Friday, November 15, 2019

Marketing strategy of British Airways

Marketing strategy of British Airways British Airways (BA), has a weakness in winning over customer loyalty, they lack in their marketing strategy. This weakness has to be address by the organisation. Despite the fact, its growth through globalisation and the increase in travellers needs, the marketing campaigns were ineffective in the growth of the company. British Airways has a great infrastructure but they need a boost in their marketing strategy to gain more customers and their loyalty. The company needs a huge investment for their strategic management in the future which will lead for better growth for the company.   BA has to keep its goal aligned with the intensive of the growing market trends to match with the customers and the market demands. In comparison to Virgin Atlantic has attracted a huge amount of customer both nationally and internationally. Virgin Atlantic has gained its competitive advantages over British Airways. The main reason for this is because of their proactive attitude and keeping an eagle eye for the new marketing trends and global advertising which leads to an increase its advertisement effectiveness, worldwide. After analysing Virgin Atlantic strength, British Airways has to revised its marketing strategy and turn its weakness into strengths to gain competitive advantage. There is a great opportunity for British Airways, has it got the official airline for the London Olympic, 2012. They won this position for the London Olympic, 2012 from Virgin Atlantic Airlines. Hence this move from British Airways might open new doors for opportunity worldwide. There might be a price battle in the market with B.A; companies like Legacy Carriers might keep its prices low during the games, with a low profit margin. Hence taking some part of the market share from British Airways. Social And Environmental Responsibility British Airways has been improving its standard on their environmental performance by reducing the impact of its on the local and global environment. Hence it is considered as their strengths. There are putting more emphasis on the aircraft noise and emissions around the airports and local area. They also focus on the severe effect of carbon dioxide and other environment effects. In 2005, Sir Richard Branson has announced that he would be running his airline on cellulose ethanol plant fuel, which would be generating through plant waste. Hence, it will be called the Future Fuel for the planet. The importance about this fuel is an environment friendly product. † (Cheap Flights News, Undated) Bad Publicity Bad publicity an always be a threat to an organisational brand image and its reputation. Both the airlines were charged with price fixing scandal over fuel, which lead to an ineffective decision by the management. Both the companies have faced bad publicity through an advertisement campaigning to 8 million customers, in regards to claiming the money back. (Telegraph.co.uk, 2008) Both airlines pilot resulted positive in alcohol, where as British Airways has implemented on 6th November, 2007, they wont be allowing passenger to carry surf boards in their plane, but Virgin Atlantic did vice versa (Personnel Today, 2007). It had a negative impact for British Airways; the surf community across the world has being criticizing on this decision made by British Airways. These decision may break BAs creditability and brand image in the market, bring the company stake holder at risk. (Surfing Waves News, Undated) Due to the meltdown of the economy in 2008 and high fuel prices has bought threats to the companies. Other concerns like high aviation tax, terrorism threats, health issues, etc are major concern for both the Airlines. British Airways Emphasizing On Its Team The mission statement of British Airways â€Å"To be the undisputed leader in world travel† their strategy mainly relies on good leadership which directs them to be an effective management, through good communication, team work and collaboration. British Airways has strength of 48,000 employees which include team player and service providers. Hence making it workforce its base for the success of the company. (http://jyanet.com/cap/0614fe0.htm) The back of the house, which is not seen in the front line like the catering department, cleaning services, maintenance, etc play a major part in the company success without which the company cannot run its day to day operations. There is a vast communication and collaboration with different level of team in the company, starting from when the customer books it flight, accommodation, tour operator, etc. to make this chain of operation successful, they have to work with harmony of communication. This strategy gives them an opportunity to use the new innovative IT- communication systems, ensuring smooth operations. Information Management (IM) is the key for future success in the company. The company relies heavily on its IT, which has bought huge influence on its performance. (Britishairwaysjobs.com) By using Corporate Communications, they mange the global reputation of the company, ensuring that all the parties are been well informed about the happening of the company, the responsibility of the companys intranet is base on corporate communication. It keeps the update of the companys latest news and policies. There are well connected via the company intranet despite being on air, road, etc. (Communitelligence Learning Academy, Undated) In 2001 BA has introduced the Employee Self Service (ESS) project; allow its staff worldwide to manage their day-to-day administration over the web. (Computing, 2001) BA produces it weekly newspaper, magazines for its employee over the Corporate Communications. There have a strong IT operation, which is used to enhanced teamwork and communication channels like IP Telephony channel. In 2005-2006, Cisco Systems and Prime Business Solution were responsible for setting up the new infrastructure for communication over 14,000 offices and airports. (Cisco, 2010) the key message is delivered to the customers through a robust advertisement, which acts as a powerful communication channel done by specialist communication agencies in more than 80 countries where BA operates. Hence highlighting the companys marketing strategy. British Airways Media is the sales arm for the communication channels offered by Britains premier airline brand. It is responsible for the production of High Life Magazine, First Life Magazines, etc. which are classified and distributed in the airplanes, lounges and different advertisement channels. (British Airways Media, Undated) Considerations After analysing the above marketing strategy, strengths and opportunities for British Airways, it can be seen that BA play a very important role in the travel and tourism industry. Which bring together a big work force in terms of services, product and brand image. BA achievement has been done through its communication channels which coordinate smoothly through all the different level of the company. Hence, Building teamwork and employee trust. As they say â€Å"A chain is as strong as its weakest link†. Working together towards a common goal contributes towards BAs strategy, mission, reputation and growth. In 2005, the operating profit for the company was  £ 556 millions and in 2006,  £ 695 million, this is the most efficient way to measure a company progress and growth. These are the positive results of the organisation strategy. To summarise in a sentence, BA is a market leader, set standards and create Bench mark in the industry. Hence, its strategies and mission statement goes in the same direction.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Strindbergs The Stronger Essay -- Strindberg Stronger Essays

Strindberg's "The Stronger" In 'The Stronger' Strindberg focuses upon the role and importance of women at the turn of the 20th century. This is portrayed through a conversation of two women who have different lives and social statuses. Mrs. X is married and therefore socially stronger. Miss Y is unmarried and rather poignantly, doesn't speak. At the turn of the 20th century, women were seen as 2nd class citizens to men. However, this entire play is set in a women's cafà © where Strindberg's purpose is to allow the two characters to fully express their feelings rather than be influenced and controlled by men. Since the play focuses upon the role and importance of marriage and family, the setting of Christmas is significant. It reinforces Mrs. X's family values and the power it gives her over Miss Y However, later on in the play, the strength of constant silence by Miss Y proves more powerful than Mrs X's family values and the setting of Christmas is quite forgotten. Strindberg uses a title and single letter as names for the characters to emphasise the issue of marital status where the individuality of the two women isn't important. It is merely the title that defines the person. We recognise stage directions as defined actions, usually just before or after speech and sometimes during a characters line. They can be used to emphasise a characters speech or to illustrate a certain emotion. This may hint at or reveal a characters personality, where a certain movement may show strength or weakness, particularly important for Miss Y who expresses herself solely through actions and facial expressions. The stage directions in 'The stronger' tell the audience about how strong or weak a character is. For... ...e play, there are times when both characters are strong and weak. It is only at the end of the play where I feel that Mrs X's true strength is shown. She briefly concludes the argument and doesn't appear to have any hard feelings towards Miss Y. She even thanks her for the way she has influenced her family life. Mrs X represented the traditional women of Strindberg's time where her life revolved around her husband and family. This is completely the opposite for Miss Y who represented women wanting a change to the male-dominated world. She doesn't react to Mrs X's patronising speeches about family or children and remains calm. She is more interested in her paper than what Mrs X has to say. Above all, I conclude that Miss Y is 'the stronger'. This is because of her ability to not rise to Mrs X's 'bait'. She is strong in her silence and never retaliates.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Kit Kat

The main competitors of Kit Kat are ‘Time Out’, ‘Mars’, ‘Twix’, and ‘Ferrero’. Among the entire competitors ‘Time Out’ is on the top name of the list. According to the survey most of the people prefer Kit Kat rather than the other chocolates. Cadbury is one of the most popular companies for chocolate. It is known for its original milk chocolates. But when it comes to the snack bars, the first preference is ‘Kit Kat’. Hence we can say that the competitors are trying to improvise the original wafer coated with milk chocolate with other ingredients, such as ‘Tim Out’, which inserted flakes, ‘Twix’ which is combined with caramel flavour and ‘Kinder Buenos’ using hazelnut chocolate. This shows that the difference between Kit Kat has a different way to promote their chocolates and their competitors have different ways of promotion as they give there ingredients importance. Consumers are becoming more design conscious, demanding for goods which are aesthetically pleasing. Talking about Kit Kat, the packing is outstanding because of the striking red and convenient size. The chocolate also has a double packing. First is the outer layer which is red in colour and the second is the inner silver layer which is made of foil to protect the chocolate from bacteria and fungus. Products and there packing are affected by the lifestyle of people. More people are eating Kit Kat on the move, creating opportunities for chocolate bar line to compete in the snack market. Thus having an upper hand over its rivals, Kit Kat has done a good job by putting its product picture in front of their packing, so that it gives a clear meaning of what type of confectionary chocolate bar is Kit Kat. Nevertheless, â€Å"Time Out† has also done a good job by telling straight forwardly that it is a snack bar. On the other hand, â€Å"Twix’ packing may be a bit dull and misleading because there packing has only the product name but not what type of snack it is. At the same time, the gold packing is not so appealing to the customers. As for â€Å"Kinder Buenos† there packing is good and interesting but is big and bulky compared to others. As far as marketing system is concerned, Cadbury focuses on their product placement. The punch line will be, â€Å"location, location, location†. The product will normally be placed on the middle shelf, where most consumers find it at the same eye level, from adults to teenagers. When we talk about â€Å"Twix†, their concern is not with the placement of the product, but Mars Inc, their brand product is the one which takes care of its recognition. The same case is with â€Å"Kinder Buenos†, where Ferraro, their brand does the same for it, and helps maintain the sales. While Kit Kat on the other face, does its promotion by inducing a price which is lower to its competitors. The reason is believed to be the ingredients which are mostly local. This enables them to reduce the price. This acts as strength, because when supply and demand mechanism is taken into consideration, lower price leads to higher demand.

Friday, November 8, 2019

History of Personality Measurement

History of Personality Measurement Free Online Research Papers Psychometrics is primarily concerned with the study of differences between individuals and between groups of individuals. It involves two major research tasks, namely: (i) the construction of instruments and procedures for measurement; and (ii) the development and refinement of theoretical approaches to measurement. Personality has been defined as the â€Å"dynamic organisation within the individual of those psychophysical systems that determine his characteristic behaviour and thought† and throughout history has been a subject of intensive investigation and interest. Personality theory can trace its roots back to the days of the Greek physician Hippocrates (450 BC) rates who transferred thought away from the spiritual side of human behaviour and theorized that every body has four fluids or humors (blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile) that fundamentally affected behaviour or personality. Galen (190 AD) added to this theory, believing that predominance of any one humor as outlined by Hippocrates would cause specific temperaments. He also believed that a healthy body was the direct result of a balance in the ratio of these four body temperaments. While this school of thought proceeded to influence both psychology and medicine for centuries, it was Wilhelm Wundt (1879) who first made the clear distinction between human body and personality. Wundt stated that the four temperaments represented the four dimensions of the human personality, paving the way for the development of the numerous personality assessment methods that were to follow. These included: Name Approach Types Adicke, 1879 four different view points to look at the world innovative traditional doctrinaire sceptical Eduard Spranger, 1905 four attitudes towards ethical values artistic religious theoretic economic Hugo Munsterberg, 1913 Devised survey for executives of different organizations, researching qualities they wanted to see in their employees. These were listed as the first personality test to help employers make the best hiring decisions Henry C. Link, 1919 Defines ideal personality testing machine – data received and sorts candidates for suitable jobs Ernst Kretchmer, 1920 Theory of four character styles hypomanic, depressive hyperesthetic anaesthetic Erich Fromm Four human orientations exploitative hoarding receptive marketing Carl Jung, 1922 Four personality types based on human preferences Myers Briggs /Katherine Briggs, 1958 Application of Jung’s theory, based on four questions a. Preferred source of your energy? (Internal or external) b. Preferred source of perception? (Senses or Intuition) c. Preferred decision making system? (On logics or feelings) d. Preferred life style? (ordered or adaptable) Since the development of these initial personality theories much work has been undertaken by psychometricians to develop characteristic selection approaches that are used to explore the correlation between responses to questions about typical behaviours and statements concerning the trait or characteristic being examined. The methodology used to extract this information from the individual has inevitably led to the increase in popularity of the personality trait or psychometric questionnaire which is now in widespread use across various industries to support ongoing training and development as well as the initial recruitment and selection of staff. PERSONALITY TRAIT QUESTIONNAIRES The construction of personality trait questionnaires begins initially with the understanding that there are a pre-defined set of personality traits that can be measured and scored on a recognised scale. While Eysenck’s research identified three major underlying personality factors, the more recent studies agree that that Costa McCrae’s â€Å"big five framework† are appropriate for describing the majority of human personality. By subdividing the big 5 into intermediary variables composed of differing personality traits it is possible to see how individual traits will produce commonality in responses to differing situations. FIGURE 1: THE BIG FIVE FRAMEWORK Extroversion: the extent to which a person is outgoing Neuroticism: the extent to which a person is emotionally unstable Openness to experience: the extent to which a person is imaginative flexible Conscientiousness: the extent to which a person is well-organised Agreeableness: the extent to which a person is good-natured This trait theory measurement attempts to avoid all subjective measurement of personality and move towards and objective measurement based on a generalised response or behaviour to a certain situation, known as a nomothetic approach. This may involve single-trait or multiple trait scales within an individual questionnaire. Factor analysis is then used to determine the minimum number of factors that account for variance and could contribute to a higher level factor within the individual questionnaire. Cattell’s personality type model developed in 1957 seeks to identify the relatively few dimensions that account for all differences in personality, reducing the trait list of over 4500 labels developed by Allport into 35 trait –name-clusters and eventually into 16 high order factors. These 16 source traits are deemed to be the origin or result in the interaction of all traits and habitual responses. Critics of Cattell state that the inter-correlation between the model’s dimensions would suggest that there are fewer than the minimum dimensions that Cattell stated. ISSUES WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF QUESTIONNAIRES The reliability (extent to which measurement procedure is free from unsystematic error) of any questionnaire will be based upon the process by which it was constructed and depends heavily upon the accurate selection of appropriate traits and factors. In addition, the validity (the extent to which the measurement tool actually assesses what it was designed to measure) of any personality profiling questionnaire will be highly dependent upon the accuracy of research and the quality of the administration of the assessment. There is also the business of defining what a trait or competency is Further to this, there is criticism, captured by David McClellan that â€Å"the trouble with psychometric tests is that they tell you what a person can do if asked to do it but they dont tell you what he does do† This lack of practical application, coupled with the hugely negative impacts of a poorly designed or administered test have led to a number of critics voicing opinion around some of he major company, career and business decisions founded on the basis of a single assessment. PERSONALITY TRAIT QUESTIONNAIRES RECRUITMENT The psychological personality trait profile provides an overview of the preferred behaviour that comes almost unconsciously to most people. This is the behaviour that they are comfortable with and can sustain without consciously or actively applying it and it is key to understand this behaviour, especially when considering an individual for a senior position within an organisation. Behavioural flexibility and its measurement is equally important as the ability to be able to adapt to situations that the individual may not naturally be comfortable in may will be a frequent occurrence in a commercial environment. The recruitment process in every organisation is a costly process – to fill a typical  £30,000 position can take up to 16 weeks and cost in the region of  £5000 , in addition, once in position ability to perform with a certain role can dramatically impact the profitability of an organisation. Personality profiling improves the efficiency of the recruitment process identifying the most suitable candidates early on in the recruitment process thereby reducing the time and money spent on unsuitable candidates. In addition, by having further, objective information about a candidate, the employer is able to make a more complete and informed decision regarding selection, benchmarking candidates consistently and objectively with a deeper knowledge of the individual’s general propensity to act in a particular way in a given situation. Personality profiling and the use of trait-based questionnaires can provide valuable insight into the most likely behavioural responses of an individual to external stimuli and a range of situations, determining the most appropriate candidate for a particular position in a recruitment situation. CONCLUSION In summary, while profiling will never provide the definitive answer to how an individual will react in a given situation it can provide a prediction based on â€Å"signs or indicators of likely behaviour† . By utilising this information effectively it is possible to identify a more likely ‘fit’ between individual and role, thereby reducing the likelihood of staff turnover and incongruence between candidate and role. When used in conjunction with other selection and recruitment methods (interviews, aptitude tests, group situational analysis), personality profiling can provide a useful and effective complement to support the costly and time consuming process of personnel selection within an organisation. Therefore, with the assurance design and administration is both professional and effective, personality trait questionnaires can add significant value and provide additional insight to assist businesses in developing and retaining their most important and influent ial asset – their people. Research Papers on History of Personality MeasurementThree Concepts of PsychodynamicResearch Process Part OneEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductOpen Architechture a white paper

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Indefinite Articles When to Use An Instead of A - Proofeds Writing Tips

Indefinite Articles When to Use An Instead of A - Proofeds Writing Tips Indefinite Articles: When to Use An Instead of A The problem with the English language is that it rarely sticks to its own rules. This can be confusing when it comes to ensuring high grammatical standards. The indefinite article, for example, can be either â€Å"a† or â€Å"an† depending on the situation. And while this is probably a word you use on a daily basis without even thinking about it, it is still one that many people find confusing. Why Are There Two Versions of This Word? There are two versions of the indefinite article in English because it is easier to pronounce â€Å"an† than â€Å"a† when it comes before a word beginning with a vowel. Using â€Å"an† separates the article from the following noun, so â€Å"an office† is correct but â€Å"a office† would sound wrong to most people. The general rule is to use â€Å"an† before words beginning with vowels and â€Å"a† before words beginning in consonants. But, as with most rules, there are exceptions to this, which is where things get tricky. Hard Vowels One important exception is words beginning with hard vowels. This includes any word that starts with a vowel but sounds like it doesn’t, such as â€Å"university† or â€Å"Europe.† Although these words start with â€Å"u† and â€Å"Eu† respectively, they are pronounced with a â€Å"you-† sound at the beginning. For instance, it is â€Å"you-niversity† rather than â€Å"oo-niversity.† In cases like this the word should be preceded with â€Å"a† rather than â€Å"an,† as in the following example: The koala lived in a eucalyptus tree Correct The koala lived in an eucalyptus tree Incorrect Soft Consonants Another issue that many find confusing is whether to use â€Å"an† before words starting with â€Å"h.† This is, in fact, much simpler to resolve in American English than in other English speaking countries, where words like â€Å"historical† and â€Å"heroic† are sometimes pronounced with a silent â€Å"h.† In Britain, for example, you might meet people who write â€Å"an hotel† rather than â€Å"a hotel.† But in the US this is very rare. If in doubt, the key again lies in the pronunciation. Do you pronounce the â€Å"h† at the start of the word? If so use â€Å"a†; if not use â€Å"an.† For example: There was a house on a hill Correct There was an house on an hill Incorrect Basil is an herb commonly used in Italian cuisine Correct Basil is a herb commonly used in Italian cuisine Incorrect In summary, if you’re ever confused about whether to use â€Å"a† or â€Å"an† in your writing, try reading it out loud; if it starts with a consonant sound, use â€Å"a,† while words which start with a vowel sound need â€Å"an.† And if ever you see a horned horse flying a rotary aircraft, remember that it’s â€Å"a unicorn piloting a helicopter† and not â€Å"an unicorn piloting an helicopter.† You’ll find more helpful grammar tips on our academic blog, while if you’d like to have your work checked by one of our expert proofreaders here at Proofed we offer a variety of services to meet your specific requirements.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Ghana Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Ghana - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that  the first reason provided is the existence of a free media in both broadcast and print. Ghana’s radio stations actively engage their political class by holding the government accountable and demanding for transparent elections. Ghana also has vibrant and vigilant NGO’s and civil society groups which promote a variety of issues such as combating corruption and good governance.As the discussion stresses  the existence of these groups is made possible by the country’s freedoms of expression, association, and movement. The maturing of political leaders in Ghana has also contributed to the country’s rise to the top of the peace index. Political rivals have learned to put animosity aside for the greater good of the nation. By graciously conceding defeat and congratulating opponents, political leadership within the country has aided to breakdown stereotypes about election loss in Africa. Ghana has also been lucky to have one of its sons, Koffi Annan, as a major world peace broker. In his bid to broker peace deals among warring factions across the globe, the nation has rallied behind his efforts by promoting peace within their country first.  Ghana’s democratic political system has contributed to the country’s growing economic prosperity and made it a regional powerhouse in West Africa.  The country is regarded among the globe’s leading gold and diamond producers.

Friday, November 1, 2019

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 70

Assignment - Essay Example t of view which is used to express a characters feelings or attitude in a detailed manner, second person point of view, which is used mainly to attract the reader’s attention from the beginning and third person point of view which may be used to introduce a dual point of view from the author and characters of the piece. The author of shame, Dick Gregory, employs the use of the first person point of view. This perspective is effective in creating an intimate relationship with the reader since all emotions and attitudes expressed in the narrative are from the author’s point of view. This technique is quite flexible and subjective because it allows the author to portray a stream of consciousness while conducting an interior monologue. However, this point of view is impaired because the opinions in the narrative are from a particular individual. The author of Propaganda Techniques in Today’s Advertising, employs the use of a third person point of view. She gives the readers insight into what she believes are propaganda fed to citizens by advertising mediums. This technique, allows the author to express her opinion while also expressing the opinion of other individuals on the same topic. This is a convenient and trustworthy way of passing information through an unbiased point of view. It also provides the author with great flexibility when writing the article. The author employs the use of an omniscient narrator, who is well aware of all the information required in describing the article. This perspective is employed when a certain degree of objectivity is required. It is also quite efficient in directing the reader’s attention to the idea being