Interview with the first gentleman Essay

MANILA -My news editor asked me to interview the husband of the highest official of the land, Mr. Miguel â€Å"Mike† Arroyo. On the day appointed, I was whisked in to the Malacanang palace, where after the formalities, i. e. , being frisked by presidential guards in combat fatigues, I was shown in to the Philippines’ equivalent of the Oval Office. Mr. Arroyo rose to shake my hand. He was not tall, but immense, very fat, and had a bored air about him. With him was an old man wearing glasses, who introduced himself as Jess Santos, a lawyer and the First Gentleman’s spokesperson. The interview went on as follows: Q: I hear you’ve been busy these days, filing libel cases against some journalists. Jess: Yes, that is correct. You know these newspaper guys, they’re a pain in the ass. Always noisy. But of course you can’t help it. We live in a democracy, and the Philippines is the most democratic in Asia. I hope you’ll agree. But when they attack the First Gentleman, using all kinds of defamatory imputation, using the media to spread these lies and calumniate and slur him so as to blemish his clean and untainted reputation, he has to fight back. And there’s nothing wrong in using the courts to seek justice. (The First Gentleman nods gravely.) Q: Are there any truths to these so-called lies against the First Gentleman? Jess: Oh, no! None at all. This allegation about unexplained wealth, it’s absurd. It isn’t wrong to be rich, you know. But the main point here, which you must not miss, and should be emphasized in your column or whatever, is that Mr. Arroyo is a gentleman. I mean, a gentleman in the real sense of the word. You don’t see a gentleman everyday, do you? He is very dignified, punctilious of honor, the epitome of chivalry, gallantry, and respect. (The First Gentleman nods, dozing off. ) Q: Is it true he dared the lawyer of a defendant to a fistfight in court? (The First Gentleman opens his eyes, looks at me, but says nothing. ) Jess: Well, you know how it is with honorable men like the First Gentleman. They are very sensitive when their honor is brought to ridicule. And in order to preserve his honor and integrity, it is but normal for the First Gentleman to react in his defense by calling the offending party to a fight, which shows that the First Gentleman is not a pushover, nor is he a weakling, but a chivalrous man like the knights of old who were not afraid to do battle to defend their honor. Q: I see. What about his rumored liaison with a pretty woman, allegedly his secretary? Jess: (assuming a pained expression): Please, please, do not dignify such baseless, malicious accusations. The First Gentleman would never enter into an unchaste relationship with a woman other than his wife, the President, because a true gentleman will never entertain any immoral thought, much more an illicit affair with a woman. (The First Gentleman looks at the ceiling as if remembering something. ) Q: According to a columnist, the First Gentleman stayed in a $20,000 suite at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas when he went there to watch the fight between your Manny Pacquiao and Erik Morales. Jess: That is not true. I doubt if you can find such a room in Las Vegas. And even if he did, the expenses may have been paid by friends. You know the First Gentleman, he has friends from high places. Q: Well, I admit I don’t know him that much. And I notice he isn’t saying anything. Can I interview him? Jess: Oh, sure. There’s nothing to worry about him. He is the perfect gentleman. Q: Well, sir, could you react to the accusation that you have a secret bank account in Germany? FG: (unsmiling)Who told you that? Q: Well, it’s on the papers, sir. Just trying to get your reaction firsthand. FG: Well, um, it’s a lot of shit, I mean, whoever wrote that article is an asshole, I mean, he must be an enemy of the state to say such matters. Why, I know, being the First Gentleman, that there are continuing threats to our national security. Q: I also hear this issue was brought up by a certain Congressman Cayetano who is now running for Senator. And this person has challenged you to issue a waiver so that he could prove who’s telling the truth. FG: (scowling). The worthless scumbag! Scoundrel! Bloody fool! Pardon me, but I can’t help myself. You see, this person has been using his parliamentary immunity to attack me at every turn. I’m sick of him. But I won’t be dragged into this controversy. Q: He also says you brought 50 million pesos in a helicopter in Mindanao to buy votes in the last election where your wife won as President. FG: That is a lie! Don’t believe the goddam son of a gun! Q: And he has just issued a public statement that he is daring you to engage him in a debate at Plaza Miranda to show who is telling the truth. FG: The nerve! I will not stoop down to his level. If he wants, I challenge him to a fistfight (rolls up his sleeves). Q: He also says you are crook and a liar and an adulterer. FG: (roaring). He said that? Tell him to just wait. Tomorrow I’ll file twenty counts of libel against him. I have fifty lawyers to work on that. Jess: Now there, there, please don’t get excited. A gentleman is never riled up. FG: Tell him I will get his goddam ass! Jess: Please sir, you’re a real gentleman. FG: I know that, I know. And I’ll prove to the #@! =* guy that I’m a *&^%4# man of honor! (end of interview).

Educational Preparation of the Baccalaureate Degree Nurse

Educational Preparation of the Baccalaureate degree Nurse ShellyCraw March 16, 2013 Educational Preparation of the Baccalaureate degree Nurse To truly understand the differences between the Baccalaureate of Science in nursing degree verses the Diploma nurse and the Associates Degree in Nursing, you must first be able to understand the definition, description and the competencies of each Degree. 1. Definition of the Diploma Nurse A Diploma Nurse is someone who completes a nursing curriculum associated with a hospital or medical facility than traditional colleges. The Diploma Nurse program is a three-year program. (â€Å"Diploma vs.BSN,† 2010, p. 1) 2. Definition of the Associates Degree in Nursing An Associate’s Degree in Nursing is a two to three year degree. Requirements are a minimum of 60 semester credit hours. Often these nursing degrees are conferred at community colleges. There are many 4 year colleges and universities that offer the associates degree programs as well. (Seehorn, â€Å"n. d. †, p. 1) 3. Definition of the Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing (BSN) A Baccalaureate Degree in nursing is described as a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in nursing that combines theory and clinical nursing courses and is granted by an accredited school. Read Chapter 8 Microbial GeneticsThis degree is a 4 year degree which requires a minimum of 120 semester credit hours. (â€Å"Bachelor Degree,† â€Å"n. d. †, Para. 1) There are many levels of nursing degrees out there today and there are different competencies between them. The Nursing state licensure began in 1903. The importance of this date protects the public and helps nurses to define the role and scope of nursing practice. At one time all nurses in the U. S. were diploma pre-pared. The nursing Diploma began around World War 2. During the war, little girls were encouraged to go into the nursing profession from reading or being read to the children’s book series of Cherry Ames.She used to be a hospital diploma nurse. My grandmother told me about these books when I was younger so when I started to research the differences between nursing degrees I came across information on Cherry Ames, The hospital Diploma Nurse. The hospital-based nursing Diploma schools co ntinue to decrease, but many still exist. Some diploma nursing schools require you to complete your non-nursing prerequisite courses at another school. Competencies for diploma nurses came from attending classes and hands-on training in their school which was associated with a hospital or medical facility rather than traditional colleges.Nursing education has changed in so many ways. Nursing education can either be taken on-line or in a classroom setting. Each degree provides different job opportunities. Knowing what specialty you may want to go into will be very important in deciding the nursing program and even the school you attend to obtain your degree. (â€Å"Diploma vs. BSN,† 2010, p. 1) Another path to becoming a registered nurse or R. N. is to obtain an Associate Degree in nursing, also known as Associate of nursing (AN), Associate of applied science in nursing (AAS) and Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN).The Associate degree programs began in 1952. This started up nursing to a diverse population than had existed with the diploma and baccalaureate nursing education. An Associate Degree in nursing can be earned at either a community college, technical college or a university in two to three years time. An Associate Degree nurse focuses on the technical teachings of nursing. The competencies of the Associate Degree Nurse are to take classes in nursing, physiology anatomy, microbiology, chemistry, nutrition, psychology and other social and behavioral sciences.Also required of the Associate Degree Nurse is to complete supervised clinical experiences. The Associate Degree in nursing program is shorter and focuses on clinical skills, more task oriented but lacking theory and science of the nursing profession. You will find theoretical and academic teaching of nursing covered in a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. The Diploma, Associate Degree and the Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing will qualify a person to take the same licensing exam NCLEX. (Seehorn, â€Å"n. . †, p. 1 In the Baccalaureate degree in Nursing (BSN) helps prepare nurses for a profession away from the bedside nursing role. The coursework is focused on incorporating the nurse’s roles of critical thinking skills, communication, assessment, providing patient centered care, teaching in our clinical settings or out into the community, and leading. The values of this caring professional approach include autonomy, altruism, human dignity, integrity and social justice with unconditional regard for all people.The Nursing practice for the BSN is best described as promotion of health, prevention of disease, early detection of health deviations, early adequate treatment of the human response to chronic and acute illness, and compassionate care for those around and experiencing death. The BSN is a longer program and focuses on nursing theory and research based and emphasizes on the entire field of nursing which would include human diversity, g lobal perspective, health promotion, and spiritual perspectives, ethical, legal, political, historical and social influences and including biblical concepts for complete understanding of the nursing field.Nursing care and or approaches to decision-making may differ based upon the educational preparation of the nurse (BSN versus a diploma or ADN degree). Nurses are in demand more and more each day and with that come knowledge of the profession. With the increase of patient care needs in clinical and medical facilities, nurses have been called to do more in and outside of their scope of practices calling for more education for current hospital nurses. In the hospital that I am currently working at, I have seen an increase in nurse clinicians hired to work side by side with a physician.The qualifications for working as a nurse clinician in a hospital setting are hospital nursing experience and a Baccalaureate degree in Nursing. Due to the increase in patient care in the hospital settin g the need for effective medical care was needed in the help of improving patient outcomes, less hospital re-admissions and shorter hospital stays. Nursing care has taken on a much bigger role than just your basic bed-side nursing role; it has incorporated the nursing care plans, critical thinking and collaboration between medical team members.Nursing demands will continue to grow in our fast paced world that we are living in and in the future. We will continue to face nursing shortages, global society changes, environment changes, potential pandemic diseases and wars. Through continuing education, nurses will have the tools they will need to face the future of nursing. References Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing. (â€Å"n. d. †). Retrieved from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Bachelor_of_science_in_nursing ugrad1. gcu. edu/learningPlatform/content/content. tml? operation=viewContent&contentId=64c8752c-002a-46c8-8d0c-33de471e7902 Seehorn, A. (â€Å"n. d. †). Defini tion of an Associate Degree. Retrieved from http://www. ehow. com/about_5095401_definition-associate-degree. html#ixzz2NgBBh9Xx Competency Differences between ADN verses BSN Nurses. Retrieved from What are the differences between a Diploma Nurse and a Bsn Nurse? (2010). Retrieved from http://www. healthecareers. com/article/what-are-the-differences-between-a-diploma-nurse-and-a-bsn-nurse/158335

Planning Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Planning Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 - Essay Example Also, it helps in substantiating the pros and con's involved. Through this research, other important factors will be pointed out and discussed as well. 2 An example of one of the con's of this new plan is related to the extra expense taxpayers will possibly have to bear. Funding has to come from somewhere and though it can be found in many government structures, many times the taxpayers are often the ones left with the brunt of the costs through various taxation implementations. From here the studied research will move on into how it can possibly provide a pro benefit for claimants of land and property with regard to various executions by the government for claiming land in developing. Relief compensation can sometimes be provided. There is an implied con to this as well though. Taxation falls onto the owners of land as well and sometimes the compensation they receive from the Government for entitlement to utilize their property is eaten away by taxation in capital and local forms. S o with this initial information presented thus far, this research will attempt to verify who it will be that will struggle the most (which is seeming to be taxpayers) and who will reap the most reward out of this new legislative act. All of this will be presented with a steadfast focus on the earth and the natural balance of the environment. RUNNING HEAD: THE NEW PLANNING COMPULSORY AND PURCHASE ACT OF 2004 As has been stated, there are a multitude of varying views with regards to the new Planning Compulsory Purchase Act of 2004. There are also quite a number of pro's associated and some con's as well, mainly the cons falling into an area of delay with construction and expansion procedures. The Governments' intention is to have the developers understand that, by this implementation of new developmental structure, taking the place of the old one, they will have more capabilities of deciding factors, of their own accord. The Government claims that this new plan will allow for speedier expediting in the decision making process within the areas of growth, development, and expansion (The Journal 2004, p.1). On the flip side of the issue, there are those who tend to think it will create a hindrance with regard to significant delays due to secondary legislation protocols whilst including other delaying issues as well (Johnson 2004, p.1). In expanding upon this view, it takes the approval of subsidiary legislation to provide the equipment and to locate funding necessary to create many of the developmental reforms being anticipated. The delays could occur due to the fact that quite a few of the implemented ideas for this new Act are still awaiting approval. One of these happens to be an alternative plan to fulfill the spot where the old agreement in Section 106 was. 3 The new idea involves a planning tariff implementation that has not been put into action as yet. Unfortunately, this idea will more than likely, not take place this year which could create some misconceptions in regards to claimants and permission to develop on their

Bahrain World Trade Centre Technical Report Essay

Bahrain World Trade Centre Technical Report - Essay Example What makes it unique is the fact that it was the first skyscraper in the world to have wind turbines into its design. The Bahrain World Trade Centre is constructed in close proximity of the King Faisal Highway, near population landmarks such as the Bahrain financial harbor, the National Bank of Bahrain and the scenic pearl roundabout. The building offers an un-obstructed view over the Arabian Gulf. It currently ranks as the second tallest building in Bahrain after the twin towers of the Bahrain Financial Harbour. Architecture and Physical Characteristics The Bahrain World Trade Centre is a revolutionary building as it is well equipped with inbuilt large scale wind turbines that supply 15% of the entire building’s electricity supply (Atkins 2012). The two 50 storey tapered, sail shaped architectural design of BWTC with a height of 240m is the only of its kind in the world to integrate wind turbines into its twin tower design. The Bahrain World Trade Centre master plan comprises of twin office towers, an associated single-storey huge shopping mall with a 30,000 square meters of exclusive boutiques and multi-brand retail outlets, departmental stores, food and beverage outlets, a car parking services, mother and baby rooms and a children’s entertainment and landscaped areas. ... Each tower provides 34 flexible floor plates ranging 120 to 820 sq.m area for offices and an exclusive 42nd floor viewing deck (Binder 2006). The BWTCs with a distinct nautical theme is a modern interpretation of traditional Arabian wind towers. Each of the towers is visibly anchored to the ground by a concertina of curved sail-like structure. The most distinct feature of the design is the integration of large- scale, commercially-available renewable wind energy turbines into a sustainable architecture design. The podium of the Bahrain World Business Centre accommodates a single-storey extension to the existing shopping mall and it does reflect the already established modular, axial and spatial parameters. Three levels of covered car parking space are available within the podium with further extensive parking and service areas provided in the basement. The Bahrain World Trade Centre Location of the wind parameters The Bahrain World Trade Centre was situated along the highway so as to fully harness the Persian Gulf winds since the wind in Bahrain is almost always consistent. The Bahrain World Trade Centre has three 29m horizontal axis turbines suspended between two-story 34 story towers of prime office space. Both of these towers have been designed to catch and accelerate the prevailing mild coastal winds of Bahrain. The design of this complex provides for three 29m diameter wind turbines that are supported horizontally between the two towers. The elliptical plan form and sail-like tapered design of both towers acts as aerofoil and it funnels and lifts the onshore breeze flowing from Persian Gulf. The wind funneling and lifting of air behind the towers due to tapered design creates a negative

Strategic IT Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Strategic IT Management - Assignment Example Introduction of several differentiated products and expected technology revolution increased the needs of customers. Since then, the organizations are always trying to develop several effective business and operational strategies in order to survive in the competitive global business market. E-commerce is the example of modern technological revolution. Several global, glocal and local organizations are providing the facility of online goods and services to their customers through this e-commerce concept. Mobile commerce or M-commerce is an important evolving area of e-commerce. The mobile commerce helps their users to interact with several service providers through a wireless network and mobile. Moreover, in mobile commerce process, mobile devices are being used for transaction processing and information retrieval. Location based service is an important mobile application that is introduced by the mobile industry in order to fulfil the demand of the customers. However, the study will analyze and evaluate several aspects of mobile application and location based services. In order to support the evaluation, several background theories have been applied in this study. This evaluation will help the readers to understand the significance of mobile commerce and location-based services. Identification of Key Ares The complications of modern life are dramatically changing due to change in purchasing or consumption process of the customers. It is difficult for the people to consume time for traditional shopping processes and activities due to their daily busy work schedule. Mobile commerce is a significant and important aspect of e-commerce. People generally place their orders through several mobile commerce applicatio

Compare Deaths of General Washington with that of Alexander Hamilton Research Paper

Compare Deaths of General Washington with that of Alexander Hamilton - Research Paper Example Alexander Hamilton died as Aaron Burr shot him. Aaron was a political opponent in the famous duel that ended his life in 1804. Some Hamilton’s last words were about his faith in Christ and his firm belief in Christianity and fervent hope of clemency through the virtues and mediations of Christ1. Washington’s religious convictions Washington and his family were initially Anglicans. Washington used to go to church in his wife’s company. He never participated in some rituals like taking communion. He therefore, used to leave the church before the services ended so that he did not take the communion. This went on until he ceased attending church on communion occasions since a priest reprimanded him. He attended many services at many churches as a President. Among those churches he attended were Presbyterian, Catholic, Quaker, and Congregational. He officially addressed twenty-two religious groups, which gave him more understanding on religion. Washington was a very g enerous man who attended many charity events and donated to the poor, schools, and colleges. In 1793, widows and orphans in Philadelphia suffered from yellow fever endemic that distressed the capital city. As a leading citizen, Washington led the country in demonstrating charity to the affected2. General Washington’s Christian affiliations General Washington was an honest leader who believed in religious rights, and used his powers as general and president to enhance goodwill among Protestants, Catholics, and Jews. Both in public and in private, he denounced prejudicial tendencies of diverse kinds together with religious bigotry. He was always deluding of making every American to enjoy the provisions within their boundaries as illustrated by his ideologies in the book of Micah. He was not superstitious since he hoped that America would be a place where truth and reason will overcome biases and superstition. Washington also used to go to church and he was an affiliate of the A nglican Church. Before the war began, he was a successful proprietor who served on the vestry for Christ Church in Alexandria, Virginia and for Pohick Church, which was close to his Mount Vernon home. The parish was the part of local government and it deal mostly with public matters like roads. Washington and other Framers emphasized the Christian ideologies of America. He did not separate his Christian principles from his public policies. This is evident in the American Revolution when he reminded his soldiers, that for them to be patriotic, they should show the characters of true Christians. He called on every man and officer to live and act like Christian soldiers shielding the treasured rights and autonomy of his country. He also assured the Delaware Indians who had their children in American schools that the congress would do everything to assist them in their wise intentions of wanting to learn the religion of Jesus Christ. Washington liked using Christian references and rheto ric in official acts and writings.3 Washington used to declare his Christianity loyalty openly. This is what all the honest Christians do unless they are hypocrites. Washington was not a hypocrite because most of the people who knew him best proved that. Washington was a true deist who appeared to have the characteristics disregard of the past Deist for the appearance and doctrine of institutional belief. Additionally he had a strong hatred of the â€Å"upper-class Deist for sectarian†

Healthcare Systems Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Healthcare Systems - Article Example The Institute of Medicine’s report suggests the implementation of patient safety programs. This means that culture, procedures, and measurements must be reversed to soot the patient needs. The healthcare system has to use this in order to bring transparency in its operation. With this, patients and other customers can willingly table their suggestions, concerns, and observations that can be of help to the organizational functioning. Culture relies on the leadership. As the CEO, I have to incorporate it into the system. This will in return improve patient care, service delivery, and safety. In addition, working as CEO for large healthcare company I will ensure that the firm changes its organizational culture, structure, and design so that it reflects the patient’s needs. Research findings show that most of the patients receive unsatisfactory services. The healthcare system has to be reformed in order to satisfy them. By reforming the system, most patients will afford the health services, there will be an improvement in quality and common complication in patients can be brought under control. Standardizing processes require a high level of technology. This means that a lot of money must be used to purchase the necessary equipment. This may be very difficult because of the limited budgets allocated each year. While accepting the fact that it will reduce errors, it is not safe because the information, which is very confidential, may leak out to other people who may hack the system. It may be very difficult to realize any change in data until it is very late. In addition, most people will lose their jobs because the technology will replace their spaces.

Law assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Law assignment - Essay Example Ewing is expected to win the case being treated unfairly compared to the other students who also failed in the particular exams. 3. This case would lead to the limitation of the rights of students and the justification of inequalities in educational institutes – potentially in other organizational areas also. Journal Activity  2 1. Lee entered a liquor store for buying cognac. However, he thought he could have it without paying for it or, at least, not for all of it. He took two bottles of cognac from the self but concealed one of them in his pants. The employee saw him and approached him. Then, Lee left both bottles and started to run. However, he was caught by a near-by police officer and was prosecuted for shoplifting. 2. Shoplifting is the criminal offence discussed in this case. The specific crime can be generally characterized as theft; however, its level is different across states, in accordance with the limits set for the value of the goods stolen. Normally, shoplift ing is characterized as a misdemeanor; for goods over the $500, shoplifting is considered as a felony. Shoplifting laws are highly differentiated across states. 3. The effective enforcement of law related to shoplifting, as of other crimes also, could be a means for increasing the sense of safety of citizens in their daily activities. Journal Activity  3 1. Philip Smith brought with him in school a poisonous spider. He locked it in his locker thinking that it could not escape. However, two students opened Philip’s locker, the spider escaped and entered the locker room of Judy Norton. The girl was bitten by the spider and sued Smith for the injury she suffered. 2. Norton can use the personal injury law which entitles the person who suffered the injury the right to ask for compensation for the injury he suffered but also for damages of other types (damages for emotional pain, future medical expenses and so on). Norton is expected to win the case only if she proves that Smith had responsibility for the injury, i.e. that he could have foreseen the danger and that he did not take the necessary measures to avoid it. 3. This case could help to understand clearer the liability for not taking the necessary measures when owning a pet/ animal. Journal Activity  4 1. A divorce case has been brought before a federal district court because the parties involved, Shahnaz and Vasu Harinath, wanted to keep the problem secret – referring to their community. Would the federal district court hear the case? 2. The family law is applied to this case. However, in accordance with the laws on jurisdiction, the federal district courts do not have the power to hear such cases. It is expected that the case will be diverted to a state court. 3. The specific case would be important answering to the following question: are the parties of a law dispute free in choosing the court that will hear their case? Journal Activity  5 1. I agree with the auto dealership. Since there is a mistake in the advertising, which the auto dealership could not control, it would not be fair for his advertisement to be considered as an offer. Also, generally, the courts do not consider advertisements as ‘offer’, refusing the potential of an advertisement to bind the party that made the advertisement (for instance, Partridge v Crittenden 1968). More specifically, in the context of the

Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun - Research Paper Example He mixes Coast Salish cosmology and Northwest Coast reserved design standards with aspects of European surrealist and scenery painting traditions. Yuxweluptun handles controversial social, political, environmental, and cultural subjects, in these vibrant colors, a lot mysteriously witty painting. He is much more concerned with giving voice to the concerns but feels that the conventional forms of the Northwest Coast are not enough. Yuxweluptun clearly challenges the perception of a revitalization of Northwest Coast art, which he presumes reinvents tradition and by doing so, emphasizes a disgraceful inheritance of prejudice and anguish of the First Nations people of modern discussion. Tweaker For over 20 years Yuxweluptun work have articulated a far-ranging range of socio-political issues including the realities of urban Aboriginal life, ecological squalor, Aboriginal rights and freedoms, colonialism, and the social division produced by deprivation, reliance and mistreatment. Integrati ng a far ranging of techniques borrowed from First Nations and Western customs, he investigates the explosive connection between cultures in divergence. In Tweaker a rebellion of multifaceted and multihued oviods populates the canvas. Yuxweluptun it seems is keen on recreating a torrid activity and mindset of meth users who frequent Vancouver’s infamous Downtown Eastside. These persons who are viewed as members of an aberrant society, have become the victims of ill-treatment both the government and the peddlers who rely and/or on them (Laurence 50-55). Scorched Earth, Clear-cut Logging, Shaman Coming to Fix This is a more sophisticated painting on an analogous theme. A shaman, in the front of the left hand corner, is gloomy faced certainly, and stands on next to a squatting individual.... For over 20 years Yuxweluptun work have articulated a far-ranging range of socio-political issues including the realities of urban Aboriginal life, ecological squalor, Aboriginal rights and freedoms, colonialism, and the social division produced by deprivation, reliance and mistreatment. Integrating a far ranging of techniques borrowed from First Nations and Western customs, he investigates the explosive connection between cultures in divergence. In Tweaker a rebellion of multifaceted and multihued oviods populates the canvas. Yuxweluptun it seems is keen on recreating a torrid activity and mindset of meth users who frequent Vancouver’s infamous Downtown Eastside. These persons who are viewed as members of an aberrant society, have become the victims of ill-treatment both the government and the peddlers who rely and/or on them. This is a more sophisticated painting on an analogous theme. A shaman, in the front of the left hand corner, is gloomy faced certainly, and stands on n ext to a squatting individual. The aspects in the backdrop moan and lie sagging and sapped.

Advanced Managerial Accounting Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Advanced Managerial Accounting Report - Essay Example Both articles illustrate the advantages associated with using target costing. The project phases of the M-Class project were concept phase, risk and opportunities, project realization, goal oriented, and production phase. At Mercedes Benz the usage of target costing was first brought to the company by the engineering staff, not the accountants. A company that was mentioned in article 8.1 was Olympus. This company made the change from cost targets to target costing. At Mercedes Benz target costing was a logical choice because the company was designing the product from scratch and at the same time it was introducing a new production facility. To be successful with target costing companies have to consider a variety of factors including price led costing, customer orientation, focus on product and process design, cross functional teams, life cycle cost reductions, and value chain

Images of nurse and nursing Essay Example for Free

Images of nurse and nursing Essay The article entitled â€Å"Perceived and real barriers for men entering nursing: Implications for gender diversity,† aimed to explain the barriers, whether perceived or real, for men seeking a career in nursing. It is theorized that the public image of nursing is that of a traditional feminine career. However, in lieu with the recent nursing shortage that has been plaguing the country, it is speculated that men remain as an untapped reservoir of potential nurses and need to be targeted through recruitment strategies (Roth Coleman, 2008). The authors established in their paper that if the barriers, whether real or perceived, can be addressed to suggest strategies that can ameliorate these barriers, then the recruitment of males into the profession may help in providing more nurses to fill the shortage. The image of nurses has been long depicted as a young female taking care of the ill and subordinate to male physicians and administrators (Roth Coleman, 2008). These women are also perceived as not capable of making important decisions and were handmaidens to the physicians. Furthermore, it was researched that according to most students the reason why they did not choose to enter the nursing career is because of a perception that they would not attain job satisfaction and the second was that nurses were too squeamish (Roth Coleman, 2008). Most young men believed that nursing is a profession for females and that they have fears of being perceived as gay or being feminine. Other barriers mentioned was the absence of the historical contributions of nurses who were male, considering that most nursing texts use the pronoun she in referring to nurses and that nursing education programs have been unsuccessful in creating an environment that is conducive for men, e. g. the lack of male professors and clinical instructors. However, there are still a few men who have chosen to enter the nursing profession and a major factor that engrossed men to the nursing profession was the influence of parents, specifically mothers, which are employed in nursing or other healthcare professions. Also, most men in the profession had previous careers and perceived their nursing career to be better than anticipated. The authors suggest that to ameliorate the current barriers, the public perceptions of nursing that create barriers for male nurses has to be challenged. Other suggestions that they presented include the increasing the number of males in the nursing academia and communicate through scholarly articles how gender diversity has enriched the profession. The discussions in schools should include more often the history of men in nursing and that they should also target nontraditional male students that are older and diverse. In response to this article, I deem that there is a truth to what the researchers have speculated that there is perceived barriers that inhibit the males from entering the nursing profession. In lieu with this, the suggested ways in how to ameliorate the situation can help in possibly encouraging the men in joining the profession. It can be noted that majority of the nurses, whether or not working in the clinical setting, students or professors teaching in the academia are females. It has been greatly noted that many male nurses have made the profession more diverse and the physical attributes of males are needed in certain nursing work. Being a nurse, whether or not one has the passion for it and considers it a calling, or was just a nurse by chance, should always bear in mind that this is a profession that only aims to care and hope for the best in the client or the patient’s wellbeing. Furthermore, I deem that the nursing profession should not have any gender biases, as it is a profession that only seeks to care for humanity, both males and females.

Ruxolitinib for Intermediate-2 Primary Myelofibrosis.

Ruxolitinib for Intermediate-2 Primary Myelofibrosis. Critical appraisal on the use of ruxolitinib for treatment in adult with intermediate-2 primary myelofibrosis. Introduction: Patients with primary myelofibrosis are prone to develop complicated infection due to defect in their humoral immunity. In addition, patients may develop complication such as portal hypertension, splenic infarction (which may lead to nausea, vomiting and shoulder discomfort), osteosclerosis, hypertrophic osteoarthropathy, occasionally periostitis, spinal cord compression, seizures, haemoptysis and gastrointestinal (GI) tract bleeding. (6, 7, 8, 9) In UK, Novartis holds the marketing authorisation for oral formulation. Ruxolitinib works by inhibiting Janus associated tyrosine kinase (JAK1 and JAK2) protein signalling. Ruxolitinib (Jakavi) is licensed for the treatment of disease related splenomegaly or symptoms in adult patients with primary myelofibrosis, post-polycythaemia vera myelofibrosis or post essential thrombocythaemia myelofibrosis but not recommended by NICE.(10) The major adverse drug reaction associated with Jakavi, documented in the summary of product characterisation (SPC) at incidence greater than 10% are urinary tract infection, anaemia, thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, hypercholesterolemia, dizziness, headache, increase both alanine aminotransaminase and asparte aminotransferase, bruising , bleeding and increase blood pressure. Novartis also recorded other common side effect patient experienced incidence between 1-10% was weight gain, flatulence and herpes zoster, whiles tuberculosis incidence was 1%.(3) The following clinical study, COMFORT-I and COMFORT-II trails as well as primary peered review articles Verstovsek S, Masa RA, Gotlib J, et al and Harrison C, Kiladjian JJ, Al-Ali HK, et al published in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) is used to address the questions below; Evidence recommendation for or against the use of ruxolitinib in Mrs MN treatment Pharmaceutical care plan and medication optimisation for Mrs MN. Creditability and quality of evidence The clinical trial from COMFORT-I was a multicentre (USA, Canada and Australia), phase III, randomised, double blind trial (large sample size, n=309) that compared patient treatment in primary myelofibrosis with ruxolitinib (n=155) to placebo (n=154). All patients enrolled in the trial had intermediate-2 risk or high risk of myelofibrosis, a palpable spleen length of at least 5cm and was 18years or above. Patients excluded were those with an absolute neutrophil count of 1x 109/L or less, platelet count less than 100x 109/L. Incyte pharmaceutical funded this trial.(5) The COMFORT-II trial, was a multicentre (Europe with UK inclusive), phase III, randomised, open label trial that compared ruxolitinib (146) with best available therapy n=73 (hydroxycarbamide, prednisone, opoetin, lenalidomide and thalidomide). The trial was funded by Novartis pharmaceuticals. (4) The primary outcome for both trails was the proportion of patients having a spleen volume reduction of 35% or more from baseline and assessed by MRI or CT scan. The primary efficacy outcome was measured at 24 weeks in CONFORT I and 48 weeks in COMFORT II. Also the COMFORT trail (50% of primary myelofibrosis PM) population of patients with different subtypes of myelofibrosis did not reflect the global prevalence (i.e. PM is 30 times more) data reported. In addition the trials were not powered to measure overall survival or to detect statistically significant differences between subgroups (that is sex, myelofibrosis subtype), IPSS risk category or JAK2 mutation status.(1,2,3,4,5) Patient background verse evidence: Mrs MN creatinine clearance (CrCl) is 60ml/ min (normal about 100-125ml/min). The UK guideline for identification, management and referral March 2006 show that, she has stage 2 mild degree of renal function. But from SPC it is unclear, how this will increase Mrs MN risk of taking ruxolitinib. I must point out that Mrs MN is overweight with a BMI of 28 and ruxolitinib common side effect is weight gain (1-10% incidence rate). Mrs MN is capable of carrying out light house or office work from her ECOG status 1. Again patient is taking clarithromycin prescribed by GP, for possible chest infection. Novartis pharmaceutical (Javaki SPC) advises to treat any infection prior to taking ruxolitinib. (3) Mrs MN presenting complain with symptoms of anorexia, lethargy, night sweats, fever and a productive cough is a suggestive of tuberculosis (TB) infection. She is returning from holiday where risk of getting TB infection is high. If Mrs MN is prescribed ruxolitinib, she has high chances of developing complicated TB. Base on the evolution of patient background and evidences, I will not recommend ruxolitinib treatment for Mrs MN. Since Mrs MN will be receiving treatment for tuberculosis (isoniazid/ rifampicin) for at least 6 months, there is significant interaction between isoniazid and clarithromycin. Isoniazid will increase the level or effect of clarithromycin by affecting hepatic or intestinal enzyme CYP3A4 metabolism. Hence clarithromycin dose be reduce when taking with isoniazid and monitor closely. (4, 5, 11) If opting for rifampicin TB treatment, rifampicin will decrease the level or effect of clarithromycin by affecting hepatic or intestinal enzyme CYP3A4 metabolism. Hence, increase the dose of clarithromycin for the duration of treating chest infection.(11) Also, Mrs MN should be advised to recognise signs of liver disorders to discontinue treatment and seek immediate medical attention if symptoms such as vomiting, nausea, malaise and jaundice develop. (11) References: Verstovsek S, Masa RA, Gotlib J, et al. A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trail of Ruxolitinib for Myelofibrosis. The New England Journal of Medicine.2012; 366(799): 807. Harrison C, Kiladjian JJ, Al-Ali HK, et al. JAK Inhibition with Ruxolitinib versus Best Available Therapy for Myelofibrosis. The New England Journal of Medicine.2012; 366(787):98. JAKAVI, Summary of Product Characterisation. Novartis Pharmaceutical Ltd, http://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/medicine/26991. [Assessed on 07/02/2015] JAKAVI (ruxolitinib), COMFORT-II Clinical Study Fact Sheet. file:///F:/Appraisal%20Assignment/COMFORT-II-ClinicalTrial-fact-sheet.pdf. [Assessed on 08/02/2015]. .JAKAVI (ruxolitinib), COMFORT-I Clinical Study Fact Sheet. file:///F:/Appraisal%20Assignment/Jakavi.pdf. [Assessed on 08/02/2015] Heuck G. Zwei Falle von Leukemie mit eigenthumlichen Blutresp. Knockenmarksbefund. Arch Pathol Anat Physiol Virchows. 1879;(78)475-96. Barosi G. Myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia: diagnostic definition and prognostic classification for clinical studies and treatment guidelines. J Clin Oncol. 1999;17(9):2954-70.. Vallespà ­ T, Imbert M, Mecucci C, Preudhomme C, Fenaux P. Diagnosis, classification, and cytogenetics of myelodysplastic syndromes. Haematologica. Mar 1998;83(3):258-75. Jacobson RJ, Salo A, Fialkow PJ. Agnogenic myeloid metaplasia: a clonal proliferation of hematopoietic stem cells with secondary myelofibrosis. Blood. 1978;51(2):189-94. NICE, Ruxolitinib for disease-related splenomegaly or symptoms in adults with myelofibrosis http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta289/evidence . Assessed on 11/02/2015 BNF 68 September 2014 to March 2015. Joseph Appleton K0606850 Group 3Page 1

A Study On The Social Security Social Policy Essay

A Study On The Social Security Social Policy Essay Social security defined as the protection which society provides for its members through a series of public measures against the economic and social distress that otherwise would be caused by the stoppage or substantial reduction of earnings resulting from sickness, maternity, employment injury, invalidity and death (ILO 1984:3), is perennial and ubiquitous as human society. It plays a significant role in the lives of many people especially those with minimal incomes. As noted by Hill (2006) it is collective action to protect individuals against income deficiencies Social security system therefore, is made up of one or more social security programmes, a method of financing, and a mode of administration, that can be configured to achieve particular social security objectives (Dixon 1999:10). This does not, however, necessarily imply uniformity of social security systems globally. This paper therefore seeks to examine the discrete social security systems that exist in different countries and as such bring to bear the sources of their difference. It would be argued that the distinction among countries is as a result of the diverse histories of social security provision as well as the different welfare regimes that take place in the various countries. The paper will further explore the diversity in relation to selective or universal social security systems in terms of social insurance, social assistance and social allowance/contingent benefits and draw on examples from UK, USA, Sweden, and Germany to substantiate the discussion. Social security is intrinsically aimed at poverty prevention or alleviation, compensation as well as redistribution of income. This function can be delivered through non systemic social security such as the family, voluntary organizations (charity, friendly societies, credit unions and trade unions) as well as market. The state however, plays a very significant role of social security provision in many countries. Notwithstanding the permeating nature of social security, there is diversity in the systems of operation globally and this is as a result of the ideological underpinnings of different countries. In other words, the social security provisioning in countries depend on the political ideologies and welfare regimes that exist and this to a large extent shape the system of social security. Dixon (1999:1) captures this as he writes the right of social security is realized in varying degrees in different countries, as determined by their traditions, history, level of socioeconomic development and the prevailing political and social philosophies, which come together and determine who should be the social security winners or losers. Thus, eligibility for social security benefits is one form of distinction that exists in different countries. This has to do with the conditions or prescriptions to be satisfied in order to receive a particular social security benefit. Either by way of selective me ans-test or universal citizenship benefits as well as contributory or non contributory tax financed benefits. Selective social security is where only particular individuals or groups are covered by a social security programme and this is usually based on means-test subject to household income and resources. The major function of selective social security is poverty alleviation and this is achieved through social assistance programmes. Social assistance is a selective means-tested social security system in which resources are targeted at those most in need. In the words of Dixon (1999:5), it is a selective-categorical approach to social security. This system unlike social insurance does not rely on personal contribution but is funded through public revenues (taxes and budgets). Eligibility is based on citizenship as well as residency and beneficiaries need to satisfy certain conditions like low income to qualify for allowances, grants and other supports to supplement their incomes. This could be provided in cash as in the Transitional Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) in USA, tax credits i n UK or in kind food stamps programme available to low income individuals and families in the USA (Walker2005:6). Universal social security on the other hand is a social security programme that gives coverage to the entire population whether citizens or residents and is a non contributory system. This social allowance program provides benefits to all legal residents (Bradshaw Deacon 1983) or citizens and financing is generally through public revenues. The essential function of this system is the prevention of poverty. Dixon (1999:8) describes this as a universal-categorical approach to social security, whereby usually flat-rate and uniform cash pensions and benefits are provided to residents (usually subject to minimum residency period requirement) or citizens in designated categories of presumed need, commonly without reference to their current or past employment experience. He further goes on to say social allowance recognizes common responsibility of all people for the welfare of others (Dixon 1999:64). Countries with such universal social security programs in terms of social allowance include UK, Sweden, New Zealand, Denmark etc. In the UK and Sweden, child allowances are major universal social security systems. In addition, Sweden has a basic universal non contributory citizens pension. Other universal social security systems include New Zealand old age allowance and Denmarks universal pension for old age or disability (OECD 1996). Moreover, citizenship based benefits is another form of universal social security in which a universal basic income is provided to citizens. Participation tested universal systems also provide universal benefits based on modified social insurance. Furthermore, social insurance is yet a strategy of social security and this is earnings related as well as contributory. In the terms of Dixon (1999:4) social insurance is an employment-related, contributory approach to social security. This is a selective social security system in which entitlements are based on prior contributions and either financed from current contribution revenue or past contribution income accrued. In addition, contribution is mandatory and may be based on flat rates or earnings related and its primary social security goal is to prevent poverty. The social insurance strategy is basically a major social security system globally for most pension schemes and as noted by Dixon (1999), about 148 countries have adopted it at least for one of their social security programmes. In addition to the differences in social security strategies outlined above, another source of difference in social security systems is attributable to the different types of welfare regimes. Welfare regimes according to Walker (2005:13) refer to the different ways in which countries or jurisdictions organize economic production and transfers within the context of a capitalist market economy. Based on the type of regime, social security provision could be shifted to the family, market or state. For instance in a liberal regime, emphasis is on the markets and hence the individual relies on family and private insurance for social security. In other words, collective welfare is provided through the market with residual targeted state support for those who are unable to contribute (Walker 2005). Countries within this category include USA and to some extent UK. A socially democratic regime emphasize on universalistic modified social insurance with dominant role of the state. Social security is seen as a universal right for citizens and as such universal basic benefits. As noted by Walker (2005:16), receipt of a public service or benefit becomes both a right and a badge of citizenship, a statement of equal worth and solidarity. The social security is funded through public revenues (taxation). For example Sweden and Denmark within this regime have universal child allowance and basic universal pensions respectively. On the other hand, in the conservative regimes, social security is provided through collective transfers or social insurance with little or no social assistance. The role of the state is that of promoting the welfare of its citizens through regulation and, where appropriate, facilitation (Walker 2005:16). Pooling of risk is a key component of this social security system. Emphasis is on the family and support is provided to the male breadwinner while the female homemaker is dependent on her employed husband (Walker 2005). In addition compensatory rights for workers as well as earnings related social insurance and family allowance are other forms of support. This regime is found in Germany, France and Japan. In the light of the foregoing discussion, the paper did bring to bear that social security is very crucial for poverty alleviation and prevention. This therefore explains its dominance globally but in different forms. The paper has discussed the difference in social security systems in relation to coverage (selective/universal) and the different strategies used as well as the different social security regimes which also shape the social security systems of various countries. Despite the diversity in systems of social security, it is possible to identify major strategies through which these social securities are constructed globally. This paper therefore looked at three major strategies, social assistance, social insurance and social allowance/contingent benefits in relation to UK, USA, Sweden and Germany as well as the different social security regimes. In conclusion, it can be emphasized that though social security systems differ in varied countries, they all aim at poverty alleviat ion or prevention, social compensation, redistribution of income, fostering social cohesion as well improving on the standard of living of people. References Bradshaw, J. Deacon, A. (1983) Reserved for the Poor Blackwell Ditch, J (1999) Poverty and Social Security in the European Union, in J. Ditch (ed.) Introduction to social security: Policies, benefits and poverty, London: Routledge, pp 227-38 Dixon, J. (1999) Social Security in Global Perspective Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers London Eardley, T. et al., (1992) Social Assistance in OECD Countries: Country Reports DSS Research Report No 47, Off Pubs. 42 f8919/46 Hill, M. (2006) Social Policy in the Modern World: A comparative text Blackwell. International Labour Organization (1984) Introduction to Social Security Geneva: ILO Kingson, E. Schulz, J. (1997) Social Security in the 21st Century New York: Oxford University Press Millar, J. (ed.) Understanding Social Security, 2009, Bristol: The Policy Press. Titmuss, M. R. (1956) The Social Division of Welfare University Press Walker, R. (2005) Social Security and Welfare: Concepts and Comparisons Open University Press

The Hindenburg :: American America History

The Hindenburg The Inferno The arrival of the Hindenburg, thirteen hours behind schedule, at Lakehurst, New Jersey, on the evening of May 6, 1937, promised to be routine. The ship had an unblemished safety record on eighteen previous Atlantic crossings. In fact, no passenger had ever lost his life on any commercial airship. Still, because this was the beginning of the most ambitious season yet for airship voyages, reporters, photographers and news reel cameramen had their eyes and lenses focused on the great dirigible as it approached. When disaster struck it was sudden. Without warning flames gushed from within the Hindenburg's hull; thirty-two seconds later the airship lay on the ground, ravaged. Never had the sights and sounds of a disaster in progress been so graphically documented. Within a day, newspaper readers and theater audiences were confronted by fiery images of the Hindenburg. Radio listeners heard the emotional words of newsman Herb Morrison, sobbing into his recorder, "It's burning, bursting int o flames, and it's falling on the mooring mast and all the folks. This is one of the worst catastrophes in the world. . . . Oh, the humanity and all the passengers!(Marben 58)" When this floating cathedral, called the Hindenburg, burst into a geyser of flaming hydrogen there was a tremendous impact on the public, although two thirds of the people on board survived. Two theories about why it happened surfaced and this tragedy put an end to the short age of these massive airships. The demise of the Hindenburg had a searing impact on public consciousness that far surpassed the bare statistics of the calamity. Men and women escaped, even from this inferno. One elderly lady walked out by the normal exit as though nothing had happened and was unscratched. A fourteen-year-old cabin boy jumped to the ground into flames and smoke. He was almost unconscious from the fumes when a water-ballast bag collapsed over his head. He got out. One passenger hacked his way through a jungle of hot metal using his bare hands. Another emerged safely, only to have another passenger land upon him and cripple him. One man, at an open window with every chance to jump to safety, went back into the flames to his wife, both died. The final count was 36 dead, including 13 passengers. Nearly two thirds, of the 97 persons on board survived, but that fact was forever obscured, and the name Hindenburg became comparable only to the name Titanic(Abbott 69).

Realisations of direct object :: essays research papers fc

In this essay I would like to focus on the possible realisations of a direct object. At the beginning I will try to explain what an object is. I want to make clear difference between direct and indirect objects and I will also write about some other clausal elements which influence objects. Generally, we can distinguish five basic elements within a sentence: subject, verb, complement and object. Let’s imagine we have a sentence in which there is involved some action. If the action or event involves another person or thing which the action affects, relates to or produces, we express it by placing a nominal group referring to them directly after the verbal group (verb). This is called direct object (I-subject- don’t like- verbal group- Jack.-object realised by a nominal group). Clauses which contain a direct object are called transitive clauses. Verbs contained in these clauses which are followed by direct object are called transitive verbs. Direct object is the most frequent kind of object and if there is an indirect object in the sentence, there must be a direct object as well (but there are some exceptions from this rule). An object (both direct and indirect) can be also described as a noun phrase or clause with nominal function which follows subject and predicator (verbal group). For distinguishing objects it is necessary to know that by being made passive they assume the role of subject. Objects can be realised by a nominal group or by finite clauses. The finite clauses can be further divided into â€Å"that† clauses and â€Å"wh-â€Å"clauses. Other way of realising objects are non- finite clauses. We distinguish two types of them: â€Å"to infinitive† clauses and â€Å"-ing† clauses. The example of a direct object realised by a nominal group can be: The police (subject) caught (verb) the murderer (direct object). Direct objects realised by pronouns belong to this category as well. Pronoun is considered to be a nominal group. We use so called object pronouns in these sentences. Object pronouns are: me, us, you, him, her, it and them. Example of such realisation is: Jack (subject) couldn’t find (verb) them (object realised by a pronoun). Usage of â€Å"that† clauses depends on the verb in the preceding clause. Verbs which are often followed by â€Å"that† clause can be divided into verbs of knowing and perceiving (believe, imagine, find, realise, see) - I believe that the situation will improve soon.

Depression and Finding Help Essay -- Depression Psychiatry Psychology

Depression and Finding Help Depression is defined as an illness; the feelings of depression persist and interfere with a child or adolescent’s ability to function. Depression can be a very difficult and painful experience that affects not only the individual suffering from it, but also the people around them. There comes a point in some peoples’ lives where social isolation, low energy, sadness, low self-esteem, and the feeling of hopelessness, cannot be taken anymore. The feelings are so strong and persistent, that the victim becomes severely unhappy, which can then result in depression. Clinical depression has many related symptoms trouble sleeping, eating disorders, withdrawal and inactivity, self-punishment, and loss of pleasure. People that are depressed do not like to do things they may usually like to. However, there are many differences between feeling depressed and actually suffering from depression, the disease. Any person feels depressed at some time or another in their life. They feel worthless, tired and tend to want to be alone without human interaction, this is normal. Depression brings on poor concentration or inability to think and make decisions (Kist 26). Surveys that have been taken that show approximately 20 in 100 people suffer from depression at any one time. About one if four Americans will suffer from a depression over the course of their lifetime. Depression strikes men and women of all ages, in all races, but most studies indicate that women are more often afflicted. Depression comes in many different types: major, manic and dysthymia are a few. A chronic, physical illness, drug habit, death of a loved one; or a problem in a marriage cause major depression. Even though most people with major depression will recover, half will suffer another episode (Hales 38). People with severe cases of major depression can’t work, study, or interact and eventually can’t feed, clothe or clean themselves (Hales 38).Manic depression is a type of depres sion that goes from a person being extremely happy and then becoming severely depressed (Kist 107). Being in a depressed state can be life threatening. People suffering from manic depression show many symptoms. A few major ones are hyperactivity; talking fast, inability, fear of dying, and jumping from one topic to another during a conversation (Kist 39). Another type is Psychoanalysis. Psychoanaly... ...on to a better, more productive lifestyle. Overall, there are many causes of this unbearable disease, and often many times a combination of genetic, psychological, and environmental factors are involved in the onset of a depressive disorder. However, the big risk factor in major depression is suicide. Within five years of suffering from major depression, an estimated 25% of sufferers try to kill themselves. Therefore, it is important to take action when confronted with the symptoms of this disease. Depression reaches many people and that is why I chose this as my topic. Depression is maybe the most painful illness, but it can be overcome. Hopefully everyone with depression seeks help either through medication or therapy. Bibliography Blackman, Maurice. You Asked about †¦ Adolescent Depression. Available at http://www.mental.health.com/mag1/pgs51-dp01.html Hales, Dianne. Depression. Chelsea House Publishers, New York, Philadelphia, 1989. Kist, Jay. "Dealing with Depression† Current Health 2 Jan.1997 25-28. Lytle, Victoria. The dark clouds of Depression. NEA Today Dec.1994. Spike Milligan and Anthony Clare. Depression and how to Survive it. Arrow 1994.

History vs. Hollywood Essay

Glory: Hollywood vs. History Glory is a movie about the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, one of the first official all black units in the United States during the Civil War. It’s an inspirational story of how a young Union soldier, Robert Gould Shaw, is offered the chance to lead an army unit that will change not only his life, but the lives of many other Americans. Glory does a great Job of capturing many of the feelings towards the black soldiers during the Civil War. The film is based off of the writings of Robert Gould Shaw, from letters he sent to his friends and family members. Most of the events in the movie re depicted very closely to how they actually happened. Director Edward Zwick tried to keep the movie as historically accurate as possible but, as many history movies do, Glory left out some important details. Shaws parents were both well-known abolitionist, and in Glory, so is he. Truthfully, Shaw didn’t share his parents’ passion for freeing the slaves. Shaw spent most of his youth studying and traveling in Europe. Eventually he attended Harvard, but ended up dropping out. Not long after leaving Harvard, the war began and Shaw found his purpose. He immediately Joined the army and headed to the fght. After nearly 3 years, Shaw reached the rank of Captain. This is when he received the opportunity to lead the 54th. In the film, Shaw is asked by Massachusetts Governor John A. Andrew to lead the 54th while at a dinner party, and after little hesitation, he gladly accepts. In reality, Shaw wasn’t Andrews first choice for the position, nor was Shaw ever at said dinner party. Shaw was actually approached by his father at a Union camp. At first Shaw declined, then after a few days of thought and pressure from his mother, he reluctantly accepted. In the movie, Shaw is promoted to Colonel immediately after accepting the position, but military ecords show he was a major for several months until the regiment grew in numbers. In Glory, Shaw asks his best friend, Cabot Forbes, to be his Major. In reality, Forbes doesn’t actually exist, or never did. The writers of Glory combined two of the recipients of Shaws letters’ names together and created the character of Cabot Forbes. In fact, of the main characters in Glory, Shaw is the only one who was a real person. Silas Trip, John Rawlins, and the rest of Glorys stars are all composite characters. On that note, the movie gives the idea that most of the members of the 4th were runaway slaves, while nearly all of the members were actually free blacks from the North. Frederick Douglass makes in appearance in the movie, but his two sons, who were actually members of the 54th, do not. Going back to Shaws feelings about the 54th, Shaw was, at first, dubious. After working with the men and realizing that they could fght Just as well as white soldiers, he grew to respect them. Shaw became eager to get his men into action, so he could prove what they were capable of. Shaw later learns that the black soldiers were to be paid less than the white ones. In the movie, Shaw announces this to the regiment, and Private Silas Trip, a former slave who escaped his masters, begins protesting and gets all of the men to tear up their paychecks and boycott. Shaw then says â€Å"If you men will take no pay, then none of us will. â€Å", and tears up his check as well. In reality, Shaw was the one who led the boycott, refusing all wages until the problem was fixed. In the movie, Shaw spends a lot ot time tgnting to get unitorms and shoes tor his soldiers. The unitorms eventually arrive, but the shoes do not. Shaw has to go to one of his superiors and argue for the shoes. There is a moment where the colored men escort Shaw to the door and stand watch in a comical way. This scene shows that Shaw has truly developed a bond with his men, but is really for the audience’s pleasure. Nothing is written of this dispute, though there is no doubt was an actual problem. Shaw married Annie Kneeland Haggerty, Just days before the 54th is sent to the South for service, which is never mentioned in the film. There is another scene in the movie that is clearly for the audience, but it does have some truth behind it. When the 54th is marching south, they run into a regiment of white soldiers, and a quarrel breaks ut between Private Trip and some of the white men. Rawlins steps in to stop the fght and one of the white men is about to be disciplined, but Rawlins says that there is no need. This scene is displays the harsh criticism the 5th received, even from their own side, but it also gives a halo effect to Rawlins, who could have easily said nothing, and watched the soldier get punished. Later on down the road the 54th meets up with Colonel James Montgomery, the colonel of another all black regiment. In the movie Montgomery was a racist and didn’t discipline his men at all. While the eal Montgomery was noted to have discipline issues, the movie probably took it way out of hand, Montgomery even shoots one of his men for misbehaving. Montgomery later takes the 54th â€Å"to see some action†, which actually meant looting and setting fire to a town of innocents. In the movie, Montgomery threatens Shaw to set fire to the town by saying he’ll take command of the 54th if he doesn’t follow orders, so Shaw reluctantly orders the town to be burned. Shaw writes of this event in his letters, stating â€Å"the civilian population of women and children were fired upon, forced from their homes, their possessions looted, and the town burned. Shaw also noted, â€Å"On the way up, Montgomery threw several shells among the plantation buildings, in what seemed to me a very brutal way; for he didn’t know how many women and children there might be. † Shaw even states he was ordered to set fire to the town but he refused. There is no mention of Montgomery threatening him, but he stated â€Å"The reasons he gave me for destroying Darien were, that the Southerners must be made to feel that this was a real war, and that they were to be swept away by the hand of God, like the Jews of old. In theory it may seem all right to some, but when it comes to eing made the instrument of the Lord’s vengeance, I myself don’t like it. Then he says, â€Å"We are outlawed, and therefore not bound by the rules of regular warfare†; but that makes it nonetheless revolting to wreak our vengeance on the innocent and defenseless. Soon after the ordeal with Montgomery, the 54th gets some real action, their first battle. They defeat the attacking rebels, suffering minor casualties. Only two days after the skirmish, the 54th was chosen to lead an assault on Fort Wagner. In the movie, Shaw heroically volunteers, even though he knows that leading this ssault will cause great casualties to his regiment. Before the battle Shaw says â€Å"If this man should fall, who will lift the flag and carry on? â€Å", and Thomas says he’ll do it. However, this wasn’t actually how it happened. General George Crockett Strong was the one who asked the question, and Shaw was the one who replied. During the assault in the movie, the water is to the left of the men, but really the 54th attacked with the water on their right. In the movie, the original flag bearer is killed, as you would expect, and Shaw gets it He then stand up and snouts † Forward Fi and is shot in the chest multiple times. According to the survivors, these were Shaws actual last words, and he hollered them shortly before being shot through the heart. After all of the carnage there is a scene where the Confederate soldiers drag Shaws body into a mass grave full of men from the 54th. This actually happens, though there is a little more to it. Confederate General Johnson Hagood told the Union he would not return Shaws body because he was leading colored men. This was intended to be an insult, but the Shaws didn’t take it that way. Shaws father even said â€Å"We would not have his body removed from where it lies surrounded by his rave and devoted soldiers†¦. We can imagine no holier place than that in which he lies, among his brave and devoted followers, nor wish for him better company – what a body-guard he has! † Overall, Glory is a very good historical film. The writers didn’t change too many facts or change the character of the actual people too much. Even though most of the main characters are fictional, the story was still almost completely factual. Glory has a great cast and a good plot. The story of the 54th Massachusetts is interesting and inspirational, and Glory is a must-watch movie for all ages.

Children: a Good Target Market or an Abuse of Innocence?

Children: A Good Target Market or An Abuse of Innocence? Advertising is a way many businesses attract consumers. Consumers are, after all, their source of income. Billions of dollars are spent every year by corporations to huge advertising companies to think of the next big commodity. However, the most attractive target market today is children, which inevitably sparks controversy throughout the country. When discussing advertising to children, one should highly consider how the effects the products being advertised pose to children, the status of our countries laws, and the current uses of child advertising and the effect they may have on their audience because we need to think of the children first in order to protect our country’s youth. Many businesses have made the arguable decision in marketing towards children. If the venture is done the right way, it can be a successful form of getting attention to a business. In the article â€Å"Brand loyalty starts from a very early age,† Lou Cooper reveals, â€Å"Influencing children at a young age could see them retain their custom in the future† (24). However, if done incorrectly or unethically, youth advertising can be very dangerous and influential to a child in the wrong way. More and more manufacturers  and television advertisers  think that children constitute an important group for their target  market. They see other businesses succeeding when they use the tactic and they believe they need to use it too so as to remain competitive in the industry. However,  television advertising  aimed at children is extremely harmful to child development. Over the last few decades,  television advertising  has changed people's life styles and buying habits, especially children. Children have larger spending power. With the additional reassurance from statistics and research, more and more manufacturers and  advertisers  think that a young age group is an important group for their target  market. However,  television advertising  aimed at children is extremely harmful to child development because of the many harmful and unhealthy things the television is portraying as acceptable and even going so far as to making a harmful product sound attractive and necessary to a young consumer. Television aids the alcohol industry, as well as the fast food industry in spreading the word of their harmful products. The fast food industry is especially taking advantage of their marketing ability, and consumers are paying the price for it, with their health. According to the film Super Size Me, over the past few years, there has been a doubling of childhood and adult diabetes. Also, in the film Super Size Me, Morgan Spurlock provides the information that more children are having liver abnormalities and are already showing signs of cirrhosis, a clinical scaring of the liver. As stunningly accurate as in Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser mentions, â€Å"But the value meals, two-for-one deals, and free refills of soda give a distorted sense of how much fast food actually costs. The real price never appears on the menu† (9). Thus, the harmful products shown on TV should be highly monitored and perhaps even forced laws upon certain ads to protect the public. The founding laws of our nation have worked for us for centuries. They protect us when is necessary and allow us freedoms when appropriate. Legislators have been able to protect us very well with the constant updating of our laws. Through amendments and many new laws, law makers have been able to stay current with issues at hand. However, because our country’s laws haven’t taken another modern twist, many children are feeling the consequences. As seen in The United States Bill of Rights, the first amendment to the Constitution is â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press† (US Const. , amd. 1) When creating the law, however, legislators in the revolutionary time period surely didn’t suspect that the safety of children would be at stake when they wrote such a broad and vague concept. The legislation for advertising to children is minimal, and most advertising companies have free reign to do whatever they want. When a commercial is geared toward children, they find it appealing and some almost comforting. Fast Food Nation’s Eric Schlosser expressed that children are exposed to â€Å"30,000 commercials a year. † Congress has passed laws in the past about setting regulations for the advertising of cigarettes and alternative means of marketing because of their extremely harmful and negative side effects they threaten consumers with. Certain means of advertising in movie theaters was reviewed and banned; Truthful advertisements are being forced on to cigarette companies. Advertisements in movie theaters would show pictures of a random place and quickly show a flash of a product so people in the audience would need to have it. For example, they would show a large desert and then quickly show a Coke, and a person sitting in the audience would stand up and need to buy the Coke, almost as if they were brainwashed. Cigarette companies are now forced to put pictures of diseased organs on the box of cigarettes so as to warn the public of their unhealthy and dangerous aftermath and hopefully thwart as many Americans smoking as possible, a much different form of advertising than an advertisement for Paul Mall cigarettes depicting cigarettes to â€Å"Guard against throat-scratch. † When children are exposed to such stimulation of such appealing products, According to Lou Cooper, they have the influence over their parents to utilize close to â€Å"1. 88 trillion dollars†, which of course makes children a hefty target, but at what cost? Cooper 24). Advertisers use many forms of marketing to charm children. Phrases and slogans are one example. Many types  of food have a phrase associated with them. Commercials use phrases and slogans to embed their product into an audience’s memory. By the time the commercial ends the line and product are stuck in a person’s mind. By targe ting children, whole families are then targeted. Competition sparks the creation of phrases and slogans so as to imprint that brand into the minds of consumers. If one company can create a phrase that everyone will know and remember, they are one step ahead of their competition. Characters are also a way used to target children. Making characters has been the way in which many companies capture the attention of children everywhere. When a child sees commercials on television, the characters are instantly installed in their brain. Prominent figures also bring forth an ethical appeal for children; for example, in Lucky Strike advertisement, Santa Claus is shown with his bag of toys in one hand and a cigarette in the other. When the child witnesses such extreme behavior from the ones they hold dear, they want to be just like the people they admire. Therefore, children are more likely to buy a product used by their favorite celebrity or character. Toys are another way in which companies target children. Companies give toys to children sometimes relating to their product to endorse their item and entice the recipient to the merchandise. The hope some companies have is that the child will associate their brand with a reward such as a toy and want it more because of the attraction. For example, cereal companies are famous for toy advertisements. If they put toys in the boxes of cereal, children are more likely to want the box with a toy in it. Pleasing children is a main concern for all big companies. In closing, advertising to children isn’t the best idea when you want to keep the youth of our country safe, healthy, and uncorrupt so as to brighten our future as a nation. The products of some endorsements are mainly those that need to be feared. However, when a child is just as innocent as watching their favorite television show, parents and the children themselves shouldn’t need to worry about what kind of commercials pop-up that try to entice them with that happy meal and those toys. Children deserve every right to enjoy their time of being care-free and trusting. Childhood is a time for joyful bliss and innocence, not corruption. Works Cited Cooper, Lou. â€Å"Brand Loyalty Starts from a Very Early Age. † EBSCO Publishing Service Selection Page. Marketing Week, 10 June 2010. Web. 02 Nov. 2010 ;http:web. ebscohost. com/src/pdf? vid=3;hid=104;[email  protected];. â€Å"The United States Bill of Rights. † National Archives and Records Administration. U. S. National Archives ; Records Administration. Web. 02. Nov. 2011. ;http://www. archives. gov/exhibits/characters/print_friendly. html? page=bill_of_rights_transcript_content. html;. Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation: the Dark Side of the All-American Meal. New York, NY: Harper Perennial, 2005. Print. Supersize Me: a Film of Epic Proportions . Hart Sharp Video, 2004. â€Å"Santa Smokes Lucky Strikes! † Quit Smoking Painlessly Now! Web. 02 Nov. 2010. ;http://www. quitsmokingpainlesslynow. com/cigarette-advertising/santa-smoking-lucky-strikes/;.

EXPLORING CONSUMER PERCEPTION ABOUT PREMIUM WATCHES IN INDIAN CONTEXT Essay

He had formulated several aspects of marketing mix strategies in the past to face diverse kinds of challenges. For Chakravarti, any challenge in the watch industry, especially in an emerging market such as India, was something he looked forward to, as it gave him immense satisfaction when he was able to find some insights. Xylys was a premium watch brand launched by Titan a few years ago; the brand was aimed at creating a unique perception among consumers. The challenge was to create and shape a perception unique to the brand, since premium watches in India were associated with the Swiss brands Omega and Rolex, or Tag Heuer and other similar brands, which were more contemporary in nature. There were several interesting possibilities for Chakravarti to consider. Would a conventional-positioning approach be sufficient? Was it necessary to obtain some insights regarding the application of the uniqueness aspect to the self-perception of consumers? How were such aspects of uniqueness related to other established brands? How important was the â€Å"Swiss-made† label? Did the buyers and prospective buyers of premium watches hold any specific stereotypical images of such watches? The case delved into several aspects of the perceptual fields associated with consumer behavior with the objective of finding the most appropriate approach to further the prospects of the Xylys brand. No tC The liberalization of markets, the rising disposable income, exposure to western lifestyles, and the need for the new generation to establish an identity for itself were some of the reasons for the growth of the luxury watch category in India. Consumers were buying not only durable categories that were useful to them and satisfied functional aspects, but also categories and brands that reflected their personality. India had 28 states and seven union territories with a population of 77.42 million urban households. The income levels were categorized as follows: 62.7 million households earned up to INR 1,50,000 (Indian Rupees) per annum (1 USD was equivalent to about 45 INR), 11.6 million households earned between INR 1,50,000 to INR 3,00,000 per annum, and 3.1 million households earned 1 more than INR 3,00,000 per annum. With respect to the spending of households on top 10 necessities across all 2  classes of consumers, watches figured at the eighth position, on an average. The latest McKinsey report on India’s consumer market pegged spending on personal products and service necessities (watches were included as the eighth most required item, as described above) at 8% share-of-wallet (SOW) in 2005; this was expected to climb up to 9% 3 SOW by 2015, and to 11% SOW by 2020. THE WATCH INDUSTRY IN 2011 Global 1 â€Å"The Marketing White Book 2010–11: One Stop Guide for Marketers,† BusinessWorld, New Delhi, 2010, pp. 52–54. Ibid., p. 63. 3 â€Å"The ‘bird of gold’: The rise of India’s consumer market,† McKinsey Global Institute, May 2007, http://www.mckinsey.com/mgi/publications/india_consumer_market/images/India_Interactive1.swf, accessed on April 11, 2011. Do 2 S. Ramesh Kumar and Kasturi Baral prepared this case for class discussion. This case is not intended to serve as an endorsement, source of primary data, or to show effective or inefficient handling of decision or business processes. Copyright  © 2011 by the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore. No part of the publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise (including internet) – without the permission of Indian Institute of Management Bangalore. This document is authorized for use only by Arijit Santikary at Siva Sivani Institute of Management until December 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu or 617.783.7860. XYLYS: Exploring Consumer Perception about Premium Watches in the Indian Context Page 2 of 15 rP os t A significant decline in the global production of watches was witnessed in 2005–2009, with the volumes in 2009 at a fifth of the expected numbers. 4 This was attributed to the plummeting demand in the recession-hit markets of the United States, Japan, and Europe, among others. The premium segment suffered the worst, with the exports of Swiss watches dropping by 22% in 2009, despite having risen to an unprecedented high the previous year. 5 However, what was inexplicable was that while the rest of the world found  even regular watches unaffordable, the developing markets of China and India were experiencing growth in consumer demand for luxury and premium watch products. India In five years, the Indian watch market had grown at an average rate of 8% per annum. 6 The recession during 2008– 2009 hindered the sector’s growth, with a drop in the sales of luxury and premium watches, which was compensated by the growth of volume in the economy segment. 7 Thus, despite the global trends, the value and volume figures for 2009 stood at 40.6 billion units and INR 54.6 billion, with a growth of 8.5 and 15.4% in volume and value, respectively. 8 op yo In terms of category sales, the highest share, as per value, involved watches priced between INR 500 and 3,000. The premium segment—retailed between INR 4,000 and 15,000—had been growing at an exponential rate of 20% annually. 9 Low per capita consumption on the one hand and the growing demand for luxury watches on the other constituted the factors that forecast the compounded annual growth rates of 7.3% and 13.7% in volume and value, respectively, for the period 2009–2014. 10 INDIAN WATCH INDUSTRY Historical Perspective tC The Indian watch industry had its origins in the 1960s, with HMT’s Janata being launched in 1962. Before HMT, watches were sourced exclusively from imports, and could be afforded by only a small number of consumers. HMT was the first major watch manufacturer in India, and the sole indigenous player,  until Titan Industries Limited—a Tata and TIDCO joint venture—was formed in 1984, and started retailing watches in 1987. Titan, with its focus on satisfying the customer’s unspoken needs, gradually wrested market power and shares from HMT and became the undisputed leader in the wristwatch segment over the last three decades. The only other major Indian player was P. A. Time, with its brand Maxima, which managed to survive despite fierce competition. Other indigenous brands such as Allwyn, Shivaki, and SITCO failed to keep up with Titan and languished, with marginal to negligible market shares. No In 1992, liberalization opened up the Indian market to foreign players, and Timex was the first on the scene. It was soon followed by Casio, Rolex, Citizen, Tissot, Omega, Rado, and TAG Heuer (the new export–import (EXIM) policy introduced in 1999 relaxed the hitherto stiff upper bar on imports of luxury wristwatch brands). After the foreign direct regulations were changed by the government to allow up to 51% of foreign direct investment in single-brand retail operations, global brands set up subsidiaries in India with apparel brands such as Esprit, Tommy Hilfiger, Benetton, and Levi’s, also launching brands of their own. Growth of Industry Do The Indian watch industry began in the 1960s with the public sector enterprise HMT, which was the government’s initiative to start the indigenous manufacture of watches. The import industry brought in the more fashionable watches, but the basic need for timekeeping was satisfied by the sturdy and reliable mechanical wristwatch models 4 â€Å"Watches in India,† Country report, http://www.euromonitor.com/watches-in-india/report, accessed on July 22, 2011. Ibid. 6 Ibid. 7 Ibid. 8 Ibid. 9 Ibid. 10 Ibid. 5 This document is authorized for use only by Arijit Santikary at Siva Sivani Institute of Management until December 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu or 617.783.7860. XYLYS: Exploring Consumer Perception about Premium Watches in the Indian Context Page 3 of 15 rP os t manufactured by HMT. In the absence of other brands, HMT could afford to retain goodwill despite offering limited styling and choices to its customers. A few decades earlier (when HMT held a monopoly in the category), a watch was a product that anyone who had taken up a job aspired for. Traditionally, the penetration levels were quite low during this time; the notion of a â€Å"watch for the masses† was diffused in the psyche of consumers only after the late eighties, when the country witnessed major lifestyle changes. The nineties enhanced this perception as many brands entered the  market following the liberalization of governmental policies. The Tata group introduced the quartz watch in the 1980s under the Titan brand, and differentiated themselves on the basis of accuracy, style, choice, presentation, and vigorous push-marketing. 11 Timex, in collaboration with Titan, launched its range in India in the nineties, with a mutual understanding that the former would keep to the low-price plastic segment, while the latter would manage the high-price metal segment. Timex positioned itself with the tagline â€Å"You don’t have to be rich to afford a Timex,† and was well accepted by the market. After a few years, Timex became an independent brand and set up its own distribution channels, and emerged as a brand associated with the sports and casual wear segment. op yo Early in the twentieth century, many multinational players entered the market, which was made possible by the EXIM policies that raised the bar on the import of luxury watches in India. AN OVERVIEW OF THE COMPETITION The single largest player was Titan, with a brand share of 20.6% in 2009. 12 The next player worth mentioning was Swatch, with a relatively small share of 5.9%. 13 Timex was a relatively strong multinational brand in the market. Rolex, PA Time, Citizen, and Casio had small significant shares, and HMT was also present in the Indian market. Despite the presence of many brands, the market was still primarily controlled by the unorganized sector (to the tune of 65%) even in 2009. The present competition arose from the increasing foray of multinational players into the lucrative luxury segment; however, the real challenge was to tackle the spurious imports being sold by the unorganized sector. tC Watches transformed from time keeping instruments to fashion accessories during the eighties and nineties owing to significant lifestyle changes; this was reflected in some of Titan’s advertisements. Watches as fashion accessories were in competition with a variety of other products such as apparel and fashion handbags; hence, watches had to have a clearly differentiated element of perceived utility apart from fashion. 14 SEGMENTATION OF THE WATCH MARKET The watch industry could be segmented according to various criteria: technology, benefit, and price. No Watches could be classified into three kinds based on technology: mechanical, quartz analog, and quartz digital. The first went out of vogue since the bulky mechanical format did not allow for elegant design; it dropped in volume shares from 7.2% in 2004 to 4.6% in 2009. The second kind was the largest in both value and volume, and was expected to remain the market driver for growth in 2009–2014. Digital watches suffered from the consumer perception of being low cost and lacking in style, and hence, the market for them had not yet picked up. The sales figures by value for these sub-sectors for 2009 were INR 3,000, 46,000, and 6,000 million, respectively. The major market players in these three sectors were HMT, Titan, and Casio, respectively. Do The second basis of classification was benefit, and the market could be divided based on use, namely, casual, formal, and sports. Many of the brands offered some options in all three segments, but most catered only to the first two segments; the sports segment remained a largely untapped segment. Nearly 35% of all watches retailed were casual, 60% were formal, and a mere 5% belonged to the sports segment. 11 â€Å"The Titan Story,† http://www.titanworld.com/titan_stories, accessed on November 29, 2010. â€Å"Watches in India,† Country report, http://www.euromonitor.com/watches-in-india/report, accessed on July 22, 2011. 13 Ibid. 14 Ibid. 12 This document is authorized for use only by Arijit Santikary at Siva Sivani Institute of Management until December 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu or 617.783.7860. XYLYS: Exploring Consumer Perception about Premium Watches in the Indian Context Page 4 of 15 rP os t The watch market could be classified into economy, standard, premium, and luxury segments. 15 The mass market (i.e., the economy segment) accounted for nearly 67% of volume and 50% of value shares, and was catered to almost entirely by the unorganized sector. Popular (standard), with prices ranging from INR 500 to 1,200, was the lowest range offered by the organized sector (Titan and Timex, primarily). The premium segment consisted of watches in the INR 1,500–5,000 range, offered by almost all the indigenous and multinational brands. The demand from the middle and upper income groups promised to be the growth driver for this segment in 2009–2014. op yo A better explanation in terms of consumer behavior was the third basis of segmentation as defined by Yankelovich (1964). 16 He presented a scheme for the non-demographic segmentation of various product categories, including watches. Segmentation by value was considered to be particularly apt for this market. Thus, the authors arrived at three distinct segments, each offering the customer a different benefit and value than the others. As was stated earlier, the watch had always been a product that appealed to people, but the nature of the appeal and the associations related to watches changed with the changing environment. A watch or a specific brand in particular became a symbol of several associations that were in tune with the changing environment. These associations were generally glamour, fashion, sports, and fun, and the intensity of these associations became pronounced depending on the respective segment toward which a brand was positioned. Lifecycle stages also mattered—a school student would celebrate his/her first watch with neighbors and friends, a college student would garner attention among his/her friends with a recently bought watch, and an young executive who had been successful in his job might reward himself with a premium watch after a few years of hard work, and also â€Å"announce his arrival into a world of success† to the outside world. †¢ †¢ Value for money: Low/regular-priced watches that were accurate and sturdy. Owners tended to replace these when they failed.  Premium watches: High-priced watches, with assured longevity, excellent workmanship, and good styling. Owners were ready to pay a premium for the benefits that accompanied these brands. Special watches: Extra benefits such as fine styling, brand name, and accessories (such as gold casings) were desired by potential customers. The watch, apart from being a fashion accessory, was part of a ritual gifting ceremony, and needed to encapsulate the emotional benefits required to succeed. No †¢ tC Symbolic and lifestyle categories that were created in the last 20 years or so included apparel, watches, mobile phones, portable music players such as iPods, cars, televisions, two-wheelers, and spectacles, to name a few socially conspicuous product categories; brands made use of such psychological needs of consumers to position themselves, with one category often competing with another. For example, a typical middle class household in India that had bought a TV (it is a well-observed fact that a TV is generally high on the purchase agenda of a middle class family) on installment basis (the installment plan allows a consumer to pay for the purchased product over a period of time through monthly payments to the seller/retailer) might postpone buying a new watch for a student in the family who was entering college, owing to financial pressures. Such instances would be rare in a developed market, especially with regard to the purchase of a watch. It was interesting to note that the lower end offerings (relatively lower end to be precise, when compared to the price of luxury watch brands) from brands such as Titan also used glamour, romance, and celebrity orientation for the positioning strategies of several of its brands (such as Titan, Fastrack, Sonata, and Ragaa). Titan was a leader in the organized quartz analog watch segment, and millions of pieces had been sold over the years. It was interesting to note that regardless of the price range or the benefit, watches held a symbolic appeal in the Indian context—an appeal that could be associated with the self-perception or the personality/style a consumer would like to project to the outside world. Luxury watches had a special appeal with regard to such an orientation among consumers. Do The watch market in India was divided into three broad segments: mass market (price below INR 1,000), midmarket (price between INR 1,000 and INR 10,000), and premium market (price starting at INR 10,000). Luxury watches in turn, were categorized into three sub-segments: 15 16 Ibid. Yankelovich, D., â€Å"New Criteria for Market Segmentation,† Harvard Business Review, March/April 1964. This document is authorized for use only by Arijit Santikary at Siva Sivani Institute of Management until December 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu or 617.783.7860. XYLYS: Exploring Consumer Perception about Premium Watches in the Indian Context 2. 3. Premium watches: INR 10,000–50,000. This was the space where Xylys operated. The other prominent brands in this space were Tissot, Seiko, and Citizen, in addition to fashion brands such as Emporio Armani and Hugo Boss. Accessible Luxury: INR 50,000–3,00,000. The biggest Swiss brands such as Rolex, Omega, Longines, and Tag Heuer operated in this space. Exclusive Luxury: INR 3,00,000 and above. Very high-end brands such as Breguet, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Breitling, and Hublot populated this segment. rP os t 1. Page 5 of 15 From the point of view of look, there were four philosophies from which brands tended to choose and occupy, namely, dress, classical, fashion, and sport. For example, among sporty watches, Tissot, Tag Heuer, and Breitling were the brands in the premium, accessible, and exclusive luxury sub-segments, respectively. LUXURY BRANDS op yo The market for luxury watches was estimated to be 3% of watch retail, and was growing at almost 20% annually, which was more than twice the growth rate of the entire market. 17 Luxury brands were priced above INR 15,000, and primarily included imported brands offered by multinational players, such as Omega, Rado, Longines, Tag Heuer, and Tissot. Titan was the only Indian brand in this sector currently, with Xylys at the luxury end of its portfolio. Personal interviews with some managers at retail outlets suggested that the competition to the Xylys brand was from established brands such as Seiko and Tissot. 18 The main consumer of luxury brands was the new generation executive, who was set to move toward the prime of his/her career, and who had a keen sense of brand consciousness. These included an increasing number of young and middle-aged professionals in the upper strata of management in corporate houses, and also Indians who belonged to the higher socio-economic strata and had a penchant for luxury products. The major consumers of watches in the luxury segment included CEOs and senior professionals in their thirties and forties, new generation entrepreneurs, and young working professionals. tC Successful brands sold because they positioned themselves based on the benefits they offered to those who possessed them; such benefits could be functional, symbolic, or experiential. 19 Brand concept management 20 stated that for long-term success, the brand image needed to be based on a brand-specific abstract concept. The authors felt that such an orientation would help the long-term plans of luxury watch brands. No Functional brands provided tangible and practical benefits, and satisfied the real need for the product. Brands needed to necessarily satisfy functional needs, since these were the hygiene factors for acceptance in this category. Symbolic brands, on the other hand, catered to the consumers’ preference for brands that matched their own â€Å"selfconcept† 21 and their symbolic needs for self-expression, prestige, and the enhancement of self-image and sense of belonging. Experiential brands satisfied the owner’s need to experience sensory pleasure, variety, or cognitive simulation. Luxury watches were bought for their symbolic and experiential benefits as opposed to their functional ones. The selling points were the status and sophistication that the brand denoted when worn by the owner; although aesthetic appeal and durability were important, precision and price were not. Do Hence, the positioning diagrams for luxury watches would need to be based on factors such as status, prestige, and ego gratification.  The methodology was derived from earlier studies on the positioning of brands. 22 Three sets of questionnaires were used to record the respondents’ opinions on brands, adjectives and phrases related to brand symbolism, and more indepth queries regarding the characteristics of brands and their users. 17 â€Å"Watch industry in India to grow at 9%,† India Infoline News Service,  February 5, 2010. Interviews with Viraj, Branch Manager, World of Titan at Brigade Road, Bangalore and Saumya, Branch In-charge, Titan (multi-brand outlet) outlet at Jayanagar 4th Block, Bangalore. 19 Park, C. W., Jaworski, B. J., & MacInnis, D. J., â€Å"Strategic Brand Concept Image Management,† Journal of Marketing, Vol. 50, October 1986, pp. 135–145. 20 Ibid. 21 Malhotra N. K., â€Å"Self Concept and Product Choice: An Integrated Perspective,† Journal of Economic Psychology, Vol. 9, 1988, pp. 1–28. 22 Bhat, S., & Reddy, S. K., â€Å"Symbolic and Functional Positioning of Brands,† Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 15, No. 1, 1998, pp. 32–43. 18 This document is authorized for use only by Arijit Santikary at Siva Sivani Institute of Management until December 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu or 617.783.7860. XYLYS: Exploring Consumer Perception about Premium Watches in the Indian Context rP os t METHODOLOGY Page 6 of 15 The objective of the study was to analyze and link several aspects of consumer behavior, and to compare users and non-users of premium watches. Three sets of questions were prepared. One set of questions dealt with the selfconcepts of consumers, another was about the brand personality aspects of their watches, and the last set of questions was related to the  psychographics of individual respondents. Non-users were respondents who were potential buyers of premium watches in the near future. Scales were drawn from several resources available in the extant literature. 23 Forty current users of premium watches and forty potential users (prospective buyers) of premium watches were administered the questionnaire in April, 2011 in Bangalore, India. op yo Exhibits 1, 2, and 3 were associated with self-concept, brand preferences along with personality traits, and the activities, interests, and opinions (AIO) of potential users of premium watch brands. Exhibits 4, 5, and 6 dealt with the same factors of the present users of premium watch brands (self-concept, brand preferences along with personality traits, and AIO). The description of the positioning strategies of the various brands presented below is based on the authors’ perception of the advertisements of the respective brands. XYLYS Xylys was a premium Swiss-made watch brand from the house of Titan in India. Priced between INR 10,000 and INR 33,000, the Xylys range of watches was available in three collections—Contemporary, Classic, and Sport—and offered over 60 distinctive models. Xylys was available at select World of Titan showrooms, key multi-brand outlets, and at exclusive flagship boutiques in select cities. tC Xylys targeted the lower spectrum of the luxury watch segment. Titan, which was the market leader in the mid-price segment in India, felt that the upper end of their target customers was moving towards iconic global premium brands. The designs were created in collaboration with renowned Swiss designer Laurent Rufenacht, and Titan’s own design advisor, Michael Foley. It was manufactured in a state-of-the-art factory in Switzerland, which had a heritage of over 80 years in the art of watch-making. All Xylys watches were created with exquisite craftsmanship and impeccable detailing, were painstakingly made from carefully selected materials, and were crafted with a passion for detail. No While carefully analyzing the consumer behavior of customers of premium watch brands, Titan found that consumers were highly influenced by the â€Å"country of origin† association. Consumers loved the â€Å"Swiss-made† tag, and there was a huge association of quality, precision, premium, etc. with this tag. The insight was that it would be difficult for an â€Å"Indian-made† tag to impress the target segment. Do The name Xylys was designed to have only two syllables, a distinctive name in itself. The brand charter aimed to convey style, attitude, and power. Xylys was created for new generation achievers who went beyond the obvious. Xylys reflected their values, attitudes, and unique personal identities. The brand was targeted at today’s people, both men and women, who were supremely confident and conscious of the image they projected. These individuals actively sought new and unconventional experiences. Xylys, with its unique positioning of the â€Å"Power of X,† underlined the power of one’s attitude. This attitude stemmed from a person’s self-belief, which enabled one to achieve success through a passionate pursuit of one’s dreams. Xylys was launched as a contemporary brand targeting upwardly mobile, successful men and women. The brand segmented the market based on psychographic profiles. 23 Tian, K. T., Bearden, W. O., & Hunter, G. L., â€Å"Consumers’ Need for Uniqueness: Scale Development and Validation,† Journal of Consumer Research, June 28, 2001, pp. 50–66; Netemeyer R. G., Burton, S., & Lichtenstein, D. R., â€Å"Trait aspects of Vanity: Measurement and Relevance to Consumer Behavior,† Journal of Consumer Research, 21, March 1995; Schiffman, L. G., Kanuk, L. L., & Ramesh Kumar, S., Consumer Behavior, 10th Ed, Pearson Education, p. 143. This document is authorized for use only by Arijit Santikary at Siva Sivani Institute of Management until December 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu or 617.783.7860. XYLYS: Exploring Consumer Perception about Premium Watches in the Indian Context Page 7 of 15 rP os t Xylys defined its customers as contemporary, dynamic, successful people who had attitude and confidence. The brand wanted to celebrate their success with them. The customers of Xylys were highly individualistic persons who did what they loved. These people would love to express themselves and show their success to the world. The three brand ambassadors of Xylys came from varied fields and represented the attitude of the new generation achievers. Actor Rahul Bose (ad), international supermodel Saira Mohan (ad), and tennis star Carlos Moya embodied the attitude of living life fearlessly on their own terms, with a passion to pursue their dreams. Speaking at the launch, brand ambassador Rahul Bose said, â€Å"Like every movie I choose to be a part of, I have chosen to endorse this brand after careful thought. I can only support those products that I am fully convinced about. It is an exciting new brand from India’s leading watchmaker with an identity that reflects the attitude and values that I consider important—bold, unconventional, and distinctive.† In 2010, the brand changed its positioning from â€Å"Symbol of Success† to â€Å"Feeling of Love.† The brand talked about falling in love with Xylys. Xylys ran a campaign reflecting the new positioning, which was a significant deviation from the core positioning of the brand. The entire brand personality of Xylys was changed in the current campaign. op yo The new identity reflected the attitude, lifestyle, and personality of the new generation consumer. â€Å"You don’t possess a Xylys, it possesses you†: this reflected irrational desirability of the brand. The new creative expression was carefully designed to reflect the effect Xylys watches had on their consumers. It was this aspect that created an â€Å"irrational† desire to own the watch, strongly backed by the â€Å"rational† reasons, namely, that Xylys came from the house of Titan and was Swiss-made. After the launch in 2006, the brand saw the volume of sales doubling between 2006–2007 and 2007–2008, and sales grew at about 33% since then. In terms of value, Xylys grew at a compound annual growth rate) of 54%. Exhibit 7 displays an Xylys’ advertisement. TISSOT tC Tissot, with its signature â€Å"Innovators by Tradition,† pioneered craftsmanship and innovation since its foundation in 1853. Tissot was a member of the Swatch Group, the world’s largest watch producer and distributor. For over 155 years, the company had its home in the Swiss watch-making town of Le Locle in the Jura Mountains, and in 2011 had a presence in over 150 countries. As official timekeeper and partner of the International Basketball Federation, the Australian Football League, the Chinese Basketball Association, and MotoGP, and the World Championships of cycling, fencing, and ice hockey; Tissot was committed to respecting tradition, underlining its core values of performance, precision, and setting new standards. No The different collections of Tissot included Touch, Sport, Trend, Classic, Gold, Pocket, and Heritage; and the price spectrum was much wider than that of Xylys, covering both the affordable luxury and the premium luxury segment with ease. The Indian brand ambassador for Tissot was movie star Deepika Padukone, daughter of a former badminton world champion. Her Tissot watch was projected as a symbol of luxury and glamour complementing her multi-faceted lifestyle. The similarities between her personality and the Tissot brand were captured in the brand’s advertisements: â€Å"We are both adventurous, sophisticated and classy, yet very approachable.† Do Tissot’s subsequent advertising campaign revolved around the theme â€Å"In Touch with Your Time.† In its revolutionary new global campaign based on this theme, Tissot used a series of executions featuring brand ambassadors who presented luxury as being accessible rather than exclusive. The brand attributed its success to the trust customers all over the world had in the quality and pleasure offered by Tissot timepieces. Millions of wearers evidently refused to compromise, and the campaign specifically congratulated them on their discerning selection of a stylish Swiss-made watch. The campaign’s approach focused on the idea of â€Å"substance† (the unquestionable quality attached to traditional Swiss craftsmanship) and â€Å"style† (a truly appealing watch design). This document is authorized for use only by Arijit Santikary at Siva Sivani Institute of Management until December 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu or 617.783.7860. XYLYS: Exploring Consumer Perception about Premium Watches in the Indian Context Page 8 of 15 rP os t The new global Tissot campaign captured real moments in the lives of its ambassadors where reality seamlessly merged with glamour. A variety of locations that were local to the ambassadors (e.g., Deepika Padukone in Mumbai, India) were used for the shoots, which enhanced the campaign’s integral authenticity. SEIKO Do No tC op yo SEIKO Watch India Private Limited is a 100% subsidiary of SEIKO Watch Corporation, Japan set up in 2007; it is headquartered in Bangalore. Over the years, SEIKO has established its leadership position in a number of countries. Backed by such experiences and with India being one of the prioritized markets, the brand is expected to bring its â€Å"total SEIKO brand experience† through its â€Å"flagship stores† that will also provide good customer service. 24 The brand is available at several higher-end  multi-branded watch outlets in the country. SEIKO’s technological development is focused on the creation of â€Å"emotional technologies† 25. While the brand may be positioned below Tissot or Xylys (based on the observation of price points at retail outlets by one of the authors), the brand is likely to be perceived as a brand with strong value given its heritage of technology and innovation. 24 25 http://www.seiko.in/corporate/india.html accessed on October 26, 2011 http://www.seikowatches.com/story/index.html accessed on October 26, 2011 This document is authorized for use only by Arijit Santikary at Siva Sivani Institute of Management until December 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu or 617.783.7860. Exhibit 1 Page 9 of 15 rP os t XYLYS: Exploring Consumer Perception about Premium Watches in the Indian Context Self-concept (Potential users of premium watch brands) I would feel embarrassed if I was around people and did not look my best. 3.775 It is important that I always look good. 3.275 People notice how attractive I am. 3.675 My looks are very appealing to others. I want others to look up to me because of my accomplishments. 3.075 3.075 4.15 Achieving greater success than my peers is important to me. 3.475 op yo I am more concerned about professional success than most people I know. 3.575 In a professional sense, I am a very successful person. 3.825 My achievements are highly regarded by others. 3.4 Others wish they were as successful as me. 3.675 I am a good example of professional success. 3.25 I often look for unique products or brands so that I create a style that is all my own. 3.225 The products and brands that I like best are the ones that express my individuality. 3 tC I want my achievements to be recognized by others. 3.375 I enjoy challenging the prevailing taste of people I know by buying something radical. 2.95 I often think of the things I buy and do in terms of how I can use them to shape a more unusual personal image. 3.05 No I rarely act according to what others think are the right things to buy. When a product I own becomes popular among the general population, I use it less. 2.625 Concern for being out of place does not prevent me from wearing what I want to. 2.85 Source: The results were based on the questionnaires administered to users and non-users of premium watch brands. Do Note: The statements were measured on a Likert scale ranging from Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree for each respondent, and the values were coded as Strongly Agree = 5, Agree = 4, Neither Agree nor Disagree = 3, Disagree = 2, and Strongly Disagree = 1. The mean values were the average of the same across all the respondents. This document is authorized for use only by Arijit Santikary at Siva Sivani Institute of Management until December 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu or 617.783.7860. Exhibit 2 Page 10 of 15 rP os t XYLYS: Exploring Consumer Perception about Premium Watches in the Indian Context Brand and user personality (Potential users of premium watch brands) Brand Factors User Factors 3.525 Up-to-date 3.525 Reliable 4.075 Reliable 4.125 Down-to-earth 3.65 Down-to-earth 4 Honest 3.8 Honest 3.85 Daring 3.125 Daring Spirited 3.775 Exciting 3.625 Imaginative 3.7 Successful 3.825 Upper class 3.325 Tough 3.2 op yo Up-to-date 3.8 3.675 Exciting 4.05 Imaginative 3.975 Successful 3.625 Upper class 3.5 Tough 3.5 tC Spirited Source: The results were based on questionnaires administered to users and non-users of premium watch brands. Do No Note: The statements were measured on a Likert scale ranging from Strongly Agree (5) to Strongly Disagree (1) for each respondent. The mean values were the average of the same across all the respondents. This document is authorized for use only by Arijit Santikary at Siva Sivani Institute of Management until December 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu or 617.783.7860. XYLYS: Exploring Consumer Perception about Premium Watches in the Indian Context Page 11 of 15 rP os t Exhibit 3 Activities, interests, and opinions (Potential users of premium watch brands) When I must choose between the two, I usually dress for fashion, not for comfort. 3.25 I try to arrange my home for my children’s convenience. 2.975 I take a lot of time and effort to teach my children good habits. I like parties where there is lots of music and conversation. I would rather go to a sporting event than a movie. I like to work on community projects. 2.85 3.075 3.425 3.4 3.7 I think I have more self-confidence than most people. 2.55 I am more independent than most people. 3.725 I think I have a lot of personal ability. 3.8 I like to be considered a leader. 3.95 op yo I have personally worked in a political campaign, or for a candidate, or for an issue. 3.7 I sometimes influence what my friends buy. 3.85 People come to me more often than I go to them for information about brands. 3.5 tC My friends or neighbors often come to me for advice. 3.25 I spend a lot of time talking with my friends about products and brands. 3.575 I would like to spend a year in London or Paris. 3.175 I would like to take a trip around the world. 3.825 I will have more money to spend next year than I have now. 4.375 I spend more than an hour everyday reading the newspaper or watching the news. 4.025 I like to meticulously plan for future savings and expenditures. 3.175 No I often seek out the advice of my friends regarding which brand to buy. Do Source: The results were based on questionnaires administered to users and non-users of premium watch brands. Note: The statements were measured on a Likert scale ranging from Strongly Agree (5) to Strongly Disagree (1) for each respondent. The mean values were the average of the same across all the respondents. This document is authorized for use only by Arijit Santikary at Siva Sivani Institute of Management until December 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu or 617.783.7860. Exhibit 4 Page 12 of 15 rP os t XYLYS: Exploring Consumer Perception about Premium Watches in the Indian Context Self-concept (Present users of premium watch brands) I would feel embarrassed if I was around people and did not look my best. It is important that I always look good. People notice how attractive I am. 3.325 3.75 3.45 My looks are very appealing to others. I want others to look up to me because of my accomplishments. I am more concerned about professional success than most people I know. op yo Achieving greater success than my peers is important to me. I want my achievements to be recognized by others. In a professional sense, I am a very successful person. 3.425 3.65 3.75 3.925 4.225 3.65 My achievements are highly regarded by others. 3.6 Others wish they were as successful as me. 3.4 I am a good example of professional success. 3.7 3.225 The products and brands that I like best are the ones that express my individuality. 3.325 tC I often look for unique products or brands so that I create a style that is all my own. I rarely act according to what others think are the right things to buy. 2.75 2.925 I often think of the things I buy and do in terms of how I can use them to shape a more unusual personal image. 3 No I enjoy challenging the prevailing taste of people I know by buying something radical. When a product I own becomes popular among the general population, I use it less. Concern for being out of place does not prevent me from wearing what I want to. 2.825 3.2 Source: The results were based on questionnaires administered to users and non-users of premium watch brands. Do Note: The statements were measured on a Likert scale ranging from Strongly Agree (5) to Strongly Disagree (1) for each respondent. The mean values were the average of the same across all the respondents. This document is authorized for use only by Arijit Santikary at Siva Sivani Institute of Management until December 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu or 617.783.7860. Exhibit 5 Page 13 of 15 rP os t XYLYS: Exploring Consumer Perception about Premium Watches in the Indian Context Brand and user personality (Present users of premium watch brands) Brand Factors User Factors Up-to-date 3.775 Up-to-date Reliable 4.275 Reliable 3.8 4.025 3.35 Down-to-earth Honest 3.95 Honest 3.925 Daring 3.6 Daring 3.675 Spirited 3.75 Exciting 3.95 Imaginative 3.925 Successful 4.125 Upper class 3.975 Tough 3.975 3.65 op yo Down-to-earth Spirited 3.875 Exciting 3.9 Imaginative 3.6 Successful Upper class Tough 3.725 3.7 3.625 tC Source: The results were based on questionnaires administered to users and non-users of premium watch brands. Do No Note: The statements were measured on a Likert scale ranging from Strongly Agree (5) to Strongly Disagree (1) for each respondent. The mean values were the average of the same across all the respondents. This document is authorized for use only by Arijit Santikary at Siva Sivani Institute of Management until December 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu or 617.783.7860. Page 14 of 15 rP os t XYLYS: Exploring Consumer Perception about Premium Watches in the Indian Context Exhibit 6 Attitudes, interests, and opinions (Present users of premium watch brands) When I must choose between the two, I usually dress for fashion, not for comfort. 2.775 I try to arrange my home for my children’s convenience. 3.725 I take a lot of time and effort to teach my children good habits. I like parties where there is lots of music and conversation. I would rather go to a sporting event than a movie. op yo I like to work on community projects. 3.95 3.075 3.225 3.325 I have personally worked in a political campaign, or for a candidate, or for an issue. 1.725 I think I have more self-confidence than most people. 3.625 I am more independent than most people. 3.975 I think I have a lot of personal ability. 3.775 I like to be considered a leader. 4.125 My friends or neighbors often come to me for advice. tC I sometimes influence what my friends buy. People come to me more often than I go to them for information about brands. 3.75 3.325 3.3 2.95 I spend a lot of time talking with my friends about products and brands. 2.875 I would like to spend a year in London or Paris. 3.175 No I often seek out the advice of my friends regarding which brand to buy. I would like to take a trip around the world. I will have more money to spend next year than I have now. 4.2 3.925 3.75 I like to meticulously plan for future savings and expenditures. 3.65 Do I spend more than an hour everyday reading the newspaper or watching the news. Source: The results were based on questionnaires administered to users and non-users of premium watch brands. Note: The statements were measured on a Likert scale ranging from Strongly Agree (5) to Strongly Disagree (1) for each respondent. The mean values were the average of the same across all the respondents. This document is authorized for use only by Arijit Santikary at Siva Sivani Institute of Management until December 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu or 617.783.7860. Page 15 of 15 rP os t XYLYS: Exploring Consumer Perception about Premium Watches in the Indian Context Exhibit 7 Do No tC op yo Advertisement for Xylys The authors would like to thank Mr. Manoj Chakravarti, Senior Advisor, Ms. Superna Mitra, Head, Global Marketing, Titan Industries Limited and Prof. Dinesh Kumar, Chairperson, Research & Publications, IIM, Bangalore for the support provided to this case study initiative. This document is authorized for use only by Arijit Santikary at Siva Sivani Institute of Management until December 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu or 617.783.7860.