Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Host Country Political and Legal Environment Affect of Airasia

COMPANY AIRASIA Content a. Introduction b. Company bibliography c. Entry mode to international market (through exporting, joint venture, franchising, licensing, etc) d. How do the international market / culture, management styles and business system affect the company performance? Do they have to adjust / alter their product or services to fit with the host country market needs? How does the company face the competition? e. How does a host country political and international legal environment or trade barrier affect the Malaysian companies in their international marketing activities?Bagaimana sebuah negara tuan rumah persekitaran politik dan antarabangsa undang-undang atau perdagangan halangan menjejaskan syarikat-syarikat Malaysia dalam aktiviti pemasaran antarabangsa mereka? Bagaimana sebuah negara persekitaran politik dan undang2 antarabangsa memberi kesan kepada syarikat Malaysia dalam aktiviti pemasaran antarabangsa mereka? f. SWOT analysis of the company in term of their 4 Ps ( product, price, promotion and place) g. Any others additional information h. Conclusion i. References a,b,h – part 1 c – part 2 d – part 3 e – part 4(fathi) – part 5 each person choose one to do it n leave a comment which part u all do yea†¦ tq BUS 488 Strategy – T01 Question 1 AirAsia, which is one of the earliest low cost carriers (LCC) in Asia, has become a LCC since 2001. So far, it has expanded its network from Malaysia to Thailand to Singapore, Macau and even the Mainland China in 2006. In short, Air Asia â€Å"jumped out† from an intra-Malaysia and Thailand market to a â€Å"real Air Asia† in the continent. Thus, what are the possible core competencies to ensure that there is quantum leap to success?The internal analysis on the company below will answer the question. Resources, Capabilities & Core Competencies Analysis a)Accounting Ratio Analysis In 2004, Air Asia’s earnings margin before interest and taxes ( 16. 8), return on capital employed (14. 6) and return on equity (37. 7) accounting ratios were above the industry average – 14. 5 is the industry average for earnings margin, 11. 6 for return on capital employed and 21. 2 for return on equity. This above average results indicates that the company has been managed well and thus is able to achieve high above-average returns.The increase in current ratio from 1. 24 (US$49. 206 million / US$39. 643 million)to 5. 60 (US$230. 024 million / US$41. 099 million) also serves as a confident booster to investors and shareholders in that Air Asia’s solvency had strengthened and thus is able to fulfill its debt obligations. In fact, the debt-to-asset ratio in the last 5 years was low and decreasing too. As a matter of fact, in 2005, it was merely 0. 14, which was comparatively lower than many low cost carriers. b) Finance Resources Air Asia’s net profit ending Jun 2005 was reported US$29. million, a 126%increase year-on-year. The end of June 2005 financial summary showed that Air Asia, the leading low cost airline in Asia, had a huge reserve (bank and cash balances) of US$86. 6million. This is the company’s strength as very few low cost airlines of similar size have such large reserves. With such huge reserves and low debt-to-asset ratio, Air Asia is thus capable of generating internal funds to finance any expansion. It is certainly Air Asia’s strength. c)Organization Design and Organizational ResourcesAir Asia’s organizational structure is rather simple and flat as it involves a group of staff in the company reporting to one manager. This serves Air Asia well as the  business requires a structure with fewer levels of management so as to achieve more consistency and cost reduction. In addition, the cost leadership strategy that the company adopted also allows Air Asia to focus more intensely on areas such as in/out-bound logistics, operations, marketing, services and customers. Th is in turn helps to create synergy and capability to deliver the full spectrum of low cost carrier business. ) Physical Resources Despite having a large fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft for operation, Air Asia still continues to invest heavily. This includes the acquisition of more fuel-efficient aircraft (A320) so that the company can have sufficient capacity to meet the growing needs and demands of their customers as well as to continue to keep its cost low. The new aircraft can lower fuel usage by about 12%, an important cost saving, as fuel accounted for  almost 50% of the total operating costs for the company over a period of time. ) Technological Resources Air Asia was the first airline in Southeast Asia to utilize e-ticketing so that traditional travel agents can be bypassed. This implementation saves the cost of issuing  physical tickets and eliminates the need for large and expensive booking and reservation systems. To further exploit technologies, AirAsia made it possible for customers to  purchase tickets either from post offices or designated bank teller (ATM) machines.In short, Air Asia's strength is also about the ability to leverage on technologies well and ahead of its competitors to increase sales and lower costs. Human Resources Management Although the employees were not unionized and the salaries offered by the company were below those of its rivals, AirAsia is still able to keep its work force motivated by providing a remuneration policy that is competitive and attractive. For  instance, all employees are offered a wide range of incentives that includes productivity and performance-based bonuses, offer of shares or stock options.To provide further  aircrew and cabin incentives, AirAsia also adopted a sector pay policy that gives extra incentives and thus this resulted in the company needing fewer crews per flight (106 per  aircraft) as compared to other low-cost airlines (110 per aircraft). All these efforts not only helped to impro ve productivity, it also further strengthened employer-employee relationships. In summary, human resource management, particularly the ability to motivate and improve productivity of the staff is surely Air Asia’s strength. g) Innovation Resources and Product DevelopmentSo far, AirAsia has managed to design its aircraft cabins that can minimize wear  and tear, cleaning time and cost. This innovative work allows for quicker turnarounds  between flights and helps increase revenues. In addition, AirAsia is also able to leverage on innovative ideas to derive substantial ancillary revenues from additional services. For  instance, the companies also have their own branded credit card and offers corporate travel services. Consequently, it also develops aircraft advertising by converting its planes into â€Å"flying billboards†.The ability to innovate and come up with unique innovations to lower  costs and increase revenues shows that AirAsia possesses substantial qual ity innovation resources that are valuable. h) Reputational Resources Air Asia’s success has been widely recognized. For instance, in 2003, it was named the â€Å"Developing Airline of the Year† (by Air finance Journal) and the â€Å"Asia Pacific Airline of the Year† (by Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation, CAPA). In 2004 and 2005, the company also won several prestigious awards. Similarly, the company’s CEO, Tony Fernandez has also won several recognitions.Most notably, the International Herald Tribune listed Mr. Tony Fernandez in its Visionaries and Leadership series in 2003. Hewas consequently named the â€Å"Asia Pacific Aviation Executive of the Year† in 2004 and2005 (by CAPA) and is one of the 25 stars of Asia (by Business week). With just 3 years into operations, AirAsia managed to be listed publicly in  November 2004 with support from bankers and venture capitalists. AirAsia was subsequently named as one of the â€Å"Best Newly Listed Compa nies† and Asia’s â€Å"Best Managed Company in the Airlines and Aviation Sector by Euro money after its IPO.Given the positive perceptions of Air Asia’s reputation, the brand name is certainly the company’s strengths. i)Risk Management In general, the types of risks AirAsia faces include: (1) pure risk; (2) price risk; and (3) credit risk. AirAsia purchased insurance policies to mitigate pure risk although it is done and operated a bit differently as it adopts an integrated approach risk management that goes beyond the traditional parameters of what is insurable. For instance, when AirAsia purchases insurance any policies to insure against pure risk, it also makes a conscious effort to acquire them at a much lower rate lower than other LCCs.In addition, to mitigate price risk, AirAsia hedged fuel prices at US$42 a barrel for the first half of  2005, which was substantially lower than the price per barrel of US$70 in the late 2005. AirAsia has little exp osure to credit risk as it does not lend money to any external parties. Better still, customers who wish to purchase their air tickets need to make payment almost immediately upon booking. Hence, this eliminates credit risk totally. So far, Air Asia’s holistic approach to risk management effectively is viewed favorably by its stakeholders most of the time, especially the shareholders. ) Logistics This involves all areas of receiving, storing of inputs when producing outputs. So far, AirAsia only operates on a single type of aircraft, the Boeing 737-300. Based on a Report published by Aero Connections in 2004, that particular model was the best selling commercial jet of all times due to its efficiency and cost effectiveness. AirAsia also has1382 employees and they received proper on-the-job training workshops so that they can  perform multiple roles effectively within a simple and flat organization structure. ) Operations It processes inputs to provide valuable products/serv ices. AirAsia has always been stringent about standards and procedures. AirAsia is aware that maintaining its passenger  safety is of paramount importance – as indicated in the surveys in the United States and Japan. Based on the company’s 2003 annual report, AirAsia had joined ventures with GE Engine Services for a business alliance that allows the latter to be in charge of  maintaining all Air Asia’s aircraft engines in the next five years.AirAsia had also managed to achieve good operating benchmarks in terms of flights on time and baggage handling where in 2004, the company registered 88% and 99. 9% respectively. c) Outbound Logistics This involves delivering products/services into a distribution channel or to the final destination. As of late 2005, AirAsia operated 32 Boeing 737 aircraft that run over  60 routes across Southeast Asian regional network. Not only that, its aircraft interiors is also outfitted with signature red carpeting and plush leathe r seats to enable its guests to travel comfortably.In addition, it was also reported in prominent journals and magazines such as ABJ and AWM that many customers felt that Air Asia’s cabin crew demonstrated  professionalism when carrying out their duties on air. d)Marketing and Sales It involves all activities that inform customers about their products/services; including those that induce and facilitate customers in making purchases. So far, AirAsia has promoted its company without incurring high sales and marketing expenses. For  instance, its CEO Tony Fernandez always wears a red AirAsia baseball cap in any of his interviews.His well thought out statements often reinforce Air Asia’s positioning as a small entrant firm battling against giant industry incumbents that also offer low prices. As such, when required, it also invested heavily and so far, its major sponsorships included  being the â€Å"Official Low Fare Airline† for football giant Manchester Un ited. This deal involved global sponsorship and advertising. e)Service AirAsia is one of the few airlines that had the shortest turnaround time, around 25minutes as opposed to 45 to 120 minutes recorded by other airlines. Hence, this allows AirAsia to benefit from conducting more flights a day.Besides that, AirAsia emphasizes lot on maintaining a high quality service to all its passengers such as punctuality rate and excellent baggage-handling performance t o determine whether AirAsia has any core competencies (sustainable competitive advantages), the company’s capabilities are assessed based on the four criteria – valuable, rare, difficult to imitate and non-substitutable. The evaluation results so far revealed that two core competencies below:(1) The possession of tacit knowledge to build a business by leveraging on new technologies (internet). 2) The religious zeal to cost-avoidance coupled with tacit knowledge to build extremely efficient processes to enable it to execute its business model (low cost). Success Factors of AirAsia As AirAsia continues to compete with other LCC (both existing and new) in Asia which also may adopt low-cost strategy, what have to remember and realize that the way customers differentiate them from their competitors will be strictly on â€Å"fare† and reputation. As the saying goes, â€Å"the lower the price, the higher the load factor†. As such, Air Asia’s success is based on the following key factors: )Cost Effectiveness AirAsia puts very strong emphasis on lowering all avoidable costs so that it can continue to provide low fares and yet remain profitable. This means the company has to cut the cost of flight operation by flying to and from airports that offer cheaper take-off  and landing fees. Besides that, passengers also were not provided with meals and entertainment as well as amenities such as pillows and blankets. AirAsia has also designed its aircraft cabins that minimize wear and tea r as well as cleaning time so that cost associated to these areas can be lowered.The better designed cabins also resulted in lower loading and unloading costs as things got done faster which in turn leads to better turn around time. Last but not least, to ensure cost effectiveness, AirAsia reconfigured the seating configurations of its Boeing 737 aircraft to increase seats from 132 to 148 and has thus far operated with only a single-class service. b) Efficiency and Productivity By using a ticket-less online booking system, staff that are properly trained to  perform multiple roles as well as aircraft cabins that reduce cleaning ime, AirAsia greatly enhances it operations efficiency and productivity, which is a very important of  the cost leadership strategy. However, it should be noted that the cost leadership strategy works on the lowest costs, not necessarily the lowest price in the market. As the lowest cost operator, AirAsia is able to continue to survive in a price war as i ts low-cost positions a valuable defense against any rivals. c) Reliability AirAsia also chose more consistently secondary and regional airport destinations instead of busy and congested main airports.Generally, less busy airports can be expected to provide higher rates of on-time departures. Besides, without the need to load and unload any cargoes, the turnaround time of an aircraft can be reduced greatly –  AirAsia clocked the regions fastest turnaround time at only 25 minutes. As a result, travelers can expert and look forward to more frequent and puncture flights. D) Higher Frequency of Service Predominantly, AirAsia offers point-to-point flights on short-haul routes – less than 4 hours flight time. The company is also able to achieve higher plane utilization due to short turnaround time and as mentioned point-to-point routes.The ability to provide higher frequency service to justify the smaller capacity of a LCC is another key to Air Asia’s success. In so me instances, such high frequency of services can also attract  business travelers since most of the time they are able to save time and catch their  connecting flights on time All the success factors mentioned above explain Air Asia’s success. However, it should also be noted that Air Asia’s zealous approach in preaching cost avoidance in every aspect of  administration and operations is the key in sustaining a low-cost culture since its operation in2001.AirAsia also has been particularly effective at implementing the various measures and thus it continues to survive and prosper till today. Question 2 The construct of cost leadership strategy emphasizes on lowest costs, though not necessarily the lowest price, in the market. A firm pursuing a cost-leadership strategy needs to gain a competitive advantage primarily by reducing its economic costs below its competitors. To achieve this, the strategic actions must thus reduce costs and improve productivity. With thi s in mind, let us discuss how the following strategic actions adopted by AirAsia support its cost leadership strategy.A) Low Fare, No Frills Air Asia’s intense focus on providing air travel with no frills leads to substantial costs saving. The absence of in-flight services reduced pre-flight preparations such as the loading of food and drinks, cleaning time and the cost of meals and administration. Investment in kitchens and equipment for storing, heating and serving of meals can be avoided all together. B) Investment in Latest Technologies ; Efficient Operations AirAsia has heavily invested in purchasing the most modern aircraft A-320s.The new aircraft allow AirAsia to enjoy substantial lower fuel cost as these modern airplanes had lower fuel usage by as much as 12%. Fuel accounted for almost 50% of the total operating costs and thus it is an important component of cost saving for AirAsia. By operating a single aircraft type allows AirAsia to achieve efficiency in executing its primary and secondary activities. Consequently, this leads to higher  productivity which in turn allows the company the option to expand their operations with the same number of employees and right size its manpower requirement. Improved  productivity means more revenue for AirAsia.The extreme drive to achieve high efficiency in operations allows AirAsia to clock the fastest turnaround time of 25 minutes. This invariably leads to comparatively  better productivity as the company was able to utilize its aircraft for an average of 13hours per day as opposed to 10. 5 hours by other airlines. Again, improved productivity means more revenue for AirAsia. c)Low Fixed Costs Air Asia’s ability to acquire low rates for long-term maintenance contracts and aircraft leases led to substantial cost savings. It was reported that Air Asia’s average contractual lease charge per aircraft decreased by more han 60% from 2001 to 2004. Similarly, its aircraft maintenance contract c osts were also reported to be substantially lower than any other airlines. In view of the airline’s high safety and maintenance standards, AirAsia was also able to procure favorable rates on its insurance policies. All these help lower fixed costs. d)Lean Distribution System The use of e-ticketing helps to save the cost of issuing hardcopy tickets, which were estimated at US$10 per ticket. The company also saved on agents’ commissions’ and avoided the need for large and expensive booking and reservation systems. This too helps lower the overall costs. ) Minimize Personnel Expenses AirAsia implemented flexible work rules and streamlined administrative functions which allowed employees to perform multiple roles. This human resource policy facilitated AirAsia in lowering its personnel costs. In 2004, it was reported that AirAsia had the lowest staff-to-per aircraft ratio (106 staff per aircraft as compared to 110employees per aircraft registered by other low cost c arriers) and this helps lower staff  cost. f)Use of Secondary Airports Typically, AirAsia operates out of secondary airports, which involve lower  landing, parking and ground handling fees.These airports were also less busy and had shorter runways, thus helped reduce fuel consumption while aircraft queue for takeoff or  taxi on the ground. As many secondary airports were older, they were often close to urban areas and were thus more attractive to some travelers. In short, the use of  secondary airports can increase sales and help to keep operating costs low The ability to lower cost and at the same time widen profit margin (through increase  productivity) augurs well with AirAsia’s cost leadership strategy.This provides AirAsia the options to either lower its prices and gain market share and sales from rivals or keep its prices at  present market level and make more profit for every unit sold. This inevitably helps AirAsia in its defense against aggressive competi tions especially when it comes to price war from strong rivals Question 3 The PESTL Analysis and the Porter Model provide an overall analysis of the operating environment that AirAsia competes in. Also, the analysis of low cost carriers (LCC) industry reveals that it is so concentrated that intense competition is inevitable.However, amidst the challenges faced, there are still plenty of opportunities for AirAsia to explore and exploit. PESTL Analysis – Macro Environment a)Economics Asia’s rapid economic growth and sprouting middle class continues to fuel the growth of air travel in Asia. This growth in air travel was also due to the region having geographically dispersed countries with large population, a rapid increase in trade and tourism as well as the respective government investments in their airports, airlines and travel infrastructure.Although rapid growth and increased trade and businesses may intensify competition (entrance of other LCCs) and even lead to full -service airlines start cut costs to complete, it can present opportunities for airlines to enlarge their markets. Of  late, projections by economists had placed Asia at the top of global economy growth charts in the coming years. b)Political/ Legal Government policies are important drives for the success of Asia. In the late1990s, there was increase privatization and deregulation of the airline industry in Asia.It was noticeable that some Asian countries established open-skies agreements while others allowed the entry of private airlines. For instance, in 1997, a few LLC spouted quickly after Malaysia signed an â€Å"open-skies† agreement with the United States. Hence, it appears that although the travel market will be expanded, in reality AirAsia would also have to operate in a more challenging environment with intense competitions. As of 2006, governments’ intervention and regulation remained substantial.For  instance, although Thai AirAsia managed to launch its services between Singapore and Thailand in 2004 successfully, the company still could not expand beyond the Singapore-Thailand routes because it could not acquire landing rights elsewhere. c)Social-Cultural Surveys revealed that more people were willing to compromise on food and other  services in exchange for lower prices. In fact, it was stated that price of tickets was the single most important consideration that influenced passengers’ decisions and of course this included without having to compromise on safety and punctuality.In addition, increasingly over the years cost conscious leisure and business passengers were also looking to make their budgets decrease further. This presents an opportunity for all LCCs to increase their revenues by offering travelling at a much lower fare. d) Demographic In 2005, the total population in Asia stands at more than 3. 5 billion. The United  Nations’ statistics also show that Asia has an astonishing demographic dividend â⠂¬â€œ where more than 35% of its population is below the age of 25 and more than 55% hovers below the age of 35.This indirectly means that the increasing large population of the middle age group equates to a larger working age population with more disposable income and thus the likelihood of more business and leisure travels is almost confirmed. This thus presents another golden opportunity for AirAsia. e)Technological New services such as Internet Telephony and the increase in the use of  telecommunications services (such as buying air tickets online) provide AirAsia with the opportunity to leverage on new technologies to increase their sales.In addition, e-commence and internet-based activities (such as online holiday and hotel reservations)are other areas where AirAsia can derived ancillary revenues from. Better still, in some instances, technology advancements also means having opportunities to reduce operation costs such as savings on commissions for travel agents – Ai rAsia was the first to do so However, amidst these benefits and cost saving, AirAsia must be mindful that system disruption due to heavily reliance on online sales can pose serious threat to the company. Analysis of the Industry In 2004, the airline industry flew 1. billion passengers, of which about 30% were in Asia. Airline traffic in Asia is projected to grow at 7. 1% annually for the next 5 years and more than triple in the next 20 years. Given Air Asia’s strong presence in the region, this presents vast opportunities to enlarge the company’s market shares. The Airline businesses are closely linked to economic activities in Asia and the world. As such, AirAsia needs to be cognizant with the business cycle so that it can to take full advantage of such effects especially when there are changes in discretionary income and consumer  spending patterns.AirAsia also needs to be mindful that increase in demand of fuel and limited supply can lead to higher fuel price that decrease yield. Last but not least, the impact of crisis such as 9/11 (2001) and SARS outbreak (2003) was able to hit the airline industry badly and as such they continue to pose serious threat to airlines. Analysis of Competitive Forces – Porter’s Five Forces Analysis a)Threat of Substitute Products The possibility threat of substitutes is moderately low; since there are several other substitutes such as cruises, rails, buses and cars.However, the archipelago geographical structure of Asia made air travel the most viable, efficient and convenient mode of transportation which is a surplus for AirAsia b) Power of Buyers The power of buyer is high due to almost no switching cost for customers to switch from one LCC to another. In addition, the access to the internet also allows customers to have all the information on prices charged by the different LCCs. c)Power of Suppliers The supplier has an upper hand (high power) due to limited number of suppliers(only Boeing and Airbus). d)Threat of New EntrantsThreat of new entrants is moderately low as the entry into the industry requires high capital. Moreover, the industry is also highly regulated since every potential entrant is required to obtain approval from the civil aviation authority of the particular country  before the company is allowed to be operated. e)Intensity of Rivalry Industry rivalry is moderately high due to competition and high exit cost. Nonetheless, market participants understand and realize that price war is destructive for  them and thus they tend to avoid direct price competition to make themselves ‘friendly ‘competitors.Stakeholder Management Air Asia’s stakeholders can be divided into capital market stakeholders (shareholders and major suppliers of capital e. g. banks and venture capitalists), product market stakeholders(primary customers, suppliers and host communities) and organizational stakeholders (employers and managers). Air Asia’s stellar performance since its establishment in 2001 has brought value to its shareholders since they were receiving positive returns from the day of the company’s inception to recent time 2005.Between 2001 and 2004, AirAsia enjoyed a compound average growth of  45% for sales and 407% for net income as well as cash flow positive from the time it began its operations. All these inevitably increase the value of investments significantly. This probably explains why AirAsia has always enjoyed strong support from banks and venture capitalists when the CEO took the company public in November 2004. AirAsia satisfies its customers by offering low fares without having to compromise to quality and service. This helps to attract new customers as well as retain existing ones.In order  to ensure that all specific needs are met, the company’s key staffs travel regularly to mingle with the host communities so that they understand them better. This has facilitated Air Asia’s aggress ive expansion and resounding success in the regional markets – which include Thailand and Indonesian over a short span of time. For instance, Air Asia’s joint venture with Shin Corporation to launch its new LLC achieved immediate success. In just 3 days of operations, it sold more than 20,000 seats on domestic routes.This speaks well of Air Asia’s ability to meet (or  even exceed) the expectations of its customers. Besides that, AirAsia also strives to build strong relationship with its suppliers. For  instance, although the company operates 737 aircraft that were built by Boeing, it also acquired the new A320 aircraft from Airbus. In this way the company establishes good relationship with the two and only civil airliner suppliers and hopefully through these good mutual dealings, the  power of these suppliers can be further reduced.The company also strives to maintain good relationship with other suppliers that provide aircraft maintenance and airport serv ices. This  probably also explain why AirAsia is able to get lower rates from them. As a staff of the AirAsia team, he/she gets to enjoy highly competitive and attractive remuneration packages. These include productivity and performance-based bonuses, shares and stock options. In summary, with the capability and flexibility provided by above-average returns, AirAsia is able to satisfy multiple stakeholders more easily Marketing ; Customer SegmentationAlthough AirAsia invests aggressively in marketing where required, it generally adopts creativity and yet low-cost advertising so as to keep cost low. For instance, to keep cost low, AirAsia commonly advertises and promotes through the host country newspapers as well as internet website as they are generally cheap. Like all other LCCs, AirAsia also positions itself as an airline that provides short-route ferry for non-business and price-conscious business  passengers as shown in Diagram 2 . This means that competition is intense and increasing as new  players join in Competitors AnalysisBased on a report about major Asian budget airlines that Airline Business produced, onlytwo LCCs, Bangkok Airways and Lion Air, share almost similar markets as AirAsia in terms of  market commonality. Their tangible and intangible resources are also comparable to that of  AirAsia. With that, based on the competitor analysis framework appended in Diagram 3 , Bangkok Airways and Lion Air fall in ‘quadrant I’ and thus are considered as close competitors of AirAsia. Technically, any firm or competitors in ‘quadrant I’ will use their similar resource  portfolios to compete against each other.This lead to the conclusion that Bangkok Airways and Lion Air modeled in ‘quadrant I’ are direct competitors of AirAsia. In contrast, the other airlines such as Value Air and Tiger Airways modeled in ‘quadrant IV’ share few markets although they all possess comparable resources. As such , these airlines do not directly pose as strong rivalry to AirAsia at this point in time. As of now, AirAsia will have to compete with Bangkok Airways and Lion Air which have entered the market since 2000/2001.As they also adopt the low-cost strategy, the only way customers can differentiate them from their competitors would be on the airfare charges. In order  to maintain or increase the load factor, any of these companies may consider lowering fare prices to achieve their objectives. However, if this happens, the profit margin of the remaining players will be compressed and the weak one may be drove out of the market (also known as the vicious cycle). In Malaysia, Air Asia’s main airline competitor is Malaysia Airlines (MAS) which offers a full range of services.Although MAS had an ambivalent reaction to Air Asia’s entry into the airline industry, it also reacted to the competition by offering fares at 50% discounts on some its domestic routes. Although the ‘ attack’ was not successful (MAS eventually lost about 30% of its market share), it proves that any airlines that provide full services can be a threat to AirAsia. Moving forward, it is expected that acquisition and merger will happen in the market until equilibrium is reached. When this takes place, only a few strong players with sound cost-controlling and profitable business model will exist and succeed.In other words, AirAsia can expect to face stiff competition in time to come even though market participants understand that  price war is destructive and thus will try to avoid any direct price competition. A short summary on the possible opportunities and threats are appended in the table  below. From the analysis of AirAsia, it can be deduced that the operating environment immoderately competitive and filled with minimum uncertainties – which means that the company has to prepare themselves well during good times.However, amidst the challenges, there are still m any opportunities for AirAsia to explore and exploit so that it continues to lead and be the most  profitable LCC in Asia. Amik kt dekstop-airasia Question 4 AirAsia has been soaring success. Starting with two planes bought from a Malaysian conglomerate in late 2001, the company had expanded it to 32 by the end of 2005. During the same year, the aggressive expansion also resulted in an extensive Southeast Asian regional network of 60 routes. For sure, the large, untapped market and Air Asia’s model would ensure its future success. a)Conducive Environment for GrowthThe major macro environment factors suggest a very conducive environment for  the growth of low cost carriers (LCC) in Asia. According to TWA (Dec 2003), it mentioned that in Asia â€Å"the demographic fundamentals of large populations that include rising middle classes with increasing leisure time and disposable incomes as well as the lack of competitive forms of transportation, paint an extremely encouraging demand  Ã‚  picture in the long run† . Furthermore, a study by the Centre for AP (2002) confirmed that Asia would continue to offer attractive conditions for the air transportation industry.It estimated that Asia would account for 30% of the world market by 2020 or one third of  growth between now and then. The archipelago geographical structure of Asia continent is also an important contributing factor to the growth of air transportation. For example, between East and West Malaysia, there is no other viable and efficient mode of transportation other than to commute by air. As a matter of fact, in mid-2005, eight budget airlines were operating in Southeast Asia and there were predictions that there would be as many as 20 such airlines  by 2012.Although terrorism and SARS do impact on air travel, the long run forecast is very positive. b)Strong Finance Resource The company has been profitable from the start. It has a huge bank and cash  balances of US$86. 7 million, wit h no loans and borrowings as of 30 June 2005. Its profit margins of 38% (before interests, taxes, depreciation and amortization) were among the highest in the world for LCC. According to a report by CSS (2005), it was deduced that AirAsia would continue to be profitable in 2006.This probably explained why in 2004,  bankers and venture capitalists had provided funds to help the company got listed despite the airline industry was being badly affected by SARS. In short, a strong finance resource is vital for growth and to wrestle any economic crisis. This in turn sustains success. c)Obsession with Low Cost Culture In some respects, the most important requirement to sustain success in the LCC industry is to possess a genuine low-cost culture. Unlike other LCC, AirAsia preached cost avoidance with religious zeal. For example, even though a luggage tag costs less than US$0. 5, AirAsia does not provide them. In addition, it also emphasizes cost deduction so intensely that in-flight ovens must not be overheated and that cabin lights switched off at appropriate times. To further lower cost, the company was the first to implement taking reservations via the internet rather than through travel agents. It operates only one type of aircraft to save on overheads and operating cost. AirAsia crews are also required to help clean the aircraft so as to shorten turnaround times to achieve higher aircraft utilization.At 29 U. S. cents operating cost per available seat-kilometer, Air Asia’s operating cost is the lowest in the industry. With such as an obsession withcosts, AirAsia is certainly poised to sustain its success. d)Effective in Implementing Cost Reduction Measures Even though most low cost carrier had implemented the various cost reduction measures, it was AirAsia that had implemented them most effectively. As a result, AirAsia achieved cost per average seat kilometre of 2. 13 U. S. cents, the lowest for any airline in the world.This in turn allowed the company to achieve profit margins of 38%(before interests, taxes, depreciation and amortization) which were among the highest in the world for LLC. In addition, the company was also able to achieve good operating  benchmarks in terms of flights on time (88%) and baggage handling efficiency (99. 9%). This in turn resulted in further cost reduction as the company paid much lower charges and compensations as compared to other airlines. The ability to ensure that the central objective of achieving bigger cost advantages than the company’s rivals (by continuously

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Community Colleges which deliver Essay

Module description: This module covers the importance of volunteerism in contributing to an improvement in the quality of life in communities around UTech and Community Colleges which deliver its programmes as well as the wider society. It further unites classroom instructions with real societal needs and explores the relationship between General Education modules and CSP 1001. MODULE OBJECTIVES: At the end of the module, you should be able to: 1. understand the nature of volunteerism 2. recognize the role of individuals in providing voluntary service 3. appreciate the value of a service ethic in the development of a society. REQUIRED READINGS †¢ Robotham, D. (1998). Vision and Volunteerism. Grace Kennedy Foundation Lecture. †¢ Vision 2030 Jamaica: National Development Plan. National Planning Institute of Jamaica. 2009 ASSESSMENT 1. You will be required to complete four reflective pieces. Each reflection must be type written, Times New Roman, 12pt, double –spaced and no less than one page or more than three pages. You will not be allowed to submit all four pieces at the end of the semester. You must complete each one and submit it on the due date. You will prepare two copies of each assignment. Submit one copy to your lecturer. Have your lecturer sign and date the other copy to acknowledge receipt of your work. Keep all signed copies of your assignments in a safe place. You may need to provide these as evidence of submission of your work. 2. NB: My copy of each reflection is to be e-mailed to mmarch@utech.edu.jm. I do not require a hardcopy of reflections 1 – 3. 3. A hardcopy of your final reflection (REFLECTION # 4) must be submitted to the agency before you leave at the end of the semester. This signed copy of the reflection must be submitted along with the completed timecard. You must present all your work in a folder with the following information on the cover page: NAME: ACADEMIC YEAR: SCHOOL: LECTURER: NAME OF AGENCY/ PROJECT: ID#: SEMESTER: TUTORIAL DAY/TIME: AGENCY SUPERVISOR: 4. At the end of each reflection, you must type this information: Lecturer’s signature: Submission Date: 2 CONTENT Session 1 Week beginning Aug 26 Content Introduction to CSP 1001 †¢ Structure of the module †¢ Assignment to groups and agency †¢ Readings and assignments Activities Assign reading for next class Explain guidelines for reflections ASSIGNMENTS Reflection # 1 2 pages Vision 2030 and community service: a. What does community service/ volunteerism mean to you? b. Which 2 of the 4 goals of Vision 2030 do you think is most closely linked to community service/ volunteerism? Why? c. Select 1 of the 2 goals discussed in (b) and suggest ways you can contribute to achieving this goal through your community service. d. Read Vision and Volunteerism: Reviving Voluntarism in Jamaica, by Don Robotham 2 Week beginning Sept 9 Relating the philosophy and practice of community service / volunteerism to Vision 2030 †¢ What is vision 2030 †¢ Goals of Vision 2030 †¢ Meaning of community service/ volunteerism Reflection # 1 due Discussion of reflection Discuss Vision and Volunteerism. Is volunteerism dead? Can we have a Fifth Peak of volunteerism in Jamaica? Reflection #2 2 pages Identifying your community service project objectives a. Identify your agency and briefly discuss the history, goals and objectives of the agency. b. Bearing the Vision 2030 goal you selected in reflection 1 in mind, identify a set of objectives you aim to fulfill in your assignment at your agency. c. Discuss the specific steps you will take to accomplish those objectives. Reflection # 3 2 pages a. Identify some of the problems/ issues you experienced or witnessed during your placement. b. To what extent did problems you encountered/ witnessed in your placement reflect problems prevalent in the wider Jamaican society? c. What impact do you think these problems will have on our ability to achieve the goals laid out in Vision 2030? d. If the problem was something you encountered, what solution(s) did you employ to address the problem? If the problem was something you witnessed, what possible solutions would you suggest could be used to address the problem? Assignment # 4 3 pages a. Bri efly summarize your impressions of your time spent in your agency. What do you think was the best part of your service? What was the worst part? b. Review the objectives you set for yourself and discuss to what extent were these objectives achieved? c. Discuss in what ways did the community in which you worked benefit from your project. 3 Week beginning Sept 30 Community Service as a change agent †¢ How has community service contributed to our nation’s development historically. †¢ What role can community service play in achieving the goals of Vision 2030. †¢ Reflection # 2 due Discussion of reflection #2 4 Week beginning Oct 28 Community Service for development †¢ Nation †¢ Community †¢ Globally †¢ Role of UTech/ Community Colleges Evaluation of experiences †¢ Challenges †¢ Solutions Reflection # 3 due Discussion of reflection #3 Distribution of evaluation forms. 3 d. State whether the organization would benefit from having more CSP projects completed. Suggest the kind of service which would assist the organization/ community in which you worked, based on your experience there. e. In what ways do you think could CSP 1001 be improved? f. Give reflections on your reading of Vision 2030 and Vision and Volunteerism You will make a copy of this assignment which you will submit to your agency BEFORE YOU LEAVE at the end of the semester. 5 Week beginning Nov 18 Evaluation of experiences †¢ Objectives †¢ Benefits †¢ Challenges †¢ Solutions Reflection # 4 due (Final Assignment)

Glow Sticks

Wh Mia Foust Mr. Dunlap Honor Chemistry, Per 7 December 21, 2010 Glow Sticks Since glow sticks have been invented, consumers have wondered how scientists are able to create these magical sticks of light. They work without producing heat. They don’t need a battery or a bulb, Magic? This â€Å"cool† light is called luminescence. Unlike incandescence, which is light from heat energy, luminescence can be emitted at normal or lower temperatures.There are several types of luminescence, bioluminescence, is what happens in fireflies: as the â€Å"bio† prefix indicates, it’s caused by a chemical reaction in living things, cathodoluminescence, is caused by electron beams. And Chemiluminescence. Chemilumiescence is the magic behind the glow stick. Chemiluminescence is what happens in glow sticks. The energy that is needed is supplied by chemical reactions. The chemical reaction of chemiluminescence releases energy that is absorbed by electrons in molecules. Electrons in the atoms make a quantum leap once they absorb the energy from the reaction.The electrons must either jump to or fall back from one quantum level to another quantum level this is the quantum leap. (1) The electron jumps to a higher level; at this point the electron is in what is called the excited state, or a higher quantum. As the electron returns to the lower state, it releases the energy as a photon of light; the photon is the light that we see. To make this easier to understand, think of a rock being picked up. When a person picks up a heavy rock, it takes energy, just as it takes energy for an electron to jump to a higher energy level.When the person drops the rock and it falls to the ground, the energy is released as sound energy. And in the case of the electron, the energy that is released is light energy instead of sound energy. Planck’s equation, E = hv was created by Max Planck and Albert Einstein. The equation relates the energy of a Quantum leap â€Å"E† to the frequency, or color of the light that is given off â€Å"v†. Chemists have been fascinated with â€Å"cold light† for as long as there have been fireflies flying around the night skies. In the first steps to making their very own â€Å"cold light,† they knew what was equired: a molecule that radiates light when it is excited and an energy source to excite that molecule. In the early 1960s, a young chemist by the name of Edwin A. Chandross was looking for a way to describe chemiluminescence. Chandross knew that peroxides had a large amount of potential energy. He concluded that they were likely to be participants in the future of chemiluminescence. In his work, Chandross was able to produce a reaction that produced a â€Å"cold light†. However, it wasn’t very efficient. Although Chandross’s work wasn’t efficient, it was a major step in the right direction for chemiluminescence. Edwin A.Chandross didn’t realize that his discovery had great potential. Sadly he never patented it. Around the same time, another chemist by the name of Michael M. Rauhut began studying some of Chandross’s work. Rauhut and his team began searching for a reaction that would be powerful enough to be practical to use. Eventually they designed a phenyl oxalate ester that, when mixed with hydrogen peroxide and a fluorescent dye, produced a reaction not quite as efficient as a firefly. The group called it Cyalume, which became its name when Rauhut’s company, American Cyanamid, began selling it as one of their chemical light products.The basic structure of a glow stick is particularly simple. It contains the somewhat bendable plastic outer shell and the easily broken inner glass vial. When the glow stick is ready to be used, an individual will grip each end of the glow stick and bend it. As the flexible external plastic casing of the glow stick begins to bow, it comes in contact with the internal glass vial, and beg ins to apply pressure to it. Because the inner glass vial is less flexible than the plastic, it will fracture sooner than the outer plastic. The outcome is that the glass vial breaks and spills its contents into the larger compartment of the glow stick.It is the breaking of the glass vial that gives glow sticks their distinctive snapping noise when activated. When the glass vial is broke. The contents are able to mingle and react with the liquids in the main compartment. The chemical reaction begins and the glow stick lights up. (2) Refer to Figure 1. The outer compartment contains fluorescent dye and phenyl oxalate ester. Floating inside that solution is the small glass vial that contains hydrogen peroxide. When the phenyl oxalate ester and the hydrogen peroxide are mixed, it creates a reaction that produces peroxyacid ester. The Peroxyacid ester then decomposes to create carbon dioxide.This releases energy that excites the electrons in the florescent dye and causes them to jump to a higher energy level. Then as the dye becomes less excited, it releases energy, and the electrons produce light as they drop back down to a lower energy level. (3) Examine figure 2. Glow stick products usually last anywhere from 4 – 10 hours at normal temperatures. A change in temperature will cause the stick to glow brighter or longer. Normally the particles travel at a slow speed; however an increase in temp will increase the heat/energy and cause the particles to travel faster and collide with greater force.Chemical reactions cause chemical bonds to be broken and then reformed between different atoms, creating new substances. (4) Companies often tell consumers to pop their glow sticks into the freezer to keep it glowing longer. This is because the lower temperatures slow down the reaction rate. Particles move slower and collide less, making the reaction slower at lower temperatures. The amount of time the glow stick lasts also depends of the color of the dye. Reds and gr eens last the longest, while blues through pinks last a shorter amount of time. See figure 3. Glow sticks have many practical and recreational uses.People are thinking of new uses for glow sticks and glow light products every day. Along with being used for entertainment and fun, glow sticks can be used for safety purposes. For instance glow sticks have contributed to helping many through natural disasters, search and rescue, and they are even used a great deal by military members. Glow sticks have been used in the military since 1962. The military has found a variety of uses for glow sticks including non-tactical military ops, safety, and night operations. The military uses glow sticks for night missions, and safety, to keep track of others.The military uses glow sticks also for non-tactical military ops, by marking others movements, and the trails that are to be traveled. Now glow sticks are put into all standard issue military safety kits. They have found they are very useful and are a lightweight, low hazard, and easy to store. The military issues about 15 million glow stick units a year. (5) Civilians use glow sticks for recreation and fun. Consumers use them for activities such as camping, fishing, hunting, fans wear them at concerts, and children wear them to be cool at fairs and carnivals.Because of their size, convenience, price, and safe to use anywhere source of light, glow sticks are a product nearly everyone enjoys. Many boaters use glow sticks for nighttime cruses to keep track of one another on the water. The most popular type of glow stick is the standard six-inch stick, and the most popular color is green because it last the longest. There are many stories where glow sticks have contributed to saving peoples lives in search and rescue missions. When people are lost and being searched for and they have a glow stick they can be found more easily in the dark. Glow sticks are truly magic in their own way.They have helped many in different ways. Sci entist like Chandross and Rauhut, who have helped pave the way for increased safety measures for men and women in uniform, and who help adoring fans create ambiance at concerts should be thanked. Figure 1 (6) Figure 2 (7) [pic] Figure 3 (8) [pic] Work Cited Cool Blue Light Experiment Kit. 1996, 16-17 (1) How Chemical Glow sticks work. http://glowgranny. com/articles/ chemical_glow_sticks_working. htm. 11/25/10 (2) Huang, Jason. Customer Service Rep, Happy Glow. jason. [email  protected] com 11/25/10. â€Å"interview† (3) Using heat to speed up reactions in the kitchen http://www. ynami cscience. com. au/tester/solutions/chemistry/juniorsciencefoodchem/homechemistry1. htm. 12/1/10 (4) History of glow sticks in the military www. militaryglowsticks. com/pages/history-of-glow-sticks-in-the-military. html 11/25/10 (5) User and Applications. http://jeanbont. pbworks. com/w/page/23323157/Applications 12/19/10 (6) Reactions. http://www. engin. umich. edu/~cre/web_mod/new/glowsticks /reactions. htm 11/25/10 (7) Extreme glow http://www. extremeglow. com/Merchant4/ merchant. mvc? Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=Helpful_Photo. 11/23/10 (8) ———————– 08 Fall Mia Foust Glow Sticks

Monday, July 29, 2019

Integrated marketing plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Integrated marketing plan - Essay Example According to the Italian tradition coffee houses are like a place for conversation and that provides the customers with a sense of community. From the very beginning Starbucks has been a very different company. The company has not only celebrated the coffee and rich tradition but also successfully brought a feeling of connection. The company endeavors to bring an exceptional experience to the lives of its target market (Clark, Taylor 2007; Starbucks Corporation 2011) Starbucks coffee is a globally acclaimed coffee brand. The brand boasts about its quality and charges a high premium based on this product attribute. The famous coffee brand is in its maturity stage. Many competitors have entered the marketplace when they saw the first coffee house growing. Quality and high prices are not just the only attributes of the product of Starbucks Coffee. Starbucks coffee is of high quality and it is ensured that there is a consistency of quality and taste throughout the globally operating chai n (Bussing-Burks, M. 2009) It is because of its high quality that the brand charges a high premium for its products. There are several other product attributes, other than the price and quality that contribute towards the image of the products offered under the brand name of â€Å"Starbucks†. ... The primary target market of Starbucks consists of men and women aged between 25 to 40 years from urban areas and usually with high incomes. This target segment accounts for almost half the sales of the Starbucks. In order to appeal this target audience Starbucks works keep its products current and position them in such a way that they become a status symbol. Then comes the target market of young adults aged between 18 to 24 years. This segment accounts for 40 percent of the sales of the company. This target audience looks up to Starbucks because it positions itself as place where college students can hang out and socialize with new people. Starbucks appeal to this consumer segment by introducing new technology and by projecting a cool image of the brand. A current example of new technology would be the installation of Wi-Fi that the company has managed to introduce in all its stores. It makes it easier for the students whether they want to hang in there and work on their projects or it can be that they just want to hang in there to enjoy the coffee. The relaxing atmosphere provided by the Starbucks stores is an appealing factor to both the adult and young adult target audience. Now moving to the third target market segment that Starbucks is serving, comprising of kids and teens aged between 13 to 17 years. Though this segment is not large and accounts for only 2 percent of the total Starbucks sales, but still the company focuses on this segment. The main reason for the focus is that it is mainly the parents who purchase items for their kids. There are several products that Starbucks has just made for the kids and teenagers. Starbucks do not target the kids segment directly but it does make sure that its products are kid-friendly. The company

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Network Operating Systems Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Network Operating Systems - Coursework Example New version i.e. USB 3.0 will take approximately 3.3 seconds to transfer 1 gigabyte of data (, Data Transfer Rates to Jump With USB 3.0 ). Moreover, transferring files on a network incorporates file transfer protocol, Microsoft windows sharing, P2P networks etc. In order to share a file, folder, optical drive or hard drive, configuration of FTP is required. This includes configuration of a network place. Steps that are involved in this process are: click ‘my network places’ ? ‘add a network place’? specify address by providing the path known as the ‘FTP site’ and click ‘next’?uncheck ‘log on anonymously’? click ‘OK’. After following these steps, FTP site will be created that will be available on the network for the users to transfer files. However, the transmission of files within the network will be conducted by FTP. FTP facilitates the users to share files in a simplest of methods along with configuring a n FTP site or server. FreeBSD also includes FTP server software named as ‘ftpd’, that is located in the base system. ‘ftdp’ enables the network administrator to configure FTP server in a simple way (, File Transfer Protocol (FTP) ).However, Linux uses ‘scp’ to share files on a remote location.

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 110

Summary - Essay Example There was a massive migration of Europeans, mostly from Germany, Spain, Poland, and the present day Czech Republic to Mexico and Texas. These European migrants brought with them a new style of dance and music to the community living in Texas and Mexico. This event had a greater influence on the upcoming and development of the Tejano music genre. This migration resulted in the emergence of a special music genre that was later identified as the Tejano, which is a cross cultural mix of several traditional European music styles. Although this migration played a great role, it was not until the Mexican revolution that the Tejano music genre was fully developed. The Mexican revolution took place during the early 1900s and forced many Europeans migrants into south Texas, where their musical influence had a great impact especially on the development of Tejano genre. At the south Texas, the Tejano was music genre was mostly used by people involved in agriculture and ranching. There were occasionally travelling musicians who would come to the farms and ranches to play their music. They were using basic musical instruments such as guitar, flute, and drum to entertain their guest. As these travelling musicians were traversing the areas occupied by Poles, Germans, and Czechs, they began to incorporate the native sounds into their music. This resulted in an upcoming of a new form of music that later established itself as a strong music genre in the early 20th century. Thus, Tejano music genre evolved as a blend of various traditional European forms of music such as mariachi, corrido, Conjunto, Mexican cumbia, Pop, Ranchera, Rock, R&B, and polka amongst others that were introduced to Czech and German settlers in south Texas during the late 19th century (Peà ±a, 2010). There could be many possible reasons why Peà ±a describes Texas-Mexican women

Friday, July 26, 2019

The role of the secretariat of the United Nations Research Paper

The role of the secretariat of the United Nations - Research Paper Example 1-3). The secretariat is the backbone of the UN structure, which performs numerous, diverse and wide-ranging tasks, and duties that include supervision and management of international operations, carrying out surveys regarding the economic and social trends of different nations. Additionally, the secretariat oversees and governs the activities and policies designed by the G.A. It also acts as a communicator that clarifies the communication media concerning the activities of the UN, and thus it is divided up into various offices and departments (Myint-U,  Scott  & International Peace Academy, 2007, pp. 1-6). In this regard, it becomes important to carry out research to discover the vast responsibilities and impact of secretariat of the United Nations. Hence, the purpose of the research proposal is to study "The Role of Secretariat of the United Nations", as the role of secretariat in the United Nations is one of the considerable aspects that need to be measured. The study aims to analyze, explore, and investigate the functions and responsibilities of the secretariat of the United Nations. Therefore, with this fundamental objective, an empirical study would be carried out that would incorporate the primary and key features with respect to the secretariat’s role: The research methodology is the systematic approach that would come under performance in order to collect and accumulate the widespread data and then convert into valuable information with reference to the aims and objectives of the study. Therefore, considering the question of the secretariat of the United Nations, the researcher would implement the secondary research methodology as the fundamental source to collect information (Kothari, 2008, pp. 1-5). The secondary research methodology helps the researcher to gather a wide range of information that is available through a number of sources that include publications, reports, databases, and historical evidences. The

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Hydraulic Fracturing In Coal Seam Gas Mining Dissertation

Hydraulic Fracturing In Coal Seam Gas Mining - Dissertation Example There is a lot of misinformation in the public debate - most due to a lack of scientific understanding about the issue.  (Provide literature about this) V. To inform the debate about the expansion of the CSG sector, companies need to be transparent and make their information publicly available. (Is the CSG sector, with all its companies, being transparent and make their information publicly available?) VI. I am interested in exploring the range of scientific community, industry and general community perspectives, as well as the level of trust, in the CSG sector as it is a key factor in public support. (What are the perspectives of the scientific community, industry and general community, and their level of trust in the CSG sector? Do they support it or not?) The process of hydraulic fracturing originated in the United States in 1947 to stimulate the flow of natural gas from the Hugoton field in Kansas (Halliburton 2012). After six decades, more than 1.1 million fracturing activities have been conducted that delivered more than 600 trillion cubic feet of natural gas to American consumers. Halliburton (2012) elaborated that there are currently 9 out of 10 onshore wells that need fracture stimulation to remain or become viable. The technology behind the shale gas development is very promising that it offers massive monetary revenue increases, aside from the clean energy potentials that can be tapped (EPA 2012). However, the actual methods of hydraulic fracturing to stimulate gas wells have been observed to pose both environmental and humanitarian risks that it aroused public concerns which led to a worldwide questioning of the legality of its procedures and operations.

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Shared Truths Among Law and Religions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Shared Truths Among Law and Religions - Essay Example On the basis of this perspective, ideas and considerations that Christians, Buddhists, and atheists might commonly accept include imposition of rules and regulations to deter discrimination on the basis of caste, gender, color, or origin; deterrence of fraud; deterrence of lies; deterrence of violence and bullying; deterrence of rape; and imposition of all such rules that are directed at the well-being of the society at large. Evidence of this can be witnessed in that all societies have a system of law and order that is directed at the promotion of justice and deterrence of injustice and violence, whether that is a predominantly Christian society like America, a predominantly Buddhist society like Burma, or a predominantly atheist society like Japan. People of all religions want legal freedom to pray in their religious ways; â€Å"Because the Establishment Clause does not apply to purely private speech, students enjoy the right to read their Bibles or other scriptures, say grace bef ore meals, pray before tests, and discuss religion with other willing student listeners† (â€Å"Joint Statement†). The laws and government supported by the shared ideas and considerations of Christians, Buddhists, and atheists are such that allows their respective followers to complete freedom to practice their religions without conflict. Such a governmental setup has to be democratic and considerate of the individualistic needs and desires of the people following different religions. â€Å"The word democracy means only that the people rule. Other than, perhaps, requiring freedom of speech and equal access to the ballot, indispensable requirements of self-rule, the notion of democracy sets no limits on what the people may do in their sovereign capacity† (Stern). Such a system of law and government cannot, in any way, be biased toward people of a certain religion.

The Olympic Games will be held in Britain this summer. Is this all Essay

The Olympic Games will be held in Britain this summer. Is this all good news What might be the objections to hosting this event - Essay Example Beijing Olympics is believed to be the best Olympics held in the history. Britain wanted to conduct the coming Olympics even better. The competition between host nations caused huge financial burdens upon the host nations. â€Å"London’s Olympics has become the subject of fierce debate four years before the torch is even lit. Time Out explores the pros and cons of the 2012 Games, arguing that the event will significantly boost the capital and the nation†(Hodges, 2012). Many people already questioned the logic of spending too much money for London Olympics, especially at a period in which Britain is struggling to revive its economy. It should be noted that recent recession caused huge damages to British economy and Olympics like expensive events may worsen the problem further. This paper argues against spending too much money for London Olympics. Hosting is very expensive. In recent times the Olympics have never made a direct profit. The bidding process alone for 2012 will cost each bidding city around  £20m and whichever is selected will expect to pay at least  £6.5bn (Paris). With increased security fears Athens spent $1.5bn on security out of a total of $12bn on the 2004 games. The burden of this cost falls on government (and therefore the taxpayer), companies and individuals. Both Paris and London’s local governments have put aside around  £2.4bn which will mean  £20 per year extra in tax for every household in the cities (Bailey, 2008). Some of the recent reports showed that the total expenditure of London Olympics may cross even 9.3 billion pounds ($13.54 billion). It should be noted that many people in Britain are currently struggling because of the negative impacts of recent recession. The organizers of London Olympics are of the view that Olympics may stimulate the country’s economy. In their opinion, tourism revenues could be increased a lot as result of London Olympics. But, they are keeping a blind eye towards the fact

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

What are the effects on developing countries of integration into the Essay

What are the effects on developing countries of integration into the global economy - Essay Example However, there are many challenges experienced with the global integration of the economy. The developing countries are the most affected because of the competition, unequal economic strength, and level of developments. Their level of growth is not same as the first world nations making third world nations lag behind in terms of infrastructure provisions among other things. Hence, developing nations experience stiff competition from the developed nations that has sophisticated equipment and tools of the trade to leverage them. Moreover, the integration of the developing nations into the world economy creates imbalance owing to the nature of industrialization in the first and third world countries. Therefore, developing countries are harmed by the integration of the global economy because they have very little to offer on the global market compared to the developed nations. The rest of the paper will examine the effects of integrating developing countries into the global economy. The integration of third world nations into the global economy has facilitated the flow of capital from the developed or middle economic nations to the developing world countries (CEPAL 2). Today, many third world nations have developed economic trade ties with major drivers of world economies that have seen the flow of capital. Before the integration, developing countries had no option of getting circulating funds because of their insignificance in terms of contribution and share in the global economy (CEPAL 3). Similarly, many developing nations are receiving cash flow in terms of grants, soft loan, and donation, which help in steering development projects. Different oversea agencies such World Bank among others assist the developing nations in overcoming their financial challenges as well as initiating development projects. However, the increased capital flow does not only contribute to

Monday, July 22, 2019

Rabindranath Tagore Essay Example for Free

Rabindranath Tagore Essay Rabindranath Tagore] ( 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941), sobriquet Gurudev,was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his regions literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse, he became the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913. In translation his poetry was viewed as spiritual and mercurial; his seemingly mesmeric personality, flowing hair, and other-worldly dress earned him a prophet-like reputation in the West. His elegant prose and magical poetry remain largely unknown outside Bengal. Tagore introduced new prose and verse forms and the use of colloquial language into Bengali literature, thereby freeing it from traditional models based on classical Sanskrit. He was highly influential in introducing the best of Indian culture to the West and vice versa, and he is generally regarded as the outstanding creative artist of modern India.[5] A Pirali Brahmin from Calcutta, Tagore wrote poetry as an eight-year-old.[10] At age sixteen, he released his first substantial poems under the pseudonym BhÄ nusiá ¹Æ'ha (Sun Lion), which were seized upon by literary authorities as long-lost classics. He graduated to his first short stories and dramas—and the aegis of his birth name—by 1877. As a humanist, universalist internationalist, and strident anti-nationalist he denounced the Raj and advocated independence from Britain. As an exponent of the Bengal Renaissance, he advanced a vast canon that comprised paintings, sketches and doodles, hundreds of texts, and some two thousand songs; his legacy endures also in the institution he founded, Visva-Bharati University. Tagore modernised Bengali art by spurning rigid classical forms and resisting linguistic strictures. His novels, stories, songs, dance-dramas, and essays spoke to topics political and personal. Gitanjali (Song Offerings), Gora (Fair-Faced), and Ghare-Baire (The Home and the World) are his best-known works, and his verse, short stories, and novels were acclaimed—or panned—for their lyricism, colloquialism, naturalism, and unnatural contemplation. His compositions were chosen by two nations as national anthems: the Republic of Indias Jana Gana Mana and Bangladeshs Amar Shonar Bangla. The composer of Sri Lankas national anthem: Sri Lanka  Matha was a student of Tagore, and the song is inspired by Tagores style.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

The enhancing effects of music on happiness

The enhancing effects of music on happiness This thesis examines the enhancing effects of music on happiness.Music is the purest form of art. It can be said that it has an impact on almost everyone. Certain pieces of music have a relaxing effect, while others stimulate us to act, and some cause change in or emphasize our mood. This work specifically concentrates on how listening to different kinds of music can increase the level of happiness and the factors associated with it. Defining Music The word music basically comes from the Greek word mousike meaning art of the muses.As generally percieved, music is one of the fine arts which is concerned with the combinition of sounds with beauty of form and the expression of thought or feeling.It can be defined as vocal or instrumental sounds having some degree of rhythm, melody and harmony. According to the Australian Oxford dictionary (2004), music is the art of combining vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) to produce beauty of form,harmony and expression of emotion. The Collins dictionary (2000) relates music as an art form consisting of sequences of sounds in time, especially tones of definite pitch organized melodically, harmonically,rhythmically and according to color. Music is also known as, the art of combining sounds so as to please the ear (Chambers dictionary,1987) . Music is also viewed as an art that is difficult to tie down . According to Wikipedia , the definition of music varies according to culture and social context. The artists may view music as a performing art, a fine art, and an auditory art .William Sheakspeare has defined it as as the food of soul.Humanistic psychologists view music as a means of self fulfillment,integration and self actualiztion.For existentialists it is another department of choice and freedom. Music in any form has a universal appeal, like an international language,it is understood and spoken everywhere,and its charm and penetrating power cannot be denied.(Malik, M.S., 1983). Components of Music According to a physicists point of view, music consists of a set of a set of sounds with particular frequencies, amplitudes, and timbres which are organized into highly predictable patterns. The social and cultural meanings by people turn these sounds into music (Hargreaves, D. J and North, A. C., 2000).The components of music are, Musical note is a single sound of definite pitch and duration which can be identified in writing. Rhythm, is the arrangement of sounds in time, this arrangement is a complex arrangement of notes into a mixture of short and long durations within a single bar or a series of bars. Regular pulse groupings are called bars or measures. Rhythm is one of the most central features of many styles of music, especially jazz and hip-hop (Lerdahl Jackendoff, 1983). Scale, is a progression of notes in an ascending or descending order. Melody or tune assembles a series of notes into recognizable musical shapes. The notes of a melody are created with respect to pitch systems such as scales. A melody usually though not necessarily possesses rhythm. The rhythm of a melody is often based on the tones of language, the physical rhythms of dance or just periodic beatings. (Narveson, 1984). The beat of a piece of music is its regular pulse, determined by the bar lines by which music are metrically determined. Pitch, is the height or depth of a note in relation to other notes or in relation to an absolute pitch. The absolute pitch has internationally been set at A=400 Hz that is, the A above the middle c has a frequency of 440 cycles or vibrations per second. Pitch is determined by the sounds frequency of vibration. The process of assigning note names to pitches is called tuning. The difference in frequency between two pitches is called an interval. The interval indicates either the doubling or halving of the base frequency. (Machlis Kristine, 2007) Harmony is the study of vertical sonorities in music. A vertical sonority refers to considering the relationship between pitches that are together. Harmony can also be implied by melodies that outline a harmonic structure. A larger structure involving multiple pitches is called a chord (Darmschroder Williams, 1990).Harmony in music can be analyzed through Roman numeral system. A system of chord symbols is used in popular and jazz music. (Friberg, 1991). Musical texture is the overall sound of a piece of music .It is described as the number of parts or lines and their relationship. The perceived texture of a musical piece can be affected by the interval between each musical line, the timbre of instruments or the number of instruments used. Monophony, homophony and polyphone include musical textures. Monophony is the texture of a melody. The texture of homophony is achieved when a melody is accompanied by chords. The melody in homophony is usually voiced in high notes. Polyphony consists of several simultaneous melodies of equal importance (Temperly, 2001). Form, is a feature of musical theory that explores the concept of musical syntax, on a local and global level. The syntax is often explained in terms of phrases and periods or sections or genre respectively. (Juslin, 2003). 1.1.2 Musical Instruments The earliest and largest collection of prehistoric musical instruments was found in China and dates back to between 7000 and 6600 BC. (Wikipedia).People of different cultures have developed musical instruments of their own distictive fashion,the sounds of these instruments thus,affect different prople differently.Some distict musical instruments are, Sitar, it has been the king of indian court music since 14th century. It is the modification of an earlier instrument,the Keena.The sitar is made of teak,jackwood and a seasoned gourd.Its neck towers above the players head while it is played.It mainly has six or seven playing strings running above the feet and below them, a dozen or so sympathetic strings,that set up a steady running echo.The sitar is played with a wireplectrum worn on the right finger of the sitarist.The sitar music is a world in itself.Learning to play the instrument with proficiency needs ten or twelve years of intensive study(Bhattacharya, McDonald Carter,2008). Rebab, is the name for various Arabic bow string instruments found in Islamic countries. They occur usually with three strings in various shapes like elongated boats, trapezoid rectangles etc. The Rebab was both carried eastwards and westwards with the spread of Islam (Kartomi, 1990). Guitar is a string instrument, originally brought to Spain by the moors in the middle ages. It has a flat back. The modern instrument has six strings. The guitar is a popular instrument used to provide a simple choral accomplishment to a dance or a song. Flute, is a cylindrical tube closed at the upper end where these is a side hole, though which the player bows air and makes the internal air column vibrate. The modern flute was largely developed by T.Bohm, he made it possible to pierce finger-holes in correct positions. The flute did not come into general use in chamber and orchestral music until 18th century (Taylor, 1992). Saxophones are classified as members of the single reed family. Saxophone was invented in about 1840 by Adolph Sax, a Belgian instrument maker. Saxophones are regular members of dance bands military bands and are also used to play distinctive solo in orchestral work. The sound of the saxophone is extremely variable. Its timbre being intermediate between wood and brass, it passes from the softness of flute over the broad, mellow tone of cells to the metallic strength of the coronet (Ingham, 1998). Drum, is the generic name for instruments consisting of skin stretched over a frame or vessel and struck with the hands or a sticks. The drum was introduced in the western world through Greece (Kinnear, 1985). Tabla, is a type of an oriental drum. It exists in different forms. The Indian table is a single headed drum resembling a small tympano, having a similar sound. The Arabic tabla is beaten by the hands and the tone is much drier than that of the Indian instrument (Holroyde, 1972). Xylophone is a set of tuned wooden bars beaten with sticks. The bars usually rest in a frame and are arranged in order of pitch. Most xylophones are provided with resonators, either in the form of a cradle shaped box under the bars, or in the form of a separate gourd for each bar gourd for each bar. When playing the xylophone, the player uses mallets of various weights and hardness according to the quality of tone required.( Nettl Bruno ,1956). Piano, Classicism is the greatest and the best known period of piano music. The pianist uses a flexible system of levers connected by four joints, knuckles, wrist, elbow and shoulders. It can also be played by placing the finger on the key and raising the arm slightly in a relaxed action. Piano is a mechanical instrument through which the notes are produced by the strike of keys (Krumhansl, 1997). Violin is the most important of the stringed instruments in the orchestra as well as in chamber and solo music. Its main parts are the, body consisting of label sound board, back and ribs (sidewalks), the finger board, string holder, the bridge. The violin provides expressiveness ranging from soft lyricism to extreme dramatic excitement and a sensitive timbre (Cremer, 1984). Harmonium is a keyboard instrument that sounds by means of thin metal tongues being set in vibration by a steady current of air which is provided by a pair of pedal operated bellows. The metal tongues act as free reeds. Modern harmonium can produce expressive graduations of sounds by means of the expression stop. The harmonium was developed in the 19th century from a number of experimental instruments (Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica (11th Ed.), 1911). Types of Music The aim of all music is to touch the core of the heart and thus music can be called an expression of our hearts sayings. Different types of music help in soothing ones disturbed soul, in the growth of concentration and also cheer us up to live life to the fullest. There are various types of music as people have different tastes i.e., classical music, rock, hip-hop, folk, opera, mystical etc. The objective behind listening to music remains the same. Classical music is a complex form of music as it requires high musical skills like learning the ragas and ability to coordinate with other musicians .The one who wants to learn, he/she has to go through proper training in this field of music (Bhattacharyya, 2008). Rock music, originated in the rock n roll era of 1950s. The singers are accompanied by a guitar, bass and drum. Certain rock groups use pianos, saxophones, flute, mandolin and sitar for a deeper effect. This type of music has several subtypes such as hard rock, progressive rock and metal rock. All these types of rock music are popular to date.(Warren , Romanowski Parles ,2001). Hip-hop (Pop-Music) music always includes the use of instruments such as guitar, violin, fiddle, piano, bass and drums. In these types of music, the bass is the main instrument. This can be used in different intensities to emote feelings of anger, pride and others. This type of music is the result of hip-hop culture and is known as hip-hop music. This music shows a heavy influence of Jamaican music. The roots of the music are found in African American and West African music. (Light, 1999). Folk music is a kind of traditional music that is handed down from generations in every culture. Folk music shows the social upheaval that lies among various classes of people. This also portrays their struggle for survival and their culture (Bhattacharyya, 2008).The term can be applied to music that has been evolved from rudimentary beginnings by a community uninfluenced by popular and art music and it can likewise be applied to music which has originated with an individual composer and has subsequently been absorbed into the unwritten living tradition of a community. It is the re-fashioning and re-creation of the music by the community that gives it a folk character (Lloyd, 1975). Opera music first emerged in Italy in the 17th century. This genre of music a remarkable combination of theatrical art and musical inventions and is specifically played in theatres. This has greater demand for its amusing orchestral supplements. The introduction and interval of this music set the tone for the action on stage. (Grout Williams, 2003). Mystical music Music is an outburst of the soul  .Mystic music includes spacious, contemplative, heartfelt, trance inducing and psychedelic sounds in such genres as space music, electronic, ambient, visionary, acoustic, world fusion, classical, neo-classical, and even some progressive rock; a mix of entrancing drones, structures, and rhythms. Mystic music extends from Bach to rock. Mystic music is that kind of sonorous sound experience that lifts and awakens you above normal consciousness, even if only for a few moments. If you listen sensitively, it puts you in touch with your most special memories and forgotten dreams. It is relaxing and good for your plants (and your body too; not to mention your mind, heart and soul). Mystic music remains true to the original purpose of music: to help us contact the spiritual dimensions of life and reveal the secret to us; and to, keep the spirit alive (Nasr, 1997) 1.1.4 Effects of Music Music holds a very significant position in our lives since the beginning.From the early beginning to the present day,interest in music with reference to healing and therapeautic experiece has sustained (Bartlett ,1996) The qualities of music were known even in earliest times. Evidence suggests that dance and song preceded speech. Researchers have found that about two-thirds of the inner ears cilia resonate only at the higher frequencies that are commonly found in music (3,000 20,000 Hz). This seems to indicate that primitive humans communicated primarily through song or tone.India has one of the oldest musical traditions in the world, references to Indian classical music (marga) can be found in the ancient scriptures of the Hindu tradition, the Vedas (Wikipedia). There are references to the divine alliance of music and medicine in classical antiquity and the healing function of much among primitive people (Schullian and Schoen,1948). Recent work on music has confirmed the effectiveness of music too. This is of the fact that music can trigger Endorphins in human body that help the mind in creating sound images,allowing people to escape into a painless worlds sheltered by their imaginations. Music can speed up or slow,regularize or disturb our heart beat,relax or tense the nerves,can affect digestion,respiration and blood pressure(Tame,1984) Ansdell(1995) says that we make and experience music because or body is made up of cells,organs,and muscles that have pulses and tones,tensions and resolutions of the tensions.Emotions share with music the qualities of speed force attack and intensity.It has also been suggested that music could be a powerful tool to use within neuro-disability and the structure of music can help organize and retrieve information. (Taylor, 1992). In many instances it has been found that people with brain related problems were able to function in better ways while being exposed to music. (Erdonmez, 1993; Nordoff Robbins, 1997). Mc Carty (1999) described how music could reduce negative emotions and increase positive emotions in healthy as well as clinically ill people. In the words of Janet Towell(2000), Music can soothe the soul, excite the emotions and provide a sense of cultural identity. Music can decrease pain and depression while increasing mood and self esteem. A study showed that tempo affected arousal while mode of the music affected the mood (Husain, Thompson Schelenburg, 2002). Well ness is a product of healthy body, mind, spirit interactions, and, as a result music can an important asset in creating the appropriate environment for persons healing (Stewart, 1990).Musics appeal to us is primarily emotional and psychological. Music has been noted for its ability to enhance peoples moods, move them to tears, make them want to rejoice or just move them emotionally in both negative and positive ways (Goldstein, A, 1980). Radocy and Boyle(1979) suggest that there are eight types of affective responses to music.Some of these relate to an innate sensory perception of the sound while others are associted with images,experiences and emotional context of these experiences.These responses may include simple feelings;negative and positive organic feelins;moral religious feelings and emotions and tempraments.Because of this entity,music often can help people in confronting issues which they have not dealt earlier in their lives.This is because of the association between the events of our past with the particular piece of music (Bright ,1993;Levine , 1999;Ortiz ,1997). Stewart(1990) believes that music is an affective therapeutic agent under the right circumstances as it can allign patterns of emotion,structures of conciousness and /or psychic energy (P.62).It does not appeal to logic and rarely meets with intellectual resistence to iniciate its actions(Guzzetta , 1995).Music can help us to initiate psychological movement by modifying our mental states and cuing us towards more positive affirmations such as sad to cheerfull,discouraged to hopefull,or plain to peaceful.Music has an essential ability to create another world of virtual time(Blaking,1990).Menuhin(1972) reveals furthur that Music creates order out of chaos, for rhythm imposes unanimity upon the divergent ,melody imposes continuity among the disjointed,and harmony imposes compatibility among the incongruous.Listening to music can create and expand out internal space where we can retreat from the norms and the reality of the world.This is achieved by creating an internal imaginative world of sound which is rich in symbolism and personal meaning,and allowing us to revisit the emotional context of particular memories(Bunt,1996). According to Sloboda(1989) ,the reason most of us take part in musical activities is that music is capable of arousing in us deep and significant emotions.These emotions range from the aeshetic delight in sound construction,through emtions such as joy or sorrow which music sometimes enhances to simple relief from boredom of depression.The music itself cannot have extra musical meaning unless the experience to which it refers already exists in the mind of the listener.When music has similar connections with human life,then it can make people more aware of feelings they experienced by intensifying the emotions.Particular music can help in moving painful memories or the unresolved issues in life .Stor(1992) also refers this arousal as being a condition of heightned alertness,awareness,interest and excitement.He also believes that apart from the relations between seeing an emotional arousal,the relation between hearing and emotional arousal is stronger. Campball(1992), observed that when we communcate with the emotional centres of our being such as through the use of music,we can better reduce stress and achieve a sense of welbeing.Music can also help in achieving peace and relaxation (Ortiz ,1997). Diamond (1979) suggests that music can be an important part of primary preventative health care at a psychosocial level. Bunt(1996) shows that how music can be used to assist people in realizing their feelings, going beyond their everyday experiences, resolving hurts and pain and appraising significant live events. Music can also evoke memories of the emotional context of past events and times and aid people to explore issues for a different angle and retrieving events and emotions. Music evokes not only the memories of past time but also the emotional context of those times(Bunt,1997).It has been reported that music is an activity that the healthy impaired talented and interested enjoy, because it provides them with a relief from their stress ,anxiety, depression and mourning(Blacking,1995).Music coupled with personal attention and care of other people, can provide gratification and restore a sense of worth to people who may be experiencing depression or low self-esteem (Crystal, Grober Masur,1989). According to Spingte (1998), music is the most intense means of emotional communication. In view of Hallan, S Price, J. (1998), calming music led to better participant performance on arithmetic and memory tasks. Music can align patterns of emotions, structures of consciousness and / or psychic energy (Stewart, 1990). Thus, music has great influences on a listener. It can take the mind and body to do spontaneous things whether they are good or bad. Depending on the type of music and the inner message it has, music can influence a person and his/her actions (Cassidy, 2008). Happiness There has been a surge of interest in Positive Psychology during the last quarter of this century. There has been a huge amount of interest and research on happiness, wellbeing and satisfaction among all positive fields (Diener 1995).The classic definition of happiness by Jeremy Bentham(1800s) is that happiness is the sum of pleasures and pains. Happiness  is a state of mind or feeling characterized by contentment, love, satisfaction, pleasure, or  joy.It is a positive emotional state that is defined by every person on a subjective level. The term subjective well-being is used as a synonym for happiness. Happiness is defined as an overall appraisal of life, where the good and the bad is balanced (Diener Scolon, 2003). Happiness in this older sense was used to translate the Greek Eudemonia, and is still used in virtue ethics.(Wikipedia). Happiness is a belief about yourself and the outside world. You can be doing something you normally experience as pleasurable but not be happy. Pleasure is born from the external world; happiness is born from the internal workings of our own minds. Martin Seligman,( 2002) one of the founders of positive psychology, describes happiness as consisting of positive emotions and positive activities. He categorizes emotions related to the past, present and future. Positive emotions relating to the past include satisfaction, contentment, pride and serenity. Positive emotions relating to the future include optimism, hope and trust. Veenhoven (1997) has defined happiness or subjective well-being as the degree to which one judges the quality of his life favorably. According to Schwartz and Strack (1999), even very minor incidents in life can affect the level of happiness. The findings of a Pakistani research have shown that number of happy people is more than that of unhappy people and that the eastern people have higher levels of happiness than western people. Work satisfaction, social support, religious affiliation, social class, income level, and marital status and satisfaction were found to be predictors of happiness (Suhail, Chaudary, 2004).Individual differences in the levels of happiness also have significance. Theories of happiness The theories of happiness have been divided into three types, Need/goal satisfaction theories, Process/activity theories, Genetic/personality predisposition theories (Diener et al, 2002). Psychoanalytic and humanistic theorists believed that reduction in tension and satisfaction of needs lead to the achievement of happiness. It was theorized that people were happy as they had achieved their goals. (Compton, 2005). According to the process/activity theorists, participating in activities generates happiness. Csikszentmihalyi (1990) proposed that people who indulge in interesting and challenging activities, and thus experience the feelings of flow, are happier. Emmons (1986) has also emphasized how pursuing goals generates happiness. The genetic/personality theorists view happiness as a stable construct. A Research by Costa and McCrae (1986) proved that happiness is based on personality and genetics. Lucas (1996) also found in a research that personality traits were closely related to happiness. Keyes and Lopez (1995) presented another model of happiness. They defined happiness as a complete state of mental health while combining many principles of pleasure. They defined emotional happiness as the presence of positive affect and life satisfaction with the absence of negative affect. Social happiness was achieved by incorporating acceptance, actualization, contribution, coherence and integration. However, self acceptance, personal growth, purpose in life, environmental mastery, autonomy and positive relations with others were the components of achieving psychological well-being, Most of recent researches agree with idea of happiness being a combination of psychological, emotional, and physical well-being. Causes of Happiness Sex: No significant differences have been seen between the levels of happiness of men and women (Nolen-Hoeksema Rusting, 1999).In a study by Wood,Rhodes Whelan (1989), it was found that women report slightly higher levels of happiness. Fujita, Diener Sandvick (1991) also reported that women showed greater capacity for joy. Shayam and Yadev (2006) found that elderly men scored higher on well-being as compared to elderly women. However the impact of gender accounts for only 1 percent of variability in happiness in people. Finances: Financial status is related to happiness, however with an increase the effect diminishes (Diener, 1997).Diener (1995) found that positive correlations existed between the GDP and subjective well being of fifty five nations. According to Keely,(2000) increase in income does not lead to increase in happiness.Most people are happy regardless of their material wealth(Diener , 1996). Marital status: Research has shown that married people are happier as compared to unmarried, divorced, separated or widowed people. Shields Wooden (2003) found that married women and men were consistently happier than unmarried men and women. Education: Education has greater affect on the happiness levels of people with lower incomes (Campbell, 1976).Education appears to have only small direct influence on happiness. Culture: Diener Lucas (1999) found that some nations appear to be more emotional than other nations. It was found that people in individualistic cultures had higher subjective well-being as compared to collectivistic cultures. (Ball, 2001). Health: Physical health is strongly related to levels of happiness. If one is physically healthy he/she would have higher levels of happiness as compared to a person who is sick. According to physicians, Brief, Butcher, George Link (1993) a strong correlation exists between subjective well-being and health. Religion: Many researches support that people who are religious tend to be happier. Studies have found that engagement in religious activities is significantly related to higher well-being (Donahue Benson, 1995).James Peacock and Margret Poloma (1999) found that ones perceived closeness to God was a very strong predictor of happiness. Life Events: The number of positive events correlate with positive affect at .33 in people whereas, the average intensity of positive affect when subjects were feeling happy correlated with happiness at .25 (Schimmack, Diener Oishi 2002).Happiness correlate with a number of friends and the relationships with them (Diener Lucas, 1999).Peak experiences however have been found to be due to religion music or other intense activities. Thus, immense research has been done on the effects of music on physical as well as mental health which has shown promising results.