PG Scope Case Study Essay Example

PG Scope Case Study Paper Scribd Upload a Document Search Documents Explore Hazie Jamaluddin / 3 Download this Document for Free Procter Gamble Inc: Scope Scope was introduced in 1967 by Procter Gamble, is a green mint tasting mouthwash,and was positions as a great tasting mouth refreshing brand that provided bad breathprotection. Scope held 32% share of the Canadian market for 1990. In 1970 Scope becamethe market leader in Canada, with many competitors, such as Listerine mouthwash that waslaunched by Warner Lambert in 1977 and it was a direct competitor to Scope, it had nearlythe same characteristics as Scope with a 12% of the market share during that time. But themajor competitor for Scope was Plax, a brand by Pfizer Inc, which was launched in Canadain 1988 on a platform quite different from the traditional mouthwashes, and gained a 10%share since launched. Plax detergents were supposed to help loosen plaque to makebrushing effective. Before the entry of Plax, brands in the mouth wash market werepositioned around two major benefits that are fresh breath and killing germs, whereas Plaxwas positioned around a new benefit as a plaque fighter and claims Plax removes up tothree times more plaque than just brushing alone. In studying the current situation and preparing for a strategic plan, Gwen Hearst reviewedthe available information and surveys for the mouthwash market and Scope showed that75% of Canadian household use 1 or more mouthwash brands. The company’s marketresearch revealed that users could be segmented to â€Å"heavy† users that comprised 40% of all users and to â€Å"medium† users that comprised 45% of all users and to light users thatcomprise 15%. The company also made a research on why consumers use mouthwash,and the results were: consumer’s basic hygiene, it gets rid of bad breath, it kills germs andmany other reasons. Also surveys were conducted of mouthwash user’s image of the major brands based on several attributes such as, reducing bad breath, killing germs, removingplaque and others. Plax achieved a strong image on removing plaques and healthier teethand gums, whereas scope scored a weaker image on those attributes. We will write a custom essay sample on PG Scope Case Study specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on PG Scope Case Study specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on PG Scope Case Study specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In analyzing theCanadian mouthwash market share the data showed that Scope had the highest marketshare among all brands, but there was a big difference in the share held by Scope in foodstores 42%, versus drug stores 27%. Competitive data were also collected for advertisingexpenditures, and the results were that most of the advertising expenditures were of Scope,Listerine and Plax accounting for 90% of all advertising. As for the retail prices, bothListerine and Plax had the highest prices among other brands in food stores, whereasScope, Listerine and Listermint had the highest prices in drug stores. And in comparingScope market share between Canada and USA, the results showed that Scope in Canadatakes 33% of the market share, while USA Scope’s market share was 21. 6% that came after Listerine, where Listerine held 28% of the mouth wash market share in America. After the introduction of Plax by Pfizer Inc whereby PG were loosing market share, andafter studying the current situation and making several surveys and market researches,Hearst challenge was to the 1 st problem which is to develop strategy that ensures the ontinued profitability of Scope in face of competitive threats and especially by Plax thatgained 10% share of the product category. So her specific task was to prepare a marketingplan for PG mouthwash business for the next 3 years. The 2 nd problem is how will PGmaintain their profit and make sure that the Scope brand is always the first mouthwashproduct ranking among consumers? The mouthwash market is changing everyday with theemergence of new products and prod uct features. As a result, PG wants their Scopebrand to be the first choice among consumers. In the case of product development, PDD has demonstrated that Scope reduced plaquebetter than brushing alone because of the antibacterial ingredients in it. So the (ProductDevelopment) PDD has recently developed a new pre-brushing rinse product that performedas well as Plax but didn’t work any better than Plax in removing plaque. The key benefit of this recently launched product is that it tastes better than Plax. However, PDD’s preferencewas to not launch a new product, but instead to add plaque reduction claims to Scope. Since the basic argument was that it is better to protect the business that PG was alreadyin, than to launch a completely new entry. As for the case of sales, the sales people hadnoticed that Plax sales were increasing in the market place, and believed Scope shouldrespond quickly, so they suggested that a brand must be unique and different enough fromthe competitors in order to be listed in the store shelves, or otherwise the category salesvolume would spread over more units. Market researchers suggested that Hearst look at other benefits or alternatives beyond justa â€Å"plaque reassurance on scope† or a â€Å"a better tasting pre-brushing rinse† Whereas thepoint of view from finance, on one hand Plax had a high price so a new rinse might be aprofitable option, on the other hand they were concerned about the capital and marketingcosts which would increase. The purchasing manager estimated that the cost of the newingredients of a line extension would increase by $ 2. 55 and the packaging would cost$0. 30. As for the advertising agency it favoured a line extension, since adding any new claimfor scope is a huge strategic shift for the brand that would confuse the consumer anddecrease the market share, because relating 2 different ideas is very difficult (breathrefreshment good tasting) (removes plaque). Hearst and the business team have two options, on one hand a line extension or newproduct positioned against Plax could be introduced into the market and in the other handdoing nothing and just looking at claims other than â€Å"breath† instead of adding a new product. Launching a new product â€Å"new pre-brushing rinse† would cannibalize a part of Scopesales, also the delivery, marketing and capital costs of PG will increase if a new rinse waslaunched and the user of Scope would be confused since he/she saw in the old scope abreath refreshment, taking into consideration that the new rinse is not any better than Plax in reducing plaque, but at the same time it may increase the market share of PG andincrease its profit. Whereas adding a new claim for Scope ould not increase the volumeof sales, but it could prevent current users of Scope to switch and it would stabilize thebusiness, and even though the advertising agency thinks that it’s hard to relate two differentclaims, it should try to relate them in order to make an effective advertising that includesboth â€Å"breath† and â€Å"plaque† claims. Since adding plaque reduction to breathe refreshmentand good tasting is an additional benefit that the scope consumer can be nefit from and itmay attract the potential users that scope aim at. Also PG has to collect more informationto see what the consumer needs and improve it within the same product; especially that it isbased on a philosophy of satisfying the customer needs. Scope was positioned around twobenefits that are refreshing breath and good tasting, and it should stick to this position withother additional claims or benefits if it can, so it should not launch a new product thatconfuses the customers but stick to this position that it has in the market place and that isconsidered to be its competitive advantage. It’s better to protect the business that PG isalready in for many years and just add a plaque claim, than launching a completely newentry that is not secured. Questions: 1)How will PG develop a strategy that will ensure the continued profitability of Scopedespite competition? 2) Should PG take risk of introducing the completely new product for 3 years plan? Discuss the advantage and risk involved. 3)

sexuality essay essays

sexuality essay essays Many experts agree that homosexuality has existed as long as human beings themselves, although the attitude towards them has undergone dramatic changes in some countries. Accepted by many societies during Greek and Roman era, most of the time homosexuals were considered to be sinners against nature and even criminals. In Medieval and modern periods homosexuals were prosecuted. Enlightenment brought some liberation, substituting death penalty by imprisonment. In Nazi Germany so-called "doctors" tried to "cure" gays by the ways of castration and extreme intimidation. Until 1973 attempts to find a cure against homosexuality, what by majority was viewed as a disease, were continued. Today, when research on twins suggests that sexual orientation is not a choice, but our genetic predisposition, homosexual acts are still considered to be immoral and even illegal in majority of countries and in the eyes of most religious groups homosexuals, probably, always will be the subjects of anathema. As much as the future may look gloomy for many gays and lesbians all over the world, there are remarkable changes in public opinion and officials attitudes toward homosexuals in some countries. For example, in 1989, Denmark was the first to allow the same-sex marriage. In the United States the subject of homosexuality remains controversial. For example, In Hawaii three homosexual couples asked the court to recognize their right to get married and the court did. However, the state government refused to legalize this marriage. Consequently, a new amendment was introduced to the state Constitution. At the same time, majority of the states are not even considering this option and homosexuality itself is still illegal there. Still, not only authorities try to determine the position they should take towards homosexuals, many common Americans also have no clear understanding of how to react to homosexuality. Why should we bother to find the answer to the ...

Proposed Lyrics for the Spanish National Anthem

Proposed Lyrics for the Spanish National Anthem Spain has long been one of the few countries with no lyrics for its national anthem, known as La marcha real (The Royal March). But the Spanish national anthem does have unofficial lyrics, which have been written not only in Spanish, but also in Basque, Catalan, and Galician. Source of Proposed Anthem Lyrics Spains national Olympics committee held a contest in 2007 to come up with suitable lyrics, and the words below are those penned by the winner, a 52-year-old unemployed resident of Madrid, Paulino Cubero. Unfortunately for the Olympics committee, the lyrics immediately became the subject or criticism and even ridicule by political and cultural leaders. Within a few days of the lyrics becoming known it became clear that they would never be endorsed by the Spanish parliament, so the Olympics panel said it would withdraw the winning words. They were criticized, among other things, for being banal and too reminiscent of the Franco regime. Lyrics to La Marcha Real  ¡Viva Espaà ±a!Cantemos todos juntoscon distinta vozy un solo corazà ³n. ¡Viva Espaà ±a!Desde los verdes vallesal inmenso mar,un himno de hermandad.Ama a la Patriapues sabe abrazar,bajo su cielo azul,pueblos en libertad.Gloria a los hijosque a la Historia danjusticia y grandezademocracia y paz. La Marcha Real in English Long live Spain!Let us all sing togetherwith a distinctive voiceand one heart.Long live Spain!From the green valleysto the immense seaa hymn of brotherhood.Love the Fatherlandfor it knows to embrace,under its blue sky,peoples in freedom.Glory to the sons and daughterswho give to Historyjustice and greatness,democracy and peace. Translation Notes Note that the title of the Spanish national anthem, La marcha real, is written with only the first word capitalized. In Spanish, as in many other languages such as French, it is customary to capitalize only the first word of composition titles unless one of the other words is a proper noun. Viva, often translated as long live, comes from the verb vivir, meaning to live. Vivir is often used as a pattern for conjugating regular -ir verbs. Cantemos, translated here as let us sing, is an example of the imperative mood in the first-person plural. The verb endings of -emos for -ar verbs and -amos for -er and -ir verbs are  used as the equivalent of the English let us verb. Corazà ³n is the word for the heart. Like the English word, corazà ³n can be used figuratively to refer to the seat of emotions. Corazà ³n comes from the same Latin source as English words such as coronary and crown. Patria and Historia are capitalized in this hymn because they are personified, treated as figurative persons. This also explains why the personal a is used with both words. Note how the adjectives come before the nouns in the phrases verdes valles (green valleys) and inmenso mar (deep sea). This word order provides an emotional or poetical component to the adjectives in a way that isnt readily translatable to English. You might think of verdant rather than green, for example, and fathomless rather than deep. Pueblo is a collective noun used in much the same way as its English cognate, people. In the singular form, it refers to multiple persons. But when it becomes plural, it refers to groups of people. Hijo is the word for son, and hija is the word for daughter. However, the masculine plural form, hijos, is used when referring to sons and daughters together.

How outsourcing could be accomplished in ways that improve employee Research Paper

How outsourcing could be accomplished in ways that improve employee acceptance and reactions to change - Research Paper Example The paper tells that in today’s global world, outsourcing jobs is increasingly a fact of life. Outsourcing may be necessary to retain a competitive advantage, as other firms are outsourcing to take advantage of lower costs and higher quality. That said, outsourcing may not always be acceptable to the affected employees. Employees may be cynical about the changes brought about by the outsourcing, which leads to decreased employee morale. There are ways that firms should approach outsourcing decisions, namely communicating directly with employees in an effective manner. There are also ways not to approach outsourcing, which involves blindsiding employees and lying to them, as OzBank, the case study detailed below, approached their outsourcing. Moreover, appointing an effective, transformational leader to guide the process is essential. Guang Qu et al. researched what characteristics regarding IT firms made the firms more likely to outsourcing. They found that industry munificenc e and dynamism was positively correlated with the amount of outsourcing done by the individual firms in the industry. On the other hand, industry concentration is negatively correlated with outsourcing, due to the power and resources such firms have. They also found that high capital intensive industries are less likely to downsize than low capital intensive industries. This is because high capital intensive industries do not put a premium on risky and novel practices, which outsourcing is considered to be. Cox et al. (2011) also studied outsourcing with regards to IT firms. They identified two different categories of IT outsourcing – IT outsourcing with regards to core value-chain operations, and IT outsourcing with regards to support activities. The main outsourcing in the core value chain operations is distribution, whereas, with support activities, human resource management and facilities management are the two main support activities which involve outsourcing. They state that firms outsource because they want to retain a competitive advantage, including costs savings and quality improvement. Outsourcing may also increase flexibility of the firm, as well as restructure the firms’ costs. The focus of their study is on IT firms which are in the public sector, as opposed to the private sector, and the research method was case studies with semi-structured interviews. They found that, with the firms in the public sector, that the cost savings was the most important factor in the decision to outsource, and that the firms which did outsource found that there was also a quality advantage to doing so. This is because there is generally a larger pool of skilled workers to draw upon when a firm outsources. That said, there might be a disadvantage to firms which outsource due to industry perception of these firms. Oh et al. (2006) studied this factor. They found that, with regards to investors, one half of the investors in IT firms responded negatively t o announcements that the IT firm would be outsourcing, and one half of the firms reacted positively. The positive reactions came when the level of transactional risk for the firm was low, and the opposite when the level of transactional risk was high. The key drivers for negative reactions were â€Å"the relative size of the contract, the inability to monitor the vendor’s performance, the asset specificity of the IT outsourced resources, and the relative size of the vendor† (Oh et al., 2006, p. 299). Lee et al. (2000) further studied information systems (IS) outsourcing. They identified five research issues with regards to this. The first was why firms used outsourcing for acquisition. In particular, a firm must decide whether to make or buy developed technology. The next issue is the motivation for outsourcing. Lee et al. (2000) notes that there are inherent advantages and disadvantages to outsourcing. The advantages include cost reduction and quality enhancement. The disadvantages include loss of control, loss of qualified personnel and loss of flexibility. The third

IT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

IT - Essay Example The reliability and validity of data and information therefore, become critical ingredients for correct evaluation of the processes or situations if they are to serve as important facilitators to organizational success. Data quality and data integration are different aspect of same coin which are intrinsically linked to the relative accuracy of outcome. Quality and validity of data is extremely important as it assures the reliability within the data, judicious manipulation of which can lead to desired outcome. Data integration, on the other hand is just efficient collation of the same, irrespective of the fact that data is reliable or not. Thus, in the broader framework of effective information management, assurance of data becomes a critical aspect of effective information system. With assured data that is reliable and valid, information retrieved would provide wide ranging knowledge about the existing and emerging paradigms of the business world which may have considerable impact o n the organizational performance outcomes. Data, information and knowledge are the three main facets of the informed choices which are effectively linked to the organizational goals and objectives. ... In short, collation or integration of data provides specific information regarding issues and areas of importance to organizational processes. Interestingly, knowledge becomes the most important part of organizational functioning. It can be described as the thoughts, opinion, observation or ideas which are applied in one’s daily life. They are manipulated to suit one’s needs and requirements in myriad ways. In organizational context, it provides the working population with expertise to exploit the given information for optimal performance outcome. Thus, diversity in the area of knowledge becomes the most important aspect of it and whether one wants it or not, it has become personal choice for one to imbibe, cultivate, facilitate, use, misuse and so on. The precepts and concepts of knowledge, have therefore, become significant tools for not only expanding the scope of utilization of the existing resources but they have become important to understand the changing dynamics of business environment. The main reason that data quality and data integration are important is primarily because they help in storing and manipulating strategic business information that are designed to improve the overall business prospects. In technological term, information system is developed by creating database of various spheres of the business including administration, management, productions, accounts and other areas which are intrinsically linked to produce the desired outcome of efficiency, quality and profits. The access to information facilitates efficient and knowledge based decisions by the managerial leadership and team. At the same time, it serves as a great tool for the management to exploit the available

The Beauty and Complexity of Minimalism Essay Example for Free

The Beauty and Complexity of Minimalism Essay Today’s modern world is often complex, colorful, noisy and fast-paced. When I am engaged in art, I frequently look for works that allow me to escape from my hectic lifestyle. Clean lines and use of space appeal to my senses and calm me. Sometimes, what is not stated says more than what is stated. I have learned from my study of Japanese art history this semester that simplicity seems to be a common theme in many of the artworks produced throughout Japan’s rich history. Of course, this is not always the case; there are plenty of works that are colorful and loud. Use of color, in fact, seems to be an appreciated value in much of the art I have seen. However, there seems to a simplistic nature in even the most complex of Japanese artwork. This minimalism appears to be an appreciated Japanese aesthetic. Two works of Japanese art stood out to me this semester, precisely for their minimalistic nature: Pine Trees by Hasegawa Tohaku from the late 16th century Momoyama period, and a Shoki-Imari sake bottle from the 17th century Edo period. While there are many differences between these two works, they appear to complement each other. Each of these works has a rich history behind its creation and they both convey a sense of complex simplicity. Before diving into the two works of art presented in this essay, a brief overview of the periods that spawned these artworks is necessary; specifically the relationship of the Momoyama and Edo periods with painting and ceramics, respectively. 1. Momoyama Background Artistically, the Momoyama period (1568-1615) was the most important half-century period in the history of Japan (Swann 211). Momoyama means â€Å"Peach Blossom Hill,† and the period drew its name from the flowering peach trees, over-looked by the great Fushimi Castle, which was frequented by the local residents of the prefecture (Hickman 19). Hickman states, â€Å"[The term, Momoyama] seems appropriate†¦ for the vision of a brilliant cloud of evanescent peach blossoms serves well as an evocative visual metaphor for the period, a ‘golden age’ of short duration but memorable accomplishments,† (19). The period was fraught with intense warfare between clans, and the emperor remained powerless, but the Momoyama laid the foundation for a modern Japan that would experience over two hundred and fifty years of peace in the Edo period. Momoyama’s art was defined by color and movement that took the place of previously used monochrome and stillness (Swann 215). Artists suddenly felt free of restraint and were free to breath new life into old themes and form original interpretations (215). Color, gold and silver were frequently used in art. The Kano school style of painting gained prominence. Folding screens, covered in paper with bold paintings, became increasingly popular. â€Å"Perhaps [The Momoyama’s] most important product is among the most conspicuously decorative works ever produced†¦ a movable and flexible wall of dubious utilitarian value, but perhaps the most significant creation of the Japanese decorative style,† (qtd. Swann 216). The large area of the folding screen lent itself to broad, sweeping brushstrokes and immense designs. The Momoyama period attempted to bring nature into the household. 2. Hasegawa Tohaku Hasegawa Tohaku (1539-1610) was born in Nanao in the province of Noto (Tazawa 83). He was a painter of the Momoyama period who was able to paint in both Chinese and Japanese styles (Swann 219). Before he took the name Tohaku, he went by the name Shinshun and mainly produced portraits and Buddhist paintings (Tazawa 83). Hasegawa Tohaku was highly skilled and studied the works of Sesshu, Shubun, Kanga, the Kano school and Song and Yuan Chinese dynasty painters (83). Much of his work represented the style of the Momoyama period – flowering trees, flowers, and bright colors. However, his most famous paintings, like Pine Trees differ greatly from the typical Momoyama style (Seiroku 107). . Edo Background The Edo period (1615-1868) is distinguished by the long rule of the Tokugawa clan and an era of political stability. The period is called Edo since the capital was moved from Kyoto to the small village of Edo, which later became Tokyo. Two important developments influenced the subsequent artistic developments of the Edo period. First, in the Edo period Japan beca me completely isolated from the rest of the world by closing its borders to foreigners (with a small exception to some Dutch and Chinese near Nagasaki) and prohibiting foreign travel (Swann 239). Since the Chinese had historically influenced the Japanese, artists were now able to move towards the rejection and free adaptation of Chinese influences (Watson 260). The closed borders also removed the Western and Christian influences which had been slowly filtering in through the Dutch. As feudalism declined in the West in favor of the creation of parliamentary systems, Japan feverishly worked to pursue, â€Å"pleasure and extravagance which is most vividly reflected in the arts,† (Swann 240). The pursuit of the arts gave way to the second major Edo development the rise of the merchant class, which affected the artistic patronage and ushered in the Edo artists. New patrons allowed art to flourish in the Edo period. The new city of Edo helped create this new class of merchants that were able to supply not only the samurai, but themselves as well. This opened new and wider markets for the creations of artists and craftsmen (Swann 243). 4. Shoki-Imari ware One of the greatest influences to Japanese ceramics was Hideyoshi Toyotomi’s invasion of Korea at the end of the Momoyama period (Watson 260). The Japanese still wanted to produce ceramics that represented the greater Asiatic cultures, so the returning Japanese armies brought back Korean potters (Sanders 44). This led to a tremendous advance in ceramics of the early 17th century, allowing for the proliferation of porcelain (Watson 260). There were several innovations of porcelain throughout the Edo period, but for the purpose of this paper, only the Shoki-Imari ware will be discussed. Arita became a town in the Saga prefecture of Japan known for porcelain production after a discovery by a Korean potter in the early 17th century (Sanders 44). The earliest porcelains, called Shoki-Imari, were made out of a poor quality clay, with a high iron content (Watson 261). These Shoki-Imari were typically decorated with an underglaze of cobalt oxide, which had a bluish tinge. The decorations were often flowers or landscape of Korean influence (261). However, the Japanese still envied the enameled porcelain of the Chinese Ming Dynasty and finally by the mid 17th century the Arita potters learned how to use an overglaze to produce that effect. Both the underglaze and the overglaze porcelains were able to proliferate to Europe through the very limited trade with the Dutch. . Pine Trees and the Shiko Imari sake bottle The first thing one notices about Hasegawa Tohaku’s screen painting, Pine Trees, is that the entire painting is monochromatic and you can easily see how little of the canvas is used. There is more space than ink, or in terms of the environment, more mist than trees. This presents a sense of openness, almost an empti ness in the painting. According to Tazawa, â€Å"In no other work, perhaps, has the poetic quality inherent in Japanese style ink painting been so successfully realized,† (84). The same sort of feeling of Pine Trees is immediately seen in the Shoki-Imari sake bottle. The sake bottle is also monochromatic and the porcelain gleams all around the sparseness of the landscape presented. It has the same sort of emptiness as Pine Trees. This emptiness is interesting in the sake bottle because the use of the open space makes the bottle seem empty inside. Both pieces of art are similar in the sense that they present a landscape, which is a common Japanese aesthetic, especially of those time periods. The artist of the Shoki-Imari bottle is unknown, but it is clear that he was familiar with the environment he was painting. Both pieces of art make the viewer feel they are inside the painted scene, even if one piece is small and the other is large. Both works create environments that are simple and direct in their reference to an ageless Japanese reality (Seiroku 107). One element the sake bottle presents that Pine Trees does not is the bottle uses a man-made element it its scene; the sake bottle has a pagoda painted on it. This element causes the viewer to feel as if man had been inside the portrayed environment where Pine Trees does not. Pine Trees leaves the viewer feeling that no one had ever been inside the forest. The use of the mist helps enforce this feeling. It gives it a haunted, untouchable feel. The sake bottle landscape makes the artwork feel approachable. Another difference is that the techniques used in Pine Trees are distinctly Chinese. The techniques used in the creation of the Shoki-Imari Sake bottle were Korean. However, since the Japanese wanted to create ceramics in the manner of the Chinese, the underglaze was painted on in a Chinese style. This specific Shoki-Imari piece however, was not part of the first Shoki-Imari created, since it was formed sometime between 1650 and 1660 (Watson 267). It is in the style of the first porcelains exported by the Dutch, but was created later for the international market; Arita had already ceased production on poorer quality Shoki-Imari ceramics (267). Since the Japanese had already mastered overglaze technique by this time, this bottle was made purposefully with underglaze. The blue and white design was an aesthetic of the Chinese the Japanese were trying to master and created this vase to replicate earlier Chinese models (267). The painting styles of the two pieces of artwork are similar and different. In Hasegawa Tohaku’s Pine Trees, the ink was skillfully applied with â€Å"varying degrees of thickness to create the effect of pine trees partly hidden in mist, the work as a whole giving a strong sense of economy, vividness, and clarity of conception,† (Tazawa 84). Some of the ink of the trees is so dark that some individual branches are indistinguishable, yet they seem closer and more clear than those painted lightly. In some parts of the painting, there is nothing painted at all, but it is still clear that the forms of the trees are still there, even if only implied. For the most part, the use of hue in Pine Trees is not the same as the Shoki-Imari sake bottle. Some parts of the trees are painted darker than others, but only to give the individual trees added detail. There are some varying hues of the mountains and land in the bottle, but not in the same sense as Pine Trees. The mountains are not painted in detail either; they are only outlines, leaving the inside hollow. The lightest object on the entire bottle is, surprisingly, the man-made pagoda. The lightness of the pagoda assumingly expresses the Japanese respect for a nature. Each piece of artwork has something in common and something different in the way they portray the tree branches. In Pine Trees, Hasegawa Tohaku curves the branches, sloping toward the ground. But at the same time, there is a slight element of the Ma-Yuan Chinese influence on Japanese painting. The trees have a slight angular nature to them. It is not something that is noticed at a mere glance, but upon further study, you can see the implied angular nature of an older style of painting. He clearly studied the style and made it his own. The brushstrokes imply a hidden angularity in the forest. The Shoki-Imari sake bottle does not use any angularity, but it has another interesting element. The two trees in the foreground sit at an angle and curve with the roundness of the bottle. The mountains also protrude into the neck of the bottle. This method of following the lines and curves of the bottle makes the environment seem more real by conforming to the three dimensional object. Another element that the two pieces of art have in common is depth. The Shoki-Imari sake bottle certainly does not use a thickness in the brushstrokes to convey this. It conveys depth by the placement of the objects. The mountains are painted above the tree line with little overlap. A river flows from the base of the mountains to the middle of the bottle where the pagoda is located in the middle of the tree. The tree come up from the ground at an angle and curve to either side so that they have varying heights. The combination of each of these elements puts the trees in the foreground and the mountains in the background, with the pagoda and some vegetation in the middle. This creates a sense of depth, which was a newer element in Japanese art. Each of the brushstrokes on the bottle is deliberate and creates line for the eye to follow. Hasegawa Tohaku’s painting creates depth, if not more so than the bottle, but by using a different technique. The varying levels of ink he applied to the trees and the lack of ink used in the midst creates an intense depth. It is presumable that all of the trees are planted at the same relative level, but by having the darker trees at varying heights and painting the other trees at varying hues, he created an incredible amount of depth on a flat surface. He created a forest from a row of trees. 6. Conclusion The Shoki-Imari sake bottle and Hasegawa Tohaku’s Pine Trees are obviously very different pieces of art. Pine Trees is ink, black and white, large, on a folding screen and from the Momoyama period. The Shoki-Imari sake bottle is porcelain, underglazed, small, blue and white and from the Edo period. They were created roughly fifty years apart. However, they both express a minimalism that reflects an essence of Japanese aesthetic. Both pieces of art say more with what is understated. They are simple pieces; but the history behind these works and the processes involved are incredibly complex. I find both them both incredibly powerful, peaceful and refreshing.

Suicide :: essays research papers

Wrong and Even Scary Certain people believe that life is not valuable. Although they may not admit this as being true it is evident through their behavior. They admit it through behavior such as believing that it is acceptable to decide one others fate. To believe that it is satisfactory for one human being to decide if another human being should live or die is wrong and even scary. Doctors should not be legally able to assist terminally ill patients to commit suicide. The most precious gift that God has given human beings is the gift of life. Even with this being true people abuse this gift everyday. They abuse this gift in many ways. One way is by attempting to play the role of God. People who assist in deciding one others fate also believe that they are God. This may sound strange but it 100% true. Human beings who assist terminally ill patients to commit suicide believe that they are God. People who believe that it is justifiable for doctors to assist terminally ill patients comm it suicide believe that is acceptable for others to play the role of God. Both of these types of Lee, 2 people are equally wrong. Both of these people's beliefs are also disgusting. There is no way that any human being should be allowed to decide when another human beings time to die is. Terminally ill patients are not exactly thinking 100% correctly during their illness. Some are just not thinking at all. Being terminally ill would be a very dramatic period in anyone's life. So this being said when patient who knows that they are going to die asks another human being to aid them to commit suicide they are not thinking straight. They might believe in their own mind that this is what they want but in reality if they were thinking straight they would not want this at all. This can be proven as well. If one were to ask another when they were perfectly healthy if that they ever became terminally ill if they would like to commit suicide the answer would be no. But yet if that same person were to become terminally ill they might want the exact opposite.

Symmetrical and Asymmetrical Balance in Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man and Butterfield’s Verde

Since balance is a key design principle in art, it is important that the artist achieve it in one of two ways. A piece of art must be either symmetrical or asymmetrical to skeletal achieve balance and not create tension in the work. When a piece of art is symmetrical it is a mirror image. There are an equal number of items of equal size, colors, textures, and etc. Many times this is used in architecture to create a pleasing effect to the eye. Balance can also be attained through asymmetrical design.Equilibrium is still attainable through this technique. Asymmetrical means that several smaller items are balanced by a larger item, larger and smaller objects are arranged at different lengths away from the center, different textures are used, or brighter or darker colors contrasted by lighter or muted shades. The famous artist Leonardo Da Vinci, who lived in the fifteenth century, used the symmetrical technique in his famous drawing of the Vitruvian Man.In this drawing, it is mostly a mi rrored image of the man and his anatomy. This draws the viewer’s eye to the center of the page. However, there is a tiny portion of the work that is asymmetrical. There is slightly more color on one side that is balanced with both feet turning to the side with less color. Deborah Butterfield, a sculptor from the twentieth century to the present, used the asymmetrical technique for her sculpture of the horse, Verde.The back portion of the horse is bulky held on two skeletal legs while the front of the horse is opened and curvy with thin strips of metal for the neck and head. It parallels the way that a real horse would look and it is totally balanced. Works Cited Butterfield, D. (c. 1990). Verde. Da Vinci. L. (c. 1485). The Vitruvian Man. Skaalid, B. (1999). Classic Design Theory Principles of Design: Balance. Retrieved April 3, 2008 from http://www. usask. ca/education/coursework/skaalid/theory/cgdt/balance. htm

Introduction Floyd

Defines communication competence as communicating in means that are effective and appropriate in a given situation. Practitioners of competent communication can be observed to share several common characteristics. I will attempt to surface 4 of these characteristics, with specific references made to Mr. Ian Low, flogger of The Silver Chef. Self-Awareness Self-awareness is defined as the awareness of how an individual's behavior affects others (Floyd, 2010).An effective communicator must be aware of his individuality and behavior and how others may be affected by his behavior, more specifically, whether it fits within the situation as well as social setting. Emotional intelligence would therefore be key and would allow an Individual to better comprehend the social behaviors and emotions of others, and In turn, translate Into competent communication. The Silver Chef blob was started in 2010 whereas 2 of the blobs he listed in his post, started a year after that in 2011.Despite being a more established food flogger, he demonstrates self-awareness in his posts and refrains from harboring on this fact. If he had, readers may not find his opinions to be credible. Adaptability This trait is defined as one's ability to modify one's own behavior to better suit a changing situation. A competent communicator must be able to adapt to changes in social settings and modify his own behavior appropriately. With reference to the blob, Mr. Low had previously posted a Top 5 Singapore Food Blob when he first started out as a food flogger.However, after 3 years of blobbing and galling more experience within the food community, Mr. Low Is adaptable enough to make a similar post, demonstrating adaptability as a communicator. Cognitive Complexity Being able to understand a given situation in multiple ways defines cognitive complexity (Floyd, 2010). To better understand what Is occurring In a specific situation, It Is Important for an Individual to be aware of the different perspective s. This would prevent him from misjudging what is going on in the said situation, leading to inappropriate responses.In his post, Mr. Low highlighted several aspects of The Dirty Stall such as short descriptions, simple cooking and infrequent blob posts. It would be easy to misconceive these facts and describe â€Å"alkaline† as lazy but Mr. Low demonstrates s a flogger who priorities quality over quantity. Ethics Floyd (2010) defines ethics as a set of ideas that guides us in deciding what is right or wrong. Fair treatment of others and honest communication are examples of ethical communication but cultural plurality may complicate one's understanding of ethical communication due to cultural differences.In his blob, Mr. Low demonstrated this when he admitted to not having met flogger â€Å"alkaline† in person before and that â€Å"alkaline† does not blob as often. It would have been easy to omit these facts to lend more credibility to his post but instead, he c ited to mention this fact. 494 words Question 2 The communication process possesses several key characteristics that would define it as being dynamic in nature. Apart from being irreversible, multi-dimensional and inevitable, communication is also transactional.Transactional communication involves simultaneous initiation and interpretation of messages by communicators (Dobbin & Pace, 2006). When an individual initiates a message, the initiator will look for feedback from other communicators. The initiator will then adapt his messages to the changing situation. This implies that communication can be a continuously changing process and that people may modify their behavior and messages throughout the process.With reference to the article, â€Å"1 in 2 Singapore residents do not have a close friend from another race: survey', I will attempt to provide examples to show how messages are coded and decoded effectively, or otherwise, to help me better understand the news reported in the ar ticle. Encoding and decoding of messages In the process of communication, encoding and decoding are two processes that enable communicators to initiate and interpret messages (Dobbin & Pace, 2006).Encoding is further defined as the initiation and creation of messages that enables a communicator to translate feelings, ideas and thoughts into symbols. Decoding refers to the interpretation of messages by deciphering symbols into comprehensible and meaningful feelings, ideas and thoughts by communicators. Effective coding and decoding Ideally, when messages are interpreted in the way they were meant to be conveyed, coding and decoding leads to shared meaning by communicators. This results in successful communication as the symbols would be meaningful and recognizable byExample 1 (Effective coding of article) Within the article, sub-headlines such as â€Å"No inter-racial and religious tension in Singapore† effectively summarizes the following paragraph into an easy-to- comprehend sentence. Effective coding of the article such as this, contributes to the effective decoding of the article by readers. Example 2 (Effective coding and decoding of postings) User Karl commented â€Å"the Divide and Conquer tactics deployed sure works, isn't it? Who is behind all this thing? † in reply to a post by another user Suffering Singapore.In reply User Suffering Singapore posted I was having that in mind and wanted to add to my posting but I thought that I should hear from others posters who share the same thoughts YES the divisive policies in the name of ethnic integration have created the reverse effect. What do you think? † In this example, Karl had effectively encoded his opinion that a â€Å"Divide and Conquer† strategy had been implemented leading to the problem previously highlighted by Suffering Singapore. This was then effectively decoded by Suffering Singapore, leading to shared meaning of the topic they were both discussing.Ineffective coding and decoding When messages are ineffectively coded and/or decoded, this could lead to the miscommunication as messages are misinterpreted. Example 1 (Ineffective encoding of article) When decoding the article's headline, communicators might misinterpret the article as focusing on an existing racial divide in Singapore. In trying to sensationalist the article to boost readership, the writer may not have effectively encoded the actual content of the article, which highlights several positives found in the survey. A reader may Jump to conclusions, assume the worst and let his opinions and feelings known n a post.Example 2 (Ineffective decoding of article) The article features a survey carried out with Singapore Residents on the state of racial and religious harmony in Singapore and focuses on several indicators such as inter-racial tension, discrimination and openness to embracing diversity. Several users have misinterpreted this article and user â€Å"BRB† in particular, comme nted the article as being racist in nature. The user posted â€Å"Wow.. This article is Just racist.. Why will my bestrides need to be of community something we never really thought much of or cared!.. â€Å"

The Pocketbook Game essays

The Pocketbook Game essays In the short story "The Pocketbook Game" was about this black woman named Mildred ,who was carrying a conversation with her friend Marge about a situation involving Mrs.E...., a lady she works for. Mildred tells Marge how Mrs. E....always holds her pocketbook close to her every time she is around. So Mildred tells Marge how she got back at Mrs.E... One day Mrs E. told Mildred to do something so Mildred purposely left her purse behind and waited outside for a couple of minutes and then knocked on the door rapidly and yelled "I forgot my purse." She held it close to her just like Mrs.E... would always do. So mrs.E felt ashamed and tried to apologize, but Mildred interrupted her saying if she paid as less attention as Mrs.E.... did to her she would hold her pocketbook also. The theme of the passage was never judge a book by its cover. Mrs.E... assumed because Mildred was black that she would steal her belongings. This is a major problem in the American society today due to prejudging of blacks with felonies and crimes. This passage illustrated a common situation that happens to blacks on a regular basis. This theme teaches that people should not be judge on the basis of their color of their skin. Our law says innocent until proven guilty, yet blacks are always subjected to be tried as guilty until proven innocent. Alice Childress clarified through this passage a typical situation common to black people. ...

Border security issues (week 3) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Border security issues (week 3) - Essay Example Of course this shows that the Mexican public had little confidence with the police handling border security issues. In the midst of all these hardships, there is hope for radical transformation on the horizon, with the onset of a new government. Under the new leadership of the new President Enrique Peà ±a Nieto, perhaps there might be changes. During the Mexican Election campaigns Peà ±a Nieto ran for president on promises that he would end the drug wars and promote police reforms. Currently, it may be too early to determine whether the new administration is doing something to promote reforms in the Mexican police departments. This is because the Mexican public has lost faith in police the police in Mexico. It is no secret that the police force has committed so many atrocities and violated human rights. The expression that Rome was not created in one day plays a significant role in Mexico’s problems. For the new administration to change this trend there is more to do than just introducing police reforms. The operational policies and procedures in police departments need to change. The training and development of officers also needs to change into a system that encourages officers who are not corrupt (Adams, 2006). Increasing reward systems in the force may also aid in promoting the officers to deliver the right services. It will promote the general police force image from a brutal force to one that is professional and fair, thereby resulting to more respect from the Mexican

The American System of Criminal Justice - Death Penalty Should be Abol Research Paper

The American System of Criminal Justice - Death Penalty Should be Abolished - Research Paper Example According to this view, the death penalty has been proved, over and over again, as a flawed machine, riddled with errors, besmirched officials, and defective practices. As Jeffrey H. Reiman maintains, the death penalty, in principle, is a just punishment for murder, but it is an unjust penalty in practice, especially in the American context, where it is applied in arbitrary and discriminatory ways. Thus, he makes a strong argument maintaining that â€Å"it is good in principle to avoid the death penalty and bad in practice to impose it.† (Reiman, 1998, p. 68). Therefore, it becomes evident, in a profound analysis of the research evidence, that death penalty should be abolished, sooner or later, because it is morally unjustified and uncivilized practice of punishment today. This paper makes a reflective exploration of the topic in order to identify the major arguments in favour of the view that death penalty should be abolished. Why Death Penalty should be abolished The debate concerning whether or not the death penalty should be abolished has been a long one, and the idea of abolition of death penalty gained momentum across the globe over the last five decades. It is important to recognize that death penalty or Capital Punishment has been practised by almost all the societies of the world during the different stages of their history and it is still observed as the essential form of punishment in various societies across the globe today. Significantly, there have been varied opinions on the subject of Capital Punishment, some for it and others against it. Unquestionably, the question relating to the death penalty has become one of the most engaging issues of debate in the world in the present day, and the world is divided into two parts on the same question. Whereas the supporters of the death penalty argue that the practice of death penalty is essential to maintain decorum and to discourage future crimes, a stronger plea has been made by the critics of d eath penalty according to whom it is an infringement of the basic human rights. According to the supporters of the abolition of death penalty, it is a barbaric act of murder which is not morally, ethically, religiously, or democratically acceptable practice. Citing the declaration by the American Civil Liberties Union, Hugo Adam Bedau argues that â€Å"the death penalty inherently violates the constitutional ban against cruel and unusual punishment and the guarantee of due process of law and the equal protection of the laws. The imposition of the death penalty is inconsistent with fundamental values of our democratic system.† (Bedau, 1992). As Hugo Adam Bedau maintains, the death penalty should be realized as an excruciating refutation of civil liberties to the citizens of a state which does not have the right to kill human beings. Therefore, it is essential to â€Å"seek to prevent executions and to abolish capital punishment by litigation, legislation, commutation, or by t he weight of a renewed public outcry against this brutal and brutalizing institution.† (Bedau, 1992). In a reflective analysis of the arguments for the abolition of death penalty, it becomes lucid that several nations of the world, including Portugal and the United Kingdom, have outlawed the death penalty. The process of abolishing the death penalty around the world started as early as the mid-1800s, and the ethical dimensions of the question have been widely cited as the major reason for the abolition of death penalty.