Analyst Report

Business 101 4 November 2011 Analyst Report Part 1: Executive Summary VF Corporation is a multi million-dollar industry that produces and distributes apparels from various brand names. Throughout the past two years VF Corp has performed very well as concluded on its annual report. By looking at the annual report for 2010 it is very clear that VF Corp has performed very well over the past year. The total revenues for 2010 were $482,303 more than the total revenues for 2009. The long-term debt for the company reduces by $2,612 from 2009.With the various brand names that VF Corp has, it is clear that the total revenue will always increase as the demand for those brands increases, which they have been increasing. To add to their brand base VF Corp just recently bought the company Timberland so that too will help increase their earnings. By purchasing another popular name brand VF Corp will have a number of appealing brands that the public is always interested in purchasing. This helps VF Corp in the future because the more brands they purchase, the larger their consumer population will become.By doing so they are also highlighting one of their major goals addressed in their mission statement, which states â€Å"Our goal is to continuously exceed the expectations of our consumers, customers, shareholders and business partners. † Part 2: Company Profile †¢ Ticker symbol: VFC †¢ Mission Statement as it is printed in the Annual Report: We will grow by building leading lifestyle brands that excite consumers around the world. Ours is a perpetually driven culture, focused on constant innovation. Using deep research and insights, we combine the art and science of apparel to create products that excite consumers and brands that inspire loyalty.We responsibly manage the industry's most efficient and complex supply chain, which spans multiple geographies, product categories and distribution channels. Our goal is to continuously exceed the expectations of our consumers, customers, shareholders and business partners. We help our retail partners win with consistently solid execution and outstanding service. And we continually find ways to improve our performance and generate bottom line results. †¢ Corporate headquarters location: 105 Corporate Center Blvd. Greensboro, NC 27408 †¢ Name of CEO: Eric C.Wiseman †¢ Name of CFO: Robert K. Shearer †¢ Stock classifications (common, preferred, both): Common †¢ Exchange (NYSE, Nasdaq): New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Part 3: Projections: Based on the graph of the stock performance I project that the stock prices will steadily increase in the years to come. During the 2009 recession the stock levels for VF Corp went down but bounced right back up towards the 70’s closer to 2010. Since then the stock levels slowly increased each month and now are at a steady positive increase and I believe that it will continue to increase.Also VF Corp is associated with various clothin g and apparel companies and regardless of how serious the economy might decline, people will still go out and buy clothes. VF Corp is also associated with a number of big name brands such as The North Face, Lee, Vans, Timberland, Nautica, Wrangler, Majestic, Jansport, and many other brands. These different brands are very popular these days and their sales are always going up so the overall stocks for VF Corp will continue in a positive slope. [pic] Part 4: Current Events The first article discusses how VF Corp is purchasing â€Å"VF Arvind Brands Private Limited†.This company is responsible for marketing VF Corp’s brands throughout India. This is helpful for VF Corp because it can market its own brands and spread throughout Asia as well. This would allow VF Corp to not only have the final say on how exactly it markets its products but to also choose the locations that they want the products to be marketed at. Overall this purchase will greatly benefit VF Corp right no w and in the future as well. The second article discusses how VF Corp is set to buy the brand Timberland. By doing so not only is VF Corp helping increase its profits but Timberland’s as well.Timberland is a famous company that primarily sells boots. This would greatly increase VF Corp’s variety in terms of outdoor wear. By purchasing Timberland VF Corp will also be able to expand oversees as the article stated. Since most of the sales from Timberland occur in China, this would help VF Corp market not only Timberland but many of their other name brands. This purchase will definitely have some very positive results in the future and if more purchases like this are made then VF Corp will increase its earning greatly. Part 5: Recommendations:Based on the information that I’ve gathered about this corporation I strongly suggest that investors should move fast and â€Å"buy† stocks from this company. Using the current ratio I can see that the company’s l iquidity levels will be increasing in the years to come and since the economy is slowly recovering it is clear that VF Corp is going to do well in terms of stock sales. The difference between the current ratio of 2010 and 2009 is 0. 14. though this might not seem like a large enough of a number to make a huge difference, in reality it does. The profit margin between the two years has also increased by 1. %. All of this information tells me that VF Corp is a company that you should invest in because the company is only going on a positive direction. Article 1: VF Corporation To Acquire Joint Venture in India Published: November 2, 2011 GREENSBORO, N. C. , & BANGALORE, India–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Nov. 2, 2011– VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC), a global leader in branded lifestyle apparel, today announced that its subsidiary, VF Mauritius, has acquired full ownership of VF Arvind Brands Private Limited, a majority-owned joint venture between VF Mauritius and Arvind Limited for med in 2006 to market VF brands in India. Our business in India is strong, and now is the time to assume full ownership,† said Eric C. Wiseman, Chairman, President and CEO of VF Corporation. â€Å"Anchored by our Lee ® and Wrangler ® brands, the Indian market will provide a robust platform for future growth in the Asia-Pacific region. † Aidan O’Meara, President, VF Asia, noted: â€Å"VF is grateful for the contribution Arvind made to the development of a fast-growing and profitable business for our brands in India. VF and Arvind will continue to have a strong working relationship, now and in the future. †O’Meara added that he does not expect any impact to jobs or changes in the day-to-day operations of the business in India. The new name of the wholly owned business in India has not yet been announced. Article 2: VF Corporation to Buy Timberland BY MICHAEL J. DE LA MERCED The VF Corporation agreed on Monday to buy the Timberland Company, the boo t maker, for about $2 billion in cash, paying a big premium in an effort to bolster its outdoor clothing offerings. VF, which already owns lines like Wrangler and 7 for All Mankind, will add Timberland to a stable of outdoor brands like the North Face and Eastpak.Eric C. Wiseman, VF’s chairman and chief executive, described the Timberland deal on Monday as a â€Å"transformative† acquisition that will add footwear to his company’s fastest-growing unit. The outdoor and action sports business reported a 14 percent gain in revenue last year, to $3. 2 billion. â€Å"We are confident in our ability to take big brands and make them bigger,† he said during an investor conference call. Still, VF is paying up: Under the terms of the deal, it will pay $43 a share, a more than 40 percent premium to Timberland’s Friday closing price.Founded in Abington, Mass. , in 1952 by the Swartz family, Timberland became synonymous with American work garments and outdoor c lothing, particularly with its hard-wearing boots. But the company has faced rising materials costs, with its operating margins falling to just 9 percent last year. It reported a 30 percent drop in first-quarter profits this year. VF executives appeared confident that it could wring profits by improving Timberland’s business performance, primarily by folding it into the apparel giant’s global platform and cutting costs.On an investor call with analysts, VF’s chief financial officer, Bob Shearer, said his company planned to raise its new acquisition’s operating margin to 15 percent, in line with the rest of the conglomerate’s brands. In Timberland, VF also sees an opportunity to expand its presence overseas. Though Timberland’s popularity in the United States surged years ago, the brand remains popular in high-growth markets like China. The company also has a foothold in Japan, where VF is still building out its presence. VF executives expect to reap benefits from the Timberland deal soon after its closing, which is expected in the third quarter this year.Timberland is expected to begin adding to VF’s earnings by 45 cents a share this year and 90 cents next year, excluding acquisition costs. VF plans to keep Timberland based in Stratham, N. H. Members of the Swartz family have agreed to support the deal. The Timberland sale appeared to stoke hopes that other outdoor apparel makers could soon go on the block as well. Among the big gainers was Wolverine World Wide, another maker of rugged work boots, whose shares jumped about 5. 1 percent to $39. 08. Columbia Sportswear, another purveyor of activewear, rose 1. 7 percent to $59. 43.Shares of VF also rose, gaining 10 percent on Monday to $101. 01. Usually, an acquirer’s shares fall after a deal is announced, as shareholders worry about the transaction being overpriced. Shares in Timberland soared 44 percent to $43. 20. Analysts praised the deal, citing VF†™s history of integrating brands into its business platform. â€Å"We regard Timberland as a high-quality brand that has been operationally challenged for a number of years,† analysts at Sterne Agee wrote in a research note on Monday. â€Å"We believe that VF has exhibited a strong track record and the capabilities to rectify many of the historical problems. †

Cyber-Bullying Essay

Bullying has become an epidemic that the educational system has been campaigning to cease through the establishment of school wide anti-bullying policies. In recent years the federal government has implemented the National Safe Schools Framework and the Civil Liability Act of 2002, to assist educators with diminishing schoolyard bullying (Campbell 64). Since the development and rise of technological resources, cyber-bullying has expanded the opportunity for the act of bullying to take place; bullying is no longer isolated face to face. Students’ abilities of escaping to a safe haven, away from their harasser, are almost nonexistent. The use of the internet and cellphones has extended the capability of students to be targeted in private places, such as their homes. Due to the extremities and serious effects of cyber-bullying, school policies concerning bullying need to address and incorporate cyber-bullying. † The effects of cyber-bullying on a victim are similar to those effects of school bullying. Mathew Campbell, author of †School Policy Reponses to the Issue of Cyber-Bullying agrees, victims of cyber-bullying expressed feelings of depression and anxiety, thoughts of and attempts of suicide, self-mutilation, lower self-esteem, and a hatred of school (63). It can also be said that these effects can be more severe in cases of cyber-bulling because there is no escape for the victim. The internet and use of cell phones has enabled the harasser to intrude into the victim’s home and eliminate places of security. This has also allowed anonymity of the harasser which in turn, increases the likeliness that cyber-bullying will take place over the confrontational, school yard bullying scenarios. Although the acts of cyber-bullying may not always take place during school hours or on the premises of the school, research shows that there is a direct correlation between cyber-bullying and school yard bullying. After interviewing 20,000 students, it was found that approximately 26% of students are victims of bullying that took place during school hours (Schneider, O’Donnell, Stueve, and Coulter 173). This same research documented that in addition to school bullying, approximately 16% of students are victims of cyber-bullying. When researchers compared students being bullied at school to those being cyber-bullied, it was found that 59% of those victims being cyb er-bullied were also victims of school bullying and 39% of students being bullied at school were also cyber-bullied (Schneider, O’Donnell, Stueve, Coulter 173). It is evident that there is a correspondence between school bullying and cyber-bullying. Currently, most schools have a non-tolerance policy concerning acts of bullying taking place during school hours or on school grounds, but have yet to incorporate the aspect of cyber-bullying. With the use of technology in schools, the act of cyber-bullying is taking place more often in school than just outside of school. The internet use in schools allows students to access social-networking sites, such as Facebook or Twitter, because of their educational purposes, but these sites are some of the origins where harassing comments and intimidating posts are being seen. Along with the internet, the increase in the use of cell phones in school, whether it is against school policy or not, has created another outlet for students to be bullied. These technology sources are eliminating the physical or confrontational aspect of bullying and allowing it to be less visible and easily feasible. Educators are not always aware of what is taking place in schools and less likely to be able to prevent it without victims reporting it, and because there is no policy against cyber-bullying victims are less likely to report it. An educational system’s sole responsibility is to provide a quality education for all students. In doing so, it has taken on the role of creating a safe learning environment which includes preventing students from being harassed and/or intimidated by their peers. Some questions have been raised on whether the jurisdictional boundaries put limitations on what a school may actually do to prevent cyber-bullying without intruding on the legal rights of students. Campbell states, â€Å"Legally a school does not have any responsibility for the care of students within the home†¦ However, a social responsibility of schools is to ensure that their students are cared for beyond that which is legally prescribed† (66). Therefore, any act of bullying that may eventually disrupt a student’s ability to learn or feel comfortable at school, is still the school’s responsibility to prevent. Educators and administrators need to educate students and parents on identifying acts of bullying, as well as the effects of bullying. Parents and students must also be encouraged to report acts of bullying. To ensure that the prevention of cyber-bullying and school yard bullying, the school needs to enforce cyber-bullying rules and set consequences for those who break those rules. The traditional scenario of a child being verbally or physically intimidated in the school yard is no longer the only form of bullying. Technology has opened the doors to a new and less apparent form of harassment. Its emotional and psychological effects are just as severe, if not more lasting. Children have lost the security and comfort of their homes and can no longer escape their harasser. With cyber-bullying being increasingly wide-spread, it is essential that schools incorporate cyber-bullying prevention into their anti-bullying policies. Works Cited Campbell, Matthew. â€Å"School Policy Responses to the Issue of Cyber-Bullying.† Journal of Catholic School Studies 83.2 (2011): 62-69. Print. Schneider, Shari K., Lydia O’Donnell, Ann Stueve, and Robert W. S. Coulter. â€Å"Cyberbullying, School Bullying, and Psychological Distress: A Regional Census of High School Students.† American Journal of Public Health 102.1 (2012): 171-177. Print.

Outline the factors which could contribute to employee stress in the Essay

Outline the factors which could contribute to employee stress in the workplace. Discuss what possible measures could be taken to reduce stress in employees - Essay Example Yassi asserts that there are five basic factors that result in workplace stress, these include: factors that are inconsistent with the job, position in the institute, development of career, relationships that are interpersonal in nature and structure of the organization (MINER, 2002, p.344). The first factor is related to an employee’s ability to cope with number of operational working hours, desired rate of production, the environment of the organization that can be seen, and the quality of work expected by the mangers of the organization. For example: individuals who work late at night experience deterioration of health due to sleepless nights. The second factors are related to the hierarchical level of the organization in which an employee is operating. Individuals who are situated at the top level of an organization are expected to experience more stress as their responsibility is much greater than those working in the lower level of the management (BLONNA, 2010, p.53). Fo r example: Those in the top level of the management have to perform several tasks at the same time. The third factor is related to the how secure the job is for an individual and whether there are promotional benefits offered by the organization or not. For example: employees are unsure whether they will be able to keep their jobs if changes in technology are implemented by the organization. The fourth factor of stress is related to the relationship of the employee with other employees of the organization and the management level of the organization. An organization itself is a society where different elements have to interact with each other to ensure that the entire unit operates in a collective manner. If employees do not interact with each other and help each other, work pressure increases and results in stress. Organizational environment is a major

What is research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

What is research - Essay Example Research is â€Å"something that people undertake in order to find out things in a systematic way, thereby increasing their knowledge.† An important component of this definition is ‘systematic’, meaning research is approached logically. Research describes, explains, understands, criticizes, and analyzes a subject area. Research is important in business and management. Research must produce practical conclusions leading to better decision-making and/or profit. Managers draw on knowledge developed by other disciplines to aid their work routine, and tend to prefer to conduct research with personal or commercial advantage. In research, combining two knowledge bases sometimes creates a single large knowledge base plus a new one. ‘Basic’ research generates new knowledge and options, whereas ‘applied’ research generates new knowledge with a practical aim. New insights can help change the way business-related activities are conducted. Five research models will be examined: experimental design, cross-sectional surveys, longitudinal design, case studies, and comparative design.Good experimental design is important in producing reliable results. Independent variables should be manipulated to determine how they influence dependent variables. There are several forms of experimental res earch. Classic design is based on manipulation of independent variables, observations made before and after testing an experimental group, and relating observations to the dependent variable ... Qualitative or quantitative data is collected at a single point in time, and is examined for patterns in relation to two or more variables. Longitudinal Design Longitudinal design provides more than one time-point for analysis, and is often used to plan changes in business and management. There are two types of design. A panel study is often a randomly selected national study which collects data from various types of cases at two or more time points. A cohort study is a randomly-selected sample of people who share certain pre-determined characteristics such as birth-date or employment status. Both types are concerned with revealing trends and improving the understanding of causal influences. They also share similar problems. Good planning is essential to provide useful data. Employee and company turn-over may cause sample attrition, and the remaining people may not form a representative group. Continued participation in such studies may influence how respondents behave. Case Studies A case can be an organization, location, person, or event. Stake (1995) observes that case studies are concerned with the complexity and nature of the case in question. There are three types of case study. The critical case is carried out with a clear hypothesis in mind, the unique case is used for clinical studies with a common focus, and the revelatory case is used "when an investigator has an opportunity to observe and analyse a phenomenon previously inaccessible to scientific investigation" (Yin 1984:44) Case studies can be conducted both deductively and inductively and may be linked with qualitative research using tools such as participant observation and unstructured interviews. Comparative Design Comparative design applies similar research methods to

12 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

12 - Essay Example One example from history is the interaction between Europeans and American Indians in the colonial period in 1492 when 1-7 million American Indians lived in North America and European hunters migrated from northeast Asia into Alaska. They interacted with the native people through trade and agriculture. The Spanish and French are said to have developed good harmonious relations with the native people. The Spanish worked towards converting them into Catholicism after 1600. The English interaction with the American Indians was rather complex which involved mostly warfare and alliances. Another good example of cultural interaction is the development of understanding between Western and non-Western cultures over time. Non-Western cultures have adopted Western modernization without abandoning their own cultures, religious values and practices. Global trade has helped enhance this understanding. Both cultures have made efforts to start active communication across them and the pioneers of th is understanding are the philosophers of both the cultures who took extraordinary interest in the other culture to spread

Contingency Planning Outline (Hotel Industry) Essay

Contingency Planning Outline (Hotel Industry) - Essay Example Besides, it is always important to note that individuals will always look for ways to improve themselves and this creates the need for these individuals to be constantly in motion. This is one thing that affects today's organization as the labor force becomes unpredictable. Such is the reason to come up with a contingency plan to guard against the losses arising from such unforeseeable situations. Mainly to come up with a plan for such situations, the management will have to consult widely on how to first ensure that there are no situations going to occur like that. This again is followed by evaluating other ways of curtailing the effects of the same if in any case it occurs. This is what creates the bases of any contingency plan; an evaluation of the action plan. In this case, we look at a contingency plan which specifically deals with human resource. The following steps can be followed. Examine the possibility of having new employees who might be serving on a part time basis in the current period. If the hotel or organization does not have individuals serving on a part time basis, it is important that they consider having provisions for that as these provide an almost exact replacement having acquired and learnt about the organizations processes overtime. The other step would be having the proper links with labor unions and recruiting firms which would provide an immediate replacement in case of turnovers that attempt to cripple the activities of the organization. The last of the plans that may work as far as the employees or human resource is concerned is ensuring that there is a mechanism in place which monitors the individual's involvement in work processes. Studies show that individuals who have a stronger probability of leaving the organization are likely to be less involved and tend to or incite others. A mechanism that identifies such behavior is likely to help reduce the effects of sudden turnovers which may result in losses for the firm. It is important to note that some of these effects that arise as a result of human resource changes may be quite drastic and may lead to the collapse of the organization. So, having a mechanism that enables prediction and at the same time provides a way to counter would boost the situation of the organization. Contingency plan on financial resources needed This is another very vital resource in the organization not only in the hotel industry but in all other industries. The money resource is the base for any business as it involves the capital employed, the rates paid and the wages paid. A money resource is the seed in any organization as it is what creates the organization. Though individuals may have an idea, it is impossible to breathe life or transform the idea without money. Thus, for any organization to run smoothly in terms of service provision, activity control and product creation, a considerable investment needs to be employed. Though individuals or human resource as discussed earlier may be the driving force in an organization, they are there because their efforts in learning the organization are compensated. The way to compensate the human resource is through money. For an organization either in the hotel industry or any other industry to run accordingly, it has to have a sound financial base. What this ensures is that all the other resources are present and compensated for fully. But it is not always

Police corruption relating to money laundering Essay

Police corruption relating to money laundering - Essay Example This nexus of police and politicians often leads to disastrous consequences for the country's prosperity. Political leaders have often been found to be involved in the cases of money laundering in many countries around the world. In such cases, money laundering happens to be the next stage of money laundering. Political leaders generate billions of dollars of funds from different corrupt practices. They cannot deposit this money in country's banks, which then requires to be deposited elsewhere using the money laundering route. International bodies like UN have also raised the issue from time to time, and called upon respective governments to put in place proper rules and regulations which help in controlling the menace of corruption. The 'UN Convention Against Corruption' (UNCAC) is one such international understanding which came into force in 2003 and calls upon member countries to establish criminal offence cases against people indulging in corrupt practices. Despite much persuasio n and resolutions adopted by different countries from time to time, the menace of corruption appears all the more strong all these years. Corruption as such has been defined as the 'abuse of a position of trust to gain an unfair advantage' (Chaikin, 2008). When the extent of unfair advantage gains huge proportions, things appear to go out of hand. Such practices not only prove to be a big drain on the development and resources of the country, but it also adversely impacts the morale of the citizens. Many politicians have often been implicated in money laundering cases. For example, French politicians Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres and Francois Leotard were found to guilty and convicted for money laundering in the political party of the President Chirac (BBC, 2004). In general the money laundering takes places in such a manner that money earned through corrupt means is stashed away in banks abroad, which then finds way back home using false invoices, loans etc. This money is then used by the concerned person to make luxurious purchases or further promote the businesses (Fig). Once the money launderer is able to firm up the chain, then it becomes extremely difficult for the law of the land to trap it, more so because the chain is established with fullest support from the police establishment. Corruption and money laundering often go hand in hand, with the presence of one strengthening the other. While concealing such money, the police administration needs to be paid bribes. Chaikin (2008) defines money laundering as 'a process in which the ownership or control of assets and income are obscured or concealed from tax authorities, law-enforcement agencies or private parties, who have a legitimate interest in discovering the true beneficial owner or controller of such assets/income'. Police administration is the key law enforcement agencies entrusted with taking action against such corrupt practices. Chaikin (2008) further states that money laundering has two inter-related processes, namely; Anyone hiding the money for improper or illegal reasons is involved in money laundering. Money is "cleaned" or sanitised whenever its true nature, source or use is concealed. In some countries this process is called conversion of black money into white money. There were allegations that Iraq was receiving arms and ammunition from international arms dealers even during the period of

Understanding the Concepts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Understanding the Concepts - Essay Example Concept of NPV/Payback Rule: The concept of NPV or Net Present Value of a particular investment represents the difference in its market value and its actual cost. The value of NPV is determined by estimating the present value of those cash flows that shall take place in the future. The cost is then deducted from the resultant to obtain the value of the NPV. According to the payback rule, a particular cutoff is selected and if the payback period is less than that cutoff, the project proves to be good to undertake. A payback period represents the time period when the cost of the project becomes equal to the total sum of the investments made on the project (Ross, Westerfield & Jordan, 2008, p.290). Thus, these two concepts can be utilized in the business in order to determine whether the investments made on the project and the costs being incurred are on a right track to provide the owner with sufficient returns. Advantages and Disadvantages of Debt Financing and Issue of Stocks over Bonds: The first advantage of debt financing is that a business only requires repayment of the borrowed amount but it is the owners who are accrued for any rise in the firm’s value. Secondly, debt is less costly in comparison to equity and carries lesser amounts of risk. Thirdly, the availability of debt financing is more frequent and easy than equity financing. The disadvantages of debt financing lie with the fact that debts have to be cleared even if the firm has undergone any losses in its finances. Secondly, in debt financing the assets of a firm are required to be used a guarantee that limits the further borrowing of the firm. Thirdly, several restrictions might be presented by the lenders in the process of debt financing. Lastly, personal guarantee might also be required in some cases (Seidman, 2005, pp.32-33). An organization would choose to issue stocks than bonds since firstly a stock represents the share of the owners of the firm, while a bond is a debt instrument. Secondly, a stock does not have a maturity period unlike bonds that have a fixed maturity period. Thirdly, dividends are gained over stocks while bonds borne fixed rates of interests (Brown, 2011). Risk-Returns Relationship: Financial risks are considered to be any such uncertainty that might affect the positive outcomes of a firm. Such risks might be associated with the market which is external to a firm. On the other hand, internal problems might also give rise to risks. The primary relationship between financial returns and risk arise based on the fact that investors always prefer higher returns and lesser risks. Thus it can be understood in this context that if financial risks are higher in case of an investment, the investor would have expectations for higher returns. This reflects on a trade-off that exists between the risks and the returns. Such a trade-off enables determination of the added amount of ret urn that an investor would receive if he considers a higher level of risk in his investment measure (Brigham & Houston, 2012, p.258). Thus depending on the level of risks that an investor can consider in his investment, the financial returns vary and this throws light on the relationship that exists between financial returns and risks. Beta and its Use: The concept of beta has been used for the measurement of systematic

An outline of Modern Chinese Buddhism's response to easterna and Essay

An outline of Modern Chinese Buddhism's response to easterna and western Philosophy - Essay Example witnessed immense interaction and integration of people with Chinese engage in commercial activities with both the west and the East in equal measure. Chinese spread all over the world to the Americas and Europe among other parts of the world while other people from different regions converged in China. As such, Buddhism would change some of it ideologies in order to fit the fast changing society. Iconic Buddhists of the era including Xiong Shili, Liang Shuming and Wang Xiaoxu sought to intergrate some of the western and eastern philosophies in the intrinsic Chinese religion (Zhang 540). Changing a number of features of the religion was realistic in order to position the religion strategically in the already changing world thereby enabling it to enjoy a sense of belonging in the contemporary society (Jianming 44). The response to both the western and eastern philosophies was therefore systematic with the religion’s desire to spread and safeguard both its longevity and values even as it spread to various parts of the world. Fortunately, the incorporation of some of the western and eastern philosophies such as materialism and idealism revitalized Buddhism. The dialogues that the various Buddhists had on the various philosophies coupled with their accommodative approach of the various philosophies helped make Buddhism endear to more westerners thereby making it easy for B uddhists from all over the world to interact with the various people they met in their daily endeavors. Idealism, mind matter dualism and materialism were increasingly becoming predominant philosophies that required appropriate redress in order to position the religion strategically in the society (Huajun and Milligan 29). Buddhism therefore incorporated dialogues on such philosophies with the view to accommodating more people who held various viewpoints thereby growing the influence of the religion. Idealism for example argues that the definition of reality is relative and relies on the mental

Learning process in behaviour Essay Example for Free

Learning process in behaviour Essay Learning is a permanent change in behaviour caused by experience. The learner does not need to have the experience directly; we can also learn by observing others . It is an ongoing process. Our knowledge of the world is continually being revised as we are exposed to new stimuli and receiving ongoing feedback that allows us to modify our behaviour when we find ourselves in a similar position again Psychologists who have studied learning have developed advanced therories on the process of learning. Here we will discuss the two major approaches to learning; instrumental and classical conditioning. Classical Conditioning It occurs when a stimulus that elicits a response is paired with another stimulus that initially does not elicit a response on its own. A Russian physiologist , Pavlov introduced classically conditioned learning by pairing a neutral stimulus ( a bell ) with a stimulus known to cause a salivation to dogs ( he squirted dry meat powder). The powder was an unconditioned stimulus because it was capable of causing the response. Over time, the dog has learned to associate the bell with its meat powder and begin to salivate at the sound of the bell only. The drooling of these canine consumers because of a sound now has a linked to feeding time, was a conditioned response ( CR ). This basic of classical conditioning applies to responses controlled by the autonomic and nervous systems. When these cues are consistently paired with a conditioned stimuli such as brand names, we as consumers may feel hungry, thirsty or aroused when later exposed to brand cues. Conditioning effects are more likely to occur after the (CS) conditioned and  unconditioned ( UCS ) stimuli have been paired a number of times. Repeated exposures increases the strength of stimulus-response associations and prevent the decay of these associations in memory. Many marketing strategies focus on the establishment of associations between stimuli and responses. Behavioural learning principal applies to many consumer phenomena, ranging from the creation of a distinctive brand image to the perceived linkage between a product and an underlying need. The transfer of meaning from an unconditioned stiulus to a conditioned stimulus explains why made-up brands like Marlboro, Coca-Cola or IBM can exert such powerful effects on consumers. Operant conditioning Over the years behaviourist have carried out operant principals out of the narrow world of the skinner box and into the wider room of society. The use of the operant techniques to help people change unwanted, dangerous, or self-defeating habits in real world settings is called behaviour modification ( applied behaviour analysis ) Behaviour modification has had enormous success, behaviorist have taught parents to toilet train their children in only a few sessions etc. as you can see from everyday world behaviour modificaton is not a science but an art. Operant Conditioning : process of applying the law of effect to control behaviour by manipulating its consequences. Law of effect: behaviour followed by pleasant consequences is likely to be repeated; behaviour followed by unpleasant consequences is not 4 basic reinforcement strategies is use in operant conditioning; positive reinforcement -negative reinforcement -punishment -extinction Positive reinforcement : the process by which people learn to perform acts leading to such desirable outcomes. Whatever behaviour led to the positive outcome is likely to occur again, thereby strengthening that behaviour by making a pleasant consequences contingent onto its occurrence. Negative reinforcement: Negative reinforcement is the process by which people learn to perform acts that lead to removal of undesired events or unpleasant consequence contingent onto its occurrence. Punishment: administrating of negative consequences or withdrawal of positive consequences that tend to reduce the likelihood of repeating the behaviour in similar settings Extinction: ceasation of previously established reinforcer that is maintaining a behaviour by removal of a pleasant consequence of its occurrence. Positive reinforcement can take many forms. One of the strongest is praise and recognition for the good work. It is good rewards management. It shifts the emphasis and energy of the manger towards a larger number of employees, rather than focus all the attention and time on poorer employees. If done correctly it can make all but the worst employees feel that the organization recognizes and appreciates their effort and contributions. If the desired behaviour is specific in nature and is difficult to achieve , a pattern if positive reinforcement called shaping can be used. Shaping is the creation of a new behaviour by the positive reinforcement of successive approximations leading to the desired behaviour. Negative reinforcement governs a good deal of our behaviour. Some people do  think that it is a reasonable way to manage people at work that is, employees who engage in undesirable behaviour should expect something to happen to them. But there are some difficulties with this approach. First it creates a tens environment ( difficult to work everyday where the main motivation is to prevent unpleasant outcomes ) secondly, relationships often deteriorates when superiors represent a constant threat to be avoided. There can be adverse side effects in using punishment. An action intended to punish may instead be reinforcing because it brings attention -the recepient of punishment often responds with anxiety ,fear or rage -the effectiveness of punishment is often temporay, depending heavily on the presense of the punishing person or circumstances -most misbehaviours is hard to punish immediately thus resutingin the reinforcement of the undesired behaviour -punishment conveys little info Extinction is important and quite commonly used. This strategy decreases the frequency of or weakens the behaviour . The behaviour is not unlearned; it simply is not exhibited. Since the behaviour is no longer reinforced, it will reappear when it is reinforced again. Whereas positive reinforcement seeks to establish and maintain desirable work behaviour, extinction on the other hand is intended to weaken and eliminate the undesirable behaviour Law of contingent reinforcement states for reward to have the maximum reinforcing value ; it must be delivered only if the desired behaviour is exhibited . Secondly, the law of immediate reinforcement states , the more immediate the delivery of a reward after the occurence of a desirable behaviour, the greater the reinforcing value of the reward. Timing of postiove reinforcement; a) the continuous reiforcemnt schedule administers a reqrd each tie a desired behaviour occurs b) b) an intermittent or patila reinforcement schedule rewars a behaviour only periodically. 4 varieties of partial reinforcement schedule a) Fixed interval schedules b)Variable interval schedules c)Fixed ratio schedules c) Variable ratio schedules In general , a mange can expect that the continuous reinforcement will draw a desired behaviour more quickly than will intermittent reinforcement Steps in positive reinforcement program; @identify specific behaviour that are to be changed; must be accurate and reliably observed and then recorded. Behaviour should be measurable and observable. @ determine the links between the target behaviour, its consequences and stimulus condition leading to the beaviour) @develop and set specific behaviour goals for each person and target behaviours @recording process toward the goal @apply appropriate consequences; rewards, punsihmnets,extinction

Efficient Prediction System Using Artificial Neural Networks

Efficient Prediction System Using Artificial Neural Networks Jay Patel Abstract- Predicting is making claims about something that will happen, often based on information from past and from current state. Neural networks can be used for prediction with various levels of success. The neural network is trained from the historical data with the hope that it will discover hidden dependencies and that it will be able to use them for predicting into future. It is an approach for making prediction efficient using best features on which prediction is more dependent. Keywords: Artificial Neural Networks; Feature set; Profiles INTRODUCTION Artificial neural networks are computational models inspired by animal central nervous systems (in particular the brain) that are capable of machine learning and pattern recognition. They are usually presented as systems of interconnected neurons that can compute values from inputs by feeding information through the network. For example, in a neural network for handwriting recognition, a set of input neurons may be activated by the pixels of an input image representing a letter or digit. The activations of these neurons are then passed on, weighted and transformed by some function determined by the networks designer, to other neurons, etc., until finally an output neuron is activated that determines which character was read. Mainly three types of ANN models are present single layer feed forward network, Multilayer feed forward network and recurrent network Single layer feed forward network consist of only one input layer and one output layer. Input layer neurons receive the input sig nals and output layer receives output signals. In a feed forward network the output of the network does not affect the operation of the layer that is producing this output. In a feedback network however the output of a layer after the layer being fed back into, can affect the output of the earlier layer. Essentially the data loops through the two layers and back to start again. This is important in control circuits, because it allows the result from a previous calculation to affect the operation of the next calculation. This means that the second calculation can take into account the results of the first calculation, and be controlled by them. Weiners work on cybernetics was based on the idea that feedback loops were a useful tool for control circuits. In fact Weiner coined the termcybernetics based on the Greek kybernutos or metallic steersman of a fictional boat mentioned in the Illiad. Neural models ranged from complex mathematical models with Floating point outputs to simple state machines with a binary output. Depending on w hether the neuron incorporates the learning mechanism or not, neural learning rules can be as simple as adding weight to a synapse each time it fires, and gradually degrading those weights over time, as in the earliest learning rules, Delta rules that accelerate the learning by applying a delta value according to some error function in a back propagation network, to Pre-synaptic/Post-synaptic rules based on biochemistry of the synapse and the firing process. Signals can be calculated in binary, linear, non-linear, and spiking values for the output. Figure 1. ANN Models Multilayer feed forward network consist of input, output and one more addition than single layer feed forward is hidden layer. Computational units of hidden layer are called hidden neurons. In Multilayer Feed Forward Network there must be only one input layer and one output layer and hidden layers can be of any numbers. There is only one difference in recurrent network from feed forward networks is that there is at least one feedback loop. In neurons we can input vectors taken as input and weights are included. With the help of weights and input vectors we can calculate weighted sum and taking weighted sum as parameter we can calculate activation function. There are different activation functions available e.g. thresholding, Signum, Sigmoidal, Hyperbolic Tangent. Phase ordering of optimization techniques In optimizing compilers, it is standard practice to apply the same set of optimization phases in a fixed order on each method of a program. However, several researchers have shown that the best ordering of optimizations varies within a program, i.e., it is function-specific. Thus,we would like a technique that selects the best ordering of optimizations for individual portions of the program, rather than applying the same fixed set of optimizations for the whole program. This paper develops a new method-specific technique that automatically selects the predicted best ordering of optimizations for different methods of a program. They develop this technique within the Jikes RVM Java JIT compiler and automatically determine good phase-orderings of optimizations on a per method basis. Rather than developing a handcrafted technique to achieve this, they make use of an artificial neural network (ANN) to predict the optimization order likely to be most beneficial for a method. Our ANNs were automatically induced using Neuro-Evolution for Augmenting Topologies (NEAT). A trained ANN uses input properties (i.e., features) of each method to represent the current optimized state of the method and given this input, the ANN outputs the optimization predicted to be most beneficial to the method at that state. Each time an optimization is applied, it potentially changes the properties of the method. Therefore, after each optimization is applied, they generate new features of the method to use as input to the ANN. The ANN then predicts the next optimization to apply based on the current optimized state of the method. This technique solves the phase ordering problem by taking advantage of the Markov property of the optimization problem. That is, the current state of the method represents all the information required to choose an optimization to be most beneficial at that decision point. Most compilers apply optimizations based on a fixed order that was determined to be best when the compiler was being developed and tuned. However, programs require a specific ordering of optimizations to obtain the best performance. To demonstrate our point, we use genetic algorithms (GAs), the current state-of-the-art in phase-ordering optimizations, to show that selecting the best ordering of optimizations has the potential to significantly improve the running time of dynamically compiled programs. They used GAs to construct a custom ordering of optimizations for each of the Java Grande and SPEC JVM 98 benchmarks. In this GA approach, we create a population of strings (called chromosomes), where each chromosome corresponds to an optimization sequence. Each position (or gene) in the chromosome corresponds to a specific optimization from Table 2, and each optimization can appear multiple times in a chromosome. For each of the experiments below, we configured our GAs to create 50 chro mosomes (i.e., 50 optimization sequences) per generation and to run for 20 Generations. Technique for Implementing GA We ran two different experiments using GAs. The first experiment consisted of finding the best optimization sequence across our benchmarks. Thus, we evaluated each optimization sequence (i.e., chromosome) by compiling all our benchmarks with each sequence. We recorded their execution times and calculated their speedup by normalizing their running times with the running time observed by compiling the benchmarks at the O3 level. That is, we used average speedup of our benchmarks (normalized to opt level O3) as our fitness function for each chromosome. This result corresponds to the â€Å"Best Overall Sequence† bars in Figure 1. The purpose of this experiment was to discover the optimization ordering that worked best on average for all our benchmarks. The second experiment consisted of finding the best optimization ordering for each benchmark. Here, the fitness function for each chromosome was the speedup of that optimization sequence over O3 for one specific benchmark. This resu lt corresponds to the â€Å"Best Sequence per Benchmark† bars in Figure 1. This represents the performance that we can get by customizing an optimization ordering for each benchmark individually. Results The results of these experiments confirm two hypotheses. First, significant performance improvements can be obtained by finding good optimization orders versus the well-engineered fixed order in Jikes RVM. The best order of optimizations per benchmark gave us up to a 20% speedup (FFT) and on average 8% speedup over optimization level O3. Second, as shown in previous work, each of our benchmarks requires a different optimization sequence to obtain the best performance. One ordering of optimizations for the entire set of programs achieves decent performance speedup compared to O3. Figure 2.Results of experiments using GA However, the â€Å"Best Overall Sequence† degrades the performance of three benchmarks (LUFact, Series, and Crypt) compared to O3. In contrast, searching for the best custom optimization sequence for each benchmark, â€Å"Best Sequence for Benchmark†, allows us to outperform both O3 and the best overall sequence. Motivation Predict the current best optimization: This method would use a model to predict the best single optimization (from a given set of optimizations) that should be applied based on the characteristics of code in its present state. Once an optimization is applied, we would re-evaluate characteristics of the code and again predict the best optimization to apply given this new state of the code. For this we can apply Artificial Neural Network in this method and we will also include profiles for better prediction of optimization sequence for particular program. Automatic Feature Generation Automatic Feature generation system is comprised of the following components: training data generation, feature search and machine learning [5]. The training data generation process extracts the compiler’s intermediate representation of the program plus the optimal values for the heuristic we wish to learn. Once these data have been generated, the feature search component explores features over the compiler’s intermediate representation (IR) and provides the corresponding feature values to the machine learning tool. The machine learning tool computes how good the feature is at predicting the best heuristic value in combination with the other features in the base feature set (which is initially empty). The search component finds the best such feature and, once it can no longer improve upon it, adds that feature to the base feature set and repeats. In this way, we build up a gradually improving set of features. a. Data Generation In a similar way to the existing machine learning techniques (see section II) we must gather a number of examples of inputs to the heuristic and find out what the optimal answer should be for those examples. Each program is compiled in different ways, each with a different heuristic value. We time the execution of the compiled programs to find out which heuristic value is best for each program. We also extract from the compiler the internal data structures which describe the programs. Due to the intrinsic variability of the execution times on the target architecture, we run each compiled program several times to reduce susceptibility to noise. Figure 3. Automatic Feature Generation b. Feature Search The feature search component maintains a population of feature expressions. The expressions come from a family described by a grammar derived automatically from the compiler’s IR. Evaluating a feature on a program generates a single real number; the collection of those numbers over all programs forms a vector of feature values which are later used by the machine learning tool. c. Machine Learning The machine learning tool is the part of the system that provides feedback to the search component about how good a feature is. As mentioned above, the system maintains a list of good base features. It repeatedly searches for the best next feature to add to the base features, iteratively building up the list of good features. The final output of the system will be the latest features list. Our system additionally implements parsimony. Genetic programming can quickly generate very long feature expressions. If two features have the same quality we prefer the shorter one. This selection pressure prevents expressions becoming needlessly long. E. Motivation They have developed a new technique to automatically generate good features for machine learning based optimizing compilation. By automatically deriving a feature grammar from the internal representation of the compiler, we can search a feature space using genetic programming. We have applied this generic technique to automatically learn good features. Code Optimization in Compilers using ANN For ordering of different optimization techniques using ANN we must need to implement that in 4Cast-XL as it is a dynamic compiler. 4Cast-XL constructs an ANN, Integrate the ANN into Jikes RVM’s optimization driver than Evaluate ANN at the task of phase-ordering optimizations. For each method dynamically compiled, repeat the following two steps Generate a feature vector of current method’s state Generate profiles of program Use ANN to predict the best optimization to apply Use ANN to predict the best optimization to apply. Run benchmarks and obtain feedback for 4Cast-XL Record execution time for each benchmark optimized using the ANN. Obtain speedup by normalizing each benchmark’s running time to running time using default optimization heuristic. Figure 4. Code Optimization in compilers using ANN with Profiles Results Research work is aimed for optimizing code using artificial neural networks. In order to make this precise, better profiles generated from given set of features using Milepost GCC compiler with ten different programs. Experimental results demonstrate that profiles of program can be used for optimization of code. Motivation This section gives a detailed overview of how Neuro-evolution machine learning is used to construct a good optimization phase-ordering heuristic for the optimizer. The first section outlines the different activities that take place when training and deploying a phase ordering heuristic. This is followed by sections describing how we use 4cast-XL to construct an ANN, how we extract features from methods, and how best features called Profiles and ANNs allow us to learn a heuristic that determines the order of optimizations to apply. It motivates us to apply this approach for different types of predictions using Artificial Neural Networks. Prediction Using Neural Networks Neural networks can be used for prediction with various levels of success. The advantage of then includes automatic learning of dependencies only from measured data without any need to add further information (such as type of dependency like with the regression). The neural network is trained from the historical data with the hope that it will discover hidden dependencies and that it will be able to use them for predicting into future. In other words, neural network is not represented by an explicitly given model. It is more a black box that is able to learn something. 1

Electronic Health Records Essay -- Hospital medical errors

A. What is the issue? An Electronic Health Record is a computerized form of a patient’s medical chart. These records allow information to be readily available to authorized providers during a patient’s encounter with the healthcare system. These systems do not only contain medical histories, current medications and insurance information, they also track patients’ diagnoses, treatment plans, immunization dates, allergies, radiology images and lab tests/results (source). The fundamental aspect of EHRs is that they are able to share a patient’s information quickly across service lines and even between different healthcare organizations. Information is at the fingertips of lab techs, primary care physicians, pharmacies, clinics, etc. The goal of EHR implementation is to drastically decrease the amount of preventable medical errors that occur each year. Hospital medical errors are the third leading cause of death in America. In 2008, 400,000 people died resulting in a loss of $17.1 billion dollars (MacDonald, 2013). Such medical errors include misdiagnosis, unnecessary treatment, medication mistakes, uncoordinated care, infections, missed warning signs and early discharge. According to Leana Wen, M.D., these are the top 10 medical errors that can kill you in a hospital (Wen, 2013). With these staggering statistics, it is hard to believe that America’s healthcare system is among the top when compared to other developed countries. That is because it is not. The US is ranked 46 out of 50 when it comes to countries with the most efficient healthcare and ranked 25 out of 50 for countries with the highest life expectancy (â€Å"Most Efficient Health,† 2013). With these low quality outcomes and a push towards EHR adoption, one must ask, will ... ...ian-order-entry-cpoe Summary of the hipaa privacy rule. ((2014, 01 01)2014, 01 01). Retrieved from http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/summary/ Lynn, J. ((2013, 08 05)2013, 08 05). Don’t let a business associate compromise your hipaa compliance. Retrieved from http://www.emrandhipaa.com/tag/hipaa-violations/ Merrill, M. ((2011, 10 24)2011, 10 24). Study finds docs have ‘inadequate’ her training. Retrieved from http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/study-finds-docs-have-inadequate-ehr-training Wen, L. ((2013, 04 26)2013, 04 26). 10 medical errors that can kill you in the hospital. Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-doctor-is- listening/201303/10-medical-errors-can-kill-you-in-the-hospital Medicsdocassistant ehr - ehr software. ((n.d.)). Retrieved from http://ehr- software.findthebest.com/l/7/MedicsDocAssistant-EHR Electronic Health Records Essay -- Hospital medical errors A. What is the issue? An Electronic Health Record is a computerized form of a patient’s medical chart. These records allow information to be readily available to authorized providers during a patient’s encounter with the healthcare system. These systems do not only contain medical histories, current medications and insurance information, they also track patients’ diagnoses, treatment plans, immunization dates, allergies, radiology images and lab tests/results (source). The fundamental aspect of EHRs is that they are able to share a patient’s information quickly across service lines and even between different healthcare organizations. Information is at the fingertips of lab techs, primary care physicians, pharmacies, clinics, etc. The goal of EHR implementation is to drastically decrease the amount of preventable medical errors that occur each year. Hospital medical errors are the third leading cause of death in America. In 2008, 400,000 people died resulting in a loss of $17.1 billion dollars (MacDonald, 2013). Such medical errors include misdiagnosis, unnecessary treatment, medication mistakes, uncoordinated care, infections, missed warning signs and early discharge. According to Leana Wen, M.D., these are the top 10 medical errors that can kill you in a hospital (Wen, 2013). With these staggering statistics, it is hard to believe that America’s healthcare system is among the top when compared to other developed countries. That is because it is not. The US is ranked 46 out of 50 when it comes to countries with the most efficient healthcare and ranked 25 out of 50 for countries with the highest life expectancy (â€Å"Most Efficient Health,† 2013). With these low quality outcomes and a push towards EHR adoption, one must ask, will ... ...ian-order-entry-cpoe Summary of the hipaa privacy rule. ((2014, 01 01)2014, 01 01). Retrieved from http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/summary/ Lynn, J. ((2013, 08 05)2013, 08 05). Don’t let a business associate compromise your hipaa compliance. Retrieved from http://www.emrandhipaa.com/tag/hipaa-violations/ Merrill, M. ((2011, 10 24)2011, 10 24). Study finds docs have ‘inadequate’ her training. Retrieved from http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/study-finds-docs-have-inadequate-ehr-training Wen, L. ((2013, 04 26)2013, 04 26). 10 medical errors that can kill you in the hospital. Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-doctor-is- listening/201303/10-medical-errors-can-kill-you-in-the-hospital Medicsdocassistant ehr - ehr software. ((n.d.)). Retrieved from http://ehr- software.findthebest.com/l/7/MedicsDocAssistant-EHR

Cervical Cancer: The Best Form of Prevention Is To Be Informed And Awar

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women and the leading cause of death among women in underdeveloped countries. In fact, 500,000 cases are diagnosed each year worldwide. This particular cancer is found mainly in middle-aged to older women; it is very rare to find it in women age fifteen and younger. The average age of women with cervical cancer is age 50-55; however, the cancer begins to appear in women in their twenties (2). It is also found in women of lower-class areas, as they are not able to see a gynecologist to be screened. African American, Hispanic, and Native American women are more prone to developing cervical cancer as well (1). The cervix is an organ in the female reproductive system; it is the entrance to the uterus. Cancer of the cervix develops in the lining of the cervix. The normal cells go through abnormal changes and become precancerous cells. These changes are called Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN). CIN is categorized as low grade and high grade. It progresses to one of two conditions: (a) Squamos Intraepithelial Lesion (SIL) which leads to invasive cervical cancer, or (b) Carcinoma in Situ which is non-invasive, or localized, cervical cancer (1). The causes of cervical cancer are unknown. However, scientists believe that there is a link between two kinds of Human Papallomavirus (HPV) and the cancer. HPV is a group of 100 different viruses. Some types of HPV cause warts and are considered "low-risk" when discussing causes of cervical cancer. However, other types of HPV cause precancerous conditions, resulting in different types of genital cancers, and is therefore considered "high-risk" (1). HPV is a sexually transmitted disease and it is extremely contagious. Recent resear... ...t like everyone else. Here is the unsettling part: Had I skipped that Pap smear during my sophomore year, I would have had invasive cervical cancer within a year and would have had to undergo chemotherapy. So once again, and I cannot stress this enough, the best form of prevention of cervical cancer is to be informed and aware. If you are a woman age 18 or older, whether you are sexually active or not, go see a gynecologist. References 1)Oncology Channel http://www.oncologychannel.com/cervicalcancer/ 2)American Cancer Society: Do We Know What Causes Cervical Cancer? http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_4_2x_do_we_know_what_causes_cervical_cancer_8.asp?sitearea=ped 3)BestDoctor.com: Pap Smears http://www.bestdoctors.com/en/askadoctor/b/buchi/wbuchi_100300_q3.htm 4)Cervical Dysplasia Causes http://cervical-dysplasia-causes.com/

Nathaniel Hawthornes Young Goodman Browns Apocalypse Essay -- Young

Nathaniel Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown's Apocalypse      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Most criticism and reflection of Nathaniel Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown centers on a good versus evil theme. Critics also debate interpretations of the main character's consciousness; is Brown awake or dreaming.   What is certain is that he lives and dies in pain because his belief in his righteousness isolates him from his community.   It is also certain that Hawthorne's interpretation of Brown's "mid-life crisis" has ambiguity and leaves a reader with many different feelings about what and why certain things have happened.   Hawthorne's use of symbolism in his allegorical tale Young Goodman Brown causes the main character's revelations about the sin within his community, his family and himself.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Young Goodman Brown's journey into the forest is best defined as a kind of "general, indeterminate allegory, representing man's irrational drive to leave faith, home, and security temporarily behind, for whatever reason, and take a chance with one(more) errand onto the wilder shores of experience" (Martin).   Brown has a curiosity that "kills"   his naive outlook on life and changes him until his death.   He has a mission to go into the forest and   meet the devil.   A mission that he begins out of curiosity and a "deep need to see if the teachings of his childhood, his religion, and his culture, have armed him sufficiently to look the devil in the face and return unscathed" (Hodara 1).   The symbol of the forest, late at night, can be interpreted as the untamed regions of Brown's heart where the devil roams freely as he roams in the forest. The forest is the devil's ... ...ism.   Vol 3. Detriot: Gale, 1989.    Hawthorne, Nathaniel, The Great Short Works of Nathaniel Hawthorne. Ed. Fredrick C. Crews.   New York: Barnes and Noble, Inc., 1992.    "Hawthorne, Nathaniel,"   Microsoft (R) Encarta. Microsoft Corporation. Funk & Wagnall's Corporation, 1994.    Hodara, Alan.   "Some Thoughts On Young Goodman Brown."   (26 Oct. 1996).    Jones, Madison.   "Nathaniel Hawthorne." Short Story Criticism.   Vol 3. Detriot: Gale, 1989.    MaGill, Frank, ed.   Critical Survery of Short Fiction.   Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Salam Press, 1981.    Martin, Terence. "Nathaniel Hawthorne." Short Story Criticism.   Vol 3. Detriot: Gale, 1989.    Mikosh,   Bert A., "A View of Young Goodman Brown."    (11-9-96).    Segura, Gilberto.   "The Allegorical Goodman Brown."   (11-9-96).   

Godspell Review Essay

Godspell truly captivates the heart and mind of the mere spectator because of its austerity, and its provincial meanings. The movie is not a message for our times, or a movie to focus on the movement of Jesus, or even quite a movie for the youth. In Fact, it is a sequence of stories and tunes, like the bible is, and it is conveyed with the straightforwardness that ingenuous stories demand: with zero illusions, no knowledgeable implements, and a lot of modest honesty. The qualities expressed through the movie would allow me to see the play in person. Though I was not able to attend a performance of the Godspell at my local high school; if I were given the chance again I would go to watch the play because the movie was truly captivating. The play and movie is a musical focused on the Gospel according to the Evangelist Matthew, â€Å"Godspell† is strangely mocking, wild, and loveable. The stage version originally produced in 1971 has been opened up into a movie by taking all of New York in a set. That is true, except for the scenes at the beginning and end, which display the city as a temple of mammon and a rat nest. Only the cast populates the movie; we do not see any other people, and the 10 kids dance, sing, and act out parables in improbable places as the World Trade Center and a tugboat. This is a new use for the city of New York, which looks remarkably spotless; even its vulgar skyscrapers edge toward magnificence when the infinitely long shots immerse them. Against this normality of steel and concrete, the characters come on like kids at a junior high reunion, clothed in comic book colors and bright tattered rags. Only two characters have names: Jesus, and a character who plays both John (who baptized Jesus in the bible) and Judas (who denied and betrayed Jesus). The other eight characters, which represent an on-the-spot assembly of disciples, are the cast who play themselves. What is nice about the cast is that they give the observer all new faces to watch. The characters don’t look like professional stage youths but this is a positive because the movie is livelier. â€Å"Godspell’s† cast is not only young but they are supposed to look like normal everyday people. For some crazy purpose the director, David Greene, has repelled from any enticement to make the movie visually extravagant. The movie characters, just like the stage characters, are given little emblems on their faces by Jesus. A little girl receives a little yellow flower and a boy acquires a tiny red star. It was necessary in the stage version to exaggerate this makeup to make it visible by making the emblems very large and crude, but the movie is an opposite an makes the emblems appear detailed and nice looking. It appeared to me that some people would not understand the meaning behind the odd tattoos and why they were unrelated to religious icons. In the 1970s tattoos were extremely popular, so why not add a part of the current culture to the play and movie. The director and producer used anything to brighten the culture and the upcoming world around them.

A Comparison between the Hindu Gods of Good and Evil Essay

In Hinduism, the primary goal of an individual is to achieve the so-called Nirvana or â€Å"becoming one with God. † Nirvana connotes the transcendence of the human spirit to the Oneness of the Divine Spirit (Hemenway, 2003). Hence, many Hindus practice a variety of evolved rituals and esoteric practices to enable their spirit to adapt to the divine essence. The hope of spiritual transcendence given by Nirvana became the basis for creation or conceptualization of many gods in the Hindu religion. These gods are basically derivatives of the â€Å"One God†; the â€Å"One God’ being represented in all aspects of nature (Hemenway, 2003). Thus, in order to simulate the specific characteristics of this God, Hindus focus on worshipping all the representations of this God. In general, the Hindu religion speaks of about 300 major and lesser gods. The primary three gods are known as the Holy Trinity. Brahma is the creator; Vishnu is the preserver (pattern-maker); and Shiva, the destroyer. The three are inseparable from each other. In order for creation to proceed, there must be a period of destruction. In order for destruction to occur, a period of preservation must happen (prior). Thus, the existence of the three gods presents a vivid description of the Hindu’s belief on the existence of man. If man is to be born, he must be preserved from the impediments of bad life and evil, and he must face the reality of death. To be born is to be created; to be preserved is to be rectified from the evils of daily living; to die is to acknowledge the origin of the human spirit. Only in this way that the human spirit would be able to achieve Nirvana (transcendence of the human spirit to the divine essence). Thus, Hindus hold on the assumption that once man is born (and reborn) in this world, there are powers who would guide and misguide him to attain Nirvana. The guiding powers are essentially the gods of good. The powers misguiding man to his true purpose are the gods of evil. This is though unlike the Christian conception of good and evil. Evil here is not seen as non-functional. Rather it serves as a manifest of test during the preservation period of man’s being; that is, the necessity to achieve Nirvana. Good here is seen something as an end; that is, the representation of Nirvana on earth. We can therefore assume that the conception of good and evil is a rectification of ideological misconceptions in the Hindu religion. The first clarification is concerning the source of good and evil. It is quite clear in Hindu religion that both good and evil gods came from the same source. Evil is the perversion of good. In order for evil to exist, good must first come into existence. The second clarification states â€Å"good gods are often transformed into evil gods as they experience strange circumstances. † The conception connotes the existence of One Divine Essence represented as both good and evil in nature. Evil is not a natural phenomenon, it springs from the Divine Essence serving as a test to humanity. Thus, when we compare Hindu gods of good and evil, take note that we are essentially talking of functional difference. This functional difference is manifested in the perceived roles of the gods in nature. The Hindu gods of good are represented in things â€Å"perceived† by the Hindus as rudiments of a â€Å"good life. † For example, Ganesha is often described as a god of good because he bestows good fortune to those seeking his favor. Specifically, he is considered the source of prosperity and wealth for Hindus. Some call Ganesha the Lord of Good Fortune and the Destroyer of Obstacles. Often, Hindus attribute their economic and social well-being to the hands of Ganesha. Added to that, because man is located in a physical world full of dangers and obstacles, he continuously provide his divine guidance to man. Hence, he is sometimes called the god of wisdom and intellect in Hinduism. Ganesha is seen as a good god who bestows his wisdom and divine intellect to man in order for him (man) to attain Nirvana. Frankly speaking, he is seen by many Hindus as the source of hope and aspiration. Besides Ganesha, there are three other gods considered to be good by many Hindus. Durga is a goddess representing the power of the Supreme Being who maintains moral order (Hindu Gods, 2005). In Sanskrit, her name means a â€Å"fort or a place that is protected. † Thus, Durga is known as the Divine Mother. In her arms, she protects the human race from evil by destroying the sources of evil. Like Ganesha, Lakshmi is considered a goddess of good-living and prosperity. In Sanskrit, her name literally means â€Å"goal† (Hindu Gods, 2005). Thus, she signifies the goals of life. These goals of life can be achieved either in the physical or spiritual realm. Most Hindus pray to her for guidance. Saraswati is the goddess of knowledge, and wisdom. She is often associated with Brahma, the creator of the universe. In Sanskrit, her name means â€Å"the essence of the self† (Hindu Gods, 2005). Hinduism puts knowledge on a higher pedestal, being the prerequisite for creation. To the Hindu worshipper, Saraswati provides guidance to humanity in accomplishing their daily tasks. Hindus believe that Saraswati, during the early part of creation, provided man with practical knowledge. This practical knowledge allowed man to create civilizations, far greater than any in the animal kingdom. In Hinduism, there are gods considered to be the source of evil in this world. In Pauranic traditions, Asuras and Devas are the step sons of Kasyapa, an unknown god considered to be the primordial source of evil. They are considered to be demon gods projected as enemies of humanity. The Asuras (this is a group of demon gods) became too proud of their ancestry and power. Thus, the Devas became enraged over the war mongering of the Asuras and decided to punish them. The punishment though was self-serving. The Devas thought by forcing the Asuras to serve them, they would be able to project themselves as rulers of the physical world. This view of the Asuras and Devas was expanded in Iranian mythology. Iranian mythology presented Asur Mazda as the embodiment of good in this world and Devas as the villain. It should be noted though that in Hindu mythology, both the Asuras and the Devas are perceived as demon gods; that is, gods that would take all hope from humanity in the attainment of the Nirvana. The term Asuras, unlike the terminological evolution in Iranian mythology, came to signify in later times (in Hinduism) as the representation of evil; demon itself. In Hinduism, there are gods considered evil precisely because they are perceived to be enemies of the â€Å"good gods† and humanity in general. Vritra, for example, is a serpent god often called as the â€Å"enemy of the gods† (The Complete Book of Devils and Demons, 2005). His favorite animal, the serpent, carries the scent of death to those who would call his name. Yama is a Hindu god considered to be the lord of death. His two dogs drag humanity into the fervor of spiritual death; the essence of which is the loss of spiritual transcendence to the Divine Essence. The same is true for Ravana, the Demon King (The Complete Book of Devils and Demons, 2005). He is seen as the incarnation of evil in this world. At times, he would lure humans into his trap, forcing them to pledge loyalty to his evil will. There are also evil creatures considered to be the direct descendants of the evil gods. Kasyapa, the primordial source of evil (and the father of both the Asuras and the Devas) gave birth to the Daityas. These are unpleasant demons who roamed the physical world to destroy man’s sacrifices to the good gods. The good gods are therefore their natural enemies. Kasyapa also gave birth to the Danavas (The Complete Book of Devils and Demons, 2005). These are creatures often disguised as man to motivate man to rebel against the good gods. These creatures (who at times became demon gods) possessed powers of persuasion and bad luck. They often seduce man to covet the properties of the gods and to stop offering sacrifices. Added to that, they also offer their services to the primary â€Å"evil gods† in their fight against the good gods. The good gods are sometimes forced to seek refuge to other places in order to avoid the rage of these demonic creatures. In the end, however, the good gods succeed in defeating these evil creatures (in alliance with the evil gods). There are also other â€Å"entities† described as evil in the Hindu religion. The Darbas are destructive that â€Å"tears† human flesh (hence the name, â€Å"tearers†). The Rakshasas are goblins and ghouls which descended from the foot of Brahma. They can be titans or as little as a cat that haunt cemeteries and other religious places. They disturb sacrifices, animate the dead, eat people, and spread disease and disorder. These creatures often serve the evil gods in their fight against the good gods. In sum, evil goods in the Hindu religion are either the enemies of the gods and humanity or those which prevent humanity from attaining Nirvana. These gods descended from the three primary gods (Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva). At times, they trace their ancestry to good gods. This explains the proposition stated earlier that the â€Å"good is the prerequisite of evil. Added to that, some evil Hindu gods (like the Asuras and the Devas) in Hinduism present their identity as the result of perversion on the part of the good gods. Take note that the â€Å"good gods† are not by nature good. Like in Greek mythology, Hindu gods are often involved in intrigues that affect their functions as gods. At times, even the good gods struggle against each other for supremacy. Only when the threat of evil becomes preeminent, the good Hindu gods join forces to defeat the evil gods. Most of the time, they achieve success. At some time, they flee from the hordes of the evil gods. We come now to the discussion of the primary differences of Hindu gods of good and evil. As stated earlier, the main difference between these gods can be derived from the concept of functionality. Hindu gods of good are represented as the â€Å"good rudiments† of nature (and man’s guidance in attaining Nirvana). Hindu gods of evil are essentially the symbols of a corrupt humanity. This corruption is the ultimate obstacle (and often irreversible) of man in attaining Nirvana. There are though specific differences between these sets of deities. Here are as follows: ) Culturally speaking, the Hindu gods of good are often associated with the mystical founders of Hindu civilization (Hemenway, 2003). For example, in the Vedic manuscripts the ancient founders of the Indus civilization are often given divine attributes. These gods are the progenitors of practical and divine knowledge to the people. The evil gods are often associated with the invaders; that is, the barbarians who destroyed the Indus civilization and established the caste system (note that the caste system is functional in the eyes of a Hindu – this connotes that evil itself is functional in some ways); ) The good gods are often represented as the symbols of perpetuity and healthy living (Hemenway, 2003). Animals such as the elephant, cow, and rat are associated with the good gods because of their dual symbol of power and humility: the very virtues that humanity adheres to. The evil gods are represented by serpent, monkey (symbol of arrogance and maliciousness), and in some cases the vulture: symbols of decay and corruption of the human spirit. Take note however that these creatures are respected in the Hindu religion because evil is seen as a manifest test of humanity in achieving Nirvana; ) Lastly, the good gods are usually are represented as bringers of justice and love to humanity. The eight arms of Ganesha symbolize love for humanity. The swords loaded to arms of Ganesha symbolize justice and his will to protect humanity from evil powers. The evil gods carry weapons that aim to destroy and misguide humanity. We must though take note that there is no sharp demarcation between good and evil (Abhedananda and Math, 2007). In Vedanta philosophy, there is no such thing as a natural good. Any action can be viewed as either good or bad depending on the one who views it. Thus, it can be said that â€Å"every action, whether backed by good or bad motives, is covered with its opposite, as fire is enveloped with smoke† (Abhedananda and Math, 2007). Thus to assume that the good gods in the Hindu religion are naturally good is a misconception. It is often noted some â€Å"good gods† gave birth to evil ones. This instance indicate that evil is the offspring of good.

Mazda Case, Advertisment And Promotion

1. Analyze the role of integrated marketing communications in the marketing of automobiles such as the Mazda Protà ©gà © and MAZDA6. How is each IMC element used to market automobiles? The role of integrated marketing communications in the marketing of automobiles such as the Mazda Protà ©gà © and MAZDA6 had a major impact of Mazda as a company. For each car (model), they made an exhaustive market research, they studied what were the best channels to deliver a message and what was the market looking for.Establishing market objectives that Mazda wanted was to increase their sales by repositioning the Protà ©gà © model and the brand as a whole, giving it a new younger look. Mazda targeted people around 20-30, who wanted something hip, fun and new but at the same time reliable and affordable. When they launch the Mazda6 the campaign targeted a different market because it was a new model. They wanted people that were different from the other car models that they had in the market, a person that was looking for luxury and comfort.The Integrated Marketing Communications plan for the protà ©gà © tried to position it as a car for the youth, playful and hip, something different for the market, the other brands were not considering the needs of young women. Mazda tried to market the Mazda6 as a refined, sporty car, for a more mature audience who were looking for luxury. The marketing mix was strategy, which promoted the car in all the channels the target market most likely visit.Evaluation of the campaign: after proving the campaign of the protà ©gà © they made some adjustments to the IMC plan, developing a stronger campaign and finding in the way the motto of the whole brand, Zoom-Zoom. 2. Evaluate Mazda’s decision to drop the â€Å"Get in. Be Moved’ tagline for the Protà ©gà © and adopt the ‘Zoom-Zoom† theme for its advertising. Mazda’s decision to drop the â€Å"Get In. Be Moved’ tagline for the Protegà © and adop t the â€Å"Zoom-Zoom† theme for its advertising was a great idea. It made it easier to identify with the brand. Customers could not identify with the â€Å"Get In.Be Moved† when Mazda rolled out with the â€Å"Zoom-Zoom† them. They could not use both ads because it was sending two different messages to their customers. When Mazda first came out with the â€Å"Zoom-Zoom† ad it was just for one car model. We think it was a great idea that they made it unison across the line for all their car brands. Once someone here the â€Å"Zoom-Zoom† they could identify with the brand. 3. Evaluate the strategy Mazda is using to advertise the new MAZDA6 sports sedan. Do you agree with the decision to use a more mature and less playful approach for the MAZDA6?MAZDA6 was thought as one of the most important launches in Mazda’s history. It competes the mid-size segment of automobile market where most cars sell for around $25,000. MAZDA6’s target custom er in this segment is a mid-30s car enthusiast, although not to the extreme, who lives an active lifestyle. The advertising strategy used by Mazda Company should focus on those target customers. From the positive side, the advertising strategy for the MAZDA6 is that it departed from the approach used for the Protà ©gà ©, as it involved what the company describes as a â€Å"more mature† effort.The strategy used by Mazda for the MAZDA6 utilized a heavily integrated communications program. Print advertising accounted for 12 percent of the overall budget with ads being run in â€Å"enthusiast† magazines as well as in lifestyle magazines and newspapers. However, from the negative side, the advertising strategy for the MAZDA6 is that the advertising failed to highlight the difference between MAZDA6 and the sedans under other brand such as Honda. Customers may have knowledge about the MAZDA6 are less mature than the Protà ©gà ©.From their advertising, it will let customer s feel unsure about both the Protà ©gà © and MAZDA6, if the â€Å"Zoom-Zoom† line showed up in the campaigns. Also, the advertising has broadly printed. The advertising is not precise enough on MAZDA6’s target customers, if the advertising was used on ESPN. The target customer of ESPN may conflict with the decision to use a more mature and less playful approach for the MAZDA6. In all, the strategy Mazda is using to advertise the new MAZDA6 sports sedan was unable to fully satisfy with its mission. I do not agree with the decision to use a more mature and less playful approach for the MAZDA6.First of all, the new MAZDA6 is sports sedan. Both MAZDA6 and Protà ©gà © are highly similar to each other in performance. Meanwhile, compared with MAZDA6’s competitors, the decision to use a more mature and less playful approach for the MAZDA6 is almost the same to others. The MAZDA6 is difficult to be recognized by customers. Also, the MAZDA6’s target customers a re the mid-30s. This mid-30s generally consists of mature and playful. If the decision is about using a more mature and less playful approach for the MAZDA6, its target customers  may be mid-40s instead of mid-30s.Therefore, I do not agree with the current decision to use a more mature and less playful approach for the MAZDA6. 4. What recommendations would you make to Mazda regarding its integrated marketing communications strategy as the company moves forward? If I had to give some recommendations at Mazda’s people about the marketing communication strategy they need to follow, I could given to them the below suggestions: Mazda needs to be focused individual to everyone target group that they want to be addressed.Every car is not for everyone, so they need to use different ways to attract different group of people. Mazda need to separate the marketing plans, depending the average wage of the consumers, the age, the sex, the lifestyle, and the country that they want to sell a model or the season. Mazda needs to be part of the people’s life. The only way to achieve that is to try hard to promote its product as much they can with no stop for long time. Mazda’s people need to use the TV commercial and the ads to play in the screen hours that the consumers are home and can watch them.They need to use social media via Internet and â€Å"share† their products online. In our days the majority of the people, it doesn’t matter the age use the Internet and they affected from that. Also, they can use blogs online to express new ideas about their models or to ask about people opinion. Furthermore, Mazda can inform the old customers or people who haven’t tried yet the experience of this brand with newsletters at their homes, about news from the car market and specific for the Mazda Company.To continue with, Mazda can try to â€Å"invite† people who used in the past Mazda or new customers for seminars and talk to them about new models and new technology. Also, they can give them the chance for test drive in new cars with no any cost. The secret of the successful marketing communication strategy is the motivation and the trust that you can transfer to the consumers inside your promotion and your advertisement. That is not easy and takes time and need a lot of patient from Mazda to achieve this goal. Mazda Case, Advertisment And Promotion Analyze the role of integrated marketing communications in the marketing of automobiles such as the Mazda Protege and MAZDA6. How is each IMC element used to market automobiles? The role of integrated marketing communications in the marketing of automobiles such as the Mazda Protege and MAZDA6 had a major impact of Mazda as a company. For each car (model), they made an exhaustive market research, they studied what were the best channels to deliver a message and what was the market looking for.Establishing market objectives that Mazda wanted was to increase their sales by repositioning the Protege model and the brand as a whole, giving it a new younger look. Mazda targeted people around 20-30, who wanted something hip, fun and new but at the same time reliable and affordable. When they launch the Mazda6 the campaign targeted a different market because it was a new model. They wanted people that were different from the other car models that they had in the market, a person that was loo king for luxury and comfort.The Integrated Marketing Communications plan for the protege tried to position it as a car for the youth, playful and hip, something different for the market, the other brands were not considering the needs of young women. Mazda tried to market the Mazda6 as a refined, sporty car, for a more mature audience who were looking for luxury. The marketing mix was strategy, which promoted the car in all the channels the target market most likely visit.Evaluation of the campaign: after proving the campaign of the protege they made some adjustments to the IMC plan, developing a stronger campaign and finding in the way the motto of the whole brand, Zoom-Zoom. 2. Evaluate Mazda’s decision to drop the â€Å"Get in. Be Moved’ tagline for the Protege and adopt the ‘Zoom-Zoom† theme for its advertising. Mazda’s decision to drop the â€Å"Get In. Be Moved’ tagline for the Protege and adopt the â€Å"Zoom-Zoom† theme for it s advertising was a great idea. It made it easier to identify with the brand.Customers could not identify with the â€Å"Get In.  Be Moved† when Mazda rolled out with the â€Å"Zoom-Zoom† them. They could not use both ads because it was sending two different messages to their customers. When Mazda first came out with the â€Å"Zoom-Zoom† ad it was just for one car model. We think it was a great idea that they made it unison across the line for all their car brands. Once someone here the â€Å"Zoom-Zoom† they could identify with the brand. 3. Evaluate the strategy Mazda is using to advertise the new MAZDA6 sports sedan. Do you agree with the decision to use a more mature and less playful approach for the MAZDA6MAZDA6 was thought as one of the most important launches in Mazda’s history. It competes the mid-size segment of automobile market where most cars sell for around $25,000. MAZDA6’s target customer in this segment is a mid-30s car enth usiast, although not to the extreme, who lives an active lifestyle. The advertising strategy used by Mazda Company should focus on those target customers. From the positive side, the advertising strategy for the MAZDA6 is that it departed from the approach used for the Protege, as it involved what the company describes as a â€Å"more mature† effort.The strategy used by Mazda for the MAZDA6 utilized a heavily integrated communications program. Print advertising accounted for 12 percent of the overall budget with ads being run in â€Å"enthusiast† magazines as well as in lifestyle magazines and newspapers. However, from the negative side, the advertising strategy for the MAZDA6 is that the advertising failed to highlight the difference between MAZDA6 and the sedans under other brand such as Honda. Customers may have knowledge about the MAZDA6 are less mature than the Protege.From their advertising, it will let customers feel unsure about both the Protege and MAZDA6, if the â€Å"Zoom-Zoom† line showed up in the campaigns. Also, the advertising has broadly printed. The advertising is not precise enough on MAZDA6’s target customers, if the advertising was used on ESPN. The target customer of ESPN may conflict with the decision to use a more mature and less playful approach for the MAZDA6. In all, the strategy Mazda is using to advertise the new MAZDA6 sports sedan was unable to fully satisfy with its mission. I do not agree with the decision to use a more mature and less playful approach for the MAZDA6.First of all, the new MAZDA6 is sports sedan. Both MAZDA6 and Protege are highly similar to each other in performance. Meanwhile, compared with MAZDA6’s competitors, the decision to use a more mature and less playful approach for the MAZDA6 is almost the same to others. The MAZDA6 is difficult to be recognized by customers. Also, the MAZDA6’s target customers are the mid-30s. This mid-30s generally consists of mature and pl ayful.If the decision is about using a more mature and less playful approach for the MAZDA6, its target customers  may be mid-40s instead of mid-30s. Therefore, I do not agree with the current decision to use a more mature and less playful approach for the MAZDA6. 4. What recommendations would you make to Mazda regarding its integrated marketing communications strategy as the company moves forward? If I had to give some recommendations at Mazda’s people about the marketing communication strategy they need to follow, I could given to them the below suggestions: Mazda needs to be focused individual to everyone target group that they want to be addressed.Every car is not for everyone, so they need to use different ways to attract different group of people. Mazda need to separate the marketing plans, depending the average wage of the consumers, the age, the sex, the lifestyle, and the country that they want to sell a model or the season. Mazda needs to be part of the peopleâ₠¬â„¢s life. The only way to achieve that is to try hard to promote its product as much they can with no stop for long time. Mazda’s people need to use the TV commercial and the ads to play in the screen hours that the consumers are home and can watch them.They need to use social media via Internet and â€Å"share† their products online. In our days the majority of the people, it doesn’t matter the age use the Internet and they affected from that. Also, they can use blogs online to express new ideas about their models or to ask about people opinion. Furthermore, Mazda can inform the old customers or people who haven’t tried yet the experience of this brand with newsletters at their homes, about news from the car market and specific for the Mazda Company.To continue with, Mazda can try to â€Å"invite† people who used in the past Mazda or new customers for seminars and talk to them about new models and new technology. Also, they can give them the cha nce for test drive in new cars with no any cost. The secret of the successful marketing communication strategy is the motivation and the trust that you can transfer to the consumers inside your promotion and your advertisement. That is not easy and takes time and need a lot of patient from Mazda to achieve this goal.