Definition and Examples of Information Content

Definition and Examples of Information Content In linguistics and information theory, the term information content refers to the amount of information conveyed by a particular unit of language in a particular context. An example of information content, suggests  Martin H.  Weik, is the meaning assigned to the data in a message (Communications Standard Dictionary, 1996). As Chalker and Weiner point out in the Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar (1994), The notion of information content is related to statistical probability. If a unit is totally predictable then, according to information theory, it is informationally redundant and its information content is nil. This is actually true of the to particle in most contexts (e.g. What are you going . . . do?). The concept of information content was first systematically examined in Information, Mechanism, and Meaning  (1969)  by British  physicist and information theorist  Donald M. MacKay. Greetings One of the essential functions of language is to enable members of a speech community to maintain social relations with one another, and greetings are a very straightforward way of doing this. Indeed, an appropriate social interchange may well consist entirely of greetings, without any communication of information content. (Bernard Comrie, On Explaining Language Universals. The New Psychology of Language: Cognitive and Functional Approaches to Language Structures, ed. by Michael Tomasello. Lawrence Erlbaum, 2003) Functionalism Functionalism . . . dates back to the early twentieth century and has its roots in the Prague School of Eastern Europe. [Functional frameworks] differ from the Chomskyan frameworks in emphasizing the information content of utterances, and in considering language primarily as a system of communication. . . . Approaches based on functional frameworks have dominated European study of SLA [Second Language Acquisition] and are widely followed elsewhere in the world. (Muriel Saville-Troike, Introducing Second Language Acquisition. Cambridge University Press, 2006) Propositions For our purposes here, the focus will be on declarative sentences such as (1) Socrates is talkative. Plainly, utterances of sentences of this type are a direct way of conveying information. We shall call such utterances statements and the information-content conveyed by them propositions. The proposition expressed by an utterance of (1) is (2) That Socrates is talkative. Provided the speaker is sincere and competent, her utterance of (1) could also be taken to express a belief with the content that Socrates is talkative. That belief then has exactly the same information content as the speakers statement: it represents Socrates as being in a certain way (namely, talkative). (Names, Descriptions, and Demonstratives. Philosophy of Language: The Central Topics, ed. by Susana Nuccetelli and Gary Seay. Rowman Littlefield, 2008) The Information Content of Childrens Speech [T]he linguistic utterances of very young children are limited in both length and information content (Piaget, 1955). Children whose sentences are limited to one to two words may request food, toys or other objects, attention, and help. They may also spontaneously note or name objects in their environment and ask or answer questions of who, what or where (Brown, 1980). The information content of these communications, however, is sparse and limited to actions experienced by both listener and speaker and to objects known to both. Usually, only one object or action is requested at a time. As linguistic lexicon and sentence length increase, so too does information content (Piaget, 1955). By four to five years, children may request explanations about causality, with the proverbial why questions. They may also describe their own actions verbally, give others brief instructions in sentence format, or describe objects with a series of words. Even at this stage, however, children have difficulty making themselves understood unless the actions, objects, and events are known to both speaker and hearer. . . . Not until the elementary school years of seven to nine can children fully describe events to listeners unfamiliar with them by incorporating large amounts of information in appropriately structured series of sentences. It is also at this time that children become capable of debating and absorbing factual knowledge transmitted by formal education or other non-experiential means. (Kathleen R. Gibson, Tool Use, Language and Social Behavior in Relationship to Information Processing Abilities. Tools, Language, and Cognition in Human Evolution, ed. by Kathleen R. Gibson and Tim Ingold. Cambridge University Press, 1993) Input-Output Models of Information Content Most any empirical belief . . . will be richer in information content than the experience that led to its acquisitionand this on any plausible account of the appropriate information measures. This is a consequence of the philosophical commonplace that the evidence a person has for an empirical belief rarely entails the belief. While we may come to believe that all armadillos are omnivorous by observing the eating habits of a fair sample of armadillos, the generalization is not implied by any number of propositions attributing various tastes to particular armadillos. In the case of mathematical or logical beliefs, it is rather harder to specify the relevant experiential input. But again it seems that on any appropriate measure of information content the information contained within our mathematical and logical beliefs outruns that contained in our total sensory history. (Stephen Stich, The Idea of Innateness. Collected Papers, Volume 1: Mind and Language, 1972-2010. Oxford University Press, 2011) Also  See MeaningCommunication  and  Communication ProcessConversational ImplicatureIllocutionary ForceLanguage Acquisition

HMS Venturer Sinks U-864 - World War II Submarines HMS Venturer and U-864 -

HMS Venturer Sinks U-864 - World War II Submarines HMS Venturer and U-864 - Conflict: The engagement between HMS Venturer and U-864 took place during World War II. Date: Lt. Jimmy Launders and HMS Venturer sank U-864 on February 9, 1945. Ships Commanders: British Lieutenant Jimmy LaundersHMS Venturer (V-Class Submarine)37 men Germans Korvettenkapitn Ralf-Reimar Wolfram U-864 (Type IX U-boat)73 men Battle Summary: In late 1944, U-864 was dispatched from Germany under the command of Korvettenkapitn Ralf-Reimar Wolfram to take part in Operation Caesar. This mission called for the submarine to transport advanced technology, such as Me-262 jet fighter parts and V-2 missile guidance systems, to Japan for use against American forces. Also on board was 65 tons of mercury which was needed for the production of detonators. While passing through the Kiel Canal, U-864 grounded damaging its hull. To address this issue, Wolfram sailed north to the U-boat pens at Bergen, Norway. On January 12, 1945, while U-864 was undergoing repairs, the pens were attacked by British bombers further delaying the submarines departure. With repairs complete, Wolfram finally sailed in early February. In Britain, code breakers at Bletchley Park were alerted to U-864s mission and location through Enigma radio intercepts. To prevent the German boat from completing its mission, the Admiralty diverted the fast attack submarine, HMS Venturer to search for U-864 in the area of Fedje, Norway. Commanded by rising star Lieutenant James Launders, HMS Venturer had recently departed its base at Lerwick. On February 6, Wolfram passed Fedje the area however issues soon began to arise with one of U-864s engines. Despite the repairs at Bergen, one of the engines began to misfire, greatly increasing the noise the submarine produced. Radioing Bergen that they would be returning to port, Wolfram was told that an escort would be waiting for them at Hellisoy on the 10th. Arriving in the Fedje area, Launders made a calculated decision to turn off Venturers ASDIC (an advanced sonar) system. While use of the ASDIC would make locating U-864 easier, it risked giving away Venturers position. Relying solely on Venturers hydrophone, Launders began searching the waters around Fedje. On February 9, Venturers hydrophone operator detected an unidentified noise that sounded like a diesel engine. After tracking the sound, Venturer approached and raised its periscope. Surveying the horizon, Launders spotted another periscope. Lowering Venturers, Launders correctly guessed that the other periscope belonged to his quarry. Slowly following U-864, Launders planned to attack the German u-boat when it surfaced. As Venturer stalked U-864 it became clear that it had been detected as the German began following an evasive zigzag course. After pursuing Wolfram for three hours, and with Bergen approaching, Launders decided that he needed to act. Anticipating U-864s course, Launders and his men computed a firing solution in three dimensions. While this type of calculation had been practiced in theory, it had never been attempted at sea in combat conditions. With this work done, Launders fired all four of Venturers torpedoes, at varying depths, with 17.5 seconds between each. After firing the last torpedo, Venturer dove quickly to prevent any counterattack. Hearing the torpedoes approach, Wolfram ordered U-864 to dive deeper and turn to avoid them. While U-864 successfully evaded the first three, the fourth torpedo struck the submarine, sinking it with all hands. Aftermath: The loss of U-864 cost the Kriegsmarine the U-boats entire 73-man crew as well as the vessel. For his actions off Fedje, Launders was awarded a bar for his Distinguished Service Order. HMS Venturers fight with U-864 is the only known, publicly acknowledged battle where one submerged submarine sank another.

Biological Cloning and Nuclear Transplantation Essay

Biological Cloning and Nuclear Transplantation - Essay Example Burnett states about the scientific concept, â€Å"Scientists will take the nucleus of a somatic, or nonreproductive, cell from Alcalde and insert it into an egg cell from a cow, from which the nucleus has been removed. The resulting embryo will be grown in an incubator and then implanted in a cow to develop† (2008, p.1). In lay language, the concept involves the desire to produce animals with superior qualities that cannot be achieved through normal reproduction. The process involves nuclear transplantation, in which the genetic material from a given cell is inserted into the host. In this case, the host is an unfertilized egg whose genetic material has been removed through enucleation process. The biological process of nuclear transplantation is whereby scientists derive a cell from an adult animal they wish to clone. The genome of the animal is contained in the nucleus of this derived cell. Genome is the DNA that has instructions to create a new individual. The next stage i n this process is taking an unfertilized egg from the female of the same species, and removing its nucleus (Mann, 2003, p.1). The scientists then put the nucleus into the egg; thus, basically replacing the DNA of the egg with that of the cloning animal. The nucleus derived from the donor cell is fused with the egg with the help of a smell electric current passed through the cell. Adding a series of chemicals into the egg tricks it into believing that fertilization is taking place. At this stage, the outcome may be successful or unsuccessful.

The Reasons to Avoid Drinking Soda Research Paper

The Reasons to Avoid Drinking Soda - Research Paper Example Yet over the years, several organizations have started protesting against the sale of soft drinks in schools. For example, the Center of Food and Justice published a report in 2002 which called on the Los Angeles Unified School District board to ban soda as a consequence of increasing obesity and Type II diabetes among children. On the other hand, a Huffington Post article (Bennett) called for its readers to protest an alliance between Coca-Cola and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) to help educate consumers how they can fit soda into a healthy lifestyle. For many doctors, this is a distasteful move because soda does not contain any kind of essential nutrients and does not help the body in any way. Yet, despite these allegations, people still persist in drinking soda because they are unaware of its health implications. Through a review of previous literature, the researcher hopes to show that soda is not only devoid of nutrients but it can also cause several diseases. Soda: Its Advantages One of the fastest ways to satisfy thirst is by drinking soda. It provides relief from the heat and in many cases provides the energy that one will need to get through the day. With the introduction of diet soda, people who are watching their weight can now get a sweet treat minus the calories. Aside from these advantages, however, there is very little of value in soda. To better understand this claim, a quick look in the ingredient list will reveal a lot of information. Eight of the most common ingredients used in soda include the following: carbonated water, food color, food flavoring, phosphoric acid, calcium saccharin, potassium benzoate, caffeine, and aspartame. Carbonated water gives the soda its fizz and tangy taste. It is used in many alcoholic beverages to increase the uptake of alcohol in the blood. As its name implies, this is plain water mixed with carbon dioxide. Carbonated water can occur in nature (also referred to as sparkling water) and in this form, can actually have health benefits. Unfortunately, the carbonated water used in soda has undergone an artificial process and it lacks the nutrients that sparkling water has. In an article posted at LiveStrong.com (Jannen), it says that the danger with carbonated water is that most people have the tendency to drink too much. Also, most health issues concerning carbonated water are related to bone density. In a 2001 study (Heaney) involving children and adults, it was found that intake of carbonated beverages, especially colas, is associated with higher risks for fracture due to increased excretion of calcium through urine. In the same paper (Heaney 346), it was also found that reduced bone mass is also due to increased intake of phosphoric acid. This finding is corroborated by another study done by Tucker, et.al. wherein the subject of research are men and women aged 30 to 87 years old. Just like in the 2001 research, Trucker, et.al found that increased intake of carbonated beve rages (particularly the caffeinated ones) caused as much as 3 to 5% decrease in bone mass density in both men and women (Tucker 937). Phosphoric acid, which is also found in soda, interferes with carbon absorption and is considered as a risk factor for osteoporosis. Moreover, the researchers discovered the same effects on both regular and diet cola varieties. Food coloring and food flavoring are purely synthetic materials and are processed with ammonium compounds which are my cause gastrointestinal problems.

Understanding Paul’s Case through Structuralism Essay Example for Free

Understanding Paul’s Case through Structuralism Essay Willa Cather presents â€Å"Paul’s Case† using vivid symbolism and language to depict Paul, his personality, his environment, as well as his life style. Willa Cather does not directly state Paul’s feelings, but through the use of language and symbols we can imply many things about Paul, and the type of person he is. Using structuralism and semiotics to analyze Paul’s case provides the opportunity to take certain concepts in the story and understand the true meaning that lies behind them. In â€Å"Paul’s Case† language and symbolism will provide an effective understanding of Paul’s withdrawn and misunderstood behavior, as well as how his â€Å"reality† of life affects him externally and internally, the meaning behind the change in narration and the sequence of events that led to the tragic ending of Paul’s life. â€Å"Paul entered the faculty room suave and smiling. His clothes were a trifle outgrown and the tan velvet on the collar of his open coat was frayed and worn; but for all that there was something of the dandy about him, he wore an opal pin in his neatly knotted black four-in-hand, and a red carnation in his buttonhole. (Cather 490) There are many concepts that lie behind this quote. His suave smile is representing his calm relaxed personality, he has been suspended from school, but his unsettle demeanor portrays that he is not filled with sorrow. His clothing is described as trifle, outgrown, frayed, and worn which can represent low economic status, or a definite need of attention. His teachers frown upon the red carnation in his buttonhole. The flower is symbolic of his attitude. The underlying sign of the red carnation flower is the concept of defiance. The author does not state that Paul is being defiant, but it can be implied by the reactions from his teachers. The meaning behind the language in the beginning of the story and the symbolism behind his behavior and his clothing is that Paul is withdrawn and misunderstood. â€Å"The structure of language itself produces realitythat we can think only through language, and therefore our perceptions of reality are all framed by and determined by the structure of language. † (Derrida) In â€Å"Paul’s Case,† we can only determine Paul’s reality through the language that identifies Paul’s experiences. â€Å"The moment he turned into Cordelia Street he felt the waters close above his head. After each of these orgies of living, he experienced all the physical depression which follows a debauch; the loathing of respectable beds, of common food, of a house penetrated by kitchen odors; a shuddering repulsion for the flavorless, colorless mass of every-day existence; a morbid desire for cool things and soft lights, and fresh flowers. † (Cather 494) This is the type of life Paul dreams of having. The interpretation behind this concept is happiness. Happiness that comes from having a warm comforting home, and â€Å"cool things. † Unfortunately Paul desires these things because he has the exact opposite. â€Å"His ugly sleeping chamber; the cold bathroom with the grimy zinc tub, the cracked mirror, the dripping spigots; his father, at the top of the stairs, his hairy legs sticking out from his night-shirt, his feet thrust into carpet slippers. † (Cather 494) This description of his environment depicts Paul’s â€Å"reality. † Paul is depressed about having to go home, he does not like being there. Paul cannot control these circumstances because he does not want to accept that this where he comes from. Paul wants to live a lavish life style; he does not accept his â€Å"reality. † According to the descriptions provided in the text Paul is struggling with both internal and external conflicts. â€Å"Writers and dramatists learn from infancy: it’s stronger to show the audience than to tell them. To say that â€Å"George was a good friend† leaves no impression; for impact, the writer shows what friendship meant to George. (Bernstein) At the time that Paul decides to flee to New York, Willa Cather changes the narration to be from Paul’s perspective. â€Å"Here and there on the corners were stands, with whole flower gardens blooming under glass cases, against the sides of which the snow flakes stuck and melted; violets, roses, carnations, lilies of the valley-somewhat vastly more lovely and alluring that they blossomed unnaturally in the snow. † (Cather 499) The use of language has shifted into positive descriptions of the atmosphere. Paul is not, as it seemed in the beginning, an abnormal person. He is a person with dreams and ambitions just like everyone else. The fact that he went to such extreme measures to fulfill his dreams of visiting New York shows his determination. He did not ever want to return to Cordelia Street. For him, home was worse than jail, and the thought of it was sickeningly vivid. This shows just how unhappy he was at home. The change in narration occurs to provide the reader with a prominent perception of Paul’s life and through his explanation of the environment we can imply that he is finally content with his life at this point in time. His golden days went by without a shadow, and he made each day as perfect as he could. † (Cather 500) â€Å"A lie will easily get you out of a scrape, and yet, strangely and beautifully, rapture possesses you when you have taken the scrape and left out the lie. † (Montague) â€Å"He could remember a time when he had felt so at peace with himself. The mere release from the necessity of petty lying, lying every day and every day, restored his self-respect. † (Cather 500) Paul’s unhappiness caused him to lie. The author says, â€Å"petty lying† which is defined as meaning less lying to prove that he above the others. The underlying concept behind the lying is that Paul is ashamed of who he is, it is not directly stated in the text, but it is implied by Paul’s behavior. â€Å" His dearest pleasures were the grey winter twilights in his sitting-room; his quiet enjoyment of his flowers, his clothes, his wide divan, his cigarette, and his sense of power. † (Cather 500) This description of the things that brought happiness to Paul is a dream. The dream he longed to obtain no matter what he had to do to get it. Through the system of language that is used through the story we learn that Paul seems to self-absorbed, unhappy, and not quite sure of whom he is. These characteristics of his personality lead Paul to a tragic ending. Paul commits suicide. â€Å"He felt something strike his chest, and that his body was being thrown swiftly through the air, on and on, immeasurably far and fast, while his limbs were gently relaxed. The because the picture making mechanism was crushed, the disturbing visions flashed into black, and Paul dropped back into immense design of things. † (Cather 502) This use of language does not state directly that Paul committed suicide, but the author states, the picture making mechanism was crushed, the disturbing visions flashed into black. The concept behind this line is that his memory of life disappears. Paul would rather be dead then to go back to the life he had back home. The Language in the story is not difficult to understand. When Willa Cather describes certain concepts or images in the story there can be more then one meaning that one can obtain from it. Language is a system that is used to communicate ideas and thoughts. Words are just a jumble of letters the true meaning is the concept that lies behind them.

Source Analysis: The Death of Hector :: essays research papers

The Death of Hector is actually just one part of a larger work. The Iliad was written during the Dark Ages of Greece by a blind poet named Homer. It was mainly entertainment, but today has turned into a significant, though unrealistic History of the Dark ages of Greece. The Iliad was written and performed for a bunch of drunk, barbaric nobles who were the soldiers of the time. That’s the reason Homer put so much descriptive battle scenes and gory details. This is what they wanted; lots of blood, to go with the drinking and war. It is through this we get our first accurate picture of the times of ancient Greece: A backwards, warlike, perpetually drunk society whose only real interest was to gain respect and honor by killing everyone else. This makes no sense, since if you kill everybody for glory, who is left to honor you? Anyway, this was the main reason Homer wrote the Iliad. The specific story of the Death of Hector shows tells the story of Hector, who wants to fight Achilles outside the city gates. He refuses his father’s request to come inside and be protected. In the end he is killed. This entire episode shows the way one should act. Even if scared, it is better to die in battle than to live a coward. This was one of the basic tenants of the Greek code of conduct. So, not only did the stories entertain, but they also were the early Greeks code of conduct. If they were to be a "good Greek", they were to strive to be like someone in the pantheon of heroes. This honor code was needed to keep the people under one standard of honor and loyalty, and what is good, right, and acceptable. This honor code existed for many years, until Classical Greece

Impressions of an Indian Childhood Essay

Impressions of an Indian Childhood and The School Days of an Indian Girl What is Gertrude Bonnin complaining about? Is she even complaining? She got to go to school and get an education for free. She even went on to go to college. Very few white Americans could say that in those days, much less Native Americans. Even today a free ride through college is a rare occurrence. Of course she experienced a few hardships along the way. Learning a new language was definitely a challenge for her in the beginning, although one she overcame quite well (after all, she did win an oratorical contest at her college). Living by the rules of a different culture was another challenge for her. But she eventually became accustomed to the new ways and she learned how to adjust. And of course she went through many years of discrimination and persecution, simply because of the fact that she is a Native American. But in the long run, wall the challenges she overcame helped to improve herself as an individual and as a representative of a culture. We must all go through hard times and face many difficult challenges in our lives if we want to make a better life for ourselves. As long as there are different races, racism will always exist. People like Gertrude Bonnin who can overcome racism and discrimination by succeeding in the â€Å"white man’s world,† are the people who help others like them be accepted in our culture.

Hp & Disney Alliance

Strategic Analysis on HP-Disney Alliance Introduction On October 9th 2003, Walt Disney Company, an international entertainment and media enterprise, and global technology provider Hewlett-Packard (HP) declared a ten-year strategic alliance for the purpose of developing innovative technologies and promoting Disney consumers’ experiences. The arrangement was achieved by jointly disclosing â€Å"Mission: Space† ride, which had been collaboratively designed and developed by HP and Disney employees for several years, reported by Business Wire (9 October, 2003). Mission: Space† was located in Walt Disney World Resort at Epcot theme park, Florida, including the following activities: Space Pavilion, Space Attraction, Space Advanced Training Lab and Space Cargo Bay. It was highly praised by Fiorina, then chief executive at HP, that the cooperation was based on both business expansion and technology development when HP wanted to recover from the business downturn and improv e its public image (Takahashi, 2003). Meanwhile, by using HP devices and technologies, â€Å"Mission: Space† ride provided Disney consumers with weightless simulations and consumers would feel like travelling in space (Takahashi, 2003).Company Profile Hewlett-Packard Company Hewlett-Packard, established in 1939 by Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard from Stanford University, was initially to produce an electronic instrument called audio oscillator. The Walt Disney Studio was HP’s first client who bought eight oscillators to create the movie â€Å"Fantasia†. It was HP and Disney’s first cooperation (Hewlett-Packard Company, 2012). HP, headquartered in California, is one of the world’s largest technology companies that provide software, services and technology products to its customers.During the economic recession in the early 2000s, numerous companies reported losses and it was essential for HP to seek opportunities to sustain its information technology advantages (Chen et al. 2011). The Walt Disney Company Walt Disney and Roy Disney founded Disney Brothers Studio in 1923 in California for cartoon production. In 1971, the first Disney World opened in Florida and several years’ later, theme parks and Disney MGM studio were set up subsequently. Then in 1986, the firm’s name was changed to The Walt Disney Company (The Walt Disney Company, 2012).Now it is a worldwide entertainment and media company by operating in five sectors: ‘theme parks and resorts, consumer products, media networks, interactive media and studio entertainment’. In the early 2000s, Disney expanded its business around the world by building theme parks, collaborating with Eastman Kodak, Bank One and Visa to attract more consumers. Consequently the ten-year alliance with HP was arranged for both technology and entertainment development (The Walt Disney Company, 2012).Alliance Design When Disney animation engineers first came up with the simul ation of space travelling – Mission: Space ride, they realized it was crucial to find a partner that could perfectly combine the classic Disney adventures with the technology of aerospace simulation (Disney + HP, n. d. ). HP then became Disney’s partner because it delivered a wide range of supports from Disney’s visual effect to animation tasks. Then a contractual alliance between HP and Disney was formed.HP first offered infrastructure to deliver digital equipment, then it manufactured devices and hardware that serving Disney’s consumers (Fried and Spooner, 2003). Not only did HP highlight Walt Disney in its $300 million advertisements, it also launched sweepstakes to push â€Å"Mission: Space† into public (Camp, 2004). In return, what HP benefited was that it could acquire consumers’ data for further developments and promotions. Even though the potential benefits for HP was hard to estimate, HP was still quite satisfied with the volume of visitors (Camp, 2004).Above all, the value – creation logic for this alliance can be categorized as co-specialization. Both parities in the HP and Disney alliance were focusing on their advantages. Disney initiated the thoughts and ideas for the projects because they knew what they would be doing and how they could achieve it. On the other hand, HP provided Disney with information technology support and technological products that help to build up the projects. Apart from the personal computers, web servers, relevant software nd 13,000 printers offered by HP, it cooperated with Disney to develop â€Å"Ears to the world†, which was a handset for non-English speaking consumers (Banke, 2003). As pointed out by Carly Fiorina, HP CEO, ‘every process is being digitized right now, every physical analogue process will become a digital one – every last one, and the alliance will focus on the creative process and content delivery’ (Sutton, 2003). It is obviou s that all HP and Disney desired for the alliance is the combination of traditional Disney elements and new information technology.Alliance Management HP and Disney started their relationship 73 years ago when Disney purchased oscillators for the movie â€Å"Fantasia† in 1939. Clarke and Columnist (2003) believed that now it was the power behind Disney that made HP offer ’13,000 printers, 10,000 servers and 70,000 personal computers to Disney’. They also estimated that of the USD 100 million cost on Mission: Space, HP will pay almost USD 50 million according to its 10 – year contract. So in the alliance each party negotiated to contribute equally on capital.Reported by Business Wire (11 September, 2007), Michael Mendenhall, who had been working in Disney as an executive for past 17 years, was employed as ‘senior vice president chief marketing officer’ by HP. From then on, Michael would be in charge of HP’s marketing operations as well as operations for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Therefore, the relationship between the two companies would be closer than ever as Michael was experienced in both industries, and the continuing cooperation of Innoventions Dream Home proved that the alliance was under well management (China Business Newsweekly, 11, February 2008).Alliance Performance As referred in The Walt Disney Company Annual Report 2004 (2004), the revenues in parks and resorts segment for the fiscal year was USD 7,750 million. It increased by 21% compared with year 2003. The report stated that the Walt Disney World Resort drove USD 609 million of the total increase, which was attributed to high theme park attendance, reflecting the continued success of Mission: Space as well as the success of the alliance (Appendix 1). Meanwhile, Hewlett-Packard Company Annual Report 2005 (2005) also eported a total net revenue increase in 2004, from USD 58,799 million in 2003 to USD 64,046 million (Appendix 2). Therefore, from financial perspective, both companies were successful during the following one to two years after they formed the alliance. From objective and perceptual aspects, the HP and Disney alliance was also successful. When Mission: Space ride first opened, the continuing promo attracted more than 1. 1 million tourists and the ride still drawing more and more customers every year (Camp, 2004).HP’s Karen Jones believed that the alliance was the greatest combination to two famous brands and it success was because of the effort and time that HP and Disney had put into (Camp, 2004). Al Weiss, president of Walt Disney World Resort, praised the cooperation and approved that HP was the perfect partner to present Disney’s ideas and thoughts into reality (Banke, 2003). Evaluation of the Alliance Personally I believed the alliance was a breakthrough for both companies, especially when the US economy was suffering recession in the early 2000s.The alliance started with a good design beca use HP and Disney knew what contribution each party could bring. In co-specialization, the alliance scope was well controlled and conflicts were reduced because each company shared their values and information on what they did best, thus increasing productivity and reducing research and development costs. Since HP and Disney had previous co-working experience (Hewlett-Packard Company, 2012), it would be easier for them to managing the alliance. By allying with each other, HP and Disney created a win – win situation.HP gave Disney the chance to realize its space travelling simulation and reinforced Disney being the world leading enterprise in the entertainment and media industry. On the other hand, Disney helped to strengthen HP’s place in the technology industry. Disney developed easier accesses to its consumers and HP obtained numerous consumer data for further promotions. In addition, they both benefited from the growth of revenues and market share. Above all, it can be concluded that the alliance is aligned with its performance. Future for the Alliance The future for the alliance is bright and of huge potential.Followed by the appointment of Michael by HP in 2007, HP and Disney were cooperating on more and more technological entertaining facilities thereafter. Despite of Mission: Space ride commenced in 2003, the alliance was focusing on new technology products in recent years, such as Innoventions Dream Home. In 2008, The Disneyland Resort reached another agreement with HP, Microsoft and Taylor Morrison for the framework of Innoventions Dream Home (‘Major Integrators Partner with Disney’, 2008). This project aimed to introduce new concepts of home by mixing technology elements into it.Innoventions Dream Home attempted to create a ‘high- tech, high-touch’ experience for its guests and illustrate how technology was involved in people’s life. The continuing alliance allowed HP to provide its newest products and s oftware to Disney (‘Major Integrators Partner with Disney’, 2008). As recommended by Ed Grier, president of Disneyland Resort, he believed that it was an inspiring alliance that brought Disney’s imaginations and HP’s technology together again (China Business Newsweekly, 11, February 2008). Reference List: Banke, J. 003, TalkDisney, Florida, viewed 14 October 2012, Camp, S. 2004, ‘Marketing Mission By HP and Disney’, Brandweek, vol. 45, no. 12, pp. 29, viewed 14 October 2012, ProQuest Central. Chen, C. , Lim, J. and Stratopoulos, T. 2011, ‘IT Capability and a Firm’s Ability to Recover from Losses: Evidence from the Economic Downturn of the Early 2000s’, Journal of Information Systems, vol. 25, no. 2, pp. 117-144, viewed 11 October 2012, ProQuest Central.Clark, S. and Columnist, S. 2003, ‘HEWLETT-PACKARD ON BOARD AS SPONSOR OF EPCOT RIDE: [FINAL EDITION]’, Orlando Sentinel, 10 October, pp. C1, viewed 17 October 2012, ProQuest Central. ‘Disneyland Resort; Disneyland Resort Reaches Agreement with Microsoft, HP, Life/ware and Taylor Morrison on Innoventions Dream Home’, 2008, China Business Newsweekly, 11 February, pp. 191, viewed 18 October 2012, ProQuest Central, ISSN 1945-5984. Disney + HP, n. d. , HP Solutions, California, viewed 14 October 2012, < http://welcome. hp. com/country/us/en/msg/corp/htmldisney. html > Fried,

buy custom Social Responsibility and Ethics in Marketing essay

buy custom Social Responsibility and Ethics in Marketing essay Introduction Ethics denotes human beliefs about the right and wrong. These beliefs vary from one company to another or from one individual to another (Balachandran Chandrasekaran, n.d.). However, social responsibility and ethics are an integral part of a marketing strategy of any company or business. The aim of marketing is to target, appeal and get a particular audience to purchase a certain product or service. While trying to achieve this, businesses should ensure that they abide by the rules and regulations set in the field where they operate, and most importantly strive to control that their actions are ethical and honest. A company is said to be practicing social responsibility when it is concerned about the environment, society, and people where and with whom it does business. Social responsibility in marketing is taking moral actions that have a positive impact on the stakeholders of a company, including employees, consumers, community and shareholders (Labbai, 2007). At this point, the p rimary goal of the marketer is to formulate and communicate decisions of a firm that will impact its stakeholders. There is a rising trend among marketers across the globe to recognize corporate social responsibility and ethics in conducting business that take care of interests of society while at the same time maximizing the profit of their companies (Balachandran Chandrasekaran, n.d.). This paper analyzes social responsibility and ethics in marketing and presents examples that restructure modern marketing while at the same time suggesting appropriate recommendations. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) CSR is a complete set of practices, policies and programs that are incorporated in business operations, decision-making process and supply chains throughout the company, and it includes responsibility for the past and current actions, as well as the future consequences of business activity (Labbai, 2007). Aspects that represent the focus of CSR in companies vary in the type of business, size, sctor and geographic region. In a broad sense, CSR includes issues related to community investments, business ethics, governance, environment, human rights, workplace and a market place (Balachandran Chandrasekaran, n.d.). Importantly, social responsibility goes beyond philanthropic actions. It requires companies to take into account an impact on stakeholders and environment while making decisions. Novel corporate leaders are aimed at maximizing profits rather than optimizing the latter (Ferrell Hartline, 2012). It is an indication that there is a swing from accountability to shareholders towa rds social responsibility to consumers. Benefits of being socially responsible are an improved company and brand image, increased market share, ability to attract and retain employees, ability to attract investors and reduced operating costs. Today, the approach to CSR in modern business is based on the principles of good corporate governance and sustainable development. Sustainability suggests that firms that are socially responsible outperform less socially responsible companies in the long-run. Marketing managers from different firms perceive the relevance of social issues differently. According to Labbai (2007), the significance of a social problem is determined by products, pricing, promotional efforts, distribution policies, and the philosophy of admitting responsibility by a company. Consumers decide what firm is successful or has failed in its CSR. As such, marketers should ensure their practices appear philanthropic to society. Ethics Ethics is defined as a study of moral principles that guide the way in which businesses are conducted. In present competitive global marketing, ethics is important since companies deal with human values and beliefs. Evidently, business spreads across the globe. Therefore, a companys marketing department has to deal with cross-country cultures. Multinational corporations (MCs) such as Nestle have faced numerous problems because of overlookingg ethical issues in their marketing practices. According to Ferrell and Hartline (2012), most MCs have incurred billions of losses in terms of monetary value and lost thousands of valuable customers because of adopting unethical advertising and promotional strategies. Professionals report that marketing is the human conduct that is subject to academic evaluation and public scrutiny. Scholars reveal that marketers must recognize ethical standards applicable to the company, society and industry (Ferrell Hartline, 2012). These three groups have varying desires and needs; hence, an ethical conflict may occur. Marketing ethical standards guide businesses to do what is right. They help to foster internal control, identify acceptable practices, facilitate discussion and avoid confusion in marketing (Ferrell Hartline, 2012). Recommendations From the discussion above, it is evident that many forces have made companies practice a high level of ethics and social responsibility in marketing (Ferrell Hartline, 2012). They range from changing employee expectations, rising customer expectations, government legislations, new procurement practices and investors inclusion of the social principle. Companies need to evaluate whether their activity is socially responsible and ensure that they practise ethical marketing (Ferrell Hartline, 2012). The success of a business and the continued satisfaction of customers and stakeholders are linked to adapting and implementing high business standards and marketing conduct. The most admired companies in the world are those that abide by the code of serving the interests of others besides their own ones. Companies must use the law to define illegal, anti-social and anti-competitive practices. Additionally, they must build a tradition of ethical behavior in all their practices and hold employees responsible for following the legal and ethical guidelines. Individual marketers should practice social conscience in their dealings with stakeholders. Buy custom Social Responsibility and Ethics in Marketing essay

Synthesis Reaction Description Plus Examples

Synthesis Reaction Description Plus Examples While there are many types of chemical reactions, they all fall into at least one of four broad categories: synthesis reactions, decomposition reactions, single displacement reactions, and double displacement reactions. A synthesis reaction or direct combination reaction is a type of chemical reaction in which two or more simple substances combine to form a more complex product. The reactants may be elements or compounds, while the product is always a compound. General Form of Synthesis Reactions The general form of a synthesis reaction is: A B → AB Examples of Synthesis Reactions Here are some examples of synthesis reactions: Water:2 H2(g) O2(g) → 2 H2O(g)Carbon dioxide:2 CO(g) O2(g) → 2CO2(g)Ammonia:3 H2(g) N2(g) → 2 NH3(g)Aluminum oxide:4 Al(s) 3 O2(g) → 2 Al2O3(s)Iron sulfide:8 Fe S8 → 8 FeSPotassium chloride:2 K(s) Cl2(g) → 2 KCl(s) Recognizing Synthesis Reactions The hallmark of a synthesis reaction is that a more complex product is formed from the reactants. One easy-to-recognize type of synthesis reaction occurs when two or more elements combine to form a compound. The other type of synthesis reaction happens when an element and a compound combine to form a new compound. Basically, to identify this reaction, look for a product that contains all the reactant atoms. Be sure to count the number of atoms in both the reactants and the products. Sometimes when a chemical equation is written, extra information is given that might make it hard to recognize what is going on in a reaction. Counting numbers and types of atoms makes it easier to identify reaction types.

Lower Division Capstone Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Lower Division Capstone - Assignment Example the employees, a company is able to sustain and to compete in the competitive markets by introducing new innovative products and services in the market (Tutar, Altinoz, & Cakiroglu, 2011). Penetration pricing in marketing context is considered as a strategic measure through which the company can fix their products or services price to be relatively lower than the existing market price. It can facilitate to draw customers at the initial phase of a product launch due to lower price of the product. Penetration pricing can be defined as the measure implemented by the company while launching new products in the markets in order to attract customers. This measure can help the company to increase customers’ demand and loyalty for their products and services (Holden & Nagle, 1998). Contextually, in accordance with globalization, the business markets on a global basis have become competitive where a company needs to implement new innovative ideas into their operational process in order to sustain in the market with continued growth. In relation to this context DHL, a logistic company has incorporated the process of employee empowerment culture in Nigeria in order to sustain and to compete with its rivals in the market. In this process, DHL’s HRM considered two measures which included hall session and suggestion box for all the employees in order to engage them in the operational process (Myers Leadership, 2012). In relation to penetrating pricing, Microsoft implemented the pricing strategy into their business process in order to compete with the rivals through increasing customer demand for their products and services. With the help of this strategy, Microsoft has lowered its communication suits product prices in the market in order to attract customers and to increase their product demand (Perez, 2012). DHL’s considered measures followed under the culture of employee empowerment are hall session in which all the employees are gathered inside a hall and the HR