Estimation of Demand for Supplementary Reading Material Among Students in Pune free essay sample

Estimation of Demand for Supplementary Reading Material among students in Pune Prepared For: Mr. S. V. Godbole Pune March 2007 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY To estimate the demand for supplementary reading material for students (Medical and MBA) in Pune. Time for the project i) Total time: July 2006 to February 2007 ii) Fieldwork time: 25 days (January 2007) Objective 1) To estimate the demand for supplementary reading material for the next one year among the students (Medical and MBA) in Pune city. 2) To find reasons for borrowing/sharing supplementary reading material. 3) To find areas of interest in readership. Operational Definitions ? Estimation of Demand: done by intention to buyer’s survey in the next one year. ? Supplementary Reading Material (SRM): is an addition to the curriculum. These include periodicals and journals in English both in print and digital format. ? Student: MBBS and MBA students. ? Borrowing: from the library and peers, seniors, etc. There is no money spent on the individual units. ? Sharing: among friends, where the person pays a part of the amount spent on purchasing the units. ? Areas of interest: The subject different from the specialization of the respondent. This subject should be in tandem with the definition of SRM. Exploratory Study The exploratory research was conducted using two methods: Case Study The case study was prepared by Book Marketing Limited (London) for Publishers Association in 2003. The research objective of the case study was to conduct a study of information sources and book buying behavior of students. The objective of studying the case study was to gain an insight on the sample size and characteristics, the research methodology selected and the theories implemented during the research. Focus Group Interview Number of focus group interviews: 1 The objective was to help in determining the sampling design and the locations for conducting the interviews. Research Design Questionnaire Design: Structured, undisguised Survey Method: Respondents were contacted in college premises. Sampling Design: Quota sampling The sample consisted of 138 respondents of which 48 were MBBS students and 90 were MBA students. Respondents are MBBS students (private and government colleges) and MBA students (first and second year). Findings MBBS Students Sample size: 48 No significant statistical difference in the intended demand to purchase SRM in the next one year between MBBS students of private and non-private colleges is observed. [Ref. Table 2. 2. 1. 1(3)] The total intended demand lies in Rs. 0 to Rs. 729 with 95% confidence. [Ref. Table 2. 2. 1. 1(3)]. There are 42% respondents who do not purchase SRM and claim cost effectiveness as the main reason for borrowing/sharing SRM. [Ref. Figure 2. 2. 1. 8]. There is no clear preference for any particular area of interest though Technological Advancements and Equipments lead with 25%. [Ref. Table 2. 2. 1. 9]. MBA Students Sample size: 90 Significant statistical difference in the intended demand of SRM in the next one year between MBA students of the first year and the second year is observed. [Ref Table 2. 2. 2. 1(3)] The total intended demand on SRM lies in the range Rs 0 to Rs 401. [Ref Table 2. 2. 2. 1(3)] There are 76% respondents who claim that cost effectiveness is the main reason for not purchasing. The next in order of importance are low frequency of reading and unavailability. One respondent may have recorded more than one reason. [Ref. Figure 2. 2. 2. 8] There is no clear area of preference for readership of SRM though Marketing and Finance lead the choice of preference. [Ref. Figure 2. 2. 2. 9] ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my special gratitude to Mr. S. V. Godbole, Professor of Applied Marketing Research, for his guidance and valuable insights. His in depth knowledge and teaching helped develop the right approach towards the subject. I am also thankful to the Director and faculty of the Symbiosis Institute of International Business for giving me an opportunity to estimate the demand for SRM among the MBBS and MBA students in Pune city. This presentation could not have been possible without the support of my batch mates. I am thankful to them for their cooperation. Date: 06/04/2007Aakanksha Gupta TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION7 1. 1Background7 1. 2Introduction7 1. 3 Objectives8 1. 4Operational Definitions and Scope8 1. 5 Research Design9 CHAPTER II FINDINGS15 2. 1 Findings from secondary data15 2. 2 Findings from Survey16 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION 1 Background The supplementary reading material market in India today is in a growth phase, with literacy levels and per capita incomes consistently increasing over the last ten years. A large part of SRM’s target audience comprises students, especially post graduate students. The results from the research conducted will help the manager in the following ways: 1. Pune has a large student population and the results of the research conducted here will help the manager ascertain his target market. 2. It will give the manager an idea about the sources from which students obtain SRMs. This will aid in distribution channel decisions. 3. The areas of interest will help the manager ascertain the content of the SRMs that he releases. 4. Most importantly, the current and intended demand, in terms of average expenditure on SRMs per year will aid the manager decide the size of the market for his product. 5. Pune is also a representative market that can be used as a benchmark for deciding marketing strategies in other markets. 2 Introduction The project has been undertaken as a part of academic curriculum under the subject Applied Marketing Research. The project has been completed under the guidance of Mr. S. V. Godbole, an M. B. A. from Punjab University and with wide experience in industry in the field of Marketing Research. He is presently a Marketing Consultant and is involved with teaching the subject to students of MBA course. He is a visiting faculty at SIIB. 1. 3 Objectives ? To estimate the demand for supplementary reading material for the next one year among the post-graduate students (Medical and MBA) in Pune city. ? To find reasons for borrowing/sharing the supplementary reading material. ? To find areas of interest for the readership. 4 Operational Definitions and Scope Operational Definitions ? Estimation of Demand: To form an approximate opinion of amount in INR for the desire for a particular commodity. The desire should be supported by purchasing power. Only the situation where the student is directly purchasing the reading material is considered. ? Supplementary Reading Material (SRM): Reading material that is an addition to the curriculum. The research considers periodicals and journals (print and CD format) in English that are used by the students as a source of extra information. ? Student: A person engaged in a higher course of study after completion of basic high school education (in case of M. B. B. S. ) and after completion of a basic graduation degree (in case of M. B. A. ). Pune City: Refers to the Pune Municipal District and PCMC. ? Borrowing: From the library and others like peers, seniors, etc. There is no money spent on the individual units. ? Sharing: Among friends, where the person pays a part of the amount spent on purchasing the units. ? Purchasing: Includes only the SRM that is bought by an individual for personal use. The individual, in this case, pays the entir e price of the unit. ? Areas of interest: The subject different from the specialization of the respondent. This subject should be in tandem with the definition of SRM. Scope ? Geographic scope: Pune city Time scope: 1 year ? Target respondents: M. B. B. S. students and postgraduate students of Business Administration Full-time students Based within the specified geographic area ? Product scope: Periodicals and journals in English language 1. 5 Research Design [P1. 5. 1] The research was conducted in a structured, undisguised manner. [SP1. 5. 1. 1] The methodology undertaken was survey technique, with mall interviews. [P1. 5. 2] Exploratory Design [SP1. 5. 2. 1] Theories The following theories were studied before undertaking the research: 1) Buyer’s Intention Theory ) Chain Ratio Method of Demand Estimation 1) Survey of buyers’ intention A buyers’ intention survey indicates what buyers are likely to do under a given set of conditions. 2) Chain-ratio method of dem and estimation The theory uses the total market potential as the basis of forming the chain ratio. The total market potential is the maximum amount of sales that might be available to all the firms in an industry during a given period. The formula used is: Q= n x q x p Where; 1) Q = total market demand 2) n = number of buyers in the market ) q = quantity purchased by an average buyer per year 4) p = average price of a unit According to Kotler and Keller, the chain-ratio method involves multiplying the base number by several adjusting percentages. [SP1. 5. 2. 2] Case Study The case study was prepared by Book Marketing Limited (London) for Publishers Association in 2003. The research objective was to conduct a study of information sources and book buying behaviors of students. The objective was to investigate the following; 1. Information sources with reference to books owned, books borrowed and the internet 2. Book purchasing behavior with reference to new, second hand and recommended books. The investigation is done in terms of; a. Number of units purchased b. Value of units purchased 3. Use of Library 4. Access to Internet 5. Sources of books The case study comprised a single quantitative stage of research. It involved a target of 750 interviews across a representative sample of undergraduate students. Students were interviewed at a variety of universities. The interviews were conducted using two methods; by face-to-face interviews or by self-complete questionnaires. The salient features of the research were that it studied the: 1. Student finances 2. Information sources used a. Overall Usage levels b. Alternatives used c. Internet usage d. Ease of access to the internet 3. Usage of University Library in terms of frequency 4. Book Buying behavior in terms of: a. Overall incidence of purchase b. Numbers of books bought c. Values of purchases d. Reasons for non-purchase e. Extent of choice of recommended books f. Value for money g. Extent of use of individual books 5. Sources of books a. Sources used at all b. Extent of buying from different sources c. Online purchases The findings and implications of the above research were as follows: 1. Student market for books has remained very stable, despite the changes in course structure 2. Usage of electronic media/ the Internet in the future will go up gradually with removal of technological barriers. In the general consumer market for books, online bookstores have a struggle to take a major share of the market, as they are not perceived as offering significant price advantages. Also students cannot view them in advance SP1. 5. 2. 3] Focus Group A focus group interview was conducted on the first year students of MBA. The objective was to gain an insight into the sampling technique and locations for conducting the interviews. The questions assigned were: i) What sampling technique should be used – probabilistic or non probabilistic? ii) If probabilistic technique is selected then should it be stratified or non-stratified sampling? And if st ratified then how the strata should be defined? iii) What locations should be preferred while undertaking mall intercept interviews? [P1. 5. ] Data Collection Design The method used for data collection was survey method and personal interviews were conducted. The reason for conducting personal interviews was that probing and prompting was required while administering the questionnaire which was not possible in any other technique. The questions required memory aids as they were related to future intentions and past purchases. The interviews were mall intercept interviews, the advantage being that it is more efficient and appropriate when the respondents are on related places (libraries or college campus). Another alternative was to use telephone survey. It was rejected because the retention in an interview declines in a multiple choice questionnaire over a telephonic conversation. Mail interviewing was another option. It was rejected because of the low response rate. E-mail interviewing was also rejected on the premise that the response rate is low and validity of data may be compromised. [P1. 5. 4] Sampling Design The sampling universe comprises graduate students of Medicine and post graduate students of Business Administration in Pune city. The research follows quota sampling. The sample consists of 138 respondents of which 48 are MBBS students and 90 are MBA students. The findings cannot be generalized to the entire universe because the buyers’ intention theory was studied but not implemented in entirety. Hence reliability was not maintained. [P1. 5. 5] Fieldwork Design A meeting was arranged to instruct investigators about administering the questionnaire. Separate instruction sheets were provided to each investigator to facilitate the interviews. Prompt cards were provided to help the respondents in clarification of terms. The duration of the training was 5 hours. Respondent Error ? Inability Error Some respondents were unable to answer the intention questions as they were not sure about their specialization subjects in future. The error was minimized by providing prompts and assuring the respondents that the intention need not be final and binding. ? Unwillingness Error Some respondents were unwilling as they had classes and examinations the following day. The error was minimized by assuring the respondents that the interview would be simple and less time consuming. Investigator/Researcher oriented Error ? Recording Error Some investigators recorded the amount and units without converting the values for a 12 month period. The error has been minimized by rechecking with the particular investigator because investigator codes were provided and data could be confirmed. [P1. 5. 6] Analytical Design The data for respondents (MBBS students) has been tested using t-test. The data for respondents (MBA students) has been tested using z-test. [P1. 6] Limitations The research cannot be generalized to the entire universe because several theories like the buyers’ intention theory, the chain ratio theory were studied but not implemented in entirety. Hence reliability was not maintained. [P1. 7] Format of the report Chapter II FINDINGS : It comprises the findings and the analysis on data of Medicine and MBA students. It gives the estimation of demand among the Medicine and MBA students CHAPTER II FINDINGS 2. 1 Findings from secondary data [SP2. 1. 1]Theories The chain ratio method and buyer intention survey method were studied to obtain insights and understanding on the research design. The chain-ratio method involves multiplying the base number by several adjusting percentages. Using this method the following formula applied to the research: D= p x e Where; D = Demand for Periodicals and Journals p = Population e = Average Expenditure/Month Respondents were asked to give the estimated expenditure on SRM for the last three months. The total amount spent on purchases of SRM in the last one year was calculated by extrapolating this data to one year (multiplying by 4). The figure obtained has to be verified with the respondent and then recorded. Buyer’s intention theory facilitated the identification of alternative course of action. The research provides a gratis of reasons for opting for borrowing/sharing and areas of interest for the respondents. SP2. 1. 2] Case Study The case study was used to gain insight for developing an approach to the problem and define the objective more precisely. Demand is estimated in Rupees. It helped in formulating the sample design. The decision for locations for interview was also facilitated by the case study. [SP2. 1. 3] Focus Group The focus group helped to determine the sampling de sign and the locations for conducting the interviews. The sampling technique used was non probabilistic quota sampling. The proposed sample was 150 respondents in the ratio 1:2 for Medical and MBA respectively. The MBBS students consist of both private and non-private colleges and MBA students are classified according to year of study. The focus group specified locations to conduct the mall intercept interviews. The interviews were conducted in college libraries, canteens, cafes or any other location on campus where the students gathered. [SP2. 1. 4] Pre Test For the purpose of improving the questionnaire, a pre-test was conducted to test the questionnaire on a small sample of respondents. A sample of 9 respondents was taken, out of which 4 respondents were from MBBS and 5 from MBA. There were no problems identified during pretesting. All questions were understood by the respondents correctly and data was collected according to the requirements. 2. 2 Findings from Survey [P2. 2. 1] MBBS Students [SP2. 2. 1. 1] Sample Profile [P1]Acquaintance of readers with respondents The respondents belong to two separate samples as in the table, both of which are independent of each other i. e. the attributes of one sample have no bearing on those of another. The sample comprises 48 medical students of private and non-private (government) colleges of Pune. Out of these 26 students are from non-private college and 22 from private college. [Ref. Table 2. 2. 1. (1)] [T1] Table 2. 2. 1. 1 (1) Sample Profile of MBBS Students | |Type of College |Grand Total | | |Non-private |Private | | |Total |26 |22 |48 | [P2] Readership Pattern of SRM The inference derived is that 11 respondents or 23 percent read SRM and 37 respondents or 77 percent do not read SRMs. [Ref. Figure 2. 2. 1. 1 (2)] [F1] Figure 2. 2. 1. 1 (2) Readership Pattern of SR M n=48 [P3] Average of Total Intended Demand The intended demand (Rs. ) for purchase of SRM for next one year by MBBS students of private and non-private colleges is not statistically significant. t-test is applied as the sample size for each classification is less than 30 and the two samples are independent. [Ref. Table 2. 2. 1. 1(3)] For further analysis the two samples are merged and medical students are considered as one single sample. The details of hypothesis formulation and the calculation have been attached in Annexure C. The average total intended demand ranges between Rs. 0 and Rs. 729 with 95% confidence. [T2] Table 2. 2. 1. (3) Average of Total Intended Demand n=48 | |Average Demand |Range | |Total Intended Demand of Purchases (Rs. ) |502 | | | | |0-729 | [SP2. 2. 1. 2] Estimation of Overall Average Demand of SRM (Current Intended) The total average demand (Rs. ) of MBBS students for purchase of SRM for the current year is Rs. 325 and that intended for the next one year is Rs. 502. [Ref. Table 2. 2. 1. 2] [T3] Ta ble 2. . 1. 2 Estimation of Overall Average Demand of SRM (Current Intended) n=48 |Nature of Demand |Average Demand (Rs. ) | |Current Year |X1 = 325 | |Next One Year |X2 = 502 | [SP2. 2. 1. 3] Current Demand of Print SRM The overall average current demand of MBBS students for print SRM is Rs. 75, within the range of Rs. 8 to Rs. 142. The average current demand for subscription in print media for SRM is Rs. 31, within the range of Rs. 0 to Rs. 78. The average current demand for off the shelf purchase in print media for SRM is Rs. 44, within the range of Rs. 2 to Rs. 86. [Ref. Table 2. 2. 1. 3] [T4] Table 2. 2. 1. 3 Current Demand of Print SRM n=11 | |Average Demand (Rs. ) |Range (Rs. ) | | Print Overall |75 |8 -142 | |Print Subscription |31 |0-78 | |Print OTS |44 |2-86 | [SP2. 2. 1. 4] Current Demand of CD format SRM The overall average current demand of MBBS students for CD format SRM is Rs. 250, within the range of Rs. 0 to Rs. 633. There is no current demand for subscription in CD format for SRM. The average current demand for off the shelf purchase in CD format for SRM is Rs. 250, within the range of Rs. 0 to Rs. 633. [Ref. Table 2. 2. 1. 4] [T5] Table 2. 2. 1. 4 Current Demand of CD format SRM n=11 | |Average Demand (Rs. ) |Range (Rs. ) | |CD Overall |250 |0-633 | |CD Subscription |0 0 | |CD OTS |250 |0-633 | [SP2. 2. 1. 5] Estimation of intended demand for print The overall average intended demand of MBBS students for print SRM is Rs. 231, within the range of Rs. 102 to Rs. 361. The average intended demand for subscription in print media for SRM is Rs. 164, within the range of Rs. 43 to Rs. 284. The average intended demand for off the shelf purchase in print media for SRM is Rs. 68, within the range of Rs. 3 to Rs. 132. [Ref. Table 2. 2. 1. 5] [T6] Table 2. 2. 1. 5 Intended Demand of Print SRM n=11 |Average Demand (Rs. ) |Range (Rs. ) | |Print Overall |231 |102 -361 | |Print Subscription |164 |43-284 | |Print OTS |68 |3-132 | [SP2. 2. 1. 6] Estimation of intended demand for CD format The overall average intended demand of MBBS students for CD format SRM is Rs. 271, within the range of Rs. 0 to Rs. 695. There is no average intended demand for subscription in CD format for SRM. The average intended demand for off the shelf purchase in CD format for SRM is Rs. 271, within the range of Rs. 0 to Rs. 695. [Ref. Table 2. 2. 1. 6] [T7] Table 2. 2. 1. 6 Intended Demand of CD format SRM n=11 | |Average Demand (Rs. ) |Range (Rs. ) | |CD Overall |271 |0-695 | |CD Subscription |0 |0 | |CD OTS |271 |0-695 | [SP2. 2. 1. ] Estimation of sources of accessing SRM The inference derived is that out of 11 respondents who read SRM 6 both purchase and borrow/share SRM. [Ref. Figure 2. 2. 1. 7] [F2] Figure 2. 2. 1. 7 Estimation of sources of accessing SRM n=11 [SP2. 2. 1. 8] Estimation of reasons for borrowing/sharing SRM and not purchasing The inference derived is that out of 10 respondents who borrow/share and/or purchase SRM, 42% claim that cost effectiveness is the main reason for not purchasing. The next in order of importance are low frequency of reading and unavailability. One respondent may have recorded more than one reason. Ref. Figure 2. 2. 1. 8] [F3] Figure 2. 2. 1. 8 Estimation of reasons for borrowing/sharing SRM and not purchasing n=10 [SP2. 2. 1. 9] Estimation of Areas of Interest There is no clear area of preference for readership of SRM though Technological Advancements and Equipments lead the choice of preference. [Ref. Figure 2. 2. 1. 9] [F4] Figure 2. 2. 1. 9 Estimation of Areas of Interest n=48 [pic] [P2. 2. 2] MBA Students [SP2. 2. 2. 1] Sample Profile [P1]Acquaintance of readers with respondents The respondents belong to two separate samples as in the table, both of which are independent of each other i. . the attributes of one sample have no bearing on those of another. The sample comprises 90 management students of colleges of Pune. Out of these 54 students are from first year and 36 from second year. [Ref. Table 2. 2. 2. 1(1)] [T8] Table 2. 2. 2. 1 (1) Sample Profile of MBA Students | |Year of Study |Grand Total | | |First Year |Second Year | | |Total |54 |36 |90 | P2] Readership pattern of SRM The inference derived is that 87 re spondents read SRM. [Ref. Figure 2. 2. 2. 1 (2)] [F5] Figure 2. 2. 2. 1 (2) Readership pattern of SRM n=90 [pic]` [P3] Intended demand (Rs. ) of SRM for next one year by students of first and second year. The intended demand (Rs. ) for purchase of SRM for next one year by MBA students of first and second years is statistically significant. A z-test is applied as the sample size for each classification is greater than 30 and the two samples are independent. [Ref. Table 2. 2. 1. (3)] For further analysis the two samples are considered separately. The details of hypothesis formulation and the calculation have been attached in Annexure D. The average total intended demand ranges between Rs. 64 and Rs. 258 for the first year MBA students with 95% confidence. The average total intended demand ranges between Rs. 27 and Rs. 167 for the second year MBA students with 95% confidence. [T9] Table 2. 2. 2. 1 (3) Intended demand of SRM for next one year by students of first year and second year = 90 |Year of study |First Year |Second Year | |Average of Total Intended Demand of Purchases (Rs) |X1 = 374 | | | | |X2 = 1116 | |Range |64-258 |27-167 | |Number of Respondents |n1 = 54 |n2 = 36 | SP2. 2. 2. 2] Estimation of Overall Average Demand of SRM (Current Intended) The total average demand (Rs. ) of MBA students for SRM for the current year is Rs. 161 for the first year students and Rs. 97 for the second year students. Intended for the next one year is Rs. 170 for the first year students and Rs. 713 for the second year students. [Ref. Table 2. 2. 2. 2)] [T10] Table 2. 2. 2. 2 Estimation of Overall Average Demand of SRM (Current Intended) n=90 |Â   |Average Demand (Rs. | | |First Year |Second Year | |Current Period |161 |97 | |In the next one Year |170 |713 | [SP2. 2. 2. 3] Current Demand of Print SRM The overall average current demand of MBA first year students for print SRM is Rs. 344, within the range of Rs. 219 to Rs. 470. The average current demand for subscription in print media for SRM is Rs. 164, within the range of Rs. 64 to Rs. 263 in this group. The average current demand for off-the-shelf purchase in print media for SRM is Rs. 81, within the range of Rs. 30 to Rs. 240 (95 percent confidence used for all estimations). The overall average current demand of MBA second year students for print SRM is Rs. 586, within the range of Rs. 380 to Rs. 792. The average current demand for subscription in print media for SRM is Rs. 109, within the range of Rs. 34 to Rs. 184 in this group. The average current demand for off-the-shelf purchase in print media for SRM is Rs. 483, within the range of Rs. 85 to Rs. 653 (95 percent confidence used for all estimations). [Ref. Table 2. 2. 2. 3] [T11] Table 2. 2. 2. 3 Current Demand of Print SRM =87 |Â   |Average Demand (Rs. ) |Range (Rs. ) | | |First Year |Second Year |First Year |Second Year | | Print Overall |344 |586 |219 470 |380-792 | |Print Subscription |164 |109 |64 263 |34 – 184 | |Print OTS | 181 |483 |30 240 |85 – 653 | SP2. 2. 2. 4] Current Demand of CD format SRM The research shows that there is no current demand for CD format SRMs among the MBA students in Pune. [SP2. 2. 2. 5] Estimation of intended demand for print The overall average intended demand of MBA first year students for print SRM is Rs. 285, within the range of Rs. 200 to Rs. 370. The average intended demand for subscription in print media for SRM is Rs. 161, within the range of Rs. 105 to Rs. 218 in this group. The average intended demand for off-the-shelf purchase in print media for SRM is Rs. 126, within the range of Rs. 9 to Rs. 173 (95 percent confidence used for all estimations). The overall average intended demand of MBA second year students for print SRM is Rs. 1181, within the range of Rs. 683 to Rs. 1680. The average current demand for subscription in print media for SRM is Rs. 755, within the range of Rs. 297 to Rs. 1213 in this group. The average current demand for off-the-shelf purcha se in print media for SRM is Rs. 426, within the range of Rs. 262 to Rs. 590 (95 percent confidence used for all estimations). [Ref. Table 2. 2. 2. 5] [T12] Table 2. 2. 2. 5 Intended Demand of Print SRM n=87 Â   |Average Demand (Rs. ) |Range (Rs. ) | | |First Year |Second Year |First Year |Second Year | | Print Overall |285 |1181 |200-370 |683-1680 | |Print Subscription |161 |755 |105-218 |297-1213 | |Print OTS |126 |426 |79-173 |262-590 | [SP2. . 2. 6] Estimation of intended demand for CD format The research shows that there is no intended demand for CD format SRMs among the MBA students in Pune. [SP2. 2. 2. 7] Estimation of sources of accessing SRM The data shows that out of 87 respondents who read SRM 67 both borrow and share SRM. Further, 9 respondents both purchase and borrow/share SRMs [Ref. Figure 2. 2. 2. 7] [F6] Figure 2. 2. 2. 7 Estimation of sources of accessing SRM n=87[pic] [SP2. 2. 2. 8] Estimation of reasons for borrowing/sharing SRM and not purchasing The inference derived is that out of 68 respondents who borrow/share and/or urchase SRM, 76% claim that cost effectiveness is the main reason for not purchasing. The next in order of importance are low frequency of reading and unavailability. One respondent may have recorded more than one reason. [Ref. Figure 2. 2. 2. 8] [F7] Figure 2. 2. 2. 8 Estimation of reasons for borrowing/sharing SRM and not purchasing n=68 [SP2. 2. 2. 9] Estimation of Areas of Interest There is no clear area of preference for readership of SRM though Marketing and Finance lead the choice of preference. Ref. Figure 2. 2. 2. 9] [F8] Figure 2. 2. 2. 9 Estimation of Areas of Interest n=87 [pic] Readers Non Readers PURCHASING BORROWING/SHARING PURCHASE BORROW/SHARE SRM Cost Effective Low Frequency of Reading Unavailability 3 3 3 1 0 9 12 12 5 10 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 Pharmacology Technological Advancements Biotech Equipments Others Non-Readers Readers 35 8 7 8 3 6 1 Cost Effective Low Frequency of Reading Unavailability 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 Marketing Finance HR Others First year Second year

Auburn GPA Calculator Essay Example

Auburn GPA Calculator Paper Auburn GPA calculator helps to count the average grade of a person trying to pick the higher educational institutions, which will enable them to get an education and built their future career. If you have decided to become a student if Auburn University, you will need to use Auburn University GPA calculator.   The Auburn University is one of the largest universities in the South of the USA. It occupies the place in the rating of 50 best American state universities. The proud of Auburn University is that students graduating from this higher educational institution become scientists and astronauts for NASA. The institution offers a variety of faculties. Here you can study the natural sciences, humanitarian sciences, and politics. Auburn University has developed a unique program that allows students to enter the first year and acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to continue their studies at the American University.   The University provides students with many options for self -expression and self-development. There are about 300 organizations and clubs established. Regular concerts, cultural events, festivals, art and photo exhibitions, sports competitions and much more are held. Traditionally, the university has its own sports team Auburn Tigers. Auburn University GPA calculator GPA calculator Auburn is an app that is usually used by all potential students of the institution. To estimate the chances to become a member of the University, one needs to count all the results and achievements of different subjects and single out the average grade. GPA is a compulsory requirement. The admission committee demands this number from every person having a desire to occupy the place at the University. As is often the case one needs to calculate the number by himself. To make the life of a potential student easier, on the official page of the Auburn University a program was developed that helps to calculate the GPA. Auburn University GPA Calculator is a handy instrument allowing users to plan their future. A user has a chance to evaluate his opportunities. It is possible to compare the â€Å"what if† GPA with the rating of the last year and single out whether there will be a chance to enter the higher educational institution of a dream. It is better to calculate the â€Å"what if† GPA before the entering campaign to be able to change the marks for the better until the end of studies. Cumulative GPA calculator Auburn We will write a custom essay sample on Auburn GPA Calculator specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Auburn GPA Calculator specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Auburn GPA Calculator specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Cumulative GPA calculator Auburn allows calculating the average point of the students immediately. To receive a result, one needs to enter the official Auburn University page and fill in the necessary fields. Your task is to insert the name, of course, credit hours and â€Å"what if† grades. The program will calculate your GPA within a second, and you will have the result to compare with the previous year numbers and rating. Try to make the calculations when you still have time to change the marks for the better. It concerns students, whose scores are average or lower than average. They have to make an effort and receive A’s and B’s to be able to correspond to the level of knowledge allowing to get the place at the University of their dream. Make sure to consult the admission committee and ask about all the requirements to be able to prepare for entering campaign thoroughly.

Theodore Roethke essays

Theodore Roethke essays The 20th Century harbored a considerable multitude of good poetry and exceptional artists. Individual conventions varied greatly in style and state of expression. As the general reality of the times became more caustic, poetry and expression grew more unbridled. Denoted by the universal term, modern, all published creative output from the last 100 years was recognized as unadulterated and free. Though all 20th Century literature is gathered into the contemporary genre, it ranges in style and subject matter more than any other literature from past eras of world history. Theodore Roethke was an American growing up in the 1900s. He was born into an uncommonly affluent family. His father owned the largest greenhouse operation in Michigan. He passed his years very close to nature and sorrow. In his adolescent years, his father passed away under the painstaking strain of cancer. He did very well in college thereafter, graduating from the University of Michigan as magna cum laude. He studied law for a semester, quitting later to get a degree in teaching. He was a fervent, brilliant professor at the University of Lafayette, Michigan State, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Washington. He constantly nurtured his love for writing, leading to his first published volume of poetry entitled Open House (1941). This anthology launched his career as a respected artist; he would go on to publish many books of verse, leaving his life with The Far Field (1964). He careened through his short life span on bouts of depreciating mental health and de pression. The first object of poetry that will be analyzed herein is a short lyrical movement of the three-part poem called The Storm. It was published in The Collected Poems of Theodore Roethke, released publicly after his death in 1966. The first obvious item of recognition within its flowing verse is its vivid imagery. Roethke puts th...

THEORIES AND PRACTICE OF LEADERSHIP essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

THEORIES AND PRACTICE OF LEADERSHIP - Essay Example espite all considerations, leaders are also believed to be people with special innate characteristics that actually make them leaders, those who obtain certain personal qualities such as extraversion, intelligence, ability to interact with one’s followers. Moreover, leaders are good in sharing responsibility with others in order to enable each team member contribution to the construction of common goal by means of understanding the relationships. Therefore, leadership becomes the task that involves relation and interaction between the people involved into common business and which realize the companys objectives and the way how to reach them. In such relational role, leader is no more a single executor, but one becomes a co-creator of what the team, department or community wants to create. Besides, modern leader is not just a person who controls the performance of certain processes, however, one possesses a role of mentor and coach with the ability and skills to involve employ ees in the development of something, thus provides them advice, opens new developmental opportunities and possibilities for discussing and search of possible consensus. With the task role of cultivator, leaders work to ensure good business environment where people would be able to create and diversify ideas and decisions. It means that if a team has such a helper or facilitator of the process, the members would impose upon leader’s decisions and would try to participate in the dialogue providing partnership, giving creativity and discovering innovation (Pless & Maak, 2004). The following paper will investigate some of the leadership principles that can assist in the future performances; the relationship between the guiding principles of leadership will also be discovered. The role of leaders in not exaggerated in the modern business environment due to the multifacing that one should be. The ability to persuade others, make proper decisions in a tough conditions, knowing how to resolve

Distributive Justice in Physical Therapy Case Study

Distributive Justice in Physical Therapy - Case Study Example distributive justice can help us in solving the moral dilemma that Mary Smith finds herself in as she tries to decide on the candidate she would cancel for the day. As the supervisors of Mary, there are a number of factors I would take into consideration in deciding on which candidate should be cancelled for the day; for the sake of equity and justice, I would consider the following factors in making this important decision; the factors are in order of priority. To begin with, I would consider the urgency and the seriousness of the patients’ diagnosis. Justice and equity demands that, all other factors constant, the patient with the most urgent and serious diagnosis should be treated first. The second factor that I would put into consideration is the patient’s availability; the patients who would be available for treatment for the following day should give room to the patients who would not find time to come for treatment the following day. The third factor that I would put into consideration is the amount of money paid by each of the patients. Justice demands that each person should be given his/her due, for that reason, the pati ents who pay more for the same service rendered should be given the first priority, all the other factors remaining constant. The fourth factor that I would consider is the amount of time required to treat each of the patients; since time was the limiting factor in treating all of the patients, all other factors remaining constant, the patients who would take least time should be handled first. Guided by these four factors, I would proceed analyze each of the case so as to decide on the patient to be cancelled for the day. To begin with, the star athlete’s condition is not so serious and urgent; we are just told that the athlete needed screening; this fact shows that the athlete’s condition wasn’t so serious. We are, however, told that the athlete needed to be attended on time so as to go back to class because he had been

Media Giant Rupert Murdoch And His Empire Media Essay

Media Giant Rupert Murdoch And His Empire Media Essay As the new millennium dawned, global television tracked the rise of the sun across the world (Thussu, 2006, p. 1). The twenty-first century brought with it the opportunity for millions of people to be able to communicate internationally in different time zones (Thussu, 2006). In such a global village that we live in, competition plays a magnetic role for attracting media giants to be present across borders spreading like wild fire. An apparition now haunts the world: The birth of a mercantile media structure is globally dominated by a diminutive numeral of influential media giants, mostly U.S.-based transnational media corporations (TNMCs). This structure continuously strives to strengthen the foundation of the global market and works towards advancing commercial values, while negatively portrays journalism and culture. It is a disaster for anything but the most superficial notion of democracya democracy where, to paraphrase John Jays maxim, those who own the world ought to govern it. (McChesney, 1997). The development of this mercantile system is very recent. Previously in history i.e. 1980s, the structure was tilted towards national boundaries. Communication and media industries were locally regulated and owned while importing limited music, books, TV shows, and films for decades. The decade of the 1980s saw the worlds economy become more fully privatized. Current trends in privatization and free market economies have led to an international consolidation of media companies. The trend towards consolidation has begun to emerge worldwide (Gershon, 1997, p. 5).The pressure implanted by the IMF, World Bank, and U.S. government in the 1980s to deregulate and privatize media and communication systems which overlapped with the new digital and satellite technologies led to the consequences towards the growth of transnational media giants (McChesney, 1997). The Major US media giants which dominate numerous universal media and international media-related markets are Time Warner, Disney, News Corporation, Viacom, and NBC Universal among a few others. They are spread widely nationally and across national borders. All are based in the United States, the central nation, with broad semi peripheral and some peripheral market activities (McPhail, 2006). This paper will concentrate on the media giant Rupert Murdoch and his empire News Corporation, one of the main benefactors of privatization of infrastructure of global communication. It will briefly describe the history of the existence of the company whilst focusing on an analysis of the international expansion strategy that Murdoch adapted during his journey to acquire the world of media. While analysing different strategies; as well as geographic expansion, there will be an effort to decipher the relation of the tools of extension to the powerful existence of different theories which have played a vital role in the establishment of media structures. Historical Background of News Corporation Changes in technology have pushed the flow of transnational traffic in media products. This development has mainly benefitted media conglomerates like News Corporation which lead media content and delivery mechanism by owning numerous networks and production facilities. This commercial dominance has raised many concerns about cultural homogenization. However, an obvious effort has been noted towards regionalisation and localisation of content to match local and cultural precedence of viewers given the heterogeneity of the universal market (Thussu, 2007) The President and founder of the News Corporation Ltd, Keith Rupert Murdoch, is a legendary example of a tycoon from his era who contributed immensely in the 19th century towards the tradition of the great press barons (Gershon, 1997). Murdoch, in one of his speeches said that For better or for worse, our company (The News Corporation Ltd.) is a reflection of my thinking, my character, my values. Rupert Murdochs universal vision of a new communications atmosphere is made up of both a corporate strategy and a social vision. The companys existence can be traced to the year 1923, in Australia, when News limited was set up in Adelaide with the intention of circulating a daily newspaper. Rupert Murdochs father Sir Keith Murdoch invested in minority interest in News limited in the year of 1949. The company was then officially established in South Australia in 1979 (Gershon, 1997). News Corporation is an entertainment based transnational media company which diversifies within eight different media sectors including Newspapers, Book Publishing, Magazines and Inserts, Filmed Entertainment, Television, Direct Broadcast Satellite Television, Cable Network Programming and other. Geographically the activities of News Corporation are spread out primarily in the United Sates, the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, Australia, Asia and the Pacific Basin (News Corporation Press Releases, 2010). News Corporation is engaged in the United Kingdom, United States, Australia, and Ireland in the publishing business of magazines, newspapers through its variety of subsidiaries. The Company publishes English language books worldwide via its wholly owned subsidiary HarperCollins Publishers. Furthermore their subsidiaries allow them to be also involved in the enlargement, invention and allotment of network and television programming as well as broadcasting television stations. It also owns shares in BSkyB and V, and Sky Italia which are involved in the direct broadcast satellite (DBS) business. The company currently owns the entire FOX franchise of broadcast networks; as well FOX film studios responsible for many blockbusters (News Corporation Annual Report, 2007) The birth of free flow of information after World War II contributed majorly towards the liberation of media markets. This theory lead to the existence of modernization theory, it also played a vital role in the decision of privatization. Murdoch has strategized to make competent use of liberation of cross-media ownership widely in the USA and the British media markets. He also strategically entered the private satellite operators into the arena of telecommunications and broadcasting. News Corporation risked a large sum on investment by leasing time on new satellite ventures such as Astra and Asia Sat (Thussu, 2000), Murdoch has been able to create a truly international media corporation, at the heart of which is satellite television. (Thussu, 2000, p. 107) All parent companies and subsidiaries are united through a common owner Rupert Murdoch. Murdoch demonstrates an expansion strategy through vertical integration, which has played a vital role in its most crucial times. The company was one of early migratory conglomerates of vertical integration, this move helped News Corporation to utilize the profits through its content operation via their existence in numerous distribution sectors of the media value chain. This move has certainly been a tactical way to achieve authority and probably produce a profitable position in various media markets (Flew and Gilmour, 2003). Murdoch chose to adapt a borrow and buy philosophy that enabled him to debt leverage his way to the very top. Each successful acquisition would generate profitable results however that required greater patience. Foundations of News Corporation in Australia After his fathers death on his return to Australia in 1954 Murdoch instantly started to struggle to increase the circulation of his Adelaide newspaper. Despite the negative attitude of other publishers and the constant underrating by his opposition he dedicated all his efforts to the print business with a passion, and learned the techniques of every aspect of newspaper production. He published exciting news stories in an effective writing style, soon making returns to Murdochs small holdings. He strategically took risks by acquiring smaller newspapers that were not doing well and then turned them around (Tuccille, 2003) Murdoch in a few years of success bought his first television station in July 1959, in Adelaide, calling it Southern TV. He was an innovative young man who throughout was in search for new communication technologies continuously making an effort to amalgamate them into his existing businesses. Later in a year he took over the Daily Mirror in Sydney and its associated Sunday paper for $4 million; the paper soon enough was known to be notorious for exciting and bizarre headlines and articles about sex and mayhem. He took immediate action to change this image and established TheAustralian in the mid of1964, as a national newspaper in Canberra. This paper was a twist from the norm; it discussed social issues and government policies and rapidly acquired the respect of journalists. (Encyclopedia of Business, 2010) Expansion to Britain Murdochs past in the U.K., from his days in Oxford, had left in him bitterness for the English upper class; they had made him feel like an outsider, as if they regarded Australians as inferior being and he planned to strike back at them. He had planned to expand to Britain at the first opportunity. As evident, Murdoch has no set strategy to operate his business; however he expanded internationally through making strategic alliances in Britain which later he transformed into acquisitions. This is evident as he become a principle investor in 1969 for News of the World (a newspaper previously owned by the Carr family) while facing direct competition by Robert Maxwell, who had an infamous reputation in the news circle. Murdoch gradually became the sole proprietor for News of the World by manipulating complete control of the corporation (Tuccille, 2003) In the same year he had an opportunity to take over a dying newspaper at its true cost called the Sun formerly known as the Daily Herald, a predominantly left-wing newspaper. The unions at that time felt that Murdoch would have been a better choice to keep the newspaper viable and trade union jobs unharmed, as opposed to Maxwell who had also shown interest in buying the newspaper. Murdoch revamped the newspaper into a tabloid which was greatly criticized by many of the British newspaper establishments. However Murdochs rebellious nature ignored the criticism and planned to assemble a team of reporters and promotion experts including many from Australia. By the 1970s the Sun had become Britains most popular publication with an increase in circulation to 1.7 million, which at present is replaced by 4 million. News Corporation has grown beyond its newspapers origin as it continues to be the largest newspaper producer in the world. In addition News Corporation owns many different British newspapers including the prestigious, The Times, New of the World, and The Sunday Times (Gershon, 1997). Murdoch uses cross-media ownership and synergies as another strategy, resulting in him being able to promote his ventures across, virtually, all media segments. There is an expectation by News Corporation for major synergies to be created between U.S. satellite operations and its global business. These synergies are part technology-related, for example by sharing security software or electronic programme guides, and part content related, as for the example the combined bidding for global sports rights. The power of cross-platform synergies is most evident in association to motion picture studios and television/cable platforms and networks. This is the vicinity where synergistic potential of power in relation to media supply chain are mainly noticeable (Gunther, 2003). Furthermore, Murdochs launch of Sky Digital in 1989, a four channel satellite television service, was afterwards merged with a competitor named British Satellite Broadcasting to form British Sky Broadcasting, in 1990. The merger instantly became a success with its multi-channel subscription service which was positioned to dominate interactive digital television (Forreste, 2010). BSkyB provides a wide portfolio of genres of television programming like entertainment, news, sports etc. in order to cater to a wide variety of target audience. Sky News and Sports have seen trends of consistent growth and viewership (McPhail, 2006). Moreover, BSkyB is now Europes most profitable broadcaster with 40% holding of U.K. news corporations; though at one point it led New Corporation towards bankruptcy due to a week global economy and lack of cash flow (Guardian, 2010) Murdochs media power supported Margret Thatcher with her struggle to liberalize regulation on cross media ownership. The victory of the British labour party in the 1997 election supported by the Sun lead to the Murdochization of the media, which transformed the media background in the U.K. and other countries. Since then, entertainment and infotainment have emphasised at the price of the public service function of the media (Thussu, 2006). Expansion to Europe Having established a base in the U.K., Murdoch expanded his business into Continental Europe by establishing partnerships in Germany and Italy. News Corporation penetrated the satellite television industry in 1983. It possessed many assets in Satellite Television PLC (SATV), which during the 1980s was set up to supply to Northern European audience. After two years alongside the scrutiny of the BBC, SATV, renamed Sky Channel and consisted approximately, of three million subscribers in 11 European countries. Murdoch was not encouraged in further increasing his acquisitions as he had already forged a union with, French television giant Canal Plus to create paid-television-services across Europe. Having only conquered 6% of Western Europe, few homes had cable television; the market for pay-TV was unreached (Fiero, 2002). Now News Corporations central business policy is to use soccer as a fuel to powered satellite dish sales across Europe. Murdoch is using sports programming to enter new markets; he has acquired premium sports rights for his network and is using an identical content approach that he pursued with BSkyB (News Corporation Annual Report, 2007). Expansion to the U.S.A. Murdochs journey to enter the U.S. market began in 1976 when he acquired the New York Post. Following this, in September 1985 Murdoch decided to become an American citizen in order to satisfy the legal requirements of the U.S. markets that only a U.S. citizen was permitted to own assets in the U.S. television industry. Later that year News Corporation entered the U.S. media market, by purchasing Metromedias seven television stations amounted at $2 billion. Murdoch not only took over these seven stations but also gained their market rank and their competitive position. This purchase resulted News Corporation to build the foundation of Fox television network. In 1986, News Corporation purchased 20th Century Fox for $1.55 billion (Fiero, 2002) From Murdochs early stages of business acquisitions recognized the significance of vertical integration as a strategy for launching a new business. In the two years Murdoch was guaranteed to create a stable source of programming and readymade distribution channels. The Fox Television Network was launched in April 1987 with 108 affiliates. Fox network opted for a highly differentiated strategy in comparison to the other U.S. networks. They plan to aim their programming towards a younger and urban audience. Fox introduced three distinguishing programming formats, reality based, counter culture and tabloid television (Albarran, Chan-Olmsted, O. Wirt, 2006) In the early years of development Murdoch faced heavy financial losses, however in a few years the network was able to reach 91% of United States through an amalgamation of VHF and low powered UHF stations. The network also transformed its programming from three nights a week to five nights. The financial recovery of these loses how Murdochs long term strategy in which he is prepared to suffer losses in the short run with the expectation of gaining long term returns in the future. Murdochs synergizing strategy helped him save Fox network in its initial years by cross investing from his other well to do companies (Gershon, 1997). Further to this Mr Murdoch and his management spend a good deal of time lobbying for support for proposed mergers and acquisitions and for favourable changes in the law such as those relating to media ownership and digital piracy in the USA. (Curwen, 1999) Other assets under News Corporation in the U.S. are the Weekly Standard, Hughes Electronics with a 34 % stake in the company and DIRECTV. Â  The vertically expansion acquisition of DirecTV is a fundamental piece representing Murdochs media empire, providing him with a lucrative distribution platform in the US, which can be used to offset the rising influence of large cable operators such as Comcast. There is a strong concern that News Corporation might not be able to advantage from its economies of scale and from efficient allocation of resources as of its vertical structure due to variations in strategies with DirecTV. Joint ventures with DirecTV are necessary for absolute vertical integration which allows News Corporation to adapt to an incomplete vertical structure. It may be added that Mr Murdochs position is so dominant that there is a niggling fear that he could yet put recent advances at risk, although he has recently made clear that the immediate strategy is to absorb and im prove DIRECTV rather than make further acquisitions. (Curwen, 1999). In 2005 News Corporation bought inter-mix media which holds myspace.com and many other famous social networking websites. In 2007 News Corporation attained Dow Jones, the publishers of the famous Wall Street Journal for $ 5.6 billion (News Corporation Annual Report, 2007) One of Murdochs moves has lead to a shift in the Australian market as he announced to move the head quarters from his native land to the U.S. This has created uproars and criticism by many, however the U.S. government subsided this protest by announcing that this move was in the best interest of the U.S. market (Shah, 2004). Expansion to the Asian Markets News Corporation further expanded to the Asian media market in the mid 1990s by investing in a joint venture with Phoenix TV and Star TV. Star TV then acquired Hutchvision Hong Kong Ltd; the very first satellite television licence in 1998. Very soon Star TV in China realised that Pan Asian broadcasting was not a practical strategy to adopt for Asian markets. Hence, it divided the media services into northern and southern i.e. China and India, respectively, as their main target. The flourishing Zee TV which is a joint venture of Star TV in India broadcasted in their native language Hindi further emphasised for Star TV to go local. Therefore Star TV continuously was on a quest to seek joint venture prospects in the district (Chalaby, 2005) News Corporation has used an array of strategies to consolidate its position in Asia, potentially the worlds biggest television market.(Thussu, 2000, p. 112). STAR TV network was set up to cater Asian audiences to global corporations and promoters. The enhancement of technology in satellites and dishes as well as the rapid expansion of liberalization and government deregulation certifies a concrete broadcasting future in Asia. STAR TV aims to stay in Asia on the very top of Satellite broadcasting. To capitalize on viewership Star TV is moving towards local language fare (McPhail, 2006) Star TV has assertively taken on the strategy of indigenisation in offering localized channels. This is truly an example of going glocal this strategy demonstrates how the global can include both the transnational and geo-culture by nominating the local to sustain the leading flow. Their localized channels include Star Chinese channel (for Taiwan), Star Japan, Star Plus and Star News for India, VIVIA cinema for the Philippines. ESPN Star Sports a joint venture of ESPN and Star to provide coverage of Pan Asian and international sports event is Asia. Murdochs Star Select are gradually localizing their content to cross into the gulf region. This Arabisation includes the use of subtitles for American programs and sensitising language as well as the depictions of sex and nudity (Thussu, 2006). In Asia News Corporation are faced with many burdens; political, economical, cultural and social. In order to eliminate these barriers to entry this works hand-in-hand with morality, democracy as well as with capitalism. This liberation of mechanisms for Asia is a result of communication, capitalism and democracy which create greater access, choice prosperity and social equality (Weber, 1995). Conclusion With News Corporation Murdoch has created an international empire of media, technology and sports franchise. His vast multimedia holdings have always been global in nature. With satellite system in Europe (BSkyB) Asia (Star TV) and North America (direct TV) Murdoch may be on his way to create a global media infrastructure (McPhail, 2006). There are three main strategies News Corporations business model is based on vertical control and horizontal networking, vicious quest of market expansion and the leveraging of community, and political elite opinion. In context of globalisation theory the company has been steadily occupied in structuring a foundation of geographically dispersed assets via mergers and acquisitions, direct foreign investment and strategic partnerships. This mechanism is interconnected, equally fundamental and established on the capability of Murdoch to build connection between media, political and economic system in the joint ventures of the corporations financial development (Arsenault and Castells, 2008) News Corporation consists of many various businesses within the umbrella of the company and therefore when examining the overall strategy of News Corporation, one needs to understand and scrutinize the various, individual, tactics that each sub-business applies in order to stay ahead of their competition in each respected industry. When examining Murdochs growth-tactics, in order to expand the News Corporation Empire, it would be adequate to state that he practices very aggressive strategies despite the industry divergences. In the print industry the company has adopted a cost-leadership strategy (van den Bosch, de Man, 1997), in order to monopolize the industry competition. When it comes to the television media, i.e. Fox, the company has spread in many directions, and their assets are vertically integrated to live up to the strategies of expansion in order to benefit from long-term returns. News Corporation has always been in quest to search power more than distribution, and the introduction of new digital technologies has created an opportunity to develop that type of power. The proceedings that help the continuous growth of News Corporation are the mature, non-digital distribution activities. Murdoch complies with a three-phase strategy in which profitable, high growth old businesses move the company ahead and please investors while mature parts of the company fund the growth areas of the future. (Turow, 2009). Diversification of News Corporation might create a possibility to enhance the position as more than one sector of the business is experiencing damaging changes. The major issue with that would be that Company would have to either adjust to an absolutely new business, or they would have to stick to what they know and hope they can keep ahead in the media market. Globally News Corporation thinks of itself more grandly than other media conglomerates. Like Disney another major media conglomerate, News Corporation necessitates for synergy among subsidiaries, global reach, and the use of new technologies. Unlike the other giants, News Corporation does not run on a business model of an official planning department. Criticism has been highlighted upon the way the company does not undertake acquisitions on the grounds of comprehending synergies with the core businesses, but mainly have the incentive of acquiring an asset on a lower price and selling it for a significant profit after it has been turned around. Due to which News Corporation lacks the connectivity to exploit synergies to its full capacity. The company is vastly spread out with very little connectivity. Murdochs strategic vision has always composed of expansion as the key factor. He has deserted his 1980s high-debt strategy, and has substituted it with more conservative management style. This allows him to be less dependent and exempts him from creating short-term shareholder value and rather focusing on long-term vision even if shareholders and financial markets would likely oppose such actions (Freedman, 1996). Murdochs strategies at times seemed risky and unsuitable and were against market norms but his commendable ability to handle the media industry, his fearless risk taking approach, joint with his exemplary familiarity of the media industries and his mystifying capability to sense the popular pulse, still lead to his extraordinary success (Thussu, 2000) Rupert Murdoch is a businessman. He has built News Corporations competitive advantage by continuing to maintain control of his joint ventures with other media giants and by leveraging his ability to influence audiences around the world in order to gain political favours. Authority in every system is attained on the foundation of safe entrant to the others. According to this point of view, Murdochs authority is not bound to a particular association with a political actor in a nation at any one point in time. What really matters is his control over multiple connecting points (Arsenault and Castells, 2008). Murdoch quoted The world is changing very fast. Big will not beat small anymore, It will be the fast beating the slow (Chappelle, 2007).

VESTMENTS IN THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH :: Essays Papers

VESTMENTS IN THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH An important aspect of the Catholic Church is its vestments. The Church is always beautifully decorated and holy people beautifully dressed. These decorations have changed very much since the beginning of time. Although we don’t always realize it, there is much symbolism in the colors that priests, bishops, cardinals and even the Pope wears. There are also strict guidelines that these people must follow when dressing. This paper will tell of the history of this clothing. EARLY CHRISTIANS To study the history of the Church in the first century, we have to rely on the writings of the Early Christians, mainly the New Testament. At this time, Christians were waiting for the second coming of Christ, which they expected very soon. Since they thought that Christ would come again in their lifetime, they didn’t feel the need to really formalize their religion or create any clothing that was specifically Christian. In 64 in Rome, St. Peter and St. Paul were executed. Right after the executions of these men, Nero began to execute other Christians. At this time it would have been dangerous for Christians to wear distinctive clothing. As these persecutions began, people began to realize that the Church would outlast the lives of the men who had actually known Jesus Christ. After these persecutions ended, there was peace until 95 when Diocletian, a ruler, began taking action against the aristocratic Christians in Rome. In Asia at the same time there were persecutions of bot h Jews and Christians. After this, a few general Christians adopted a few general styles of clothing. First was the tunic, worn by St. Augustine. This came out of Rome and was an indoor garment. During worship, it was required that it was clean and white, which may be why Christians shied away from the traditional Roman wool tunic. Wool fades to yellow after time so Christians began wearing linen tunics because the more linen is washed, the whiter it becomes. It has been said that St. Peter wore a pallium with his tunic. It was wrapped around the body in a simple way. It was a plain garment, except that it had embroidery in each of it’s four corners. Apparently Jesus and His apostles had also worn palliums and so they became part of the ornamental dress of Christians. Christians also wore the paenula. It was a hooded garment and was worn by Christians in worship starting in the second century.