Factors Affecting Average Spending Power Marketing Essay

Factors Affecting Average Spending Power Marketing Essay Introduction: Krajewski Ritzman (1987) Operation management is the systematic direction and control of the process that transforms inputs into finished goods and services. Operations management involves the responsibility to ensure that business operations are efficient in terms of resource use as little as a necessary and effective in terms of customer requirements. At this current age, hospitality has grown up much bigger than even it was expected in last couple of decades. It is one of the most leading business sectors in the business world but in many different forms where efficient service is being offered to the clients using as little resources as possible to gain the client satisfaction. Throughout this report we will be finding how the hospitality operations management performs in the practical business market and necessary theoretical evident discussion will be done to emphasis the aspects of the topic. Part A Factors affecting average spending power (ASP) The average spending power is a compromise or could be called as a joint decision between equal partners in the pricing process such as between the hotel or restaurant and the customers. In the context of hospitality, the customers are usually offered with a wide range of food and beverage items of different price labels which actually brings about average spending power. Generally the average spending power is very much depended on the customer or guests whims or impulse. The spending power could be affected by the following factors Size of income Status Socio/cultural influences Economic situation Key Stages in Product and Service Development There are number of stages in product and service development process, the key stages are follows Market research, Market segmentation, Idea evaluation, Concept development Product development Advertising objectives Create Desire Create awareness Sell Increase market share Develop brand loyalty Customer awareness (http://churchill.ac/moodle/file.php/52/Stages_of_Product_Development.ppt) The features, contribute towards customers perception of product and service The features, contribute towards customers perception of product and service are follows Marketing Research The market research is a systematic way to meet, to store and to analyze of data in markets, competition, future tendencies and other factors affect the business operational process. It is done generally to be to more clients oriented and in other way to advance the efficiency and the effectiveness of the whole operational process. Market segmentation Market Segmentation could be defined as the identification of a subset of consumers, so that a combination of the marketing thinks up to satisfy specifically its demand. Advertising and Merchandising Advertising are generally a paid way of non-personal form of presentation and promoting the idea or ideas, goods or services by a particular company or sponsor intended to reach their desired set of customers. It is the leading marketing weapon in the market place. This process requires objectives like other marketing elements. Advertising Objectives The advertising objective varies for individual organisation depending on the time of advertising. Using this process advertiser expect short or long time benefits. Competition, consumer behaviour, revenue and profits will all influence the advertising objectives from time to time. Opportunities and Constraints Affecting Product and Service Development The following issues are affecting the product and service development Availability of resources; human, financial, and physical resources standardisation, style of service, space utilisation A range of Merchandising opportunities for Hospitality Products and Service The opportunities are Persuade customers to patronise the hotel or restaurant often. Create desire for product/service in the winds of potential customers Emphasise benefits and advantages of the products/ services (http://churchill.ac/moodle/mod/resource/view.php?id=665) Create an awareness of the product Increase the market share Improve revenue Influence the attitude of the public towards the product Improve brand loyalty Confirm in the minds of customers that they have made the correct choice Enhance the desired image of the hotel or restaurant (http://churchill.ac/moodle/mod/resource/view.php?id=665) Methods of Pricing and additional Pricing considerations Methods of Pricing Cost-oriented Cost-oriented pricing involves the determination of all fixed and variable costs associated with a product or service. After the total costs attributable to the product or service have been determined, managers add a desired profit margin to each unit. Cost-oriented pricing method could be summarized as Cost + Fixed profit percentage = Selling price Market-oriented Market-oriented pricing determines Pricing at the same level as the competition. The organization has to assess how its product relates to a competitive product and set its price at a comparable level to stay competitive in the market place.   Additional Pricing considerations Service Charge, Cover Charge, Minimum Charge A system. (http://churchill.ac/moodle/mod/resource/view.php?id=744) Factors in Hospitality Operations affect Revenue Generation and Profitability The following factors affect Revenue Generation and Profitability in Hospitality Operations Factors affecting revenue generation Sales mix It is a way of mixing the relative set of products together and setting up a comparatively lower price than the sum of individual products together as promotion to raise the organizational total sale, but it is actually less than the total amount it could be if it was sold as individual, therefore it affect the revenue generation at the end. Customer turnover Revenue generation depend on customer turnover, if the customer are not attracted by the product or satisfied with the service, they would not come back to organization again and therefore sales will be very badly affected and revenue generation at the same time. Average spending power (ASP) Average spending power is completely depend on the customers will; customers are free to decide whether to spend extra or not. If the average spending power of the customer or guests lower down, the sales will go down as well therefore the revenue will be affected as where there is no sales there is no revenue. Factors affecting profitability Labour intensity To produce goods or to delivered service large amounts of human effort is required specially the industry like hospitality where they are very much people oriented. The larger the human effort against the product or service the larger the amount would be paid and would lower the profitability. Shelf-life Self-life determines the length of time a product may be stored or preserved without deterioration; the length of time it remains usable. If the product or service is not suitable to use it will be left as waste and therefore it will affect the profitability very badly. Elasticity of demand If the availability against demand is not met properly the profitability will go down as sales will go down. The aspects of hospitality operations which are commonly appraised Structuring the discussion Building trust and rapport Objectivity Balancing praise and criticism Setting objectives Getting buy-in Making them motivational Career plans Follow up and action (http://churchill.ac/moodle/file.php/52/Appraisal_and_improved_performance.ppt) Two of the aspects of hospitality operations which are commonly appraised Structuring the discussion The organizations take decisions time to time to carry on developing their products or to improve the service they usually offer. This sort of decision should be taken based on their management and development strategy set by the organisation earlier. The set of decisions has to be structured or arranged in a sorted manner so that they can be used in the future to keep their standards of the product or services. Setting objectives In order to produce or offer a quality service the organisation must set the objectives targeting the goal which they are intended to achieve. The objectives could couple in numbers depending on the organisation and the label of their product and services. After setting up the objectives the organisation will follow the production or operation strategy to achieve the objectives for that particular stage. Reasons for Appraising To identify areas for improvement on operations. Identify areas where products and services are thriving as well as areas of failure. To improve on performances To identify constraints and capitalise on opportunities (http://churchill.ac/moodle/file.php/52/Appraisal_and_improved_performance.ppt) Definition and Description of Pricing Method adopted by a firm to set its  selling price. It usually depends on the  firms  average costs, and on the  customers  perceived value of the product in  comparison  to his or her perceived  value  of the competing  products. Different pricing  methods  place varying degree  of emphasis on  selection, estimation, and  evaluation  of costs,  comparative analysis, and  market  situation. See also  pricing strategy. (http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/pricing.html) In other word, Pricing is a fundamental aspect of financial modelling, and is one of the four Ps of the marketing mix. The other three aspects are product, promotion, and place. Price is the only revenue generating element amongst the four Ps. Pricing is the manual or automatic process of applying prices to purchase and sales orders. (http://churchill.ac/moodle/file.php/52/price_and_profitability.ppt) To develop the price for a new product the following strategy would be followed Developing marketing strategy perform marketing analysis, segmentation, targeting and positioning. Make marketing mix decision define the product, distribution, and promotional tactics. Estimate the demand curve understand how quantity demanded varies with price. Calculate Cost include fixed and variable costs associated with the products. Understand environmental factors evaluate likely competition actions, understanding legal constraints etc. Set Pricing Objective for example, profit maximization, revenue maximization, or price stabilization. Determine Pricing Using information collected in the above steps, select a pricing method, develop the pricing structure and define discounts (http://churchill.ac/moodle/file.php/52/price_and_profitability.ppt) Part B In this part of the report, I will be discussing the relevant practical issues required by the project and presenting some evidential information found throughout my individual research on TESCO PLC, Hancock Road, Broomly -By Bow, London E3 3DA. Background: Tesco  plc  is a British international grocery and general merchandising retail chain founded by  Jack Cohen  in 1919. The brand first appeared after Cohen bought a shipment of  tea  from  T.E. Stockwell  and he used those initials and added the first two letters of his own surname. The first Tesco store was opened in 1929 in  Burnt Oak,  Edgware, Middlesex. During the 1950s and the 1960s Tesco grew organically, and also through acquisitions, until it owned more than 800 stores. Originally specialising in food and drink, it has  diversified  into areas such as clothing, electronics,  financial services,  telecoms, home, health, car and dental  insurance, retailing and renting  DVDs, CDs,  music downloads,  Internet  services and  software. It is the largest British  retailer  by both global sales and domestic market share, with profits exceeding  £3 billion, and the third largest global retailer based on revenue, after  Wal-Mart  andà ‚  Carrefour  and second largest in profit behind Wal-Mart. (http://www.thefree4all.com) Figure and information extracted from (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesco) Figure: The Current information about TESCO PLC Nature of the Product Tesco Broomly-By-Bow offers Food, Beverage, and quality services. They also offers non-food items including holiday accessories, travel insurance etc. The food range comprised with frozen, chilled, regular item. Fresh produce (Fruit, Vegetable) items are even offered there. Range of Product: Clothes, World Foods, Asian, Halal, Afro Caribbean, Greek, Polish Different Influences affecting Patterns of Demand There are number of influences affecting the patterns of demand External Factor Several National customers Several different expectation Religious aspects on foods Halal Food Competitive price offered by the competitor Range of product Current financial crisis etc. Internal Factor Product Packaging Competitive Price offered by Tesco Multi buy product mix offered Product design Value product to attract the customer with low spending budget Tescos backlog Policy Customer expectations and requirements The profile of the client could be defined as description of client that includes demographic, geographical, and characteristics of psychographic, buying guideline, the reliability, and the history of purchase. A complete survey been done to the TESCO Broom-By-Bow branch among the customer and the details are bellow Research Method Primary research (Field research, fresh data) Questionnaire survey (Close ended) Sampling (Selecting set of customer from a larger number of customers) Location: Broomly-By-Bow Secondary research (Existing data) Internet After surveying 100 customer of different age group the following result is been found Figure: Top chart describes the likings on different age group; Bottom Chart shows the overall product expectation to the TESCO Broomly-By-Bow.

Investigation of the Polar Dinosaur Essays -- Exploratory Essays Resea

Investigation of the Polar Dinosaur Today we know through the evidence of fossils that dinosaur and other large reptiles once lived on every continent on earth. If you were a paleontologist in charge of finding fossils where would you look first? In the search for evidence the icy continent of Antarctica would be perhaps the last continent you would think to search. However, during the last twenty years a remarkable number of prehistoric fossils have been found in regions close to the South Pole. Beginning in 1960 with an expedition lead by a man named Spitzbergen, fossilized footprints from non-avian dinosaur showed the region once had a drastically different climate. In the years that followed more fossilized remains were collected in costly expeditions, often to remote areas near the north and South Pole. However, each find can present unique information about physiological adaptations various forms of life made to polar latitude temperatures during the Mesozoic era. An article â€Å"Polar Dinosaurs† by Thomas H. Rich in Science, published in February of 2002, explores the fossil evidence and presents the following ideas about the environment and the types of creatures who lived and adapted to the seasonal conditions present at these polar latitudes. The ice fields of the North Slope of Alaska we know today are thought to have had temperatures ranging from 13-2 degrees Celsius during the Cretaceous period. This hypothesis is based on evidence from flowering plants, and leaf fossils found from the late Cretaceous found in the region. So life around the poles existed in a climate similar to that of Portland, Oregon, which has a mean temperature of 12 degrees, and may have gotten as cold as Alberta Canada’s average of ... ...uld have probably been impossible for life in the Antarctic where a large seaway eventually developed cutting southeastern Australia from Antarctica. The investigation of polar dinosaurs continues with the excavation of a new site in northern Alaska near the Colville River. Paleontologists have discovered a huge, 100 km, slab of rock that spans the last 40 million years of the Mesozoic era. Exploration of this site through tunneling is believed to present a more extensive record of polar dinosaurs as they were over the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. (1) Works Cited 1) Rich, T.H., P. Vickers-Rich & R.A. Gangloff, February 2002, Polar Dinosaurs. Science 295:979-980. 2) Mayell, Hillary, Researchers Melt Polar Dinosaur Mysteries, National Geographic, Febuary 2002, http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/02/0225_0225_polardinos.html

Sales Management Project Report

We were tasked with interviewing the sales manager of a firm, in order to analyze the working of their sales department. We chose Atlas Honda as our company for this project and secured an interview with their sales manager, and questioned him in detail about the operational procedures of the sales department of Atlas Honda. This report contains his responses that shed light on the workings of Atlas Honda’s sales force, as well as our evaluation of their sales operations.Selected CompanyAtlas Honda is a joint venture between Atlas Group of Pakistan and Honda Motor Company of Japan. We chose Atlas Honda as it is the market leader of motorcycles in Pakistan, and thus conducts hefty sales of motorcycles every month, employing a number of effective sales techniques in order to make new customers and to retain old customers.When asked why he chose to pursue a career in sales, he expressed his gratification in working to achieve a target of sales against his competitors, the incenti ves offered for achieving more than the target, and the freedom and travel opportunities that only a sales job could provide. His philosophy regarding his sales career resides in giving a proper product to the customer for the money spent by him, and to create customer lifetime value and build long-term relationships with customers.InterviewQ1. How do you see the marketplace today-changes and trends? Ans. â€Å"In terms of motorbikes, there has not been much of a change in the market in reference to commuter bikes, hence little changes have been made to the existing CD70 model as it is still used as a simple commuter motorcycle. The CD125 model has received a deluxe edition, giving it a sporty look to appeal to more image conscious segment.The Pridor was introduced as a 100cc sporty bike, targeted at customers who wanted something in between the existing 70cc and 125cc motorcycles. The most significant change in the market has been the developing interest in sports bikes. To meet t his new growing  segment in the market, we have launched the Honda CBR150 and Honda CBR500 sports bikes. Atlas Honda closely observes market changes and trends and adjusts its product line accordingly.†Q2. How do you view the importance of cultural diversity in the marketplace? Ans. â€Å"Here in Pakistan when we talk about cultural diversity, it is not particularly significant in terms of commuter motorcycles, as customers looking for commuting motorcycles generally have the same needs such as low price and economical fuel consumption, making the difference in culture largely irrelevant. However, diversity in culture has led to a new market of customers who want high-performance sports and are willing to pay more, a market that we have tapped with the launch of the CBR150 and CBR500.†Q3. How do you define the role of sales support? How important are ethics? Ans. â€Å"Sales support forms an important part of the sales department here at Atlas Honda. They assist the salespersons by various means, such as market research, lead generation, making travel arrangements, scheduling meetings, sending out sales materials and review and reporting of sales. As for ethics, we have always believed in serving the customer in the best possible way so as to cultivate long-term relationships.†Q4. How do you expect sales force to follow a sales process? Ans. â€Å"The sales process followed consists of an initial contact, an approach where needs of the customer is evaluated, followed by a presentation or proposition, finalizing the sale, and lastly follow up. Salespersons are encouraged to close sales using minimum amount of resources and with minimum sales calls.†Q5. How do you organize the sales force-is it local or centralized? Ans. â€Å"Organization of sales force is localized, that is to say that it is decided upon by the regional sales managers, who assign the number of salespersons to specific areas based in the amount of current and poten tial customers.†Q6. How do you select salespersons when positions become vacant? Ans. â€Å"Our Human Resource department is responsible for hiring of new salespersons. They prepare a list of candidates and determine which candidates are most  suitable for the position through interviews. Salespersons with prior experience are naturally given preference, however we also take fresh graduates, in which case they undergo a short period of training before starting work.† Q7. How do you train new personnel? Train experienced salespersons?Ans. â€Å"Our training here is very strong because Atlas Group believes very strongly in development of human resources. The more effort is put into developing our human resources the more the company will grow. We generally avoid hiring people from the top universities. Instead, we take mediocre students who are willing to learn and work hard. In this company there is much to learn and we provide training for new employees. As for train ing experienced personnel, every year we send our employees to study at IBA and LUMS.Additionally, every year one person is selected to study at Harvard University. So training and development is constantly observed here. Here we have SAP system in our computers and for human resource we have HAY system. So every person is evaluated quarterly and then half yearly and then yearly. Then the company goes over their weaknesses and provides relevant training and coaching to overcome their limitations.†Q8. How do you select and interact with partners? Determine sales force size? Ans. â€Å"We have a system in which we divide Pakistan 7 regions. Every region has a head called Regional Manager. Then above him there is a National Manager. Then there is General Manager Marketing. Then Vice President Marketing. And then there is CEO. Every region has a geographical distribution in which there may be four or five territories according to that area. We make territories under the regions. In every territory under the Regional Managers there is a Head of Sales, a Head of Services and a Head of Parts.† Q9. How do you motivate the sales force? Use monetary and non-monetary incentives?Perceived success of these actions? Ans. â€Å"There is a monthly target which the salesperson has to achieve and upon achieving that target he gets an annual raise. We use a scale to classify how good a salesperson is at closing sales. If he is close to the target that means its fair. If he achieves his targets that means his is good. If he goes 10% above his target that means he is very good. If he goes beyond that then it means that he is outstanding.So basically there are four categories on which a salesperson is evaluated for the raise in his salary; fair, good,  very good, excellent. Additionally, the advantage for salespeople is that after a year or two there are foreign vacations awarded to them. They may win by achieving the most sales. They are sent to places like Europe, Brazil etc. They get extra money for it in addition to the vacation to enjoy and relax.†Q10. How do you reimburse the sales force for expenses?Ans. â€Å"Laws are defined here for the reimbursement of expenses. No one is allowed to interfere whether it may be Vice President or General Manager. The laws defined here are working on two systems. The first is called Management Executive Committee (MEC). Then there is Group Executive Committee (GEC). Only GEC has the right to change laws because only high profile members are allowed in it. So everything is defined.Every person has a grade wise allowance. Kilometers are standardized. Whether a General Manager uses it or may it be an ordinary sales representative. It is already defined that a particular amount per kilometer would be paid when travelled. If he has to stay overnight then there is hotel allowance. If there is no hotel then there is an independent allowance given to that person. So a healthy amount of incentives are gi ven and they are clearly defined and no one can misuse them.†Q11. How do you evaluate the sales force? Frequency and methods? Ans. â€Å"As I have mentioned we have got HAY system in which objectives are defined. They are evaluated on quarterly, half yearly and yearly basis. After three months an analysis is done on the objective to check whether that salesperson is achieving his target or not. We work on a PDCA format which is Plan Do Check Action. We see whether the targets are being achieved or not. If they are, then good.If not, then we examine targets are not being achieved. What were the problems faced and how can we counter them? This is PDCA. Every person’s job is defined. What he has to do, what he doesn’t, and his responsibilities. He knows the result that he has to produce after a year. Hence, salespersons are evaluated on their achievement of target sales.†Q12. How do you play a role in forecasting? What methods are utilized? Ans. â€Å"For fo recasting basically two methods are used. One of them is by using  historical growth data. We take the data of last three years, sum it up and forecast the market growth. Then there are assumptions and usage of alpha. Factors like history, assumption and the economy are always studied closely when forecasting.†Q13. How do you contribute to the firm’s strategies and annual planning? Ans. â€Å"As a sales manager, the forecasts that are generated by my department affect the company’s strategies and operations. For example, new strategies may need to be formulated when attempting to penetrate new markets, or when introducing new products into existing markets. Forecasts of sales also affect the company, for example if forecasts show an increase in sales, then more salespersons may need to be hired.†Q14. How do you utilize CRM and practice relationship marketing? Ans. â€Å"It has been almost 50 years since people are related to this company. By this you ca n imagine the worth of the company. Atlas Honda has worked hard to develop brand loyalty with its customers. We are providing our customers with services throughout Pakistan. There is hardly a single town where you cannot find a Honda service facility. Almost every city has got Honda’s sales dealerships. At this very moment there are 650 dealers across Pakistan. Then we have developed the 5S concept as opposed to the 3S concept.Normally companies provide only 3S that is Sales, Service and Spare parts. But in addition to that we also provide additional Second exchange which means you can trade in your old motorcycle for a new one. Then there is Safety. Then to satisfy the customers we have customer care department. There’s a telephonic department which takes care of the customers. We are going to introduce new CRM software next month. If you buy a motorcycle today all your information will be entered. Previous issues will also be displayed in it. You would be greeted by your name upon calling the department and your picture will also be shown.†Q15. How have you successfully managed portfolio of products? Ans. â€Å"We currently have 7 models in production. Everything is controlled by the General Manager. We have a very big setup. A very vast one. There are many things under the General Manager which are being monitored by different  people. We have a department of product planning. All the pros and cons of all models are discussed there. Then the marketing department is also related to them.They decide the best way to sell the product. There are no bookish systems here in this company as you study in the university. Many of the books and theories that you have studied, you won’t find them here. We have got a very straight system here. There’s only one channel of distribution. The company makes the product and then gives it to the dealer. There is no such thing as sales dealer or this and that dealer. More than 90% of the pla nning done here is successful.†EvaluationQ1. How effective is this sales manager? Ans. He is a very effective sales manager. He has effectively organized the sales force in such a way so that no territory is left out. He is vigilant about providing training to employees so that their skills may be developed and they are able to work to their full potential. He is a good leader and actively motivates his sales force to achieve their targets and instructs his sales force to foster long term relationships with their customers.Q2. Which of his/her activities are reflective of what you learned in class and what activities differ? Ans. He organized his sales force and divided the market into territories in order to use his sales force efficiently. He instructs his sales force to use CRM to better manage and service customers and to retain their information about previous purchases and problems for easy access. He gives great importance to training and developing his salespeople so t hat they may overcome any weaknesses. And he gives great importance to generating customer relationship value rather than just making a one-time sale to a customer.Q3. How do they differ and why do they differ? Ans. There is hardly anything among his activities as sales manager that differs from what we studied in class, as he has organized and developed his sales force very effectively, hardly leaving any room for improvement.

The Strugle for the California Condor essays

The Strugle for the California Condor essays THE STRUGGLE FOR THE CALIFORNIA CONDOR The natural environment of the modern world has been under siege for the better part of the past century. This has been due to many factors. The waste produced by an ever-expanding human population has tainted much of the natural resources available to both humans and animals alike. Efforts to curb this waste output and to more effectively dispose of the waste have failed in the mainstream. The constant change of the common environment instituted by humans who have collectively sought to modify their own habitat has exacted a high toll on the available habitat for lesser creatures. Constant waste production, poor disposal, and habitat encroachment have combined to render the balance of the natural world asunder. The delicate and intricate balance of the natural world has been damaged by a dominant species that has commonly disregarded its inherent responsibility to garnish its actions concurrent with the world it shares with the rest of nature (Center for Reproduction of Endangered Species. p3). An all too common result of this imbalance is the expiration of entire species of animals that are dependent on precious resources. Historically, the presence of humans has exponentially accelerated the natural rate at which fringe species have met with extinction. Modern humans have followed their own ancient precedent in this regard. Recorded evidence of early human settlement has shown that human presence alone had accelerated extinction rates to several times its natural rate (Center for the Reproduction of Endangered Species. p4). However, it is a different precedent that modern humans have sought with the advent of a new and more complete awareness of our collective role as the dominant species. Several recent advances in waste treatment are offering alternatives to the usual high-output, wasteful societal paradigm. Although habitat encroachment continues to be a s...

Composite Columns From Roman Architecture

Composite Columns From Roman Architecture In architecture, the Composite column is a Roman-designed column style that combines characteristics of the ancient Greek-era Ionic and the Corinthian columns. Composite columns have highly decorated capitals (tops). Typical of the Corinthian capital, the floral ornamentation of the Composite capital is styled after the acanthus leaf. The leaf decoration elements of the Corinthian style combine with the scroll designs (volute) that characterize the Ionic style. The Composite is considered one of the five orders of classical architecture. Fast Facts: Composite Columns A composite is by definition a combination of elements.Composite columns can describe column design or materials.A Roman Composite column combines the designs of the Greek Ionic and Corinthian columns.The capital top of a Roman Composite column has scrolls (volutes) and leaf decorations.Since the Renaissance, Composite column designs have been used in decorative pilasters.Composite columns were originally made of stone, but today a composite can be a mixture of synthetic materials. Classical architecture, including columns, refers to what builders designed in ancient Greece and Roman. A column consists of a base, a shaft, and a capital at the top of a shaft. In ancient times, the capital and the entablature above it were paired with distinctive characteristics that make up what became known as the classical orders of architecture. Size and proportion of each column type was standardized, although today, most people identify column types solely by their capital design. Documenting the types of ancient columns was advanced by Renaissance-era architects like Palladio and Vignloa. In fact, the word composite meaning a combination or compound of different elements was not generally used until the Renaissance in the 15th century. In American English, pronounce composite with the accent on the second syllable - kum-POS-it. In British English, the first syllable is more often accented. The Arch of Titus (Arco di Tito), c. 81 B.C. Andrea Jemolo Mondadori Portfolio/Getty Images (cropped) The Arch of Titus from the 1st century may be the first instance of the Roman composite column. Triumphal arches such as this one celebrated military victories and heroic conquerors - Titus and his Roman army returned to Rome after sacking Jerusalem and destroying the Second Temple in the year 70. World history is filled with military triumphs in one community that are sorrowful defeats in another - while the arch Titus marched beneath still stands in Rome, a more somber remembrance is observed in the Jewish religion on Tisha BAv. The Roman-type of columns can be found in the architecture of any of the regions influenced by the Roman Empire. Egyptian and Perian columns are often composites of Western and Eastern traditions. Composite columns can be found throughout the Middle East, most notably in Petra in Jordan. Bab el Siq Treasury (Al Khazneh), 1st Century, Petra, Jordan. Luca Mozzati Mondadori/Getty Images (cropped) Roman architect Marcus Vitruvius died before he could document the style of what is known as the Composite column - perhaps he would have dismissed this Roman combo column. The European architects of the Renaissance, however, noticed the beauty and practicality of this Roman design and incorporated it in many of their buildings during the 16th century. The well-known architect Andrea Palladio used Composite columns in many of his designs, including in the facade of the island Church of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice, Italy. Church of San Giorgio Maggiore, 1610, Venice, Italy, Architect Andrea Palladio. Nicola De Pasquale/Getty Images (cropped) The influential Italian Renaissance architect Giacomo da Vignola incorporated Composite designs in the pilasters that adorn his work, including the 16th century Palazzo dei Banchi in Bologna, Italy. Composite designs, being a later invention within the Classical Orders, were often more decorative than structural - pilasters and engaged columns (round columns protruding like a pilaster) provide the essence of Classical design without being full columns. French Renaissance architect Pierre Lescot chose Composite pilasters in his designs for the Louvre in Paris and the 1550 Fontaine des Innocents. Lescot and sculptor Jean Goujon brought Renaissance Classicism to France. Fontaine des Innocents, 1550, Paris, France, Architect Pierre Lescot. Frà ©dà ©ric Soltan/Corbis via Getty Images (cropped) Because the combination (or composite) of the two Greek designs makes the Composite column more ornate than other columns, Composite columns are sometimes found in lavish 17th-century Baroque architecture. Pilasters were often used to ornament interiors, a decoration that provided classic, regal decoration to a room - even aboard a ship. A 19th century carved wooden Composite capital was found in the cabin of a Spanish Navy vessel captured by the U.S. Navy during the Spanish-American War. In contemporary architecture, the term composite column can be used to describe any style column molded from a man-made composite material such as fiberglass or a polymer resin, sometimes reinforced with metal. Significance of the Composite Order Its not the first type of column in Greek and Roman architecture, so what is the significance of the Composite Order? The earlier Ionic Order has an inherent design problem - how do you round the design of the rectangular volute capitals to elegantly fit on the top of a round shaft? The flowery asymmetrical Corinthian Order does the job. By combining both orders, the Composite column is visually more appealing while keeping the strength found in the Ionic Order. The significance of the Composite Order is that in its creation ancient architect-designers were modernizing architecture. Even today, architecture is an iterative process, that good ideas are brought together to form better ideas - or at least something new and different. Design is not pure in architecture. Design builds on itself by combination and elimination. It could be said that architecture itself is a composite.

Book Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Book Report - Essay Example Since its inception, the trend of watching television is growing and evolving. Latest research reveals that the growth in this trend is becoming explosive with new technologies and their prevalent use by youngsters. In her book, â€Å"Television and Child Development,† a psychologist from University of Waterloo, Judith Van Evra presents a comprehensive summary of research about the impact of television and other media on children’s physical, psychological, emotional and social development. She integrates the currently known research from child development, communication and cognitive and psychological domains to present a balanced view that reveals the complications and layers of the relationship between children’s interaction with media and other factors influencing their perceptions. In this comprehensive third edition, Evra has included seven new chapters in addition to updating the previous chapters. Now, the book also includes research about media other than television, for instance, realistic video games, mobile phones, pagers, DVDs, computers, internet, cable and other wireless devices. However, major emphasis is laid on the research with developmental approach towards the interaction between television and children (Bachen, 2007). Newly added chapters explore research methodology, cultural diversity and stereotypes. It includes current perceptions, changing lifestyles, health preferences, nutrition, body image, sexual behaviors, drug and alcohol addiction, internet and media influence on social and behavioral aspects of a child’s development. Two chapters are particularly dedicated to the utilization of modern technology for getting instant and speedy information through internet, influence of internet advertising and entertainment technology, such as music and video games which create gender and social differences, and aggression among children. New addition also covers intervention strategies, media literacy, technological aids,

Approaches to Teaching Grammar Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Approaches to Teaching Grammar - Article Example The apparent limitation of the syllabus was that students were not involved in learning the language due to the monotonous nature of activities. Secondly, adults feel that the language they are learning is not preparing them for the world. The skills of language; reading, writing, speaking and writing were taught in isolation and in a very set manner. Since, we use more than one skill at a time, learners were forced to focus on one skill and the integration of skill development was missing. Speaking was ignored like in any traditional classroom, due to its difficult nature of assessment and requires a competent teacher. All the focus is on writing as it is considered the most important academic skill. The main reason for learning English language is instrumental. Like other countries, this country is also facing recession and employment rates are constantly fluctuating rather deteriorating. Students want to learn the language to seek new opportunities around the world. When this Institution will activate my syllabus, they have to consider that it is learner centered where adults come to discuss debate, interact socially and philosophically and begin to work in teams. The main aim of the course is to make it motivating and interesting for the students. Target Learners First thing to be kept in mind is that the students are a part of society and we have to touch English in the manner it is appropriate. Culture of target language will also be exposed to students to a certain degree. Learning English for my target students is not a total new experience as they have completed their twelve years of education, where weekly 120 minutes were given to language teaching. But the medium of instruction remains Arabic.... First thing to be kept in mind is that the students are a part of society and we have to touch English in the manner it is appropriate. The culture of target language will also be exposed to students to a certain degree. Learning English for my target students is not a totally new experience as they have completed their twelve years of education, where weekly 120 minutes were given to language teaching. But the medium of instruction remains Arabic. Language development is to the extent where the students understand instructions and follow them appropriately, but with some emphasis on repetition of instructions. The students can read and comprehend with the teacher’s help. Teacher is always in control and there aren’t many opportunities for learners to talk about their lives, opinions, and experiences. Teacher takes most of the time explaining to the learners how to go about the written activities. Learners listen to the teacher and do accordingly; obviously repetition o f instructions is in demand. Learners have very less room for creativity and expression. Activities are monotonous and last for the whole period. All the activities revolve around making the learner write in the end. Learners feel bored and there is no excitement as the classes have routine and learners know what is going to happen next. The learners do not find authentic language to use it outside the class but they are able to write an application, letters and etc. What they lack is confidence in talking in English along with the experience.