the role model to market their airlines to be more competitive as well. In addition, this research proposal is useful to students who are majoring in marketing strategic management. This is because it would be a good and appropriate case study to read and learn from on the ways of a company could be able to manage their strategic planning model so well and gain competitive advantages over other competitors. Student would have the opportunity to have an in-depth understanding on the ways of a low cost airline planning the marketing strategy model to suit the business model which to keep cost low and being successful. 1.8 Definition of Term ASK = Available seat kilometer ASK is to measure the carrying capacity of airlines passenger. The formula is seat available x distance flown = carrying capacity per plane Chapter 2: Literature Review According to Natthida Taweelertkunthon (2006), there are two types of low cost carrier which are low cost no frills carrier and low cost low frills carrier. Low cost no frills carrier is those low cost airlines which do not provide any other extra services like on board meals. Tiger Airways and Air Asia are the example of low cost no frills carrier. On another hand, low cost low frills carrier refers to low cost airline which provide some extra service like on-board drinks or snacks. The fare of air ticket is slightly higher than low cost no frills carrier. The example of low cost low frills carrier are Nok Air, One-Two-Go and Jetstar Asia. 2.1 Key Features of Low Cost Airline Business Model Figure 2.1: LCCs Business Model Source: (Jiang, H., 2007) The figure above shows the low cost airline business model which is build up three main key features which are simple product, low operating cost and positioning. 2.1.1 Simple Product / No Frills A low cost airline would keep service and product simple to maintain cost advantages to offer product which is value for money to the customers. A simple product which also means no frills or no extra service such as meals on board provided on board to cut down cost. Besides that, meal on board could also be provided with a mean of good quality with extra charges. The seats are narrow to have a large capacity on plane and maximize seat density. This is to have a large volume of sales to cover the cost on the single journey to the destination. There is an only one class seat on aboard available with no seats arrangement allows (Jiang, H., 2007). 2.1.2 Low Operating Cost In addition, a low operating cost is one of the low cost airlines features. Low cost airlines will only land on secondary airports where the landing fee is much lower as compare to core airports. Secondary airports also have the advantage of less traffic congestion where the flight and stop by and take off again in a shorter time. They would have a shorter turnaround time to avoid paying higher tax charges on parking. Besides that, low cost airline practice direct sales of air ticket or through online reservation and buying. A cost cutting strategy would be implementing by low cost airlines to keep their cost low and to have cost advantages (Dietlin, P., 2004). 2.1.3 Positioning Lastly, low cost airline will market themselves mainly to non-business passengers. For examples, leisure passengers and price sensitive passengers are non-business passengers. In recent years, low cost airline starts to target business travelers as well. This is to grow their market to a more large perspective. A good and effective marketing strategy of low cost airline plays an important role to position their product to the public and to gain competitive advantage as well. Low cost airline will have a short haul which fly from point to point with high frequency. Moreover, low cost airline would likely to become the number one or two on most routes operated (Jiang, H., 2007). 2.2 Challenges of Low Cost Airlines In the competitive environment of airline industry, there are several challenges which will be faced by low cost airlines. Explanations on the challengers that face by low cost airlines are explained as below. 2.2.1 Overcapacity First of all, the airline industry of low cost airline is growing rapidly where there is more new entry of low cost airlines. According to Jiang, H. (2007), the author said that there are over thirty low cost airlines launched in the year of 2002. A sudden increase of a large amount of new entry brings threat to the existing low cost airline. The market is overcrowded and overcapacity where all of the low cost airlines need to compete among airlines to generate revenue for their own. 2.2.2 Pressure on Yield or Average Fares With a large amount of new entry it creates a competitive competition environment among airlines. According to Dietlin, P. (2004), worldwide airline yield will decrease by 1.1% per year until 2010 and intra-Asia yield will decrease much faster than that. New pricing strategy had been introduced by traditional airline to compete with low cost airline. For example, for some routes, traditional airline introduce a low aggressive fare especially those routes that being fly by low cost airlines. Besides that, there is a price competition among airlines. The new entry airlines are having lower fares to compete with existing low cost airlines. This pulls down the average fares per customer where it does not benefit any side on a long run. 2.2.3 Difficulty on Keeping Cost Advantages According to Dietlin, P. (2004), Asian airlines are having a significant lower input costs as compare to American airlines and European airlines. This problem of lower input cost is mainly due to labor cost. Dietlin, P. (unpublished, 2004) stated that Airlines in Singapore unit labor costs are USD 0.77 per ASK and airlines in American is having US 2.92 per ASK which is 279% more. Asian airlines are trying to solve the problem by hiring labor from low-income countries where they could have low wages for their labor to increase unit costs. 2.2.4 Product Differentiation With numbers of low cost airlines in the market push every single low cost airline to differentiate their product to gain as much market share as possible. This simple mean more cost will incur. Airlines are coming up with more aggressive and low fares which it would pull down the average revenue of airlines. Low fare of air ticket is no longer enough to be differentiating from other competitor. They are trying to brand themselves to differentiate from others to gain competitive advantages. 2.3 Marketing Strategy that Implemented by Low Cost Airlines There are several marketing strategies that being implement by low cost airlines to market or position their product to their customer. There are some marketing strategies that being practicing by low cost airline are stated as below. 2.3.1 Frequent Flyer Program Frequent flyer program is one of the marketing strategies of Southwest Airline but it is not adopting by most of the low cost airlines. This program gives out frequent flyer point when customers purchase air ticket each time. By using the accumulate points, it could be redeem for free ticket or upgrade class seat which depend on the company policy (Lederman, M., 2003). As a marketing tool FFPs have proved highly successful (Bennett, M.M., 1996). 2.3.2 Point-to-Point Gutstafsson, L. (2005) says that point-to-point could be included as a cost leadership strategy as well as a marketing strategy as well. Point-to-point refers to the air traffic movement system where the flights fly directly to the final destination without going through the hub. This would be able to help airline to save up cost. At the same time, it could be able to attract customer where they do not need to waste time on transiting at the hub. Customer could be able to have a flight directly to the final destination that they wish to be just with a low fare air ticket. 2.3.3 Branding / Image It is difficult for airlines to differentiate their product from other competitor as the basic product of airlines are the same. Therefore, branding and build up good image or reputation is another option to market their product to the public. Branding is do marketing on a product externally to the public. There is another way round of branding being practicing. As an example, Air Asia do brand their product internally to their staff first before to brand it externally to the public (Marketing-interactive.com, 2008). This is to let the staff of Air Asia knows well on the function and attractive of the product where they could sell it more better externally to the public. 2.3.4 Pricing (Low Fares) Low cost airlines are marketing their products with low fare to compete with traditional full service airlines. Low fare is the main attractiveness of low cost airline as compare to full service airline. Low cost airlines keep on introduce low fare ticket to customer and having promotion sales on air ticket. Fare of air ticket is getting cheap as time goes. Fare of air ticket is the main strategy that plays around by low cost airlines. Chapter 3: Research Design and Methodology 3.1 General Nature of Research The general nature of the research proposal is qualitative methodology. Saunders, M. et. al (1998) defines qualitative research as an array of interpretive techniques which seek to describe, decode, translate and otherwise come to terms with the meaning, not the frequency of certain more or less naturally occurring phenomena in the social world. A deeper insight of the ways of Air Asia managing their marketing strategy would be able to gain from doing qualitative research. A research which is base on the meaning which express through words is qualitative research (Saunders, M. et. al, 1998). 3.2 Research Philosophy Interpretive or phenomenology is the research philosophy that selected by researcher on this research proposal. This philosophy is suitable for research which is on qualitative methodology. Interpretive would help to gain new insight about the reality and deeper understanding on the question of how and why. Researcher is more flexible to adapt with changes during the research process. It is more appropriate to study on a small sample for interpretive philosophy. There are threats by using this philosophy. First of all, it will be time consuming when collecting qualitative data. In addition, analyzing of qualitative data would be difficult especially for inexperience researcher to analyze and generate new theory. 3.2 Research Method and Research Design 3.2.1 Research Method The research method that is being use by the researcher in this research proposal is interview research method. According to Saunders, M. et. al (1998), there are several types of interview such as structured interview, semi-structured interview and unstructured interview. The choice of interview selected is semi-structured interview which would have a list of topics to be cover during the section of interview. Semi-structured interview would be able to cover in depth and exploratory study. It would benefit to gain new insight on the particular topic as well (Saunders, M. et. al, 1998). 3.2.2 Research Design 3.2.2.1 General Research Design General research design is known as research strategy. The three main research strategies are experiment, case study and survey. The research strategy that would be use in the research proposal is case study strategy. Case study would have a detail and intensive knowledge on the single case study that is being studied. Case study is very useful in conducting exploratory of the theory and challenging with come up with a new theory. Besides that, case study would provide a very rich understanding on the case that is being studied (Saunders, M. et. al, 1998). 3.2.2.2 Research Approach Besides that, the research approach that being used is inductive approaches. Inductive approach is building theory which is more for case study research strategy. This approach would get the research to involve in the case study as well. The general idea of the problem would be understand well when inductive approach is being use. This approaches would more likely to use up interview data. It would be able to formulate theory by using the result of data analysis but at the same time it would also end up with the same theory as the existing theory (Saunders, M. et. al, 1998). 3.3 Sources of Data 3.3.1 Primary Research There are several primary researches available such as observation, interview and questionnaire. The primary research which is being use in this research proposal is through interview. A semi-structured and in-depth interview would be conduct in order to have an exploratory study on Air Asias marketing strategy to gain new insight. An open-ended interview questionnaire would be design and use to interview the potential interviewee to collect qualitative data. A face-to-face interview would be held where it allow researcher to have more control and strengthen open-ended question (Mona, C., et. al, 2001). 3.3.2 Secondary Research In this research proposal, the secondary research used is through online database to collect useful journals which are relating to the topic. The main online database is being use is [emailprotected] which is an online database of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The information that found through this online database is highly reliable where there is lots of PhD or masters unpublished thesis available on the database. Besides online database as secondary research, websites are being used as well. Official website of Air Asia is being used as the secondary research tool to get information regarding on Air Asia. Newsletters of Air Asias would frequently update the researcher on current news about Air Asia. Besides that, Air Asias blog is one of the secondary research tools where it provides new updates of Air Asia from time to time when latest news of Air Asia could be known from there as well. 3.5 Data Analysis Procedures There is several methods data analysis on qualitative research. The method of data analysis selected for this research proposal is the grounded theory data analysis. This data analysis method uses the inductive research where it collects data from the source of interview. Through interview, data would be able to collect and at the point of time, the data is being grouped accordingly into respective main concept (Gutstafsson, L., 2005). After the grouping of data into different concepts is done, the data could further categories into different supporting theory structure. By doing so, it enable researcher to have a better outlook of the data displayed in the structure. Therefore, researcher could interpret and analyze the data easily. A new theory would be able to generate by using the result of data analysis (Gutstafsson, L., 2005).

How to Use a Stethoscope Essay -- essays research papers

How to Use a Stethoscope Perhaps one of the greatest abilities in today’s medical world is the ability doctors and nurses have to listen to heartbeats, pulses, and breathing patterns with simplicity. It doesn’t require any high-tech equipment. It doesn’t require a myriad of tests and examinations. It doesn’t cost thousands of dollars per minute to operate. In fact, the abilities that I just mentioned are made possible by this instrument: a stethoscope. The stethoscope that we know today is not the stethoscope that was invented nearly 200 years ago. In 1816, a young physician in Paris, France, named R.T.H. Laennec, created the first recorded stethoscope, thanks to his noble convictions. You see, Dr. Laennec was examining a female patient, and was embarrassed to put his ear to her chest. This was common practice among physicians in this time period, but Laennec was simply resistant. Instead, he recalled that sound travels through solid materials. He rolled up 24 sheets of paper, and placed one end to his patient’s chest. The other end he placed to his ear, and to his amazement, listened to the noises of her chest cavity. Not only could he hear the sounds his patient was making, he noticed the sounds were louder and clearer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Of course, Laennec’s design was much like a paper towel tube, so it is not at all representative of this instrument: the modern binaural stethoscope. This design was created only years after the creation of the stethoscope a...

The Colossal Decision to Deploy an Atomic Weapon: An Individuals Impact on Society :: Essays Papers

The Colossal Decision to Deploy an Atomic Weapon: An Individual's Impact on Society Never before in recorded history has there been an event that has take so many lives in one instant. On the day of August 6, 1945 the first atomic device ever detonated was deployed on the city of Hiroshima, Japan. It is recorded that sixty percent of Hiroshima was destroyed in this offensive maneuver. Seventy-eight thousand human beings lost their lives at 8:15 a.m.1 The man directly responsible for this attack was the President of the United States, Harry S. Truman. While it is true that individuals are for the most part guinea pigs to society, there arises one striking exception to this rule: the leaders of our modern age. The impact this certain individual had on society is inconceivable, and to fully understand Truman's decision to drop an atom bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we must understand the momentous forces driving him to this means to an end. There were many different circumstances pushing Truman to his decision to use this secret weapon against the Japanese. There were moral issues, military issues, and of course Truman and his closely-knit circle of advisors had to examine the impact of this use of atomic energy on the future of our planet. In the end, however, the opposing forces proved slight enough for Truman to overrule. The first barrier to using a weapon of such destructive capabilities is personal morality. It would be very reasonable to think that it would be an impossibility for one person to authorize the destruction of so many others. This issue turned out to be one of small importance for Truman for many reasons. First, the American public had a moral advantage in that the Japanese bombed us first at Pearl Harbor. Also, as Truman himself stated, "†¦ was either that or the atomic bomb, and I didn't hesitate a minute, and I've never lost any sleep over it since."2 This indicates his main reason for not having any moral qualms with this bombing, the consequences if he didn't drop the bomb. The most important of these was the expected American casualties if we chose invasion over the bomb. However, if Truman new the greusome effects the deployment of this weapon would have upon the citizens of Hiroshima and Nagisaki, perhaps he would have hesitated. To see what the effects of the a-bomb on the people and buildings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki click here.

Succubus on Top CHAPTER 23

The CPFV meeting didn't get nearly as much press as a hot lesbian affair did, but it still drew a reporter from the Seattle Times, as well as some other media attention. Jody had delivered the speech of a lifetime at the meeting. She'd outlined a fully detailed vision for the CPFV, one that involved dropping the group's current attack on homosexuality. Her plan encouraged outreach to those in need, the same teen mothers and runaways she'd spoken to me about before. Since the CPFV had a national presence, she also wanted the chapters to address local needs in order to have a more meaningful impact and foster a sense of community. Her presentation had been brilliantly thought out and inspiring. The meeting had ended with cheers and applause, as well as a vote that made her the organization's new head. I suspected that, post-ambrosia, she might be a little terrified by what she'd wrought. After all the creative and interesting things she'd done in her life so far, though, I felt confident she could manage. Plus, I had a feeling she'd be happier being involved in some meaningful vocation again after her days in the doldrums as a housebound wife. It occurred to me also that although we might be hellish superstars for our Dana-related actions, Bastien and I hadn't really helped the greater diabolical cause in the end. Really, Dana had been spreading evil and intolerance. Ousting her for Jody had actually brought more good into the world than before. I hoped Jerome never made that connection. He was pretty pleased with me at the moment. The CPFV article was a few days old now, but I kept it on my desk at work because it made me happy during what had otherwise been an unsettling week. Seth hadn't shown at the store at all. â€Å"Did you see that on the Internet?† Doug asked me, noticing the paper. I gave him a blank look. â€Å"Why would I watch something like that?† â€Å"Because it's hot. You're totally missing out.† He sat on the edge of the desk and played with a pen, flipping it in the air. Neither of us were doing the work we should have been. It was just like old times. â€Å"How are you feeling?† I asked. â€Å"Pretty good, I guess.† He knew that I knew about the ambrosia, but he wasn't aware of my role in what had happened. All he knew was that Alec was gone. â€Å"The band's sort of plateaued now. I guess that had to happen. Not having a drummer really doesn't help either.† â€Å"Well, you'll fix that, won't you?† â€Å"Yeah. Just a pain. Gotta have auditions.† He stopped playing with the pen and sighed. â€Å"We were so close, Kincaid. A little bit farther, and we'd have made it.† â€Å"You still will. It'll just take longer. Everything you guys did – that was still you. â€Å" â€Å"Yeah,† he said, not sounding convinced. â€Å"Besides, I'm still your groupie. That's got to count for something, right?† His easy grin returned. â€Å"You bet it does. I think Maddie might be joining your ranks. She won't get out of my apartment.† I laughed. â€Å"Doesn't she have to go back to her job?† â€Å"Womanspeakis run out of Berkeley. She was already telecommuting, so she's just doing more of the same. She says she wants to keep an eye on me.† â€Å"That's sweet.† â€Å"Dude.† Doug gave me a droll look. â€Å"I'm trying to be a rock star, and my sister lives with me. That's not sweet. â€Å" â€Å"Working hard as always, I see,† a smooth voice said. We both looked up from our banter. â€Å"Paige!† I exclaimed delightedly. I would have hugged her, but we'd never exactly had a touchy-feely relationship. Our long-absent manager stood in the doorway. She almost looked casual in loose black slacks and an empire-cut pink maternity blouse. Her stomach had grown even more in the last month, and seeing it made a little fuzzy spot tickle in my chest. I'd been unable to conceive a child while mortal and could not now as an immortal. That knowledge still stung on a personal level, but I never held it against those I knew. I loved pregnant women and babies. I was happy for Paige, happier to see her back and looking well. A smile played on her glossed lips as she took in the two of us. â€Å"Georgina, could you come to Warren's office? We want to talk to you. It won't take long.† â€Å"Sure,† I said standing up. Doug quietly hummed the Jaws theme. Paige, Warren, and I sat down in his office with the door closed. I didn't really think I was in trouble, but being with them like this felt kind of intimidating. Especially since both seemed to be watching me expectantly. â€Å"So,† began Paige, â€Å"we've been looking over all the accounts of what happened while we were gone. We've talked to some people too.† She paused purposefully. â€Å"You've been busy.† I smiled, relaxing. â€Å"It's always busy here. If I wanted a slow store, I'd go down to Foster's.† Warren laughed. â€Å"I heard he offered you a job.† â€Å"Yeah, but don't worry. I'm not going anywhere.† â€Å"That's good,† Paige said crisply, â€Å"because I understand we now have some sort of annual event you've got to plan. Lorelei Biljan sent me e-mail asking to be invited back to next year's Emerald Lit Gala.† â€Å"Fest,† I corrected. â€Å"It's a fest.† â€Å"Whatever. The point is, what you did was remarkable†¦if a little unorthodox. To pull that together so quickly and then turn over such amazing sales stats.† She shook her head. â€Å"It was superhuman.† I squirmed at the adjective. â€Å"It needed to be done.† â€Å"And you did it. Just like you've been doing a number of other remarkable things around here. Things that we're very impressed with.† â€Å"Hey, now,† I said, suddenly uncomfortable with the way they both watched me, â€Å"don't think that was an ordinary day. It was kind of an exception. I can't do that kind of stuff all the time. I was just having a good day, that's all.† â€Å"You've had a lot of good days, Georgina,† Warren spoke up. â€Å"You haven't had a full staff here in weeks. You've come in on your days off. You've run this place when no one else was around to do it. You've handled crisis after crisis – and not just the Fest thing. I'm talking about the whole situation with Doug too.† I sat up straighten â€Å"What are you going to do? You aren't going to fire him, are you? Because it wasn't all him†¦I mean, there were extenuating circumstances. He's better now. He's the best employee you've got.† â€Å"We've spoken to him,† said Paige calmly. â€Å"And he'll stay on for now, although he understands he'll sort of be on probation.† Relief coursed through me. â€Å"Good. That's really good.† â€Å"I'm glad you think so because you'll be the one who's supervising him.† â€Å"I – what?† My train of thought derailed horrifically, and I looked back and forth between their faces, waiting for the punch line. â€Å"This pregnancy is proving more difficult than expected, as you've probably guessed. The baby's healthy, and I'm still on track for a normal delivery, but I need to eliminate certain risk factors. One of them, unfortunately, is working.† I stared. Paige had hired me. She couldn't leave. â€Å"What are you saying?† â€Å"I'm saying that I can't keep working here.† â€Å"But†¦after the baby†¦you could come back, right?† â€Å"I don't know, but I'm not going to put the store on hold while I figure that out. I'm resigning, and we want you to take my place.† â€Å"As manager,† added Warren, like that wasn't perfectly obvious. â€Å"I†¦I don't know what to say.† â€Å"You'd get a salary increase, of course,† she said. â€Å"And then we'd hire someone to fill your old position. You'd take over all of my duties.† I nodded. I knew what her duties were – especially since I'd done them for the last few weeks. They involved more paperwork than sociability, but certainly Paige had worked the floor plenty and interacted with others. The job still involved people, but in a different way. I'd have no peers and no one above me save Warren. It could potentially put a damper on how much I hung out with the staff after work – particularly my goofing off with Doug. The position would entail a whole new set of complications and difficulties. On the other hand, I'd have a lot more freedom and power. Paige planned all of our signings and promotional events, much as I had the Fest. It had been fun. I could do that all the time now. I could experiment with new things. That had appeal – a lot of it. And really, the challenging aspect of it also had its appeal. It would be new and different. I'd lived for centuries, and I knew the dangers of a static lifestyle. I had enough experience and education to take on very prestigious occupations – and I had done so in the past. This time around, I'd chosen a more laid-back job; was I ready to move on now? My decision was made, but when I saw how anxious my silence had made them, I couldn't resist a little teasing. â€Å"Would I get my own office?† They nodded as one, still tense, thinking that was what held me back. â€Å"Oh. Okay. Sold.† I went home that night heady with the knowledge of my new job. I would miss Paige, but the more I thought about it, the more excited I grew about being store manager. Celebration was definitely in order, so I called Hugh and the vampires, and we went out on the town. I had fun with them, but honestly, I wished I could celebrate with someone else. The late night of drinking made me sleep in considerably the next morning. I awoke to Aubrey sprawled across my neck, dangerously close to cutting off my air, in a position only a cat could find comfortable. My clock read noon, and I lay there, warm in the blankets and wondering what I was going to do with myself. The store wasn't open. It was Thanksgiving. My phone rang. I rolled over and grappled for it, just barely avoiding getting Aubrey's claws in my jugular. I stared at Seth's name on the caller ID as if it had magical powers. Taking a deep breath, I answered. â€Å"Happy birthday,† I said, trying to sound cheerful and not utterly petrified. There was a pause and then a small, surprised chuckle. I hadn't known what to expect when he and I finally resumed contact after last week's drama, but his laughter hadn't been a contender. Unless it was bitter laughter while my heart bled onto the floor and I begged for forgiveness. â€Å"Thanks,† he said, his voice sobering a little. â€Å"But, uh, I don't believe you.† â€Å"Believe me what?† â€Å"That you want me to have a happy birthday.† â€Å"I just said I did.† There was a long silence. My anxiety grew with every passing second. â€Å"If you wanted me to have a happy birthday, you'd come over to my party. â€Å" â€Å"Your party,† I repeated flatly. â€Å"Yeah, remember? Andrea invited you?† I remembered. I'd been thinking about it every day this week. â€Å"I didn't think I was still invited.† I hesitated, heart aching. â€Å"I didn't think you'd want me there.† â€Å"Well, I do. So hurry up. You're late.† We hung up, and I just sat there. Seth had called at last. And he wanted to see me. Now. What was going to happen? What should I do? I looked at Aubrey and sighed. â€Å"Guess I should have kept that last pack of ambrosia, huh?†