Minimising the risk in shipping operation. A Case study comparing two Essay

Minimising the risk in shipping operation. A Case study comparing two shipping lines (Maersk and NYK) - Essay Example The risk of piracy has continued to dominate the list of shipping risks for most organisations, sometimes superseding other risks in terms of frequency of occurrence, and the intensity of loss or/and liability. As a direct result of piracy, the costs of operating shipping lines have significantly increased. Insurance costs for sea vessels, for example, have continuously soared to greater heights while vessels are required to install certain security features to help reduce the risk of loss resulting from piracy. Owing to the importance assigned to the shipping industry in international trade, and considering the risks it faces, it would only be wise to consider finding ways of mitigating the effects of such risks or altogether eliminating them. This work is dedicated to the analysis of piracy as a main shipping risk and is aimed at coming up with strategies and techniques for combating this specific risk. According to the International Maritime organisation (IMO), approximately 90 percent of the world’s trade is transported by the international shipping industry. Transportation of bulk raw materials and manufactured goods, and intercontinental trade would practically be impossible without international shipping. Better said, without the international shipping industry, one half of the world would ultimately freeze while the other half would starve. Under close analysis, ships are high value and sophisticated assets. Merchant ships in their annual operations generate income in excess of 380 billion USD dollars in freight rates alone. In reality, this accounts for about five percent of the world’s entire economy. This percentage no shows how vital the industry contributes to investors, governments, employees, organisations and by extension the global economy. In this sense, it is important for all stakeholders to join forces and

Dream Job Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Dream Job - Research Paper Example There are various opportunities in different fields. All we need to do is focus on a specific post in a company and try to reach the position by dedication and a little smart work. My dream job is to become a production manager in a software industry. Being in a software industry I will have the opportunity to handle different projects that are helpful in modernization of technology. This assignment will discuss about a job description of a manager along with compensation, benefits and appraisal program in a software company. Most of the software companies in the world hire people with skills in programming and software testing. Being a production manager my responsibility will be to take over the challenges required in completion of a project successfully. A manager in a software company is responsible for selecting a project that can be completed by the team, explaining the details about the project, managing manpower and completion of the project in time. These are the key specifications that a manager needs to take care of while an on-going assignment. There are two major challenges for a manager in a software company. First is to select an appropriate project that the assigned team can handle. The project selected must be easy for the team members so that can complete it in time without any errors. The second most important challenge is to motivate the team members so that they do not take a leave between the crucial days. Lack of proper workforce can lead to delay of job which might not be accepted by a company. Hence these are the two major challenges to take care of being a manager of a software company. Another important responsibility of a manager is to communicate with the management about any threats his team may come across while handling an important assignment. It is a manager’s duty to balance and bridge the gap between employees and management

Implementation Of New Product Service Or Process Purpose Marketing Essay

Implementation Of New Product Service Or Process Purpose Marketing Essay KELLOGG is the worlds leading producer of cereal products with total sales volume of nearly $13 billion during 2008. Kellogg products are manufactured in 19 countries and marketed in more than 180 countries around the world. Major Kelloggs products include crackers, Toaster pastries, cereal bars, fruit-flavored snacks, frozen waffles and vegetarian foods (http://www.kelloggs.co.uk/ Accessed on March 03, 2011). The company famous brands include all- bran, corn flakes, keebler, pop-tarts, eggo, cheez-it, nutri-grain, rice krispies, bearnaked, morningstar farms, famous amos, special K, and frosted mini-wheats. Mission statement: Kellogg is a global company committed to building long-term growth in volume and profit and to enhancing its worldwide leadership position by providing nutritious food products of superior value http://www.kelloggs.co.uk/ Accessed on March 03, 2011) In a rapidly changing and competitive business environment, it is not easy to predict: future trends in consumer tastes and preferences competitors actions market conditions. Creating new products or making changes to existing brands involves making investment decisions, in the hope of making a return. Weighing up future returns against an investment is crucial and involves an element of risk, because the future is never certain. Previous experience, together with market research information helps to predict future events and outcomes. However, all business activities involve some element of risk. There is often a link between risk and return. More the risk, the higher the likely returns (or profits); however, a balance needs to be struck. In making a decision to develop a new brand, it needs to decide how much investment to make and to forecast the likelihood of a successful outcome. Decision makers aim to develop a long-term strategy to meet a range of objectives such as: growing market share developing a unique market position creating consumer or brand loyalty generating a targeted level of profit. This case study describes a major investment in Kelloggs All-Bran. It illustrates business case for the new product and identifies how the companys investment in new product development serves to strengthen a global brand. Later part of the essay will reflect an outline plan which identifies resources required for the project that is materials, equipment, labour, and training and development of staff 2. LAUNCHING OF KELLOGGs ALL-BRAN 2.1) NEED IDENTIFICATION AND ANALYSIS: In an uncertain world where the organisations strategy is to focus on products and brands that are either the market leader or in a strong position the company believes that this focus upon core and successful products enables it to provide consistent and reliable returns and rewards for its stakeholders. Before proceeding with the change, Kellogg carried out some detailed market research with consumers to discover their thoughts and feelings. There are two main approaches to market research i.e.: qualitative and quantitative. Qualitative research involves working in detail with a relatively small number of consumers e.g. observing and listening to them talking in small groups in which they discuss the brand, products, packaging, advertising ideas, etc. The qualitative research helped Kellogg to develop the concept of a family of fibre brands. The advertising and promotional materials with which the consumer groups worked were very similar to the end promotions that Kellogg wished to communicate. Quantitative research involved using questionnaire and survey approaches with a much larger sample of targeted consumers to estimate the impact on sales if these changes were put into market. Kelloggs undertook market research by answering the questions as per questionaire-1 in Appendix. In September 2004, Kellogg planned to introduce a new product i.e. All-Bran to make the benefits more relevant to consumers. Promotion of feel great message was featured on 8 million packs and on the All-Bran website. It focused on the fact that high-fibre diets may help people to feel lighter and more energetic as well as aiding the digestive system. Bran which is high in fiber is needed in a humans diet. It is best to be used in moderation to gain the positive health it promotes. The high bran, high fibre cereal has been designed to aid a healthy digestive system and to help people control their morning eating habits; without compromising on taste! Research showed that consumers see cereals as a natural product. This is a strong selling point. It makes it vital to feature the ingredients on the packaging. This is because All-Bran range can be seen as part of a daily healthy diet (http://www.thetimes100.co.uk/case-studybuilding-brand-order-to-sustain-its-life-cycle Accessed on March 03, 2011). 2.2) OBJECTIVES: By setting up SMART (specific, measurable, achievable or agreed, realistic and time-related) objectives Kellogg would know whether each objective for launching All-Bran had been achieved. The objectives were clear and were communicated to all staff. This made sure that all staff agreed to follow certain actions to achieve the stated aims. By setting these objectives Kellogg set a direction that would take the business to where it wanted to be three years into the future. Major objectives include; encourage and support physical activity among all sections of the population use resources to sponsor activities and run physical activity focused community programmes for its consumers and the public in general increase the association between Kellogg and physical activity use the cereal packs to communicate the balance message to consumers introduce food labeling that would enable consumers to make decisions about the right balance of food 2.3) TARGET MARKET: It is the process of evaluating each market segment and select one or more segments to enter. Premiums and gifts are outstanding tools for call to mind initial trial, brand switching, and repeat purchase. Now and then company is able to target because they are financially strong and they can arrange a vast product line. People aged 55 and over are the target markets of Kelloggs ALL BRAN .Kelloggs ALL BRAN are easily available in urban and rural areas all over the country. It has been targeted every segment and we can say that Kellogg has a fragmented market. Market attractiveness factors for All-bran include market, size, differentiation possibilities, bargaining power of customers, seasonality, distribution, product growth and stage in product life cycle Main factors influencing marketing of a product are; a) Economic and technological factors i.e. Investment intensity, Industry capacity, Technology, Barriers to entry and exit and Access to supplies b) Competitive i.e. competitive structure, competitive groupings, substitute products, price, and Individual competitor analysis 3. PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE The product life cycle is the period over which it appeals to customers and can be illustrated in a series of stages showing how consumer interest, and hence sales, has altered over time. Kelloggs All-Bran has a long and distinguished history. Like many other famous products, however, it is important from time to time to re-energize its life cycle. To prolong the life cycle of a brand or product an organisation needs to use skilful marketing techniques to inject new life into the product. The traditional product life-cycle shows how a product goes through 4 stages during its life in the market place. At each stage in the product life-cycle, there is a close relationship between sales and profit so when a product goes into decline, profit decreases. When a product is introduced to the market, growth is slow due to limited awareness. As the product is establishing itself, sales will start to increase during the period of growth. As the product reaches maturity, the company needs to inject new life into the product; either by creating brand extensions or variants otherwise the product will reach maturity and start to decline. All-Bran is standing on the maturity stage with 65% of total market share. To stay spirited in the market it needs to introduce time to time new offers and flavors and different promotional schemes. Manufacturing capability is another key issue. If launches of new products are successful in global markets, Kelloggs must have the manufacturing capaci ty to meet consumer demand as well as the supply chain necessary to reach those consumers. When a company like Kelloggs is investigating a change in its marketing it can consider four elements (http://www.thetimes100.co.uk/case-studyusing-new-product-development-to-grow-a-brand Accessed on May 03, 2011) of marketing mix or 4Ps: 3.1) PRODUCT: This is about meeting changing needs and wants of customers through offers. The growth in healthier lifestyles creates opportunities for Kelloggs to increase the number of products for this segment. In case of ALL BRAN, the product is the cereal production by the company. Core Product is cereal, for breakfast and as a snack. Actual product is high quality level; different tastes, flavors, packaging and the symbol K. Augmented product provides tastes and energy as well as nutritional ingredients. 3.2) PRICE: Pricing decision is very important because the survival of a company in the market depends upon pricing decision. Pricing strategy depends on pricing objectives. The amount a company charges for its product is important in determining sales. Super brands like Kelloggs can charge a premium because of the strength of the brand and product quality. 3.3) PLACE: Where customers can purchase the product is also an important factor in determining sales. If a brand like All-Bran is not stocked in supermarkets where most purchases are made, sales will be lost. 3.4) PROMOTION: The marketing mix activities of a product planning, pricing, and distribution are performed mainly within the organization or between the organization and its marketing partners. However, with promotional activities, the firm communicates directly with potential customers. Kelloggs uses above the line promotion like TV advertising as well as below the line promotion like on-pack promotions and sampling. The market research revealed several matters that Kellogg needed to address when alerting the public to changes in the brand family. 1. Some consumers might find the act of placing a range of separate products under the All-Bran brand confusing. The solution was to ensure that packs clearly display both the power brand name (All-Bran) and also the product name (e.g. Bran Flakes). 2. Research showed that consumers see cereals as a natural product. This is a strong selling point. It makes it vital to feature the ingredients on the packaging. 3. To give the campaign maximum impact, Kellogg carefully co-ordinated television and radio advertising, PR and in-store promotions. These encouraged consumers to try out and reappraise the revamped products. A products life cycle may last only a few months (e.g. with a fad, or craze) or, as with Special K, for many years. Although it was a successful product, Kelloggs recognised the opportunity to stretch the brand by investments that would: revitalize it extend and further develop its growth phase and Help to delay the onset of the maturity phase. 4. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MARKET 4.1) MARKETING ENVIRONMENT: This can be divided into two broad categories; a) Micro Environment: The Micro Environment of the Kellog consists off; The Company: has to take other groups or departments of company into account. Such as finance, research and development, purchasing, operation, accounting department. Suppliers: Kelloggs obtains its raw materials of wheat, corn, cocoa, rice and sugar from primary suppliers around the world. It is a large-scale manufacturer and stores sufficient stocks to meet customer orders. Marketing Intermediaries Kelloggs does not sell its breakfast cereals directly to consumers. It uses intermediaries like wholesalers, supermarkets, high street stores and hotels. Kelloggs has major relationships in the tertiary sector. These include the major retail supermarkets such as Tesco and ASDA and some of the wholesale sector such as Makro. Customers: The Kelloggs Company mainly focuses on customer market that consists of people aged 55 and over and weight conscious people. Competitors: Nestle is the only competitor of Kellogg. b. Macro Environment: The external factors which affect a companys planning and performance, and are beyond its control: for example, socio-economic, legal and technological change (http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_macro_environment_of_Kellogg) There are many environmental issues which should be looked at to get the broader picture of Kelloggs Company. These issues can be grouped into six categories: political, economical, social-demographic, technological, legal and ethical. The acronym for this is a Pestle analysis. Political /Legal Environment: UK has a stable political environment hence, private enterprise is encouraged, which gives Kellogg an opportunity to introduce new products and improve the existing ones. Economic Environment: Economic factors are those that affect consumer buying behavior. As this is an era of great depression, there is a change in the income of the consumer so the sales of Kellogg are affected by this. Natural Environment: The natural environment of Kelloggs involves all the natural resources that are needed as inputs by the company and are affected by market activities. Theyve set themselves a number of targets to meet by 2015, and are constantly checking their progress along the way so they can see how theyre doing. By 2015 they aim to have reduced all of the following by 15-20% per metric tonne of food produced since 2005. Energy use Greenhouse gas emissions Water use Waste sent to landfill (For waste to landfill, they achieved a 41.5% reduction by 2009 and have set themselves a new target of a further 20% reduction by 2015 against a 2009 baseline.) Socio-cultural Environment: UK has a tradition of eating cereal as a breakfast so Kellogg has got high market. Technological Environment:: UK has good infrastructure and distribution channel which again is highly favorable for Kellogg to grow further. Responding to the Marketing Environment: Kelloggs has utilized integrated business units and compensation incentive systems to increase the accountability of the cash expenditure and improve the functionality of the organization. Products sales have been increasing in the UK as well as in other countries. The pricing and availability of the product determines the profitability of a product. Streamlining many of the operations in recent times has helped the Kellogg increase the profit margin. More resources could therefore be spent on the marketing and advertisement of products. In addition, Kelloggs also increased the number and frequency of promotional offers more toys and DVDs in cereal boxes, tie-ins with movies and charitable donations to local schools and charities. In 2002, a new strategy of Volume to Value was introduced throughout the company. 4.2) MARKET SEGMENTATION PROCESS The process of defining and subdividing a large homogenous market into clearly identifiable segments having similar needs, wants, or demand characteristics. Its objective is to design a marketing mix that precisely matches the expectations of customers in the targeted segment. Today Kelloggs is doing its business in United states, China, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Maldives, United Kingdom, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam. In this project we are only discussing its market segmentation in United Kingdom. They are segmenting the market in the form of geographic, demographic, psychographic, and behavioral. All-Bran Original is available in Australia, Somalia, USA, Canada, Colombia, UK, Italy, Mexico, France, Japan, Latin America, and South Africa 4.3) MARKET TARGETTING PROCESS After dividing the market into various segments, the Kellogg Company has to decide which segment it can serve better. So first they evaluated each segments. They want the sets of buyers who share common needs and characteristics to serve. Kellogg mainly used undifferentiated (mass) marketing strategy because cereal will always be mass marketed. They have to do business on large scale so Kellogg Company is using mass marketing. 4.4) PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS New product development process of product starts with idea generation. Commercialization Product Development Marketing Strategy Development Idea Generation Test Marketing Business Analysis Concept Development Testing Idea Screening 5. USE OF INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL RESOURCES Use of internal and external resources is crucial in the launch of a new product. 5.1) INTERNAL RESOURCES: Idea of Kelloggs came from; Product development teams Formal research and development (asked consumers through questionnaires ) Brains of its executives, scientists, engineers, manufacturing staff and salespeople Companies successful entrepreneurial programs (encourages employee to think about new cereal product ) Value innovation program 5.2) EXTERNAL RESOURCES: Customers (through questionnaires) Competitors (Kelloggs get clue about their new product by watching competitors ads, analyze the sales, and then decide). Distributors Suppliers (tell company about new concepts, techniques and materials that can be used to develop new products). 6. SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGTHS: a) Kellogg All Bran is the only large, very high fibre brand in the market place. Private label provides the main competition. b) The general public remains highly aware of ALL BRAN c) The ALL BRAN brand is strong; consumers associate it with healthy activity. WEAKNESS: a) Awareness of the brand had been declining because of little promotional (e.g. advertising) activity in recent years. b) Compared with leading brands such as Kellogg corn flakes, the individual fibre products have limited scale, making it hard to make advertising investment economic. c) The preposition that a fibre cereal keeps you regular is less motivating to consumers than in the past. Consumers now more interested in products inner health OPPORTUNITIES a) People are looking to eat more healthily b) The rapid growth of non cereal products that meet inner health need (pro biotic drinks and yogurts) c) In the UK the number of people over 55(the products main consumers) continues to increase. THREATS: a) The sales of private labels fibre cereal is growing. b) There is a consumers trend towards the tastier cereal 7. CONCLUSION By creating the power brand All-Bran and providing the right sort of well researched promotional support, Kellogg has been able to inject renewed vigor into a family of related products. Through appropriate promotional activities and more relevant messages, Kellogg has re-awakened consumers interest in products that can play an important part in developing a healthy diet in a health-conscious world. Regular campaigns of promotional activity are helpful in enabling all organizations to sustain their own life cycle and those of their brands and products. It is early days in evaluating the success of the marketing activity supporting All-Bran but the signs are good. Appendix: Primary Research: Survey questionnaire-1 What changes taking place in society are likely to affect the product? How might new technologies affect our business? What are likely to be the future market trends? Where are the opportunities within the market place? What new categories would appeal to the target market? How far do consumers think the brand could stretch into the market for different product categories? Survey questionnaire-2 1. What is age bracket do you belong to? 13-16 yrs 17-30 yrs 31-39 yrs 39 yrs or above 2. Which income bracket do you belong to? GBP 50-200 GBP 200-500 GBP 500-1000 GBP 1000 above 3. What is your marital status? Single Married 4. What is the brand of the cereal that you usually purchase? Nestle Kellogg 5. Is ALL BRAN your favorite cereal? Yes No 6. How often do you purchase cereal? Everyday Once a week Once a month 7. Please rank accordingly to the characteristics of ALL BRANS: a) Taste b)Price c) Flavor d) Packaging 1=least preferred 5=most preferred 1 2 3 4 5 8. Do you like the ads of ALL BRAN? Yes No 9. What flavors of Kellogg do you like the most? Corn flakes All bran Rice kripsies Special K

Garden for the Blind :: Architecture Design Essays

Garden for the Blind In Sensory Design by Joy Malnar and Frank Vodvarka, a great garden is said to unfold like a narrative, a journey or a piece of music. My hope is that the Garden for the Blind located on the land south of Hume Hall will be such a garden. I think the Garden should be entered through the parking lot, since the ground there is the most level. I think there should be a wooden path with railings on both sides until the garden reaches it’s full width. The path should then change to asphalt or rock, but the wood railing should be continued for a few more feet. There could be an archway over the wooden path, wrapped in Jasmine vines, so that the entrance to the garden can be marked by such a smell. The unrailed but broad path should then travel through the garden. Although unrailed, a system, such as raised edges, should be set in place on both sides of the path, to indicate where it ends and the grass begins. The path will eventually lead to a substantially large fountain in the middle of the Garden. One will know when he or she is in the heart of the Garden when one hears the water, or even feels the mist on his or her face. The fountain should have a ledge wide enough to sit on, with railings to keep one from falling in. The fountain will be in the middle of a paved circle. The circle will have railings around it, except for when it is met up by one of the three main paths: the path from the entrance, the path to the gazebo, and the path to the exit. On the right side of the fountain (when facing it from the entrance) there will be a Gazebo. There will be steps leading up to the Gazebo, since it will be situated on the steep side of the hill. The Gazebo can be a center for

Business Environment in India Essay

1. How have businesses in India developed differently from their western counter parts? India, from 1947 to 1991 followed the socialist system of industrial development, wherein the major industries were controlled by the state. The western countries have followed a policy of free market and capitalism during the same time period. The Indian economy was restricted by the License – Permit – Quota Raj, due to which the opportunities of developing new businesses were minimal. This policy insulated the Indian economy from the outside world , and led to monopolies in the public sector which were inefficient, similar to the U.S.S.R. Post liberalisation, with removal of these restrictions, the businesses in India, free from the shackles of the permit system have grown as a fast pace with improving efficiencies. However several businesses, which could not cope with the competition, fell by the wayside. The western economies have in the capitalistic environment, graduated from family run businesses to control by institutional investors to control by private equity firms in many cases, whereas, their Indian counterparts still have a large proportion run by family run businesses and institutional investors controlled by the government. Many of the PSU’s in India which have survived the post – liberalisation opening up of the economy are monopolies in their respective markets and today are quite competitive on the global stage. The family run businesses compete fiercely with each other and look for opportunities in newer areas, including global markets. In the western world, there is a growing trend of consolidation with oligopolies emerging in almost all industries, which are being controlled by PE firms. Overall, India’s form of ownership has barely changed over the past decade. The division of profits made by family firms between those in their first, second and third or older generations has stayed pretty constant. 2. Why has Indian business developed in this way? Indian businesses have developed this way mainly because of two reasons: 1. India followed the socialist policy post independence, which converted the British legacy to public run institutions, and followed a policy of nationalization whereby control of industrial output was controlled by the government. The license – quota – permit raj severely restricted the Indian entrepreneurs from developing new businesses. The family run businesses with deep pockets and good political connections expanded their sphere of influence from their core businesses into unrelated areas where they saw an opportunity to grow. With reforms taking place post 1991 in a gradual manner, many new and existing businesses managed very well to adapt to the changing environment, taking advantage of the technology advances which had already taken place in the western world. 2. With a largely agricultural based economy, the Indian government had focussed on related infrastructure, leading to a weak over all infrastructure for industry. This has led to difficulties in starting new businesses. Similarly, regulations involved in starting new businesses are severely restrictive and cumbersome which is discouraging to entrepreneurs 3. Will it continue to? Major reforms in several areas are sorely required if Indian businesses and the Indian economy are to maintain the growth trajectory. If these happen, Indian businesses will transform into real global players in a few years. If reforms are soft-pedalled there is a very good chance the Indian business growth story will come to an early end. 4. Can the aspirations it has raised be met? Yes, the aspirations it has raised can be met. There is every reason to believe that the decision makers in Indian governance recognize what needs to be done and will act accordingly, although not at the pace required. The overall momentum generated by India Inc. should carry it through the current set of problems it is facing. The pool of skilled professionals combined with a large population with a growing purchasing power will project India to the big league. The relatively slower growth rates in the developed economies will give Indian firms the opportunity to scale up to global level at a fairly rapid pace. 5. And is this new form of capitalism good for India—and the world? The new form of capitalism called capindialism is good for India, at least for the coming generation. As India transforms into one of the largest economies of the world, the moderate growth rates as compared with China, and somewhat controlled, India will be able to protect itself and therefore the world from unexpected shocks. If the country maintains its current rate of growth it is expected to become the world’s third-largest economy sometime after 2030, and hundreds of millions of people will lift them out of poverty. The Indian businesses which survive the growth will be transformed into world class and be controlled indirectly by the Indian public.

Slasher Films in the Pakistani Cinema

Pakistan is a developing country that has been struggling for decades in its many eras, ranging from business to the cinema. Despite the tussle, it has managed to develop its film and television industry rapidly. â€Å"Lollywood† is a term that was coined back in the day to glamorously describe the cinema culture of Pakistan. Though, as we all know, in comparison to Bollywood and Hollywood, Lollywood, in majority has not been much popular. Nevertheless, upon profoundly observing the television industry of Pakistan, one learns that it is much more refined and efficacious in contrast to the film sector.Particularly, in the present times, the drama or television industry, as you may call it, is flourishing not just locally but all around the globe, reaching out to many Pakistanis and providing them with twenty four hours of fruitful entertainment. Pakistani Cinema has touched upon a variety of genres which predominantly revolve around documentaries, dramas, thrillers, horror, rom ance and action. This paper will, however, depict and deliberate upon a subgenre of horror films; slasher films in Pakistan.A slasher film is preeminently defined as a horror film which involves the use of an unearthly weapon such as an axe by a psychopathic slaughterer who mainly pertains to aggressively slaying a number of victims. These movies follow specific cinematic techniques where close-ups and special effects are used in a variety of ways, primarily representing women as sexual objects. The conception of showing the â€Å"Final Girl† rescuing herself is the foremost ideology a slasher film ordinarily focuses on.Over the years, Lollywood has managed to accomplish the two most successful horror films using the true slasher and storyline techniques; Zinda Laash (â€Å"Dracula in Pakistan/The Living Corpse†) and Zibah Khana (â€Å"Hell’s Ground†) produced in 1967 and 2007 respectively. It is interesting to know that the recent production; Hellâ€℠¢s Ground makes continuous relations with the thirty year old film; Zinda Laash. However, the two devour excessive amount of differences; in regard to the slasher film techniques and gender based critique which will be discussed in this essay. Dracula in Pakistan† was filmed in the late 60’s; however, when released, it sprang a cascade of fear amongst the Pakistanis. According to (The Indian Express, 2012), a woman from the audience was agonized by a heart attack. It was also the first movie produced in Pakistan to be categorized as â€Å"X-rated† along with being screened at two international film festivals. (IMDB) Zinda Laash is considered as a plagiarized production; an elucidation of Hammer’s Classic â€Å"Dracula. † (The HotSpot Online) The plot begins with a scientist; Dr.Tabani accomplishing his test experiment to gain immortality followed by the introduction of his assistant; a buxom woman who discovers the â€Å"dead body† of the sci entist and decides to store it in a coffin. To her astonishment, the corpse comes to life and she is his first victim. The story continues with a somnolent traveller, Dr. Aqil who does not consider the rumors of the existence of the immortals to be true, entering the mansion of the â€Å"Khabees Rooh†. Though, he soon discovers the veracity and chooses to end the cycle of plague, but is evidently futile.The film further revolves around a Dr. Aqil’s wife-to-be; Shabnam, who is also a victim of Dr. Tabani and how immortality fails her appallingly. As petrifying Zinda Laash might have been in the 60’s, it most certainly isn’t disturbing in relation to the modern day standards. One might find it rigorously monotonous but humorous at the same time as it depicts alluring and peculiar dances by women. Zinda Laash strongly caters to the â€Å"Male Gaze† throughout the hundred minutes of its run time; from the introduction to the climax and the conclusion.T hroughout the course, the audience experiences a range of dance numbers by either one or many women. The initial portrayal of the sexuality of women instigates when the assistant is lured by her â€Å"dead† boss in the middle of the dark hours. The woman is dressed in a knee length night gown with revealed skin and cleavage; identifying her as a sex object. For being a Pakistani production of the 60’s era, the cinematic techniques capturing the body of the woman can definitely be labeled as â€Å"obscene. The attack demonstrates sensuality in the facial expressions of the woman with the sluggish movement of closeness between the victim and the attacker pouring a sense of sexual tension amongst the audience. Followed by the frightening shrieks of the woman, violence against women is highlighted significantly; a woman is powerless in front of a man. Later, as the weary traveller arrives and adjusts comfortably at the mansion after a warm welcome by Dr. Tabani, one notic es Dr. Aqil setting a photo frame of his beloved fiancee he truly misses. Dr.Tabani enters his room to ensure comfort and malignly admires the photo by calling it â€Å"Khoobsurat. † It is enigmatically bizarre how Dr. Tabani ignores to make Dr. Aqil his next victim who is right there and instead wishes to suck blood out of a woman. Malevolent thoughts instantly stutter through the attacker’s head about the woman; further enhancing the violence against women. As the night gets gloomy and murky, one notices Dr. Aqil being effortlessly distracted by the giggles of a woman; the vampire bride. He gets up to follow the chuckles; his facial expressions visibly expose his urge for sexual desire.Discovering the origin of the chortles, Dr. Aqil finds a mysterious female, dancing with â€Å"voluptuous sensuality† (The HotSpot Online) dressed in a lightly lined white dress to attract him towards her. There is undeniably a connotation attached to the actions of the woman in this scene; she uses her sexuality to fulfill her need to feed upon the man for survival. The man finally submits himself to her and is attacked by the vampire bride. This explains how the religion of Islam fears the power of female sexual attraction over men.Imam Ghazali’s interpretation is also highlighted during this part of the film; female aggression is tuned outwards and she sexually entices men. Captivatingly, this occurrence is intermittent by Dr. Tabani; the vampire, who pushes the woman; once again showing the physical power of man over woman. Wretchedly, Dr. Aqil is masticated and is fated to earn immortality. Nonetheless, before fronting his destiny, he tries to put an end to the outrageous veracity by using a â€Å"knife† as the weapon of destruction, but fails terribly. Incongruously, a dance number is presented right after Dr.Aqil becomes a casualty of immortality. This dance sequence is similar to the many others shown during the film at odd intervals. This particular sequence comprised of a woman dancing dressed in a half sleeve top and pants in front of a crowd of men in majority. Vulgarity strikes not only in her clothing this time, but in the movement of her physique in sync with the song lyrics which were chanted by a man as he made hand gestures pointing towards the dancer; â€Å"Udhar Jawani, Idhar Nasha. † The lyrics clearly indicate the drunken men relishing the â€Å"jawaani† of the female performing.The theme of sexuality is reinforced with the entrance of Dr. Aqil’s brother as he is interrupted with another dance number, this time comprising of many women dancing for their own entertainment instead of one woman dancing to entertain a crowd. This dance comprises of Dr. Aqil’s fiancee, Shabnam dressed in shalwar kameez; the national dress of Pakistan, dancing with her friends. However, the fitting of the clothing catered to the male gaze once again. The shirts are of normal length but tremend ously body-hugging from the hip, hence outlining he body shape. These women also wore perfectly winged eyeliners and hair done gracefully, further emphasizing the gender socialization of women; how they are required to dress up. The theme of men giving in for the sexuality of women is reversed when Shabnam desperately waits for Dr. Tabani to suck her blood. On his arrival, Shabnam lies down on her bed in an inviting posture outlining her curvaceous body and reveals her neck; women objectification. Once again, sexual tension is built as Dr. Tabani goes close to her neck and feeds on her.The difference between the earlier attacks and this once is that Shabnam was willingly letting Dr. Tabani feed on her; she felt pleasure. The photograph below shows her exact position on the bed. (The HotSpot Online) There is also a female child in the narrative who Shabnam intends to feed on. The question here evolves as to why there was not a male child instead of a female child named â€Å"Babyâ⠂¬ ? Baby constantly made relations with Shabnam throughout the course of the film, for example, she teased Shabnam by snatching Dr. Aqil’s photograph from her hand and ran away.The film comes towards a climax where the family discovers the Dracula Shabnam who intended to trick Baby and suck her blood out. Shabnam’s brother confronts her as she convinces him to hug her; she decides to feed on him. This plot comes to an end when Aqil’s brother acts as the macho man and pushes Shabnam away and stabs her to death by a dagger. Patriarchy is promoted via this prospect as well. Nonetheless, a dance sequence is a must input at the pinnacle; this time a female wearing a sequin dress entertaining a group of men by dancing. Most importantly, we notice that the dupatta in many of these dance numbers is eliminated.The movie further progresses with the development of an aim to eradicate the immortals by Shabnam’s brother and Dr. Aqil’s brother. Zibah Khaana or Hell’s Ground, on the other hand, follows a completely different narrative with underlining various subjects such as Gender Roles, Social Concerns and Pakistani Culture. It truly depicts the use of slasher film techniques like showing the world from the eyes of the attacker and use of the â€Å"Final Girl† notion. It is an Urdu-English slasher film directed by Omar Khan in only 30 days and has won many awards at Film Festivals around the Globe. Wikipedia) Zibah Khaana is a journey of five teenage friends who decide to take a short cut through a place known as â€Å"Dozakh Pur† to attend a rock concert. On their way, they face many difficulties such as the toxic water, zombies, a daunting hitchhiker, a witch and a man dressed in a burkha with an ancient spiky weapon which makes the movie a modern gore flick. The diversity in characters chosen makes the film even more exhilarating. The movie begins with a boy having an accident upon seeing a Burkha Man standing i n the middle of the road with a medieval weapon.However, the first victim is massacred with a spade, in comparison to Zinda Laash, where the first victim was a woman attacked by fangs. In the case of Hell’s Ground, woman objectification is hardly given any attention. The film sets the surroundings of Pakistan by showing detailed shots about the culture of Pakistan; daily activities. Gender socialization is highlighted when Roxy, a modern American girl is introduced and specifically asks her maid for a â€Å"pink† colored shirt to wear as she has to spend the night at her friend â€Å"Ayesha’s† house.Pakistani culture is further laid stress upon when the maid reacts in astonishment to Roxy, being a girl and spending the night at a friends’ house. Next, a low class Christian boy, Simon is presented with his parents; where the father uses abusive language to degrade his son. In relation to Zinda Laash, here we experience that the wife; Simon’s mother screams back to her husband in support of her child. Patriarchy is not laid stress upon; it does exist but not to a critical extent in the modern day and this is what Zibah Khaana probably aimed to demonstrate.As the introduction progresses, the audience meets the Final Girl, Ayesha. Her first appearance in a traditional shalwar kameez serving her mother tea immediately clicks; she is different from the previous two characters introduced. Once more, the Pakistani Culture and Gender Bias are tinted when Ayesha seeks permission from her mother to go on a â€Å"school trip† for the night. Receiving a hesitant reaction from her mother and commentary upon how her father would be against this act if he were alive, instantaneously converses with the Pakistani audience as to how girls should not be let out for the night.It emphasizes upon traditional beliefs on gender socialization; girls should spend the night at their own house and not elsewhere. However, there are a lot of modern families in today’s time who are also against girls spending the night elsewhere. In the Pakistani society, it is definitely considered as indecent. Inevitably, Ayesha lies to stay out for the night to go to a rock concert. However, her socialization restricts her from doing things that she has been taught are wrong; for example later in the film all her friends smoke hashish, but she doesn’t.Ayesha also wears an â€Å"Allah Hu Akbar† necklace throughout the course of the film. We also observe, upon exiting the house Ayesha gets rid of her books and grabs a pair of jeans and t-shirt to change later for the trip; Ayesha belongs to a local ordinary family. Later, when she changes her attire from a traditional one to modern, her friends are surprised. Roxy, Ayesha, Simon and another boy OJ meet at the ice cream parlor, â€Å"Hot Spot† and wait for the last character of the film; Vicky to arrive with transport. He brings a van with old fashioned Pakist ani Horror Film Paintings, one of which consisted of a plump woman posing.Pointing out the sexuality in the old times; OJ instantly reacts to the painting of the woman as â€Å"sexy. † This shows that young boys are easily drawn towards sexuality with being open about their desires. The friends continue to head out and on their way are disturbed by a group of transgenders while waiting for the traffic signal to go green. An effective use of queer theory has been applied as the reaction of the teenagers is shown. Transgenders are a huge part of the Pakistani society and are treated with disgrace.They are usually perceived as infuriating while they beg at the traffic signals; the reaction of Vicky and the body language of the transgenders have clearly been captured. As the transgenders approached and touched Vicky, his facial expressions stressed upon irritation and repulsion. Youth culture has been shown via sarcastic conversations amongst the five friends. Roxy is an American -Pakistani modern girl who did not hesitate to smoke hashish in comparison to the Final Girl, Ayesha who denies the offer and feels uncomfortable. Roxy and OJ have a conversation about the socio-economic situation of Pakistan.This was amusing to observe as women in the earlier day were not included in such conversations, and today we see a positive change in the role of women. In Roxy’s imaginary world, she â€Å"can’t wait to get out of this sticky shithole. † Use of abusive language by both the genders has been highlighted, which serves as a change in the norm of our society as all such instances are censored by the censor board of Pakistan. Hell’s Ground, was however, successful in mirroring the reality. From zombies, a freaky hitchhiker and a witch to the serial killer in a burkha, Zibah Khana covers it all.Generally, older women are always associated with darkness, magic and evil. Hell’s ground uses the same ideology and uses an unusual strang e woman in the story who is involved in the village killings. The hitchhiker and the main psychopathic killer Burkhaman which the teenagers come across are the old woman’s children. Earlier in the film, the teenagers have managed to escape from the creepy hitchhiker by throwing him out of the van and crushing him in the process. Motherly instincts are shown when the mother finds her injured son and commands the Burkhaman to cut them up into â€Å"botis. The old woman also continuously addressed the Burkhaman as her daughter; further highlighting the use of queer theory. The Burkhaman is in reality a man, but is continuously referred as a female; this is because the old woman always wanted a daughter but never had one. I believe, the use of such a dogma is an indirect reference to the LGBT community in Pakistan. Throughout the film, the serial killer being the main lead remains silent. According to my analogy, it has been done purposely to lay stress upon the fact that societ y wants the LGBT community to remain silent and act as the underdog of the society.Being a slasher film, the plot revolves around The Final Girl throughout. Before the zombie attacks, she senses incongruity but chooses to ignore and stays determined. This is the most ideal strategy used in the production of slasher films. Her psychological turmoil is continuously tested till the very end where she saves herself. In completion, Ayesha is the only individual left who has not been successfully victimized. Slasher films intend to show women in terror, and Zibah Khana explicitly follows this rule. It shows both the women, Roxy and Ayesha, in terror, running for their lives and screaming.The only difference is that Ayesha is the final girl and remains determined to save herself. Another stratagem used in Zibah Khana is the eradication of all the irrelevant characters one by one leaving the Final Girl as the last victim. This is to build tension amongst the audience to experience the rever sal of gender roles. When Ayesha faces the Burkhaman, she fights back for herself and saves herself by getting hold of a spade and a stone, and smashes the head of the man dressed in a Burkha. There is no man to rescue her; she is her own hero. A hidden side of the innocent girl is shown; she makes sure to kill the attacker.Typically, in slasher films, the Final Girl is given intense strength and masculinity all of a sudden with the urge to protect her rather than being dependent upon a man to save the day. There are many differences we observe between the two films. Firstly, we notice that the first victim in Zinda Laash is a woman where she is shown as a sexual object. However, in Zibah Khana, the first victim is a boy; OJ. Secondly, Zibah Khana adopts the technique of showing the world from the attacker’s eyes to its fullest whereas Zinda Laash hardly makes use of it.Thirdly, another distinctive feature of a slasher film is to show women in terror; building the tension and finally reaching the climax. Zibah Khana renders this trepidation to a great extent in comparison to Zinda Laash, where the women feeling fear is shown minimally in comparison to Zibah Khana. Lastly, the concept of Final Girl is completely ignored in Zinda Laash, assuming that Shabnam was the main girl who was expected to save herself and not enter the realm of death; that too by being stabbed by a man. Zibah Khana, on the other hand, stresses all the attention on the Final Girl, Ayesha.In the end she is the only survivor. Horror film is a genre which has come a long way in the Pakistani Cinema. It started off with showing women as sex objects to the girl becoming the main lead and surviving on her own terms. To conclude, I absolutely agree with Omar Khan, the director of Zibah Khana as he claims, â€Å"Horror is at its most effective when it taps into real fears. Our real fears are connected to things that are sensitive politically and difficult to discuss. † (Telegraph, UK , 2007) 3286 Words Bibliography (n. d. ). Retrieved November 27, 2012, from IMDB: http://www. imdb. om/title/tt0360232/trivia Telegraph, UK. (2007, August 11). Retrieved December 4, 2012, from http://www. telegraph. co. uk/culture/film/starsandstories/3667146/Zibahkhana-Beware-zombies-wearing-saris. html The Indian Express. (2012, July 2). Retrieved December 4, 2012, from The Indian Express: http://www. indianexpress. com/news/be-scared-very-scared/969038/0 The HotSpot Online. (n. d. ). Retrieved December 4, 2012, from http://www. thehotspotonline. com/moviespot/bolly/reviews/xyz/zindalaash. htm Wikipedia. (n. d. ). Retrieved December 4, 2012, from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Zibahkhana

American Busniess in the Gilded age essays

American Busniess in the Gilded age essays American businessmen will ultimately accept such demands as the eight hour day and forty hour week, not because they were forced to do so, but because it was good for business. I agree with this statement 100%. During the first years of the 20th century, the companies had total control over their workers. Take the coal mining industry for example. It started the workers off young, often around the age of 8! This made sure that for the rest of their life, theyd never know anything other than mining, therefore keeping them down. The people who grew up in the mining community were downtrodden, and kept that way. Sure, they were afforded luxurys, such as housing and free heat (a monthly supply of coal). This may seem great on the surface, until you realized that the housing was often poorly built, and often just a shanty town set up to pacify the crys of the employees. The coal was often the stuff left over after the good coal was sold to industry. Sometimes it was nothing more than rock. But this is what they worked for. This is what these people were forced to, most of the time for their whole life. But then something happened. The factories that the coal companies sold their product too started to close. Why, you may ask? BECAUSE EVERYONE WAS TO POOR TO BUY ANYTHING FROM THEM! This got the bosses thinking. If they dont work the people so hard, they wont be so tired that they may go shopping. And if they pay the people more, so that way they get compensated for fact that their working less hours, theyll have that money to spend on the products, this keeping the economy rolling. After many years of changing schedules, the standard 8 hour day and 40 hour work week were adopted. Now, Ive worked an 8 hour day and a 40 hour week during the summer, and I did not like it! It was very long and dragging, and now I think about what these people had to go through with, and I realize that I ...