Semiotic Analysis of Teenage Magazine Front Covers

In this essay I will hope to analyse the semiotic codes of the front covers of teenage magazines to demonstrate how the media constructs the image and behavioural ideology of the teenage girl. I will analyse issue 359 of More! (December 27 th 2001 – January 8th 2002) and compare it with the January 2002 edition of 19. I have chosen these specific texts as they are popular mainstream magazines that are available in most newsagents, and therefore arguably represent to the reader what constitutes the modern teenage girl. These are also the most recent issues available for analysis and therefore demonstrate an up-to-date representation of constructed femininity in our media and society. Jonathan Bignell (1997) argues that the magazine is â€Å"just a collection a signs† (Bignell 1997: 78). These signs may include paradigmatic and syntagmatic elements such as the title of the magazine, the fonts used, the layout, the colours, the texture of the paper, the language adopted, the content of the articles and so on, and each of these signs have been chosen to generate a meaning. The magazine is therefore a complex collection of signs that can be extensively decoded and analysed by its reader – â€Å"women's magazines communicate their mythic meaning by means of signs, thus their representations of the imaginary are dependent on the symbolic, the signs which do the communicating† (Bignell 1997: 78). Signs however, consisting (according to Saussure) of two elements, a signifier and a signified, only gain meaning when â€Å"it has someone to mean to† (Williamson 1978: 40). The reader is therefore very important and will bring his/her own interpretations to the texts by drawing on their own cultural values and perceptual codes. As Daniel Chandler argues, â€Å"‘decoding' involves not simply basic recognition and comprehension of what a text ‘says' but also the interpretation and evaluation of its meaning with reference to relevant codes† (Chandler, web source: Semiotics for Beginners). As the relationship between the signifier and the signified is arbitrary and meaning is rooted in cultural values, we can argue that the potential interpretations of any given magazine are therefore endless. As well as being a collection of signs, the magazine is a sign in itself, which â€Å"connects together the mythic meanings of femininity and pleasure† (Bignell 1997: 66). Through reading the pages a reader will gain an insight into the world of the woman and will be taught what are the expectations made of them as women (they learn what it is to be a woman). McRobbie (1996) argues that magazines seek to â€Å"further consolidate and fix an otherwise more unstable sense of both self and gender† (in Curran 1996: 193), and so magazines seem to be central to society as they create a culture, a culture of femininity where a common experience of girlhood is shared. Bignell argues that the function of magazines is â€Å"to provide readers with a sense of community, comfort, and pride in this mythic feminine identity† (Bignell 1997: 61). As the magazine promotes a â€Å"feminine culture† and â€Å"(defines) and (shapes) the woman's world† (McRobbie 2000: 69), we can see that it becomes a familiar friend for the female – it advises her, and provides entertainment, amusement and escapism for the reader and speaks to her in a language she understands – the lingo of teenagers is used in 19 and More! , for example â€Å"Top Totty†. Bignell sees that â€Å"magazines are glossy and colourful, connoting pleasure and relaxation rather than seriousness†¦ the smell and feel of the glossy paper connotes luxury†¦ femininity and its pleasures of self-adornment† (1997: 66). The magazine therefore symbolises a lifestyle, a life of luxury and pleasure. The magazine claims to be simultaneously a luxury item and a familiar friend to its reader. It attempts to convince us that it is not a fictive document, that it is a true reflection of reality, a window into the real world of the woman. It is argued that the average teenage reader will be a heterosexual girl seeking a boyfriend (or seeking a way to gratify the needs of her boyfriend), enjoying shopping, fashion, and popular culture and needing plenty of advice on sex and love. These assumptions pervade the contents of mainstream teenage magazines, with features such as â€Å"Position of the Fortnight† and â€Å"Celebrity Hair Special† frequently appearing within the pages. This is the reader to whom most teenage magazines cater – they broadcast to a stereotypical mass (which is arguably an artificial epresentation and does not reflect the identities and lives of all teenage girls). In order to analyse the image and behavioural ideology of the teenage girl offered within teenage magazines, I will attempt to investigate some semiotic codes within More! and 19. The front cover is an important aspect of the magazine as it initially attracts the reader and is a taster of what can be seen within the c ontents of the magazine. It is an â€Å"important advertisement† and â€Å"serves to label its possessor† (McLoughlin 2000: 5). This is certainly a factor that influences the purchasing behaviours of young teenage girls who attempt to appear more mature and more sexually knowledgeable by buying a magazine aimed at girls 4 or 5 years their senior. The front cover will also promise that â€Å"the contents of the magazine†¦ will fulfil the needs of the individual and her group† and sells a â€Å"future image† of the reader as â€Å"happier, more desirable† (Bignell 1997: 67). By merely looking at the front cover of a magazine therefore, a potential reader will be able to determine how far it will fulfil their needs. There are many similar defining paradigmatic and syntagmatic elements on the covers of More! and 19 that would attract a teenage girl to purchase the magazines. These demonstrate effectively the dominant ideology of teenage femininity in the media. Firstly, the titles anchor the texts to the genre of teenage magazines. 19 seems to be directed at a person who is 19, or at least who thinks she is as mature as a 19year old. As the title stands boldly in the top left-hand corner of the page, this is the image that the eye is initially drawn towards. If we are to adopt Kress and Leeuwen's theory of layout, this will also give the magazine a sense of idealism, suggesting that the reader should aspire to attain the life and image referred to within the pages (in Bell 1997: 193). The title More! also acquires this quality of idealism, but as the word stretches across the width of the page it could be suggested that the More! reader is more sassy and larger than life in comparison to the more mature or sophisticated reader of 19 (this is further substantiated by the exclamation mark -More! and by the girlish pink colour of the 19 logo). The taglines reinforce these ideas as they are placed directly underneath the titles in a contrasting black font. 19 states that the magazine is â€Å"Barefaced Cheek! † which implies that all is bared in the magazine, the reader is given extensive coverage of the issues of sex, love and fashion. However this tagline could also be interpreted (perhaps to a non-teenager reader) as implying that the reader of 19 is cheeky and impertinent. It is only the exclamation mark after the words and the positioning underneath the well-known and recognisable logo of 19 that anchor the preferred reading for the reader – as the reader will presumably be familiar with the content of the magazine, the polysemic nature of the tagline will not be apparent to them. This familiarity with content is also needed to fully appreciate the tagline on the cover of More! – â€Å"Smart girls Get More! â€Å". On the one hand, it is suggested that smart girls buy the magazine as they know it will provide pleasure and information for them, and on the other hand it is suggested that smart girls (the attractive More! reader) get more out of life, love, and, most importantly, sex. Reading More! will improve your life on many levels, if you listen to the advice offered within the magazine. The tagline adopted by More! is therefore effective as the modern British teenage girl will construe an appropriate interpretation that will give them the urge to buy the product. Both 19 and More! lso attempt to attract their readers by placing a female character in the centre of the cover. This is a particularly interesting characteristic if we are to consider that corresponding male magazines similarly adopt central female models, either posing seductively or like the typical ‘girl-next-door', on their covers. It could indeed be argued that one could successfully (and with minimal disruption) take th e models from the covers of More! and 19 and place them on a magazine such as FHM that adheres to its own set of generic codes and conventions and encourages very different interpretations from its reader. According to Bignell, the images of beautiful women on the covers of female magazines are â€Å"iconic signs which represent the better self which every woman desires to become† (Bignell 1997: 69). The figure thus represents the self for the reader, a future image that is attainable for her if she continues reading and learning from the magazine. On a male magazine however the same figure would represent a sexual image, an object to be attained by the male reader. It becomes evident therefore that â€Å"men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at †¦ Thus she turns herself into an object – and most particularly, and object of vision: a sight† (Berger in Vestergaard & Schroder 1992: 81). This is a somewhat negative interpretation of the centrality of women on the covers of magazines. However, Bignell sees that â€Å"while the cover image is for a woman to look at, it is constructed with reference to a wider social code in which being feminine means taking pleasure in looking at oneself, and taking pleasure in being looked at by men† (my italics, Bignell 1997: 71). Bignell therefore seems to empower the woman in his analysis of cover models, noting that women simultaneously enjoy looking and being looked at. The genre (or textual code) in which the image appears is therefore a fundamental contributor to the construed interpretations made by the reader. As stated above, the model on the cover of a female teenage magazine represents the self for the reader. The models seen on the given issues of 19 and More! therefore seem to illustrate the characteristics of their targeted readers. The model seen on the cover of 19 is the typicalblonde haired, tanned, tall and slim girl with perfect complexion and perfect features. But the reader is not led to feel envious of the model – on the contrary, she is encouraged to believe that this is an ordinary 19 reader (on the inside cover she is identified simply as â€Å"Emily†), and is the beautiful woman inside each of us, waiting to be unleashed (and reading 19 willunleash this beauty from within the reader). The diamante necklace connotes luxury and sophistication, and the sequined boob tube connotes a fun, bubbly nature and draws attention to her slim body (her sex appeal). With her long blond hair flowing gently away from her face to reveal dazzling green eyes (ironically in this context, green traditionally being associated with the colour of envy), she can be seen as iconic for the reader (in the non-semiotic sense), and as seductive for the male reader. She embodies the message that 19 habitually transcribe to the reader – look innocent and beautiful and yet be in control of your own sexuality and your relationships. On the cover of More! the character again embodies the self for the reader. She represents the more! ethos of youthful, cheeky impertinence† (in Curran 1996: 189) Her red, low-cut dress suggests that she is sassy; a vixen that has sexual needs and is not afraid to fulfil them. Again, the clear skin and perfect features encourage the reader to believe that there is an inner-beauty within everyone that will shine through. However, the More! model does not appear as innocent as the 19 model. Her hair is swept more vigorously from her face and therefore creates a more disrupted, chaotic image than the previous. The innocence depicted by the clear complexion of the 19 model is challenged here as the More! odel raises her eyebrow into an arch; she has a glint in her eye and pouts her lips proudly. As we notice the presence of a man in the left hand side of the front cover, we therefore interpret this facial expression as sexual prowess – this girl knows what she wants and she knows exactly how to get it. The male figure is not personalised; indeed we only see a leg, an arm and a crotch and yet we are fully aware of the masculinity of the character. This could suggest that, in subversion to the representation offered within male magazines, the man is the sexual object here. It is also significant that the male is wearing a kilt as it could suggest that the female is metaphorically wearing the trousers in the relationship. This interpretation would only become apparent if the reader was accustomed with the relevant social codes and textual codes of gendered magazines. If the reader is familiar with popular culture however, they could assume the man in the kilt to be the actor James Redmond who portrays Finn in Hollyoaks (a half-Scottish Lord) and therefore presume that there is an in-depth interview with him in the magazine – this is suggested by the text at the top of the magazine cover – â€Å"Finn-tastic! We Check out James Redmond's Morning Glory†. By analysing the title, tagline, and central images of the magazine cover, we have therefore deduced the readership and content of the magazines effectively. As McRobbie notes, sex now fills the space of the magazines' pages. It â€Å"provides the frame for women's magazines in the 1990's† and â€Å"marks a new moment in the construction of female sexual identities† (in Curran 1996: 177). It is worrying to think that the explicit sexual representations within the magazines (such as More! ‘s â€Å"Raunchy resolutions to spice up your sex life†) are being read by underage teenagers; sex has een packaged as a â€Å"commodity† (McLaughlin 200: 13) by these magazines in recent years and the young readers have eagerly jumped at the chance to buy such (what was previously) censored material. Indeed, fifty years ago the teenage magazine industry differed greatly to that of today. According to Vestergaard we have seen a shift from â€Å"motherhood and childcare to the maintenance of physical appearance† (Vestergaard & Schroder 1992: 81) (in the discussed examples, we see â€Å"Be your own stylist – steal insider know-how from the women who dress the stars† on the cover of 19, and on More! Happy New Gear – what every glam girl will be wearing this season†). Dr Nancy Signiorelli of the University of Delaware undertook a study on â€Å"A Focus on Appearance† in the media in November 1996, and she found that one in three (37%) articles in leading teen girl magazines included a focus on appearance, one in three (35%) focused on dating and less than 2% discussed either school or careers (websources Kellner and ChildrenNow). This is certainly reflected on the front covers analysed above – every feature on the covers refer to beauty, fashion, dating, sex and celebrities. Kimberley Phillips argues that these magazines therefore â€Å"reinforce the cultural expectations that an adolescent woman should be more concerned with her appearance, her relations with other people, and her ability to win approval from men than with her own ideas or expectations for herself (websource Hermes). It can also be argued however that young women are encouraged to develop independence by these magazines. In recent years the magazine industry has therefore successfully extended the notion of what it is to be a woman. A teenage girl will see hunting boyfriends and beautifying as a norm; it is argued indeed that these are transcribed as their sole purposes in life. The magazines do not seem to cater for minority interests such as politics, environmental issues, or any kind of music that ventures beyond Westlife or Britney Spears. The teenage girl has therefore been heavily stereotyped by the teenage magazine industry, and her interpretation of the codes and conventions used in the magazine will depend on her personal knowledge of this culture and society. Indeed, some of the readers of these magazines are male (e. g. the brothers or boyfriends of the female readers – Bignell refers to these as â€Å"non-ideal readers† (Bignell 1997: 58)), and they will interpret the codes differently to their female counterparts as they arguably do not share their interests in beauty products and fashion. Their interpretations of the sex issues may also differ, as they will gaze at the images of women as sex objects as opposed to icons and role models. Chandler sees that â€Å"social semiotics alerts us to how the same text may generate different meanings for different readers† (web source, Semiotics for Beginners), and this is certainly true of the gendered readings of teenage magazines. Chandler further notes that the signs (or codes) within the text â€Å"do not just ‘convey' meanings, but constitute a medium in which meanings are constructed† (ibid). Through reading a magazine aimed at her demographic group, a teenage girl will therefore come to learn that society expects her to be interested in boys, sex, fashion, beauty and fame. The magazine is therefore a â€Å"powerful ideological force† in society (McRobbie 2000: 69); the image and behavioural ideologies presented within the magazine covers become the stereotypical norm for the teenage girl. Applying semiotic analysis to the magazine text therefore allows us to identify social ideologies of the teenage girl. One could analyse the front covers of magazine extensively, decoding the codes of colour, font, layout and spatial arrangements as well as the titles, taglines, language and central images to show the construction of the teenage girl in the media. Teenage magazines may not provide an altogether accurate representation of all teenage girls today, but it is certainly a medium that provides escapism and enjoyment for the reader whilst subliminally educating and informing at the same time.

Plot and character outlines Essay

   He also wants different colored rabbits that he can feed with the alfalfa that he will collect. Lennies dream doesn’t come true as his child like nature means that he tries to stroke Curly’s wife’s hair and not wanting her to scream he breaks her neck. He then flees to the â€Å"brush† where George told him to hide if anything went wrong. George wanting to protect Lennie from the pain of being hung decides instead to shoot him in the back of the head similar to the way Candy’s dog was so mercilessly killed. Another character who has a dream is Candy. Candy is a decrepit old man who is described as a â€Å"swamper† who lost his hand at the end of his useful life on the ranch. He wishes to join George and lennie to escape the ranch. His dream is to join George and lennie and seeks security in his old age. He is desperate and determined to make it happen as he is afraid he will end up like his dog as he will be sacked as soon as he becomes too old to do any work. Candy is considered useless as he only has one hand â€Å"I got hurt four years ago†¦ they’ll can me pretty soon†. Candy’s only friend on the ranch was his dog who was shot and so he seeks company and doesn’t want to be lonely any more, wants company in his old age â€Å"I won’t have no place to go, an’ I can’t get no more jobs† Candy’s dream doesn’t come true as he has to abandon his plans as lennie is killed and George has to leave town as many of the men at the ranch believe that he might have been conspiring with lennie. At this Candy,s American dream is crushed. The next character who dreams is Crooks. He is a black stable hand, lives by himself in the harness room, a shed attached to the barn. Injured when a horse kicked him, Crooks has a body that is bent to the left because of his crooked spine. The stable hand has many horse care items in his room, as well as personal belongings he keeps because he is a more permanent tenant. He is a proud man but he feels segregated from the other guys and so spends most of his time in his room reading. He used to own his own hand but he lost it He dreams of one day being accepted and being able to â€Å"sit in the bunk house and play cards† he wants to be able to fit in and find his own place in society, have somebody that he can talk to â€Å"A guy needs somebody to be near him. A guy goes nuts if he aint got nobody†. He wanted to join George and Lennie but he pulls out after George finds out that Lennie and candy have been talking to crooks about the land and Crooks’ wanting to avoid disappointment decides that it is best he pulls out as George is not happy. Curly’s wife also has a dream. Curly’s wife is a seductive, pretty woman who not happy with her marriage to curly seeks excitement and a new life â€Å"A show came through, an’ I met one of the actors. He says I could go with that show. But my ol’ lady wouldn’t let me†¦ If Id went, I wouldn’t be livin’ like this, you bet†. she doesn’t like Curly’s and says he is a â€Å"mean guy† she is also happy when Lennie breaks Curly’s hand as she says â€Å"it’s good you busted curly up†. Her dream is to become a big movie star as she makes reference to â€Å"Nother time I met a guy, an’ he was in pitchers†¦ he says he was gonna put me in the movies. Says I was a natural. Soon’s he get back to Hollywood he was gonna write to me about it†¦ I never got that letter†¦ I always thought my ol’ lady stole it. † Her dream was to go on stage and entertain as she also tried to run away with the circus A show came through, an’ I met one of the actors. He says I could go with that show. But my ol’ lady wouldn’t let me†¦ If Id went, I wouldn’t be livin’ like this, you bet. † this makes reference to the fact that she is lonely as the only woman on the ranch and resents her life. Curly’s wife trys to leave the ranch when she comes across lennie and they get talking, she lets Lennie touch her hair but he gets carried away and ends up killing her. Her dreams of fame and belonging are dashed as she dies before she gets the chance to leave the ranch. The last character who has a dream is Curly. He is the boss’ son, a young, pugnacious character, once a semi-professional boxer. He is described by others, with some irony, as â€Å"handy†. He is very jealous and protective of his wife and immediately develops a dislike toward Lennie. He is married but his marriage is a shame as his wife feels lonely and spends half her time supposedly looking for curly. His wife could be described as a promiscuous as she seems to take a interest in the other men on the ranch. Curly is a small guy and doesn’t like big guys, â€Å"like all small guys, he don’t like big guys† His dream was to become a professional boxer but he had to stay on the ranch, he feels insecure and possessive of his wife, as she has a promiscuous personality. â€Å"Seems like Curly is cockier than ever since he got married†. His dreams were dashed as he had to stay on the ranch and was not allowed to follow his dream, this may be why he is so bitter and angry . He also cannot even keep his wife as she seems to wander off a lot. His dreams are further crushed as his hand is badly damaged in a fight with Lennie. As his hand is broken he will never be able to fight again, as well as the shame of being beaten by someone who is considered to be mentally handicapped really damaged his reputation. To sum up, most the characters in the book have a dream of some sort. All of the characters dreams in the book ‘of mice and men’ do not come true . Lennie and Georges dream is slashed by Lennie killing Curlys wife and her dreams are slashed as she is killed but Curly’s wife dose finally decide to leave Curly which was part of her dream. Candy’s dream dies with Lennie as George is not interested in the farm anymore. Crooks had his dream when he used to own his own bit of land but it was taken away from him and so his dream was crushed. They chased their dreams but none of them came true which has reference to the American dream which many people chased but most never achieve. By marc di-trolio Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE John Steinbeck section.

A Study On Change Management Commerce Essay

A Study On Change Management Commerce Essay Accepting change is considered the biggest paranoia in todays world. Organizations – both business and non-business confront a challenging world. Some of the challenges that are faced by managers today include competition from other firms, globalization, and technological changes besides others. Let us consider a small example that can set the stage for discussing the effects of change. Daily life in a modern society is like a routine, where we wake up in the mornings, have breakfast, go for work, have lunch, come back from work, eat dinner and then sleep again. It has become a scheduled life, or so to say, we conform to structure in our lives. This structure provides us the necessary security. But, if we were to live in a world full of anxiety and unexpected mechanisms, it may leave us feeling uneasy and apprehensive. If this is the condition of individuals, a large-scale change in an organization can surely transform its people into anxiety, exasperation, frustration, depre ssion or even fatal incidents. To curb this, organizations practice what is to be referred to as Change Management. Change Management is a process whereby, the individual, team or the organization develops a planned approach towards any sort of an alteration. The objective is to capitalize the benefits for the people and lessen the risk of failure of implementation. Change management entails thoughtful planning and sensitive implementation, and most importantly, consultation with the people who are going to be involved in the process. This task studies how organizations have evolved to accept change. But let us first look at the drivers that affect organizational change: Ø Inadequate Financial Performance – the 2008 economic slowdown can be well quoted as an example for this. Companies failing to reach their financial benchmarks, have to undergo change. Competitive organizations can cannibalize their market share, provided they enter with cheaper labor or superior technolo gy. Failure to maintain the market share can force companies to rethink their opportunity cost and also the deployment of resources. Ø Changes in Strategic objectives – many companies shift their focus from being product-driven to being customer-driven or even process-driven. To enable this, restructuring and re-orientation of processes, people are required of in the organization. Ø New Technology – companies that neglect the new trends in the market are set to suffer a setback, and, therefore, should adapt to the changes in technology. Ø Mergers and Acquisitions – when companies merge and consolidate their operations, people and the culture, re-engineering takes place. The streamlining of the operations, infrastructure and the structure of the two organizations into one centralized theme is a huge part of the change management process. These, could be defined as the drivers of change that evolve businesses and markets. Organizations, today, have learn t to adapt to change. In this era of globalization, fast-moving lives and business-centered organizations, people and the processes have accepted the transformation. For instance, a lot of investment banks had to undergo transformation during the economic slowdown. Citigroup Inc. restructured its banks and other affiliates during the recessionary period, to acclimatize with the new environment. And it did happen. The management has to ensure that a smooth shift occurs, and for this it adopts a number of organizational theories as a basis for effective change management. Some of them are listed in the next few paragraphs.

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Methodology (part of dissertation) - Essay Example Positivism paradigms and anti-positivism paradigms are the two main paradigms used for verification of theoretical propositions. For this research study the positivism paradigms has been selected because there is an objective reality in positivist paradigm and this procedure of natural sciences can be integrated into the social sciences. Primary research: Primary research involves the usage of primary data for the collection of data. Primary data are that information that is collected for the first time. The primary data is to be collected by conducting field research that involves face to face interviews, surveys, questionnaires and focused group interviews. The survey for this research is to be conducted among the tourists, visitors and officials related to tourism industry. The data collected from these sources are to be analysed in order to draw necessary conclusion for the objectives of the research. Secondary research: Secondary research is the research that is based on the data that already exist or the data that has already been created by someone. The secondary data to be used for this research is the trend of tourism in India in last 5 to 10 years. This will show the difference in tourism in past and present. Inductive approach has been adopted for this research study in order to understand the reality of study. The research design that is selected for the study is an exploratory research design, in order to understanding the things deeply. As explained by Zechmeister et al., (1997, 19) survey research represents a general approach to be used when the research design is implemented. Survey is the procedure of gathering information from respondents thought to be delegate of several populations using an apparatus collected of close structure or open-ended items. It is one of the main leading types of data collection in the social sciences given that for competent collection of data over broad populations, agreeable to

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The Reasons of Abolishing Marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Reasons of Abolishing Marriage - Essay Example The other thing that is proposed by the author of the article is to allow marriage between two men of the same sex, to let three men get married, or let a person marry himself etc. This argument destroys the notion of a civil marriage as of a cell integrated into the society and, to some extent, detached from the adjacent cells. It is necessary to have a definition of what marriage is, of the relations that connect the spouses and the nature of the relations between them. Originally the marriage as the social institution was seen as a union of a man and woman who love each other and join to live together and give birth to children. This understanding of the marriage and family defined traditional state policies that are directed to the support of families and the kids. In case this traditional notion of the marriage is lost, the social system of supporting the family will be destroyed and replaced by nothing. The sense of a family as regards to the society in general will be lost als o. As the author admits, the abolishing of the civil marriage may lead to a mess in the sphere of the relations between the members of the family in case of living together, as well as in case of divorce. Moreover, it would be impossible to define the degree of the responsibility that in civil marriage lies upon the parents towards their children. The questions concerning the inheritance often confuse the judges at present, so it is impossible to conceive what the situation would be when nobody knows what relations connect the members of the so-called family.

China Oil Diplomacy In Africa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

China Oil Diplomacy In Africa - Essay Example The Sino-African trade alignment is one such relationship between countries, which has raised many interesting issues at the international forum. The fact of the matter is that China requires oil for its fast growing industries, which Africa can offer, and Africa requires financial and development support, which China can provide. From the traditional Ricardian comparative cost advantage framework, each country specializes in producing and exporting the goods, which they produce at a lower relative cost than other countries. It is because each country is endowed with certain specific factors by nature, which places them in a unique position to produce certain goods at a cheaper cost than others. Hence a country which can produce a commodity at a cheaper price is in a position to compete with others whose cost of production is dearer. For example, China, because of its capabilities in producing and exporting textiles at a cheaper price in comparison with other countries, is better suited to supply textile products to Africa. At the same time, if China throw all its might in trying to extract oil from its own geographical bound aries, the unit cost of oil would be dearer in comparison with the oil they can import from, say, Angola. In such a situation, it is better for China to supply its cheaper textile products to Angola, and import its oil requirement from Angola. Thus, on account of inbuilt comparative advantages, international trade is beneficial for both the partner countries. On account of China's oil and other natural resources requirements, and China's capabilities in providing development assistance and technical support to Africa, both China and the African countries are better placed to enter into relationship with each other to mutually benefit from trade. Africa is looking for new development opportunities. Old actors such as Japan, the US and the EU and their African strategies did not go well with Africa. It is also evident that the African continent is growing fast on account of Sino-African relationships, in recent years. Further, during the China Africa Summit, China offered quick packages to Africa, which further strengthened the bond between Africa and China. However, the West looks at China's oil diplomacy in Africa with suspicion, and some critiques argue that China's engagement with Africa does not wear a human face. Hence it calls for an enquiry into the type of role played by China in the African continent to gauge the pros and cons in the Sino-Africa bilateral relationships. In an effort in this direction, I gather the views of various scholars in Sino-African studies and review the literature pertaining to China - Africa in section 2. Based on reliable data sources, I assess the trend in China's trade with Africa in section 3. The conclusions of this study are presented in section 4. Section 2: Literature Review: China's oil diplomacy springs from its quest for oil to feed its economic growth momentum. A steady overseas oil supply in the current geopolitical scenario can be a critical task. China's own experience in procuring oil from outside sources indicate that buying oil from overseas is a poor option compared with control

Apple's Balance Sheet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Apple's Balance Sheet - Essay Example Assets From the provided financial information for Apple for the two six months operating periods taken in 2008 and 2009, it is clear that the company experienced an upward movement in different items regarding assets. Initial cash and its equivalents for the two specified periods represent a significant level of reduction from USD 11.875b in 2008 to USD 4.466b in 2009 (Apple, 2009). Whereas cash and similar cash items growth could not necessarily represent growth in view of liquidity practicality issues, it is appropriate to make the assumption that the materiality of the difference did not affect the overall reflection of business operations as cash flow values indicate. This argument is also supported by the observation of increased short-term marketable securities over the same period by double from USD 10.236b to USD 20.547b which could explain the reflected liquidity difference. Despite the fact that the accounts receivable after relevant reconciliation adjustments give a reduc tion in 2009, the difference does indicate a huge difference in terms of operations. Held inventories also indicate a reduction that would be explained by operations at a time when demand projections would be scaled downwards amidst financial crisis. However, overall liquid assets reflected a growth of USD 1.542b (from USD 32.311b to USD 33.853b), which gives a better reflection that the company grew its liquid assets. Investment in form of long-term securities gives detail of fixed assets and the increase from USD 2.379b to USD 3.865b (37 per cent) confirms the current assets trend as a growth trajectory (Apple, 2009). Other fixed assets elements such as buildings and properties owned increased from USD 2.546b to USD 2.455b, a reflection also reflected in the category of other assets that rose from USD 2.498b to USD 1.935b. To confirm this trend, the overall asset figure was a growth of 9.3 percent (USD 43.237b from USD 39.572b). In support of this information, perhaps the company can consult certain incidental information of cash flow nature to highlight the apparent growth in assets and operation level. The value of income and other operating activities indicate upward movements in net income (USD 2.81b from USD 2.626b) as was the reconciliation movements for income generating activities. Certain operating concepts such as depreciation and amortization illustrate a rise in the charged values, which translates in growth of the associated assets. An increase in the value of these operation costs for instance for depreciation from USD 222m in 2008 to USD 330m a year later reflects a huge hike of related asset base to support operations of the corporation. In other movements, increased stock-based compensations cost by 45 per cent (USD 242m to USD 351m) is an indication of growth in operations that occasion stock-based compensations, translated as growth by the company. It is evident that this information reflects a powerful suitability of Apple as an investmen t destination. Despite the fact that such increase in compensation could also indicate inefficiency in operations at the same operating capacity, the reduction of disposition losses from USD 10m in 2008 to USD 8m in 2009 as well

Analyse and critique the research and methodological choices in three Essay

Analyse and critique the research and methodological choices in three academic marketing articles on the specific theory in mark - Essay Example In the article â€Å"Towards a New Model of ‘Customer Compliance’ Service Provision,† Kasabov and Warlow (2010) used secondary sources to determine the similarities and differences between customer-centric business models and the â€Å"customer-compliance business model† (CCBM) in service industries. In an earlier article, â€Å"Automated Marketing and E-Marketing Practices of ‘Customer Compliance’ Providers,† Kasabov and Warlow (2009) examined the concepts and processes of customer compliance providers. Dellande and Nyer (2007) empirically tested the effect of public commitment on role compliance in â€Å"Using Public Commitment to Gain Customer Compliance.† This essay critically evaluates the research designs and methodology strategies of these articles. Critical Evaluation of Methodologies Based on the data collection and analysis processes of Kasabov and Warlow (2010), they conducted a qualitative research, where they used exi sting studies on their topic to form their conclusions and to conduct their conceptual analysis. This research design is effective for their research because it considers the development of the service management literature on compliance models, and it helps determine research gaps. The constructionist approach that they employed explores the growth and much needed direction for the research on compliance models (Eriksson and Kovalainen, 2008: 80). The weaknesses of their research design are poor validity and reliability in generating conclusions and sampling research issues. They cannot generalise their findings too because of lack of empirical information that can provide tested results on compliance models. Kasabov and Warlow (2010) did not present their research design anymore, such as what systematic reviews normally do, but they did try to adopt numerous studies on customer compliance. Their sampling includes studies conducted from the 1990s to the 2000s, with more studies on the 1990s. This range of references shows extensive consideration to the development of the literature, but more recent articles and studies are necessary to ensure the relevance of their findings. Without further details on their research design, however, it is hard to replicate their methods and to come up with the same conclusions, which reduced the article’s reliability (Wilson, 2010: 116). A careful analysis of the arguments and use of sources is needed to explore the reliability and validity of their claims and conclusions. Kasabov and Warlow (2010) collected information about the CCBM through reviewing related literature. They have enhanced the validity of their research by including the doubts surrounding service provision and complaint management. They avoided the straw man fallacy, which happens when they only respond to weak arguments to their own claims. In order to critically evaluate their article, their main findings must be discussed. Kasabov and Warlow (2010) argued that CCBM cannot apply the same values and norms used in traditional service provisions and complaints management literature. Furthermore, they complained that current studies have not fully explored the importance and extensive applications of CCBM. They asserted that service management scholars often focused on outcomes and disregarded the importance of CCBM’s novel processes. In doing so, these studies were not able to wholly

Management Strategy and Decision Making Case Study

Management Strategy and Decision Making - Case Study Example The decline in consumption of manufactured products is the biggest reason. Paper is being replaced by electronic impressions. The majority of tasks performed in schools and offices have shifted towards soft copies instead of solid paper. Moreover, environmentalists have seized this opportunity by promoting electronic formats of books. So people don’t need to cut trees for paper. High Australian dollar, labour rate, and different regulations in other countries have made it hard for Australian manufacturers to keep up with the international competition. The pulp and paper industry is highly competitive. Developing, selecting and retaining organizational routines, is a comprehensive strategy for winning. The key drivers of profitability in the pulp and paper manufacturing industry include environmental, competition, market share, export legislation, environmental laws, recycling laws and export prices. The case states that over the past years Australian exports declined by $128 million due to falling export prices. There will be a very narrow margin for profitability in the future. The pulp and paper industry will face difficult time in the next five years. Increased environmental protection legislation will make it difficult for them to operate profitably. Only environmental hazard is not the only threat, people find it more convenient to have smart phone or tablet in their hand that can store thousands of books and documents, instead of carrying kilograms of paper. Pulp and paper manufacturers of Australia face even harsher challenges as increased competition from around world drives their profits down and captures their market share, while the Australian manufacturers are restricted due to strict legislations. Gunns should only enter this industry if they can ensure significant investment in technology to come up with cleaner and safer operations processes. The company should have a concrete plan (preferably the company

Chicago-style pizza Essay Example for Free

Chicago-style pizza Essay Yum! Brands, Inc. , based in Louisville, Ky. , is the world’s largest restaurant company in terms of system units with more than 39,000 restaurants in more than 125 countries and territories and 1. 4 million associates. Yum! is ranked #213 on the Fortune 500 List and generated more than $13 billion in revenue in 2012. Our brands KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell – are the global leaders of the chicken, pizza and Mexican-style food categories. Yum! Brands, Inc. , based in Louisville, Ky., is the world’s largest restaurant company in terms of system units with more than 39,000 restaurants in more than 125 countries and territories and 1. 4 million associates. Yum! is ranked on the Fortune 500 List and generated more than $13 billion in revenue in 2012. Our brands KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell – are the global leaders of the chicken, pizza and Mexican-style food categories. YUM! VISION STRATEGY Yum! Brands is committed to continuing the success realized during our first ten years. Our success has only just begun as we look forward to the future, one which promises a long runway for growth, especially on an international level. We maintain a consistent commitment to deliver at least 10% EPS growth annually. With nearly 38,000 restaurants in over 120 countries and territories, Yum! Brands international growth sees no signs of stopping as we continue to enter international markets, introducing people around the world to our winning brands. The Yum! system includes four operating segments: U.S. , International (Yum! Restaurants International), China and India Divisions. Outside the United States in 2012, the Yum! system opened approximately five new restaurants each day of the year, making it a leader in international retail development. At Yum! were building a vibrant global business by focusing on four key business strategies: Build leading brands across China in every significant category Drive aggressive international expansion and build strong brands everywhere Dramatically improve U. S.brand positions, consistency and returns Drive industry-leading, long-term shareholder and franchisee value. Results for 2012 once again affirmed our consistent record of success with 13% Earnings Per Share (EPS) growth, which marks the eleventh straight year we delivered at least 13% growth and exceeded our 10% EPS growth target. For the full year 2012, we opened 1,976 new restaurants outside the U. S. Importantly, we achieved Return on Investment Capital (ROIC) of 22%+ and continued to be an industry leader. Were proud of the unique culture weve built, one thats filled with energy, opportunity, and fun. We believe in our people, trust in their positive intentions, encourage ideas from everyone, and have actively developed a workforce that is diverse in style and background. Yum! is a place where anyone can, and does, make a difference. Recognition is an integral part of our culture — we celebrate things big and small. In fact, We love celebrating the achievement of others and have lots of fun doing it! is one of our How We Win Together2 principles and the reason our culture is brimming with positive energy, teamwork, and fun. [pic]We believe that our customers experience will never exceed that of our team members. For that reason, our Dynasty Model starts with our people. We know that people dont just play a role in our success – they are the reason for our success. Our corporate values – what we call our How We Win Together principles – are built around a People Capability First philosophy and lay the groundwork for the way we team together every day. Chairman and CEO David Novak personally models a recognition culture in a light hearted way with his own Yum! Award — a set of chomping dentures with legs given to all those who walk the talk of leadership. All leaders in the company have their own personal recognition awards, which has resulted in such highly prestigious honors as the Big Cheese hat recognition at Pizza Hut, the Warp Speed award at KFC, Sauce Packet at Taco Bell, and the Big Leap Award at Yum! Restaurants International. To the right are a few examples of different Yum! recognition awards and their recipients. YUM! BRANDS RECOGNIZED BY INTERNATIONAL FRANCHISE ASSOCIATION FOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION LOUISVILLE, KY, February 28, 2013 – Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM), the world’s largest restaurant company with more than 39,000 KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell restaurants in over 125 countries has been awarded the International Franchise Association’s Ronald E. Harrison Award for its accomplishments in Diversity and Inclusion. â€Å"We are honored to receive this award and are proud of the progress we have made toward our strategic diversity and inclusion vision to grow leadership, franchisee and supplier pipelines that increasingly reflect our diverse customer and investor base, † said James Fripp, Senior Director of Global Diversity and Inclusion, Yum! Brands, Inc. Yum! Brands’ commitment to diversity is an organizational priority that begins at the top. Chairman and CEO David Novak personally reviews diversity progress throughout the year to identify and accelerate development of next generation talent at every managerial level. More than 50 percent of Yum! ’s U. S. workforce are minorities as well as more than 50 percent of the Companys new hires. Yum! is increasing the representation of African Americans, Hispanics and women among its key talent and growing the pipeline of diversity in its mid-level manager ranks. In addition, all of its brands have leadership initiatives focused on high-potential diverse talent, and all leaders serve as mentors. For the past several years, Yum! Brands has been recognized for its commitment to diversity and inclusion. The Company has been named one of FORTUNE magazine’s â€Å"Top 50 Employers for Minorities† and â€Å"Top 50 Employers for Women,† one of BLACK ENTERPRISE’s â€Å"40 Best Companies for Diversity† for seven consecutive years, one of Hispanic Magazine’s â€Å"Corporate 100 Companies Providing Opportunities for Hispanics,† one of Hispanic Enterprise Magazine’s â€Å"Top 50 Corporations for Supplier Diversity,† one of Corporate Responsibility Officer magazine’s â€Å"100 Best Corporate Citizens† and by BusinessWeek as one of the â€Å"Top 15 Companies for In-Kind Corporate Philanthropy. † Yum! ’s strategy for leveraging diversity includes franchising and supplier diversity. Yum! supports minority entrepreneurship through its sponsorship of the National Minority Supplier Development Council, Women Business Enterprise National Council, U. S. Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce and is a founding member of the International Franchise Association’s Diversity Institute. In addition, the Company has demonstrated its commitment to diversity by refranchising hundreds of restaurants to minority franchisees over the last few years. Yum!’s diversity strategy also includes employment, leadership development and community involvement. More than 25 percent of the Company’s annual corporate giving goes to support predominantly minority communities. Each year, Yum! partners with its multicultural customers through high-impact programs like: KFC Pride 360 °, LULAC and Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA) National Young Professional and Youth and College Programs, creation of the Poder Magazine Hispana Leadership Summit, and a strategic partnership with National Urban League’s Young Professionals, among others. In addition, Yum! is a founding member and supports organizations such as the Women’s Foodservice Forum and the Multicultural Foodservice and Hospitality Alliance in order to help grow diverse, emerging leaders in the restaurant industry. Yum! Brands, Inc. , based in Louisville, Kentucky, is the world’s largest restaurant company in terms of system units with more than 39,000 KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell restaurants in more than 125 countries and 1. 4 million associates. Yum! is ranked #213 on the FORTUNE 500 list, with revenues of more than $13 billion in 2012. The Company’s restaurant brands KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell are the global leaders of the chicken, pizza and Mexican-style food categories. Outside the United States, the Yum! Brands system opened approximately four new restaurants each day of the year, making it a leader in international retail development. The Company has consistently been recognized for its reward and recognition culture, diversity leadership, community giving and consistent shareholder returns. Pizza Hut, Inc., based in Plano, Texas, is the world’s largest pizza restaurant, specializing in the pizzas you never have to settle for Pan Pizza, Thin ’N Crispy ® Pizza, Hand-Tossed Style Pizza and Stuffed Crust Pizza. [pic] Pizza Hut is an American restaurant chain and international franchise that offers different styles of pizza along withside dishes including salad, pasta, buffalo wings, breadsticks, and garlic bread. Corporately known as Pizza Hut, Inc. , it is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. , the worlds largest restaurant company. [2] As of 2012, there were more than 6,000 Pizza Hut restaurants in the United States, and more than 5,139 store locations in 94 other countries and territories around the world. [3] Main article: History of Pizza Hut Pizza Hut was founded in 1958 by brothers Dan and Frank Carney in their hometown of Wichita, Kansas. When a friend suggested opening a pizza parlor—then a rarity—they agreed that the idea could prove successful, and they borrowed $600 from their mother to start a business with partner John Bender. Renting a small building at 503 South Bluff in downtown Wichita and purchasing secondhand equipment to make pizzas, the Carneys and Bender opened the first Pizza Hut restaurant; on opening night, they gave pizza away to encourage community interest. A year later, in 1959, Pizza Hut was incorporated in Kansas, and Dick Hassur opened the first franchise unit in Topeka. Pizza Hut is split into several different restaurant formats; the original family-style dine-in locations; store front delivery and carry-out locations; and hybrid locations that offer carry-out, delivery, and dine-in options. Many full-size Pizza Hut locations offer lunch buffet, with all-you-can-eat pizza, salad, bread sticks, and a specialpasta. Additionally, Pizza Hut also has a number of other business concepts that are different from the store type; Pizza Hut Bistro locations are Red Roofs which offer an expanded menu and slightly more upscale options. Pizza Hut Express and The Hut locations are fast food restaurants. They offer a limited menu with many products not found at traditional Pizza Huts. These type of stores are often paired in a colocated location with a sibling brand such as WingStreet, KFC orTaco Bell, and are also found on college campuses, food courts, theme parks, and in stores such as Target and Walmart. Vintage Red Roof locations can be found throughout the United States, and quite a few exist in the UK and Australia, and Mexico. Even so, many such locations offer delivery/carryout service. This building style was common in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The name Red Roof is somewhat anachronistic now, since many locations have brown roofs. Dozens of Red Roofs have closed or been relocated/rebuilt. Many Red Roof branches have beer if not a full bar, music from a jukebox, and sometimes an arcade. In the mid 1980s, the company moved into other successful formats including delivery/carryout and the fast food Express model. The oldest continuously operating Pizza Hut in the world is in Manhattan, Kansas, in a shopping and tavern district known as Aggieville near Kansas State University. [pic] Pizza Hut location in Santa Ana, El Salvador In North America, Pizza Hut sells Stuffed crust pizza, with the outermost edge wrapped around a cylinder of mozzarella cheese; Hand-Tossed, more like traditional pizzeria crusts; Thin N Crispy, a thin, crisp dough which was Pizza Huts original style; Dippin Strips pizza, a pizza cut into small strips that can be dipped into a number of sauces; and The Edge pizza, where the toppings nearly reach to the edge of the pizza. There was also formerly a crust that was not as thick as Pizza Huts pan pizza, and not as thin as its thin crust. This crust was used on the Full House XL pizza and discontinued in 2007. There are regional differences in the products and bases sold. [4] Pizza Hut experiments with new products frequently, with less successful ones being discontinued. These include the initially popular two-foot by one-foot square cut pizza Bigfoot, the 16 Big New Yorker, made with a sweet sauce, the Chicago Dish Pizza and Sicilian pizza, the latter also offered in 2006 as Lasagna Pizza. Other products Pizza Hut has offered are the Pzone, which is Pizza Huts version of the calzone; the Cheesy Bites pizza, similar to the Stuffed Crust pizza except the crust has been divided into 28 bite-sized pieces that can be pulled apart; and the Insider pizza, where a layer of cheese is in between two layers of dough. Another limited time offer was a Double Deep pizza with double the toppings and 50% more cheese, with the crust wrapped over the top to hold in all the toppings. In 1985 Pizza Hut introduced the Priazzo,[5] a two-crusted Italian pie that resembled a deep-dish pizza. Varieties included Priazzo Milano, a blend of Italian sausage, pepperoni, beef, pork fillings, a hint of bacon, mozzarella and cheddar cheese; Priazzo Florentine, a light blend of five cheeses with ham and a touch of spinach, and Priazzo Roma, stuffed with pepperoni, mushrooms, Italian sausage, pork filling, onions, mozzarella and cheddar cheese. The double-crusted pie was topped with a layer of tomato sauce and melted cheese. The Priazzo was introduced by a $15 million advertising campaign, but proved too labor-intensive and was removed from the menu several years later. Depending on the individual restaurant size, Pizza Huts also may offer pasta dinners such as spaghetti and Cavatini – a mixture of Cavatelli (shells), Rotini (spirals), and Rotelle (wheels). [pic] [pic] Pizza Hut Bistro concept location located in Indianapolis, Illinois A new, upscale concept was unveiled in 2004, called Pizza Hut Italian Bistro. Unveiled at fifty locations nationwide, the Bistro is similar to a traditional Pizza Hut, except that new, Italian themed dishes are offered, such as penne pasta, chicken pomodoro, toasted sandwiches and other foods. [6] Instead of black, white, and red, Bistro locations feature a burgundy and tan motif. [7] Pizza Hut Bistros still serve the chains traditional pizzas and sides as well. In some cases, Pizza Hut has replaced a Red Roof location with the new concept. Pizza Hut on May 9, 2008, created and sold in Seattle, Denver, and Dallas, The Natural, featuring organic ingredients. This was discontinued on October 27, 2009 in the Dallas market. [8] It has since launched a nationwide advertising campaign. Also in 2008, Pizza Hut created their biggest pizza ever, the Panormous Pizza. [pic] A small Pizza Hut offering takeaway and delivery only inBramley, Leeds, UK. Pizza Hut introduced stuffed pan pizza on August 23, 2009. Unlike a regular stuffed crust pizza, cheese is not inside the crust, just pressed into the pan crust. Pizza Hut introduced the Big Italy, a pizza that is almost two feet long on August 22, 2010. In 2010, Pizza Hut came under fire when its supplier of palm oil, Sinar Mas, was exposed to be illegally slashing and burning the Paradise Forests of Indonesia to plant palm oil plantations. [9] Due to its previous ownership by PepsiCo, Pizza Hut, as with all Yum! Brands concepts, have a lifetime contract to sell Pepsi products. While Pizza Hut was owned by Pepsi, all three of Pizza Huts major competitorsDominos Pizza, Papa Johns Pizza, and Little Caesarsall sold Coca-Cola products. However, since Pepsis divestment of its restaurantbusiness, both Papa Johns (in 2012)[10] and Little Caesars (in 2007)[11] later switched to Pepsi products themselves. Pizza Hut developed a pizza for use as space food, which was delivered to the International Space Station in 2001. [12] It was vacuum sealed and about 6 inches (15 cm) in diameter to fit in the Stations oven. [12] It was launched on a Soyuz and successfully eaten by Yuri Usachov in orbit. [13] In 2012, Pizza Hut released its own brand of perfume. [14] [edit]Advertising [pic] Long-time/former Pizza Hut logo (1967–1999). Many older locations started with an earlier 1965 logo but were soon upgraded. Some locations still use this logo [pic] Pizza Hut Pepper Salt Pizza Huts very first ad was Putt Putt to the Pizza Hut. It starts with a man apparently ordering take-out and driving his 1965 Mustang JR to Pizza Hut, while some of the townspeople start chasing him. He picks up his pizza and goes to his house, when all of the people who were chasing him start eating all the pizza except the man who ordered it. Frustrated, he calls Pizza Hut again. Until early 2007, Pizza Huts main advertising slogan was Gather round the good stuff, and was Now Youre Eating! from 2008 to 2009. From 2009 to 2012, the advertising slogan was Your Favorites. Your Pizza Hut. The advertising slogan is currently Make it great, an updated version of the original Makin it great slogan that was used from 1987 to 1993. Pizza Hut does not have an official international mascot, but at one time, there were commercials in the United States called The Pizza Head Show. These commercials ran from 1993 to 1997 and were based loosely on the Mr. Bill shorts from Saturday Night Live in the 1970s. The ads featured a slice of pizza with a face made out of toppings called Pizza Head. In the 1970s Pizza Hut used the signature red roof with a jolly man named Pizza Hut Pete. Pete was on the bags, cups, balloons and hand puppets for the kids. In Australia during the Mid to late 1990s, the advertising mascot was a delivery boy named Dougie, with boyish good looks who, upon delivering pizza to his father, would hear the catchphrase Heres a tip: be good to your mother. Adding to the impact of these advertisements, the role of Dougie was played by famous Australian soap opera and police drama actor Diarmid Heidenreich. Pizza Hut sponsored the 1989 film Back to the Future Part II, and offered a free pair of futuristic sunglasses, known as Solar Shades, with the purchase of Pizza Hut pizza. Pizza Hut also engaged in product placement within the film itself, having a futuristic version of their logo with their trademarked red hut printed on the side of a mylardehydrated pizza wrapper in the McFly family dinner scene, and appear on a storefront inHill Valley in the year 2015. [15] The 1990 NES game Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game, came with a coupon for a free pizza. The game was filled with Pizza Hut advertising (the first ever console video game with product placement) and pizza that would refill the characters life. In 1994, Donald Trump and ex-wife Ivana Trump starred in a commercial. The ending of the commercial showed Ivana Trump asking for the last slice, to which Donald replied, Actually dear, youre only entitled to half, a play on the couples recent divorce. In 1995, Ringo Starr starred in a Pizza Hut commercial which also featured The Monkees. Rush Limbaugh also starred in a Pizza Hut commercial the same year, where he boasts that nobody is more right than me, yet he states that for the first time he will do something wrong, which was to participate in Pizza Huts then eating pizza crust first campaign regarding their stuffed crust pizzas. Talk show host Jonathan Ross, co-starred in an ad with American model, Caprice Bourret. They were used to advertise the stuffed crust pizza, with Jonathan Ross saying Stuffed Cwust, to which is a play on Jonathans pronunciation of Rs. Another UK ad shows British Formula One driver Damon Hill visit a Pizza Hut restaurant and order a pizza, with famous F1 commentator Murray Walker visiting with him, and narrating as though it was a Formula One race. As Hill is about to finish his meal, Walker, in a play on Hills 1994 1995 seasons where he was runner up in the Formula One World Championship both won by Michael Schumacher, shouts And Hill finishes second, again! at which Hill grabs Walker by his shirt and shakes him angrily, Walker proclaiming, in his usual tones, Hes lost it! Hes out of control! Following Englands defeat to Germany on penalties in the semi-finals of Euro 96, Gareth Southgate, Stuart Pearce and Chris Waddle featured in an advert. The advert shows Southgate wearing a paper bag over his head in shame as he was the one, who missed the crucial penalty against the Germans. Waddle and Pearce, who both missed penalty kicks in Italia 90 are ridiculing him, emphasising the word miss at every opportunity. After Southgate finishes his pizza he takes off his paper bag, heads for the door and bangs his head against the wall. Pearce responds with, this time hes hit the post. In 1997, former Soviet Union Premier Mikhail Gorbachev starred in a Pizza Hut commercial to raise money for the Perestroyka Archives. In recent years, Pizza Hut has had various celebrity spokespeople, including Jessica Simpson, the Muppets, andDamon Hill and Murray Walker. Recent commercials have Queen Latifah providing the voiceover. Also in 1997, Pizza Hut, reunited greatest of all time boxer Muhammad Ali with trainer Angelo Dundee in a sentimental made for Super Bowlcommercial. In 1999, the game Crazy Taxi for Sega Dreamcast featured Pizza Hut as one of the locations that players were able to drive to and drop off customers. However, in the 2010 re-release of the game for Xbox Live and PlayStation Network, all of the product placement, including the Pizza Hut locations were removed. [16] Pizza Hut paid for their logo to appear on a Russian Proton rocket in 2000, which launched the Russian Zvezda module. [17] January 2003 saw Pizza Huts Adverts Slogan Called Eat. Laugh. Share. the Commercials are Created By Head Gear Animationas of January 2007 the New Commercial we called The 4 For All At The End of the Excitement Commercial. Hew Open and Closes the Pizza Hut Box to reveal an Underwater while saying ? Se puede tener un Pizza Pan The Subtitles with the words Can you Have a Pan Pizza in it Early 2007 saw Pizza Hut move into several more interactive ways of marketing to the consumer. Utilizing mobile phone SMS technology and their MyHut ordering site, they aired several television commercials (commencing just before the Super Bowl) containing hidden words that viewers could type into their phones to receive coupons. Other innovative efforts included their MySpace Ted campaign, which took advantage of the popularity of social networking, and the burgeoning user-submission marketing movement via their Vice President of Pizza contest. As of October 2009, Pizza Hut is advertising its WingStreet brand on a nationwide basis, having met its internal requirement of 80% of stores having the product available. Team jobs ? Team Member Jobs ? Server Jobs ? Delivery Driver Jobs ? Call Center Customer Representative Pizza Hut is committed to breakthrough innovation and the success of our employees. From our world class operations to our passionate customer mania philosophy and an incredible franchise system, this is one great place to work! So come see what its like to be with a global leader in the restaurant industry. Youll find a fun, fast paced and supportive culture, where all of our success comes from our belief in people, and investing in you is our top priority. Working at Pizza Hut is about making hungry people happy. It’s about being independent and having fun, making new friends and earning extra cash. As a Pizza Hut team member, you can be the smiling face that greets and serves the customers or a cook who make things happen in the kitchen. Working with us will give you the financial rewards and flexibility to suit your lifestyle. You’ll experience new things, get recognized for your efforts and learn skills that last a lifetime. Management Jobs ? Restaurant General Manager Jobs ? Assistant General Manager Jobs ? Shift Manager Jobs Pizza Hut is committed to breakthrough innovation and the success of our employees. From our world class operations to our passionate customer mania philosophy and an incredible franchise system, this is one great place to work! So come see what its like to be with a global leader in the restaurant industry. Youll find a fun, fast paced and supportive culture, where all of our success comes from our belief in people, and investing in you is our top priority. To eat. To laugh. To share. That’s why people come to Pizza Hut. It’s the calling of our Restaurant General Managers to make them feel like family with smiles, teamwork and dedication. If you’re an experienced restaurant or retail manager, think about a career with Pizza Hut. You know who you are a natural leader, you love putting together a winning team. You’re all about teaching new things and motivating the team to work together. At Pizza Hut, you can do all that – and more. Here, you will work with experienced, fun people and you can expect training and growth, plenty of excitement, unique challenges and a world of opportunity. Youre it. A BIG part of why were the team thats famous for a reason. As a Pizza Hut Manager, youll take the lead on shifts and ensure everything we do exceeds our customers expectations. Youll ensure everyone provides great customer service, and youll help out preparing and serving our freshly prepared products. YOU will be responsible for managing shifts and share responsibility for customer satisfaction, profit, sales and employee performance goals. You will be part of a lively, friendly culture and youll receive exceptional management training while still having the flexibility to do the things you enjoy outside of work. Discover more about working with us, and learn about the great benefits and qualifications we offer. Have a look at our handy tips on writing an award winning CV and mastering that job interview. Look around our site, get a feel for what its all about, and apply for a career as a Pizza Hut Manager today. The Job Our two managerial positions work together. Restaurant General Manager Youll manage the smooth operation of your Pizza Hut, and take the lead in achieving customer satisfaction, profit, sales and employee performance goals. Youll be a role model to your Shift Managers and Team Members motivating them and rewarding them and getting them to work together as one, big happy team. Youre in charge, and your decisions will directly impact the success of our business. Shift Manager As the right hand person to the Manager, youll assist in managing the smooth operation of the restaurant and share responsibility for achieving customer, profit, sales and employee performance goals. Youll be working closely with the Team Members and you will be responsible for leading them to ensure they all work together as one, big, happy team. Youll allocate shift duties, ensure everyone follows all safety procedures and assist with the development and training of the team. As someone your team can look up to, youll provide them with coaching and support and champion our ‘How We Win Together principles. What we look for We have developed a great culture at Pizza Hut and we look for people who can guarantee we stay the team thats famous for a reason. Youre the lively and approachable type able to get along and communicate easily with people at all levels. Youre never short of a smile, you cope well under pressure, you thrive on a challenge and take exceptional pride in your appearance. We dont necessarily look for someone with Management experience well provide all the training you need, but we do want you to show some great leadership qualities. You need to be good with people, value customer service and product quality and enjoy the challenge of driving results. You value teamwork above all, because you know thats the best way to drive results. The Job As a Pizza Hut team member working in store, youll become a vital part of the team thats famous for a reason. There are two main roles, and youll be likely trained in both Customer Service Youre the smiling face of Pizza Hut that serves our customers. You need to be Friendly with a great smile Enjoy interacting with customers Confident with handling cash Food Preparation Youre behind the scenes preparing of our great products. Youll be responsible for Making great tasting products Food preparation Food safety Having fun with some great people! What we look for Besides being a team player who enjoys working in a fast paced environment, there are other things that will help you in being a successful member of the Pizza Hut team. You will need to take pride in your appearance, have loads of energy, be on time, be organised and willing to help keep our Pizza Hut stores clean and tidy. You also always keep in mind our work standards around cleanliness, hospitality, product and speed of service. Our customers are important to us, and well give you all the training you need to provide them with the great service and products theyve come to expect from the team thats famous for a reason. We believe in our people, and we know that YOU will get a lot out of working with US. The Benefits Flexibility -Flexible hours mean you dont have to put your life on hold. That way we make work a great experience too. Fun Friends Making new friends and having fun is just something we do. Life Skills Youll get a taste of the ‘real world and learn new ways to cope and get on in a supportive and friendly environment. Making Your Mark You will have the opportunity to make as much of your career as you want. Some of our Store Managers have even gone on to become franchisees owning their own Pizza Hut store. Work Life Balance -Flexibility is the key to our culture. At Pizza Hut we work to live. Discounts As a Pizza Hut employee, you will receive discounts on various Pizza Hut products. Reward Recognition This is a big part of our Pizza Hut culture, and you will see that we find plenty of reasons to celebrate achievement. For Managers, we know your work needs to be challenging, rewarding and it needs to lead somewhere. We recognise individual contribution and reward accordingly. And, we offer exceptional training and qualifications to help you achieve the career you want. Your Training Well train you up, so that youve got the skills and confidence to do a great job. Youll also discover many advancement opportunities along the way. Well always encourage you to continually learn and develop new skills abilities that could soon take you to a management position. For Managers, the training and skills acquired through Pizza Hut will be a great benefit to you now and in the future. We offer exceptional management training as you progress through the management ranks. You can also complete a Food Safety Supervisor certificate and, depending on your level of ambition and experience, traineeships may be available which offer structured training leading to a Nationally Recognised Qualification. There are a couple of qualifications available for managers: Certificate III Retail Supervision For those aspiring to become a Shift Manager Certificate IV Retail Management For up and coming Store Managers Q. What career opportunities are available at Pizza Hut? You can work in customer service, food preparation, or as a delivery driver or call centre operator (Brisbane only). You will receive on-the-job training and cross-training if you are interested in progressing your career. You could also be given the opportunity to complete a Retail Traineeship leading to a Nationally Recognised Qualification. Your Manager will be able to provide further information. Q. What happens if I cant make a shift? You should contact your Store Manager as soon as possible to let your team know you cant make the shift. Q. What hours will I work? Depending on the role, the number of hours that an employee works will vary. A full-time employee will work a minimum of 38 hours per week, whereas a part-time employee will work the hours they are contracted to work. For casual employees there is no guarantee of hours, so the hours can vary according to business demand from 0-38 hours per week.

Penn Square Bank & Down Corning Bankruptcy Essay Example for Free

Penn Square Bank Down Corning Bankruptcy Essay According to Norm Bowie, â€Å"sometimes being moral enhances the bottom line rather than reduces it† (Hartman, 2005, p108). Unfortunately, in the instances of Penn Square Bank and the Dow Corning bankruptcy, that may not have been the case. The following will examine the particulars of these situations and discuss the ethical issues present for each. Penn Square Bank Penn Square Bank was a small bank that played a large role in the Oklahoma banking crisis of the early 1980s. In an effort to maximize on the profits of the booming oil industry, the upper management of Penn Square Bank cut corners in several areas of its new lending division. Documentation to support million-dollar loans became lax. Collateral valuation and revenue recognition was severely over estimated without verification of the documentation to support such claims. Loan contracts were with casual deals and unspecific terms. Credit was extended based upon unverified personal letters paid for by the client. These documentation errors led to loans not properly secured (Caskey, 1985). In addition, Penn Square was more and more money, which facilitated errors in revenue recognition as the bank accepted over estimated valuation claims without requiring loan or interest payments. Thus, on paper the bank looked successful without ever possessing the funds to support its lending endeavors. Finally, credit was extended without true verification of asset valuation or proper documentation, and re-extended when the client could not produce the payments necessary to support the lofty loans (Caskey, 1985). Each of Penn Square Bank’s actions represents a form of financial statement fraud, which led to its downfall in 1982. According to Fraud Examination, there are three ways to deter financial statement fraud: (1) reduce the pressure to commit the fraud, (2) reduce the opportunity to commit the fraud, and (3) reduce the rationalization of the fraud (Wells, 2005). However, in this instance, most if not all of the fraud committed can be attributed to demanding goals set by Penn State Bank owner, Bill Jennings. As explained by Hartman, the â€Å"driving force† of â€Å"profit maximization† created a business environment to facilitate fraud (2005). Because profit was the sole motivator, documentation was inadequate, collateral valuation and revenue recognition was overstated, and credit extension was unverified and inferior. Instead,  Penn Square Bank should have considered the following measures: †¢An oversight or review board should be been established to oversee verification of credit or collateral valuation and determine the risk associated with each loan. †¢Documentation requirements should have been heavily enforced and maintained by the review board. †¢Contract and loan deals should have been regulated to the office with strict documentation requirements. †¢Disclosures should have been made regarding the lack of loan and interest payments. †¢Asset valuation and revenue recognition should have been accurately portrayed to investors, clients, and potential buyers. †¢Upper management should have established company ethical standards and enforced these standards with strict consequences for violation without exception. Unfortunately, all the measures to deter fraud that should have been considered were undermined by the owner’s overwhelming demand for success. Thus, Jennings’ need to maximize profits and increase sales created the pressure, opportunity, and rationalization to commit each action of fraud. Dow Corning Bankruptcy Dow Corning Corporation is the big name in silicone and silicone-based material production. But in 1995, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to protect itself from lawsuits regarding their silicone-based breast implants. Some advocated that the action was an effort to â€Å"avoid compensating women for their injuries† (Book review, 1996, p7). However, according to Hartman, Chapter 11 bankruptcy is intended to protect companies from creditors while it undergoes restructuring in an effort to stave off liquidation. By doing so, the company continues business, pays taxes, and provide jobs but is allowed time to reorganize to triumph over its economic hardship (Hartman, 2005). The ethical challenge is to use Chapter 11 as it is intended – as a restructuring tool to avoid losing everything – rather than file for Chapter 11 as a way of cheating its creditors out of owed money. Hartman suggests that what is ethical in regard to bankruptcy is to go beyond what the laws require and uphold the debt agreements made with creditors (Hartman, 2005). Dow Corning seemed to have that same perspective. Nine years later the company emerged from bankruptcy after settling the lawsuits for a payout of $3.3 billion over the next 15 years (Arndt, 2004). During the time under Chapter 11, the company reorganized  itself to refocus silicone production to develop fabrics, materials, and pharmaceutical products (Arndt, 2004). These sales and expanding markets will help Dow Corning to pay its debts to the 300,000 women named in the settlement (Sissell, 2004). Thus, Dow Corning is Chapter 11 bankruptcy free but still upholding its ethical obligation to the wronged party and its creditors. Although Dow Corning’s actions following the Chapter 11 emergence was ethically sound, its actions leading to the filing was anything but. Problems with Dow Corning’s silicone breast implants began as early as 1984 when they lost a lawsuit claiming the implant caused medical illness such as autoimmune disease. During the investigation for this lawsuit, lawyers found evidence showing Dow Corning executives were aware of complaints from doctors, concerns about the lack of long-term testing, and cases of the implant bursting during surgery. In addition, the study that supposedly proved the effectiveness and safety of the product revealed detrimental long-term effects on the animals under experimentation (Book review, 1996). However, throughout all the breast implant concerns, Down Corning continued to advocate the safety of their product going as far as to hire high profile and extremely expensive teams of legal and public relations specialists. In addition, allegations were present of executives attempting to destroy damning internal documents suggesting upper management was trying to cover up its liability in the claims. The 1984 lawsuit found Dow Corning guilty of fraud and deceit stating the company provided inferior and incomplete information by understating the risks to make an informed decision (Book review, 1996). More important, it revealed the unethical behavior of the executives and company as a whole.

Negative Effects of Societys Dependence on Technology

Negative Effects of Societys Dependence on Technology Introduction Communication is the exchanging or transferring of a message between a sender and a receiver. Communication devices nowadays is commonly used throughout the modern world to send and to receive information. Communication devise are used in personal life, business, and even society as a whole. The devices might vary, but the object is still the same, to send and receive information. There are many types of communication device such as computer. The computers such as home computer and laptop computers became a vital communication device in modern life. Computers has given the user the ability to communicate using word, video, and audio. A computer enables the user to access the internet such as social networks, emails, and more. Computers are also used in various field in factories. And also computers are used in automotive vehicles. An automotive vehicle can have multiple computers that communicate between each to maintain proper functionality. A laptop computer is a mobile computer. T hey have the same functionality as desktop computers such as accessing internet, email and video conferencing. Secondly there are smartphones. A smartphone is a small computer that also functions like a telephone. Smartphones typically include digital voice service, internet access, email and text messaging. Unlike a telephone, a smartphone can do a lot more such as photo snapping, audio recording and more. Smartphones also run a wide range of computer applications for business and entertainment. And there are also Tablet PC such as ipad. A tablet PC refers to a tablet computer, a kind of mobile computer, they usually have touchscreen or pen-enabled interface like some of the smartphones. It is also a tablet personal computer, a type of tablet which runs an adapted version of a desktop operating system. They normally have the functionality as a computer. Dangers of a society which depends on computer screens rather than face-to-face contact  for communication Physical Health Issues Using a computer can cause back, neck and shoulder pain, eyestrain, and overuse injuries of hands and wrists. Spending too much time on computer can contribute to obesity and other health problems. But you can reduce these risks with proper workstation design, better posture and good habits, such as taking rest breaks and restricting time spent playing computer games. The more time a person spends on a computer, the less likely the person is to participate in physical activities, which can result in weight gain. A person also is likely to experience eye and back strain and possibly repetitive injuries from computer use. Beyond these issues, computers can create turmoil for users by reacting slowly or suffering from viruses and other problems, requiring repair. The more dependent users are on their computers, the more likely these setbacks will affect their stress level and overall health. Besides, facing too much computers will lead exposure to radiation. Anonymity One of the main issues with computer-mediated communication comes from a lack of accountability with users. People are able to represent themselves as whatever they want on Internet forums or social networks, and this creates communication problems in both directions. A user may distort who he is by not providing accurate details about himself, and this lack of honesty affects how that person is viewed. The cloak of anonymity allows a user to potentially infringe upon socially accepted practices like tolerance or politeness. Violation of Privacy Communicating via computers can help people bridge large geographical gaps and access remote information, but doing so may open up a persons privacy more than he might want. With an in-person meeting or phone conversation, there is a relative assurance that details of those exchanges will remain private. However, with email, text messaging or message boards, there is a record of what people say. Information is not just thrown out into the air like speech, but it stored as a permanent record. There is an inherent danger when third parties can access these online conversations. Similarly, social networks and other Internet-based communication tools are vulnerable to privacy breach, as users often engage in these activities on public networks, leaving personal information, potentially, out in the open. Misinterpretation The fact that most communication taking place on computers comes in the form of text can actually be a negative in terms of our ability to understand things clearly. Even with email, it is possible for information to be misconstrued or the emotion of a statement to be missed. Saying thanks a lot to someone in an e-mail message, for instance, could be used to genuinely relay gratitude. On the other hand, it could indicate a negative feeling of someone being put in a tough position. The context clues that a person provides with their body language and tone of voice are lost in this scenario. Users get around some of this confusion by using emoticons keyboard characters that serve as a shorthand for mood and feeling but a great deal of subtlety can be missed without seeing how someone reacts with their body language and voice. One of the dangers with multimedia tools is that people using those tools are unable to gain instant feedback like face-to-face conversation offers. Even on vid eo conferencing and video calls, one participant or the other can easily step outside the range of the camera and make faces, look at other stimuli such as emails or websites, or even make comments that cant be heard by the other correspondent. This behavior may lead to misunderstandings and misinterpretations. Additionally, text-only communication such as email and texting has a lack of immediate feedback. The participants are unable to read body language, tone of voice or facial expression. This lack of feedback often leads to misinterpretation and offense. One particularly difficult kind of multimedia communication is sarcasm or cynicism. That humour is often taken literally in multimedia communication situations, leading to hurt feelings. Cannot spell, use proper punctuation, or proper grammar Many people in generation Y have poor literacy skills. They may be able to read and write weel enough to communicate, but they cannot spell, use proper punctuation, or proper grammar. People will (and are beginning to) miss out on face-to-face contact and thus their social skills will decline. It is possible that after decades of having no, or extremely limited human contact, that we will loose the ability to read body language. This could cause all sorts of misunderstandings and problems. Having limited human contact will cause us to have even less trust in others, and in turn, we will be even less friendly and even more stand-offish. It would lead to an array of health issue such as vitamin deficiencies and depression from lack of sunlight and obesity from a lack of movement. Loosing social skills They lack social skills and also their humane side gradually dies out cause the anonymity also makes them brave enough to be nasty to others and that catches on like wild fire just see how people answer in the religion and spirituality section it’s like a training school for nastiness Dependency Societys dependency on computers for communication is also a dangerous game, as outside forces can prevent communication in a variety of ways. Earthquakes, floods and hurricanes have caused various slowdowns and stoppages of Internet connectivity for people all over the world. Additionally, reliance on social networks and email can have the unintended consequence of opening a person up to identify theft attempts and email scams. Even the outside force of political unrest can threaten a users ability to communicate, as the 2011 demonstrations in Cairo and Libya resulted in government shutdowns of the Internet, drastically curtailing each countrys ability to communicate, both nationally and internationally Stalking Another danger of multimedia tools is the ease with which a person can stalk another. Numerous computer programs use GPS technology to track individuals. Addresses and phone numbers can be found by anyone with a computer and basic search abilities and, with map programs, public records access and other information online, its relatively easy for a determined individual to stalk anyone they choose. This is particularly true of public figures or celebrities, who are monitored at every turn. Hinder family relationships Technology nowadays offers a plethora of ways to communicate so that the members of each family can keep in touch. From text messaging, Skype, webcams, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and emails. The facilitation of communication is very available. However, there are still times when the face-to-face communication between human being fall through the cracks and technology would take control over a family. Some of the family members do not communicate to each other by face-to-face, just because communicate through technology like social interactive online networking is convenient , they choose to send messages through it and not just walk out of their room and talk. Social interactive online networking like Facebook and MySpace has changed the way family members communicate. As a child of a family, I assumed that the problem was more to be on the child side, such as texting through a family dinner, spending most of the time immersed in Facebook. In my opinion, the families that had the wo rst relationship were those who overwhelmed by the amount of technology used in their home. I would suggest the families to solve this problem by having a central location for every of their members to communicate or having a specific time for the members to stay together in a place to have talks. This might be helpful in maintaining the relationship of the members and keeping technology from taking over the life of a family. Conclusion Computers have enabled a large degree of change in how the world communicates and shares information. With all of the benefits that computer-based communication has brought society as a whole, there are distinct disadvantages when compared to face-to-face conversations. The borders between direct face-to-face and computer-mediated interaction will fade away, but they will never completely disappear. Not all forms of socialization can be transmitted by digital media. There are all kinds of experiments in which scientists try to implement digital duplications of smell and feeling into the computer. It is possible to simulate very limited forms of touching. But this almost nothing compared to the high sensibility of our tactile organs. Especially for our intimate personal relations this is an enormous disability. Computers will probably never reach a stage of sophistication at which they can mediated direct human interaction completely, for the simple reason that computers dont have a h uman body. Human beings know and feel certain things because they have a human body. No organism without a human body will ever know and feel the things in the same way humans do. Thats the crucial reason why computers can never be really intelligent.It is understand that the development of information technology has been changing the way of our live completely. Everything become more easily, but, at the expense of personal contact, as many people choose to work at home in front of a computer screen. This brings the serious dangers for a society which depends on computer screen rather than face-to-face contacts. This matter, not just bring bad side for our society, but also for our health. One of the biggest dangers is that people start to live a life without any social contacts. Everyone (who likes to sit in front of the computer) starts to live in his or her own world, a world dominated purely by their computer screen messages. Living in an illusion that millions of friends are ou t there always waiting for you. Friends that will support when you have a bad day, or will cheer you up when you are sad. This ‘artificial bubble’ starts burst as soon as people get into real problem, such as losing their job. From that problem, will lead to another problem. Let say, if we like to live our life in front of our computer’s screen, we are getting lazy and not going out for a walk. Our movement gets limited only in our home. This will makes us isolated from the society outside which we might become lonely just communicating with the computer. For me, this is very bad habit for people to get isolated from the real life. Apart from that, depending on a screen rather than meeting face-to-face is very bad for health. It will make our spine back ill. Sitting for a long time and looking to a screen also makes our eyes bad. This will cause healthy problem for us. We always feel not good with our spine back and we also maybe have to wear eyeglasses when we h ave a problem with our eyes. From my reading, light from the screen can cause bad side for our eyes if we continuously looking at computer screen the whole day long.