31 Ways a Freelance Writer Can Increase Productivity (And Earn More Money)

Its your year to start freelance writing. Yes, youve mulled it over and finally have taken the first step to becoming a freelance writer. But, theres one that that can hurt your chances at ever making a living as a freelance writer. Its the distraction. Distraction from people and social media. Even after three years as a freelance writer, I still have to stop myself from diving into Facebook or spending a few minutes on Pinterest. I know that if I allow myself that time, an hour will be wasted. So, how do you increase your productivity as a freelance writer? Lets look at 31 ways freelance writers can be more productive and earn more money. 1. Have a Workspace This might seem like a silly thing, but there are a whole bunch of freelancers out there trying to have a business on their couches! Please dont do that. Create a dedicated workspace to do your client work. My husband works downstairs in his office during the day, and I work upstairs in our bedroom. Nowadays you can pick up a desk and computer chair second hand or if you are bootstrapping it work in your kitchen. Be careful though. The height of your table when youre typing can ruin your hands and cause pain. Standing may be a better option. 2. Have Your Necessities Near By Distractions will creep up when you have to leave your workspace to get a drink of water or grab a snack or get your phone. Instead, decide beforehand what necessities you need to have a productive workday. For me, they are: Water bottle Hair tie Headphones Fruit Pen Notebook Whenever I take a quick break, I have everything I need nearby. 3. Listen to Music Music improves your mood and gets you focussed. Peoples minds tend to wander, and we know that a wandering mind is unhappy, Dr. Sood said. Most of that time, we are focusing on the imperfections of life. Music can bring us back to the present moment. Listening to music helps you write faster and come up with more content ideas. I still listen to the same album whenever I write for my clients. I have conditioned my brain to associate this music with writing, and as soon as I hear it, I am in my writing zone. And whats more important, the type of music you listen to Baroque music improves concentration and productivity. 4. Use a Productivity App If classical music isnt your thing, try an app instead: Brain.fm Coffitivity [emailprotected] Brain Upgrade 5. Create a Habit The best thing you can do for your freelance writing is to make it a habit of writing every day! When you write every day, you become a better writer, learn to optimize your time better and be more efficient with your learning. But, how can you write every day if you work 40+ hours a week that sucks the creativity out of you by the time you come home? First, decompress with whatever you need to do spend time with the kiddos outside, bike ride, shower, TV, music, books, etc.. Then, read a blog post or two to ease yourself into the writing mode. From there, get your necessities and write anything like: A Tweet A LinkedIn post A Facebook post Your to-do list on Trello An outline of a sample piece A blog post (dont have a blog? Start one here!) Respond to an email you received Your freelance writing pitch A guest post 6. Get Dressed This is for the stay-at-home moms like me 🙂 I tend to lounge around in my classic yoga pants and sweatshirt. But, you know what? When I look frumpy, I feel frumpy. And this zaps my creativity. So, I found that if I just do a little better with my dressing you know, nicer yoga pants and a nicer fleece or wrap depending on the weather and a touch of makeup that my creativity shoots through the roof! And even though I promote writing in your pjs (because thats really the best!), only do that occasionally 🙂 7. Remove Distractions To be more productive as a freelance writer, try removing the most distracting parts of your day. For example, social media is a HUGE distraction for me. As a way to limit that distraction I can remove my Facebook news feed. And thats another reason why I listen to music so I dont hear the doorbell ring or my husband in the kitchen cooking his lunch. 8. Have a Work Schedule and Stick to It Working for yourself will feel very liberating. Taking that break in the middle of the day will be exhilarating. It was for me! But, I learned I wasnt as productive as I could be if I had a schedule to follow. Now I do. My schedule has changed over the years, but for now, its: 8-9 am chores + get twins ready and off to school 9 am- 12 pm Email, client work, blog posts, Pinterest graphics 12-1 pm lunch + chores 1-3 pm Client work, learning time, blog post writing, social media 3-8 pm chores + family and kid time, supper, bath, bed for twins 8-11 pm Blog post writing, course lessons 9. Plan Out Your Projects One of the things freelance writers need to know is how to structure a blog post. I go into this in Write Your Way to Your First $1k, but for right now, what I can mention is to work on the core parts of a blog post or whatever your project is. For example, if a client wants a blog post, I would make sure to work on: Headline Hook (introduction) Subheading points CTA Screenshots of what Im talking about Source links When you have a system of how you handle your projects, youll work faster overall. 10. Write When the Kids Nap For the moms out there, no house cleaning during nap time! This is the time you need to work on your freelance writing business. I know, its tough when youre staring at a sink full of dishes or a bucket full of clean laundry. When my twins napped, I did as much as I could with them awake. My twins enjoyed spending time with me helping me sort the laundry and playing with the pots and pans while I put the dishes away! I was less guilty, then, when they did finally nap, that I could get the time to find freelance writing jobs. Figure out what works for you. If that means only working during nap times 3x a week, thats better than working during the fringe hours of the day. 11. Use the Pomodoro Technique The Pomodoro technique is a lifesaver for work at home moms with little ones! Children have a short attention span, so if you can work when they are playing and then take a break when your children lose focus, its a win-win in the house. The Pomodoro technique goes like this: Work uninterrupted for 25 minutes (I did it for 20 minutes as my twins were little at the time) Take a 5-minute break ( I took a 10-minute break to do an activity with my twins) Work uninterrupted for 25 minutes Repeat Do a few chunks of this and then take a longer break 25 minutes to 1 hour depending on your needs. This is a flexible schedule that you can adapt and it works! It keeps you focused on what you need to do during that time. 12. Hide Your Phone Im going to age myself here, but after my twins were born and I started freelance writing, I lost interest in my phone. Before twins, I used my phone constantly because I worked outside the home and my husband and I would venture out around the town. But, with twins, I stayed home more and now that I freelance write, I dont venture out as much (although now that the twins are older, we are going out more). So, if you live by the phone, try moving it to another room while you do your work. It will be hard I know, but trust me, you wont implode without your phone! 13. Drink Copious Amounts of Coffee Coffee is my vice. On bad days I can drink up to three cups. Its not good for the nerves, but coffee can help you be more productive. You are more alert, and you can act on your actions easier. So, if you can, start your writing with a cup of coffee. 14. Automate Parts of Your Business I love my business tools! They help me streamline my business, increase my work production and decrease my stress. I feel that part of the investment in your business should go to tools and services. My top three are: Tailwind for automating my pinning strategy ConvertKit to grow my email list Contena to help me find freelance writing jobs quickly (as this mama has NO time to search countless job boards) 15. Create Templates When I write my content pieces, I generally follow a template. This just makes writing easier and faster. You can also create templates for your pitches. As a new freelance writer, youre going to be hustling hard and pitching many times a day. As a way to maximize your time, you can create a standard template for your pitch emails. I dont suggest you send the same pitch to multiple job offers. Instead, use it as a framework to write a personalized pitch. You can draft one up in Evernote or Google Doc or your notepad. Just have it handy when its time to pitch. 16. Create a Swipe File A swipe file is a place where you store: Reference sites Landing pages Sales pages Blog posts Screenshots of social media posts Business blogs You can save whatever you like as long as its a way to help your freelance writing (and save you time). For example, I have a swipe file of sales page copy. I like to view other sales page and their copy techniques to help me with my sales page copy. Similarly, you can swipe blog posts that you find well written or have good sources. 17. Bulk Your Blog Post Content When I have a large chunk of time, I like to bulk up my content. This means I pre-write several blog posts for my blog. If you have a blog as a way to help you land clients, you can spend a day or two writing blog content and drip this content out over several months. In my first year as a freelance writer, I had a full plate of client work. But, I wanted to continue to grow this blog, Elna Cain. So, I asked other freelance writers if they would like to contribute to a blog post. I interviewed several freelance writers, and this helped me get content on this blog for a whole month or more. 18. Track Your Time Do you know that if you simply track your time when you work, you can effectively double your productivity? Alexa of Single Moms Income, tried this method out When I decided to start tracking my work from home time I made a rough list of things that I had to get done for the week and began working. I would write down the exact time I started, what I was working on and when I finished that particular task, Id write the exact time again. I wanted to be thorough so I could report back accurately. Only, writing down what I hadactuallyaccomplished made me want to keep adding to the list. The first day I tried this method I had myentire weeksworthof freelance articles done in one day with time to spare. (I normally space these out from Monday through Wednesday!) I havent tried this tip, but am interested in trying it out this year. 19. Wake Up at the Same Time If you do this full-time, you might be inclined to wake up whenever you want. While this is fine for the short-term, it wont help take your business to the next level. Waking up at the same time conditions your body to be ready for work. It also helps divide your day into your work tasks and personal tasks. When I started freelance writing, I made sure to wake up around the same time each day. And while my twins usually dictated when we woke up, I relied on my internal clock to wake me up. 20. Go to Sleep at the Same Time I know many bloggers that stay up until 2 or 3 am to write that blog post or email. Again, this is fine in the short run, but the best time to work and be productive is in the morning or mid-morning. And if you were up late last night, youre going to be groggy in the morning and probably not feel like writing. So, try to go to bed at the same time. For hubby and me, we try to be asleep by midnight. 21. Batch Your Tasks Batching refers doing one task at a time. You can batch your days out or hours out, or whatever metric is suitable for you. I typically batch my days out: Monday: blog post ideas for clients and my blog Tuesday: outline ideas + pin graphics Wednesday: email copy + social media + writing Thursday: writing, graphics, email questions Friday: course ideas, learning, email questions Try batching your tasks to help you streamline your tasks and be more productive. Heres what Lois of Fox Glove Avenue says about batching: OK, this one I borrowed -stole- from Elna. And its gold. For my blog-a-thon,I broke down the blog writing process into chunks and completed them in batches. I wrote all the headlines and outlines. Then I found all the links I wanted to include. Then I made all the graphics. Then day by day, I wrote the posts. Now that my blog-a-thon is over,I still batch all my posts for the month.Trust me, its a time saver. It does mean you have to have a basic content calendar in place. If the thought of this freaks you out, go and read the One Hour Content Plan by Meera Kothand. Ill eat my tutu if you dont love it. 22. Outsource There might be a time when youll get more inquiries for your content services than you have time for. This is a great time, and you should celebrate! But, instead of turning down work, why not outsource? This is what I did, and it helped grow my income. You can outsource parts of your service to free up time for you. I outsource writing and research mostly. Everything is run past me before I submit to my clients ensuring that its in my voice. 23. Sign Up for a Paid Job Board Look I dont have time to hustle anymore. I have several blogs, several courses, several Facebook groups, Pinterest groups, Facebook pages, clients andmore! Instead of checking many job boards, I just go to one. I can look at all the jobs curated all over online, filter them for just my niche and price point (high-paying of course) and find leads in under 3 minutes. 24. Type Faster An easy way to increase your income is to increase your typing speed. The faster you type, the more content you can pump out in a day, which can increase your daily income. Go to Key Hero to practice your typing speed and accuracy. 25. Find Your Writing Rhythm When you find your writing groove, youll type faster, make fewer mistakes and ideas will flow better. You are optimizing your writing skill when you find your writing rhythm. For me, when I have my associated music and am in my dedicated workspace, I can get in my writing rhythm pretty quickly. 26. Write First, Proofread Later This is a hard one for many writers. Their writing process may show that they self-edit too much, inhibiting the free flow of thoughts. For me, this is the hardest part of freelance writing. I tend to mull over sentences, change things up as I write it and it slows my process down. Im getting better though. The more writing I do, the better typer I become, helping me make fewer mistakes. Also, once Im in my groove, nothing can stop me! So, write first and let it sit. Have lunch, take a walk, cook dinner or whatever. You can go back to it the next day or later that day. Usually, youll have a better picture of what you need to change. 27. Create Public Goals Do you have a Facebook profile? Maybe a Twitter account? Use those social media platforms to share your goals with friends, family, and followers. Others can hold you accountable, making you increase your chances of succeeding. These goals can be writing goals, pitching goals, or client goals. Give your goal a timeline too. For example, For the next two weeks, Im going to cold pitch 5 companies a day. Root for me! 28. Give Yourself Deadlines One of the things I do with my client work is have the client deadline and my deadline. My deadline is usually three days before the clients deadline. Why do I do this? It motivates me to get the job done as fast as possible without ruining quality and when I can turn in my work early, I get big Brownie Points from my clients! And wowing your clients can mean more money in the long run! 29. Be Excited to Work This is for the old-timer freelance writers like me! Ive been doing this for three years, and there are days when this is just a job. I have no creativity to write, and it hurts to get those thoughts out. I have to stop all of that and fill my cup up with creativity and joy before I can write. This might be running, exercising, eating better, playing with my twins, going to the park, or having dinner with my hubby. The biggest help, though, is starting a blog! I meet new people, write whatever I want and have fun doing it! When Im happy, and my life isnt crazy, my work thrives. So get healthy inside and out before you write. 30. Use a Tool Your writing should be error-proof for your clients. I suggest you invest in a tool like Grammarly to help you with your editing process. I use the desktop version for my content pieces and whats nice is that Grammarly follows you online too! So, as Im writing this in WordPress, Grammarly is working, or when I write a message on Twitter, Grammarly follows! 31. Do the Scary Big Thing First This is based on the book, Eat That Frog. What this means is that instead of waiting around for that one big scary thing, just get it over and done with in the morning or before lunch. For you, it might be sending out your first pitch or doing a Skype interview with a client or writing that sample piece. Yes, its scary, but once you do it, youll feel relieved and exhilarated. And when youre happy, youre more productive 🙂 Increase Productivity in Your Freelance Writing Biz Today To make a living as a freelance writer, you need to handle the distractions that come into your life. If your home is too distracting, try going to the library or coffee house. If you gravitate towards your phone, hide your phone while you work. If Facebook calls you, kill the newsfeed. There are ways to limit distractions and increase productivity as a freelance writer. Now its your turn tell me your biggest productivity killer and what you do to stop that. Id love to hear it! Please pin me!

The Political Career of Kamarajar Essay Example

The Political Career of Kamarajar Essay Example The Political Career of Kamarajar Essay The Political Career of Kamarajar Essay The political career of Kumaraswamy Kamaraj (1903-1975) spanning about 50 years, cutting across the colonial and post-independent phases, of Indian history, is indeed an enviable record. Representing a novel political culture neither bordering on Gandhian thought and action nor possessing the anglicised sophistication and cosmopolitanism of the Nehruvian vision, Kamaraj, rose from an underprivileged background, stood forth as a sober and robust figure winning the confidence and respect of the common people. He showed a rare political acumen and the uncanny ability to grasp social and political realities from the grass roots level upwards. A hard core political realist, his political life was never governed by any high theories or fancy jargon. Accredited with the capacity to be at ease with cliques, groups, factions and castes, Kamaraj applied his energies in favour of common people. Endowed with an extraordinary memory, his minimal formal schooling! was never a serious impediment. In fact rarely could a man from such a humble origin possess such knowledge about Tamil Nadu, be it geography or ethnography, which is beyond most intellectuals and academicians. Kamaraj rose from the lowest Congress ranks during the freedom struggle to become the president of the Tamil Nadu Congress Party for over 20 years (1940-1963) interspersed by short intervals, the chief minister of Madras (1954-1963) for nine years; and, as the president of the Indian National Congress (1964-1967), he assumed the crucial role of kingmaker. Kamarajs ascendancy is all the more significant because he belonged to the low caste Nadar community,1 which had a long history of struggle against social oppression and economic deprivation. The Nadars, originally known as Shanars, were found principally in the two southern districts of Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari. Palmyra climbing and toddy tapping were their traditional occupations. In the Hindu caste hierarchy the Nadars were ranked very low just above the untouchables and were forbidden entry into temples because of their association with alcohol. Mercantilism and Christianity played crucial roles in facilitating their upward mobility. Within a span of two centuries, they rose from near untouchability to a position of social and economic power. Though Kamaraj typified the Nadar success story he never was a leader of his community2 and transcended the bounds of Nadar caste identity3 dropping the caste title early in his political career. Hailing from Virudhupatti (now Virudhunagar), one of the early settlements of migrant Nadars, Kamaraj, born in 1903 into an ordinary small scale Nadar business family, was a school dropout at the age of 11 and for a number of years never had steady and proper employment. Kumaraswamy Kamaraj evinced interest in politics at the age of 15 when the news of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre reached his ears. Responding to the call of Gandhijis Non-Cooperation Movement, Kamaraj entered the freedom struggle as a Congress volunteer organising meetings, processions and demonstrations. He soon found an abiding place for himself in the Congress ranks as a gritty grass roots level, full-time worker and mass leader of the Congress; and he was imprisoned a number of times for actively participating in the freedom struggle. He spent a total of eight years in British Indian jails during six spells of imprisonment. When the Brahmin dominance in the Tamil Nadu Congress leadership4 was firmly entrenched and the rivalry between the two key Brahmin leaders, C Rajagopalachari and S Satyamurthi, was brewing, Kamaraj wove his way into the top echelons of the Tamil Nadu Congress organisation as the representative of the non-Brahmin enclave. The Brahmin image5 of the Congress found its affirmation at the hands of Rajaji when he introduced compulsory Hindi in schools in 1938 when he was the chief minister. This move was met with resentment and brought about an open confrontation between him and E V Ramasamy in 1938. A massive anti-Hindi agitation was launched by E V Ramasamy unleashing a vehement onslaught on the nexus between Rajaji, the Brahmin and Hindi, the Aryan language of oppression. 6 The statewide anti-Hindi campaign involved picketing schools, picketing in front of Rajajis residence and hunger strikes. E V Ramasamy was arrested in December 1938 and imprisoned for a year. This confrontation sharpened the conflict between the non-Brahmins and Brahmins within the Congress organisation. The agitation was continued till Rajaji had to opt for making Hindi an optional subject in schools in February 1940. At this crucial moment, Rajajis candidate, C P Subbiah, was defeated by K Kamaraj with the support of the Brahmin leader, Satyamurthi. Kamaraj was elected as the president of the Tamil Nadu Congress in 1940, the post which he held till he became the chief minister of Tamil Nadu in 1954. The advent of Kamaraj as the party boss from a low caste non-Brahmin background made a powerful appeal to the vast non-Brahmin majority and attracted the non-Brahmin elites and the political-minded elements who had long resented the power and privileges of the Brahmins, and broadened the social base of the Congress. The non-Brahmin presence in the Congress gained ground, rallying around Kamaraj, a rustic leader who transformed the Congress into a peoples party championing the causes of the lower castes. Kamaraj grew steadily from strength to strength displaying his organising skills to control men and matters. During these years his contact with the people and the respect he commanded made his positio n unassailable. The untimely death of Satyamurti in 1943 improved his position and gave him a further lease of power. With the Congress machinery under his control, he overshadowed his party men and effectively reduced the Brahmin dominance in the party. As the party chief, Kamaraj commenced his active role in the successive elections of the Congress legislative party of Madras and was the prime author of installing three chief ministers between 1946 and 1952: T Prakasam, Omandur Ramaswamy Reddiar and Kumaraswamy Raja. The next successor Rajaji was certainly not Kamarajs choice but was appointed by the Congress high command. The re-entry of Rajaji as chief minister8 without even an election could have derailed Kamarajs emerging equations with non-Brahmins. The die was cast when Rajaji, flaunting his authority, introduced a vocational educational scheme based on hereditary calling, which met with stiff opposition not only from the Dravida Kazhagam and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, but also from a large number of non-Brahmins in the Congress quarters. This educational pattern, aimed at imparting to school children the traditional caste occupation of their parents, came to be condemned by E V! Ramasamy as kula kalvi thittam, devised to perpetuate varnashrama dharma. Rajaji also took the drastic step of closing down nearly 6,000 schools, citing financial constraints. 9 E V Ramasamy campaigned against the new educational policy much to the chagrin of Rajaji. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), formed in 1949 by breaking away from the Dravida Kazhagam, also joined the crusade against Rajajis scheme. E V Ramasamy did not rest on his oars till the scheme was dropped. This second confrontation between them proved too costly for Rajaji. Rajaji, the statesman of Brahmin hagiography, had to bow out ingloriously tendering his resignation in 1954. Rajajis political vagaries in 1938 and 1953 meant the passing of Brahmins as the controllers of Tamil Nadus political destiny till the next four decades. With the resignation of Rajaji, Kamaraj was perhaps the natural and logical choice. At the meeting of the Congress legislature party on March 31, 1954, with Rajaji presiding, his arch rival and the target of his ridicule10 Kamaraj was elected as the leader, securing 93 votes as against 41 received by C Subramaniam who was propped up by Rajaji. 1 Kamaraj as Chief Minister Kamaraj was reluctant to accept the chief ministership but the circumstance prevailed upon him as there was no alternative to the kingmaker himself ascending the throne. 12 Kamaraj took the mantle from Rajaji, and formed his first cabinet, which did not contain a single Brahmin contrary to Rajajis first ministry in 1937, dominated by Brahmins. 13 The elevatio n of Kamaraj as the chief minister on the wave of opposition to the Rajaji scheme of education, led to the development of closer ties between Kamaraj and E V Ramasamy. The Congress gained the support of E V Ramasamy and Kamarajs equation with the non-Brahmins was kept intact. E V Ramasamy was all set to endorse his solidarity with Kamaraj on the grounds that in all these years he was the first and only non-Brahmin with Tamil as his mother tongue to become the chief minister; and for the first time a full-fledged ministry had been formed without a single Brahmin headed! by Kamaraj. According to E V Ramasamy all credit should go to Kamaraj for dropping Rajajis educational scheme despite opposition from upper castes led by C Subramaniam and Bakthavatchalam who were in favour of it. 4 Extolling Kamaraj as the pacchai Tamilan he urged his followers to extend every support to sustain the Kamaraj rule and prevent it from being ousted, as the interests of Tamils were safe in his hands. 15 However, Kamaraj did not follow the exclusion of Brahmins as a deliberate policy. In fact, Brahmins were incorporated into his ministry at a later stage, one of the promi nent gainers being R Venkataraman. For Kamaraj, E V Ramasamys open proclamation of support was a great source of strength, arriving precisely at the right moment when he himself was under pressure since doubts were being echoed.

Ariel Sharon- Crimes against Humanity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ariel Sharon- Crimes against Humanity - Essay Example The peacemaker image of Ariel Sharon is just one side of the story. Actually speaking, there is much about Ariel Sharon that makes him a controversial figure. Most of the world does know only the good things about Ariel Sharon. Yet, it is a fact that Ariel Sharon was involved in multiple crimes against humanity. Ariel Sharon was involved in many acts of gross human rights violations which lead to the killing of a number of innocent Palestinian civilians. Hence, it is a historical fact that Ariel Sharon happened to be an Israeli leader that committed multiple crimes against humanity and was directly responsible for the death of a number of Palestinian civilians. Everybody knows that in the 1948 war, Israel won almost seventy-eight percent of the territory that happened to be the home to thousands of Palestinians. Even after conquering these large tracts of the Palestinian territory, there was a section of the Israeli army that was not satisfied with this victory. There were many officers in the army of the newly found state of Israel who believed that Palestinians needed to be repressed and scared with the use of force. The purpose was to keep the Palestinians so scared that they do not dare to raise a voice against the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories. The other objective of the Israeli army was to take over such Palestinian territories that were yet not under their control, like Gaza, and the West Bank. Thereby the army of Israel planned an aggressive military strategy against the Palestinians that involved large-scale attacks and massacre of the innocent Palestinians.  

Partnership Working is Easier in Theory than in Practice Research Proposal

Partnership Working is Easier in Theory than in Practice - Research Proposal Example Organizations and practitioners involved in new programs must understand the goals and objectives and information concerning referral processes and qualification criteria. The extent of this understanding is critical to the success of any working partnership. An effective way of nurturing common understanding is to involve all stakeholders in the development of protocols, policies, and procedures that define the partnership (Clarke, 2014:24). Moreover, practitioners, who are not part of the main partnership, must understand the qualification criteria if the partnership is to succeed. The leaders of the partnerships should develop induction and continuous training, which is a constructive way of ensuring the existence of shared goals in the initiative. A history of sound and support joint working is an important element in the success of partnerships. For instance, in the UK, a past history of collaboration between doctors, mental health professionals, and mental health administrators created a new initiative to capitalize on existing informal communication processes and exploit the goodwill that that past experiences had nurtured (Elder, Evans, and Nizette, 2012:19). In many countries, positive strategic cooperation in the past, that may have occurred between various entities (e.g., welfare and private health agencies), have also been identified as supportive of working partnerships. Effective information sharing systems, including shared records and shared or common IT systems are factors that have been identified as enhancing working partnerships by facilitating faster and timelier evaluations of need. Effective communication has also been identified as supportive of priority management (Francis, 2014:12). Many types of research have demonstrated the importance of having enough finances to support working partnerships.  

Banyan Tree Research Essay Example for Free

Banyan Tree Research Essay 1. Growth and development of Banyan Tree. Banyan Tree Holdings Limited is a leading, international hospitality brand that manages and develops premium resorts, hotels and spas. From a single boutique resort in Phuket in 1994, Banyan Tree has grown into a multi-business operator globally. Listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange since 2006, the group currently consists of 30 hotels and resorts, over 60 spas 80 retail galleries and two golf courses in 27 countries, with aggressive expansion plans for the future. Below shows the milestone of Banyan Tree Resort: Banyan Tree Group garnered some 117 international awards and accolades in 2010, bringing the total number of awards it has received close to 640 since the first Banyan Tree property opened in Phuket in 1994. In 2010, Banyan Tree Phuket and its Spa continue to be recognised by industry experts, having won 14 prestigious awards and accolades The Banyan Tree organization has seen very dynamic and expansive growth in the last few years. Banyan Tree attributes is success as a company to their strong brand recognition, command pricing, and superb management. Revenues increased from $187.3 (million) in 2005 to 335.3 (million) in 2006, which is an increase of 79%. In 2007, Revenue increased another 26% to $429, 859 (million). 2. Success factors of Banyan Tree Banyan Tree Capital has its own dedicated construction, project management and cost management capabilities, enabling it to fulfill the role of a developer and assume full ownership of any projects. * Brand Building Branding has started right from the locations of the Banyan Tree resorts and has been consistent through the designs, the facilities offered, and the ambience created in each of the resorts. In line with the â€Å"romantic escape for couples† theme, Banyan Tree has placed a strong emphasis on the locations as a key element of the brand identity. The company has chosen exotic locations with exclusive access to sun-bathed beaches, exciting environment around and a good transportation infrastructure to connect the resorts to the main destination highlights. * Company Growth and Health The Banyan Tree is a rapidly growing company with lots of investment all across the globe. Their expanding nature, coupled with a positive stock price, solid financial earnings, and continual success at all resort locations, is exceptional in the competitive hotel and resort industry. Not many hotel companies can brag about recent success like the Banyan Tree. * Good Brand communications Banyan Tree promotes their product through mass international media. They invite travel editors and writers who could potentially increase editorial coverage on Banyan Tree to use the service. This can make â€Å"Banyan Tree Experiences† distribute to people by word of mouth and it is more effective. It is also make brand awareness and brand value that generated largely through public relations and global marketing programs. * Being a socially responsible and environmentally sensitive organization Banyan Tree Exercise caution with respect to the environmental impacts of their operations, and taking an active role in the protection and remediation of our global ecosystem. * Creating a good culture By combining the Asian culture and heritage with world-class service and luxury, Banyan Tree has been able to build a brand that has appealed to people across countries in Asia and beyond, and successfully been capitalizing on the pan-Asian sentiment. 3. Marketing Strategies * Collaboration with marketing agencies Banyan Tree Holdings appointed a few key wholesalers in each targeted market and worked closely with them to promote sales. Rather than selling through wholesale and retail agents that catered to the general market, they chose to work only with agents specializing in exclusive luxury holidays targeted at wealthy customers. Global exposure was also achieved through Banyan Tree’s membership in the Small Luxury Hotels and Leading Hotels of the World. Targeting high-end consumers, they represent various independent exclusive hotels and have sales offices in major cities around the world. * Winning awards Banyan Tree resort management believe that to publicize their properties, word of mouth is more important than advertisement. Therefore, one of the marketing strategies they adopting is to win awards. Banyan Tree sought recognition in service, innovation and, more importantly, its environmental efforts. To date, it has won more than 570 awards, with two given last week for its excellence in social and environmental responsibility. * Expanding Brand portfolio Banyan Tree to come out with a brand extension in the form of Angsana Resorts (launched in 2000), targeted towards young families and at different price points – typically 20-30% lower than Banyan Tree resorts themselves. It also operates stand-alone Angsana Spas. These measures not only allow Banyan Tree to increase its awareness in new markets and gain international momentum, but also create a strong platform for a portfolio of sub-brands that can be a source of long-term revenue generation. * Online marketing Banyan Tree sets up company website to conveniently update latest information and offers for customers. In additional, the online website allows customers to do bookings for their holidays. Online bookings rapidly increase over the year and it definitely generated more revenue. 4. Future Challenges * Competition There is only one other resort that is comparable to the Banyan Tree: Amanpulo. Amanpulo is situated on a private island in Palawan. The island boasts white sand, crystal clear water and tropical vegetation. They, too, respond to a leisurely lifestyle for the affluent and rich worldwide. In addition, Amanpulo is just as concerned as we are in building environmentally friendly and aesthetically pleasing resorts. * Copycats The market is crowded with many entrants running similar branded resorts in the upper-end. Particularly in Asia Pacific, where Banyan Tree has its stronghold and traditional base, new entrants are facing only small barriers-of-entry other than huge capital requirements and availability of good locations. A new entrant can always try to copy the â€Å"romance-intimacy-rejuvenation† theme and replicate the serene locations with beautiful villas providing it at lower prices to gain foothold in the market. * Natural Hazards The Philippines sits astride the typhoon belt, which means it’s prone to be struck by dangerous storms. In addition, the country is known to be home of active volcanoes. Other natural hazards known to occur are landslides, earthquakes and tsunamis. * Environmental Issues Existing issues that the Philippines are dealing with, and trying to combat, are uncontrolled deforestation, soil erosion, air and water pollution, coral reef degradation and increasing pollution of coastal mangrove swamps.

Analysis of the Korean Film Industry

Analysis of the Korean Film Industry CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION This dissertation consists of six chapters. The first chapter gives a detailed background of the Korean Film Industry, its origin and development and how it has led to the so-called ‘Korean wave or ‘Korean fever†. It also explains this term in order to give a better understanding of the title. The next chapter consists of literature review, which will form the basis of the findings and the conclusion. The third chapter is a case study, I which the top films of Korea will be discussed and compared with some top Chinese films. The fourth chapter will go on to explain the methodology that will be used in this dissertation to facilitate the findings and arrive at the conclusion. It will explain the methods used in the research and the research questions around which the dissertation revolves. The third and fourth chapters will form the crux of this dissertation. The next chapter provides the findings and analysis of the study based on mostly on the literature review and the research method used. This chapter will deal with the analysis and evaluation of the Korean film industry with respect to the Chinese market and provide the answers to the research questions posed in the previous chapter. The last chapter, that is chapter six, will provide a conclusion, that is, a result of the findings and will be followed by recommendations to ensure that the Korean film industry continues to grow. 1.1 Background A countrys film industry represents the culture, and lifestyles of the people living in that country. The Korean fever or Korea wave is normally regarded as the substantially enhanced popularity of South Korean culture all over the world. Besides, it is regarded as Hallyu (Hangul: Hanja: RR: Hallyu), from the Korean pronunciation. In this connection, this term was coined in China in the middle of 1999 by journalists in Beijing, China, surprised by the rapid increase in the popularity of contemporary South Korean culture as well as entertainment business in mainland China. The Korean film industry represents the film industries of North Korea and South Korea. While both these countries have relatively strong film industries, only the South Korean Industry has been able to achieve international acclaim and recognition. The North Korean film industry still revolves around topics like communism and revolutionary ideas. As is the case with all other industries and aspect of life in Korea, its film industry has also had to endure the heavy influence of political incidents. Be it the Joseon Dynasty or the Korean War, the governmental influence is evident in the Korean cinema. Since the beginning, the Korean film industry revolved around such scenarios as politics, wars, and even the activities of the government. A number of variables, such as the impact of the strategies undertaken by the most successful Hollywood film producers, the availability of a large budget, and the quality of the films produced in Korea, itself had a profound influence on the film industry of Korea. 1.2 Development of the Korean Film Industry The first movie theatre of Korea was established in 1903. Before the existence of this movie theatre, the European and American films kept the Korean film screens occupied. Not only this, but in the period 1926-1930, it was the Japanese who owned, and operated the Korean cinemas. It was during this time that a series of films were launched, that provided the beginning of quality films in China. Despite the fact that the film industry of Korea was at its peak in the 1950s, yet in the 1970s and 1980s with the countrys rapid economic growth, the Korean government was under pressure to liberalize is import policies and financial markets for all industries. The film industry had depended upon the quota system to gain screen time for its product and to make sure a certain amount of revenue. The production of the Hollywood blockbuster films, itself, was a continuous threat to the film industry of Korea, not only in terms of its decreasing market share, but also down to the question of its survival. The market share was witnessing a downward trend because the Korean films were produced with a low budget and low quality in the face of the blockbuster films produced by Hollywood. As a result, the market share had dropped to as low as 15% in the late 1980s. However, soon after that, the transformation of Korean film industry had started, and Korean cinema earned recognition as a commercial cinema outside the country after the success of the blockbusters, such as the film â€Å"Shiri†. The movie was produced in 1999, and captured an audience of approximately 5 million people, making it to the top of the South Korean films. The film was so successful that it broke the records for the all time favourite, â€Å"Titanic†, and welcomed the entry of the many film prod ucers who were keen to produce internationally repudiated films for Korea. In the process, the market share of the Korean films rose to 39.7%. A number of Korean films followed the league of â€Å"Shiri†, and the fact that the government had introduced a new legislation, allowing a two day weekend for the Koreans, gave rise to the success of the Korean cinemas. In the process, the film industry of Korea was reported to grow by approximately 18% each year, and according to a variety of sources, in a period of nine years only, the market share of the Korean films had grown from 15% to 45.2%. This was taken as a good omen by many of the most successful moviemakers of Hollywood who immediately stepped in the film industry of Korea, in order to obtain licenses so as to reproduce those Korean films that had been the most successful on the box office. In these connections, the relations between national cinema and history is refraction, fluid rather than reflection, and what is intriguing about contemporary Korean cinema is how the shared political history of the 1980s has become a commercial lure for the audience. Recently, the popularity of the Korean films, Korean music, and even Korean dramas has been increasing in Asia, with the Chinese being the major viewers of such Korean television programs. With such immense success and popularity of the Korean TV programs in countries such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, along with other parts of Asia, it is not unusual to find the influence of the Korean culture and traditions, as portrayed on the Korean screens, on the Asians.   Due to this rapid spread of the Korean lifestyle, and culture in most of the Asian countries especially china, the Chinese used the word â€Å"Hallyu† to refer to the influence of Korean culture in other countries primarily through the media. This had been initiated by the broadcasting of â€Å"Daejanggeum†, a Korean drama, which made China the greatest victim of the Korean influence in 2005. Soon after, a number of articles on the new Korean wave began to be featured in journals, magazines, news papers, etc. It was even believed that the major reason for the Korean influence lies in the fact that the Korean government took advantage of the Korean screens to step out of the financial crisis, thus taking major steps to promote their film industry, and export their films. The fact that China and Korea share some similarities, not only in terms of their culture, but also down to civilizations and philosophies, explains such a deep impact of the Korean films on the Chinese. Today, both North Korea and South Korea have extremely flourished film industries. However, when it comes to global acclaim, it is undoubtedly film industry of South Korea which seems to capture the international market. The movies of North Korea focus more on rebellious, radical and insurgent themes. 1.3 Structure The aim of this research is to evaluate and analyze the relative success of the Korean film industry, and the influence of the Korean cultures in many of the Asian countries, especially China. The focus of this thesis is attempting to summarize and analyze whether and how this Korean wave is shaped in China mainland market and how it has impacted to Chinese audiences by critically commenting the latest top five Korean movies compared with the latest top five Chinese movies, reviewing the previous research findings and performing box-office performance analysis in the captured period. This will give information as to how the Korean film industry has impacted the population of China. It also aims to analyze the factors that have led to the Korean fever, and to what extent have the Chinese been influenced as the Korean traditions become prevalent in China, and other parts of Asia. The area of the research will mainly focus on the Korean film industry, as well as the film industry of China, since the top movies produced by both the countries will be compared. The area of the research will also include the other Asian countries, and the Korean cinema influence on their activities. The research objectives involve analyzing the performance of the Korean movies and the impact that they have had on Asian markets, in particular, China. The research methodology The data in this thesis is analyzed using a variety of sources. First of all, the box office performance is analyzed over the recent period, the data obtained from the Korean Film Council. The data captured from this source helped assess the market performance of the Korean films. The data is further broken down into sub-periods in order to evaluate the dynamics of the Korean films market performance. Finally, appropriate statistical techniques are used to assist our analysis. CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 The Korean Wave The   â€Å"Korean Wave† or   hallyu ( à ­Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã…“à «Ã‚ ¥Ã‹Å") refers to the time period of 1990s, when Korean culture was internationally visible, not only in East Asia but even countries like United States saw a rapid surge of Korean values. Television serials, pop music, feature films and other musical forms are all part of the wave phenomenon. As the Korean wave is associated with the spread of Korean culture, it is referred as both national and a trans-national phenomenon. A great number of researched have been conducted to evaluate why and how pop culture of Korea was famous in other countries. These two regarding the success of Korean wave are distinct but not so related to each other. When government use sales figures of other countries to measure the success of Korean wave, overseas consumers are considered the arbiters of Korean culture. This signifies the ironic impact of the success of Korean culture; not only people in Korea but non Korean consumers are also being entertained by the Korean media. Infact, it was a Chinese journalist who coined the term ‘Korean wave or (hanliu à ©Ã… ¸Ã‚ © à ¦Ã‚ µ?) to describe the surprising effect of the rapid increase in popularity of contemporary South Korean culture as well as entertainment business in mainland China. Researchers believe that Korean wave is the interaction of many fields. The variable of pop culture existing in phenomenon of Korean wave has allowed it to be studied in cultural studys field (Chua and Iwabuchi 2008; Howard 2006). It is also studied along the dimensions of marketing and business, as government, promoters and corporate agents were selling the Korean culture as a commodity in the international arena.   (Cho and Kang 2005; Han and Lee 2008; Kim and others 2008; Lee, Scott, and Kim 2008). It was also evaluated as being an important concept in the political arena. The Korean government undertook measures like subsidizing the cost of reediting for the international market. Such policies and regulations by government ensured that the Korean film industry expanded successfully in other countries. (Chua and Iwabuchi 2008, 28). Suddenly, Korean government started using pop star figures to attract tourists.   (Yu-Shan Lin and Hwang 2008). 2.2 Growth of the Korean Culture In 2003, when a Korean drama serial ‘ Winter Sonata was broadcasted by Japaneses stations, it quickly became popular. Suddenly, yhe Korean mass culture gained popularity in Asian countries ( HAN, 2004:124-125) along with the word Hallyu. The word Hallyu was then associated not only with the rapid spread of Korean culture but also with the economc boom in Korea. According to G, a researcher at SAMSUNG Economic Research Institutute,   Korean wave or Hallyu was developed through four stages. In the first stage, Korean culture became popular with the increased production of films, and dramas. Second stage signified the increasing demand of products associated with the famous pop idols. In the third stage, people moved on to buy Korean goods and services like electronic products which were not directly related to pop stars. People perceived a desirable impression of Korea in the fourth stage of Hallyus developmental; cycle. 2.3 Changes in Korean Domestic Market Okon Hwang and Hillary Finchum-Sung are two researchers who were concerned with the effects of Korean Wave on the local market. Essay written by Okon Hwang title ‘No ‘Korean Wave Here: Western Classical Music and the Changing Value System in South Korea attempts to evaluate and analyze the positive impact of changing the flow of information on the successful expansion of a countrys culture. According to statistics, there has been a rapid increase in the Korean TV programs exported since 1988. This growth rate of export was more evident during the spread of Korean wave and with a sudden decrease in the foreign TV program in Korea. Since the launch of broadcasting industry in Koreas, majority of the shows broadcasted were American programs. Factors like lack of technical skills, experience and technological equipments hindered the production and the broadcast of local TV shows. The national broadcasting station of Korea was established in 1961, and since then it was dependent on foreign TV programs to fulfill the entertainment needs of the population. It was America that introduced TV sets, radio, transmitters and colored became possible when international firms gained a consensus to stop the manufacturing of monochrome TV sets. (JOUNG AND JANG, 2000:142) An audience rating survey in 1996 reflected that American programs were most popular among the Korean population. The time allotted to the broadcast of these shows increased till mid 1970s, after which more local TV programs were broadcasted. Although American TV shows like wonder women, six million dollar man, bionic woman were very popular during 1970s, but at the same time local shows increased in quality and the audience rating for them surged rapidly. A fall in the import of American TV programs was not only due to the improvement in production and broadcasting technology, but government regulations contributed significantly to reduce imports.   An order of military government to broadcast limited number of shows resulted in a competitive race between the broadcasting stations where each and every station was striving hard to increase the ratings of domestic shows. The audience rating thereby, compelled broadcasting stations to improve the quality of local shows, develop a bet ter infrastructure and acquire superior equipments. Moreover, Asian games and Olympics held in Seoul contributed a lot in increasing the audience rating of the local programs. While Korean TV shows gained popularity in 1980s, the market share of Korean films did not increase till 1990s. From the 200 movies that were produced during 1970s, only a few of them were able to break the records. Contrasting to the broadcasting industry, film industry produced movies since 1960s and was exposed to the stringent control and regulations by government. The government not only controlled the production and distribution facilities of films, but the censor department limited the freedom expression by controlling the content of movies. The establishment of the ‘law of cinema reduced the number of production firms from 70 to less than 20 and import restriction made it difficult to acquire imports without the permission of government. The year 1984 proved to be a turning point for the Korean film industry. It was during this year that censorship standards and import regulations were revised. Moviemakers were able to release movies simply after filling a permission fo rm and foreign films gained an entry in the Korean market escalating the competition level. 2.4 Changes in Broadcasting Regulations and Policies The following section has categorized the growth of Korean broadcasting industry into five stages and explains the policies of government during those stages. In the pre-takeoff stage, the TV broadcasting was not considered very important. A small number of studios existed and number of TV viewers was also limited. Authoritarian regimes existed in Korea during this pre-takeoff stage and throughout this time local media was used according to government objectives and mission. Only those dramas and movies were broadcasted which were I n line with the aims of the government. The interests of state were valued more than the interests of public (KWAK 2009). The government controlled the entry, the content and the distribution channels as well. The laws such as ‘practice outline, ‘administrative advice and ‘purification of the broadcast ensured that government controlled each and every stage of broadcasting from production to distribution of movies and dramas. In 1945, the Japanese movies, music and dramas were banned in Korea which compelled local broadcasting stations to improve the local dramas. During the transition from pre-take off to take off 1 stage, the broadcasting stations expanded rapidly, and government started imposing rules and regulations. The government control was also backed up by the military control of the government. In the takeoff stage 2, all stations were unified into two networks. In the maturity stage, the democratization of politics greatly affected the cultural industry.   Commercial broadcaster entered the industry and government viewed this industry as a potential one in terms of supporting the economy. There was a shift in paradigm and government undertook several policies in 1990 to support the industry. These included: Ownership for commercial broadcasting Outsourcing production programs was allowed Human resource training of broadcasting professional Participation in trade fairs was encouraged A broadcast video industry promotion plan was introduced All these policies supported the broadcasting industry to move from the maturity to the expansion stage. 2.4.1 Effects of These Policies The control of foreign flow of information and the supporting policies contributed immensely to the growth of the cultural industry. Allowing the outsourcing of production programs meant that there an   increase in the independent production companies which created a competitive environment causing different station to find ways to increase the quality and standard of services if they were to remain in the industry. The infrastructure facilities supported the growth of small firms which handled operation for the independent companies. The ban of Japanese programs proved as an incentive for the local producers. However, some other government policies like increasing the participation in trade fairs was not effective as many negotiations were done outside the fair. The direct financial supported did not have any significant impact on the export of domestic programs as large proportion of it was given to the documentary programs. 2.5 Changes in the Film Industry This section has grouped the development of film industry in four stages. The film industry existed for many years unlike the broadcasting industry. Expanding the domestic market size of film industry proved to be difficult because of the different economic environment of the film industry. The advertisements were the most important source of revenue for the broadcasting industry; thereby it was related to economic development of country. However, the source of revenue for the film industry was sales in box office and for that it was necessary to produce some block buster movies. In the pre- takeoff stage, government introduce ‘law of cinema to support the industry. It believed that it was important to increase the size of production companies and for that it restricted the entry in film industry. It became essential for companies to have a certain amount of production facilities and equipments before they could enter. Moreover the policies related to censorship made it difficult to export film in foreign countries. In the take off stage, theatre entrance fees was increased, which contributed to the expansion of market size. Although the strict policies of censor existed as well as other governments controls, still the market was seen to expand with just the increase in entrance fees. In 1984, when restrictions were removed, the film industry moved to the maturity stage with number of film companies increasing, talented people were attracted and it appealed the electronic companies as well. Foreign distribution companies entered the local market, increasing the standard of competition. In the expansion stage, the quality of Korean movies increased significantly and various Korean movies won international awards. 2.5.1 Effects of these changes The introduction of screen quota system ensured that a certain budget and screening time was allocated to movies.   The educational support by Korean Academy of Film Arts supported the industry by providing talented actors. Indirect financial system such as loans proved to be an incentive for moviemakers. The foreign distribution policies such as supporting filmmakers to participate in international festivals helped in making global networks. 2.6 Positive Effects of the Korean Wave As mentioned above, Korean government contributed a lot towards the development of the Korean wave. The government aided the media industries, broadcasting stations and networks to expand and promote the Korean pop culture internationally. The main aim behind this action was to boost up the Korean economy and develop a positive national image. The government was successful in achieving both of the aims. Korean pop stars attracted attention of viewers all over the world. Korean government took advantage of their increasing popularity and used them to gain attention for other commercial sectors such as the tourism sector of Korea. The success of TV drams like â€Å"Winter Sonata† attracted tourist from around the world who visited Korea especially to see places where this drama was filmed. Businesses like travel agents were also taking advantage of the situation by customizing the themes of group tours according to the themes of different dramas for e.g. a tour was titled â€Å"Best of Korean drama trailer deluxe tour†. Pop idols or drama stars revolutionized the consumer culture of Korea. Food and fashion trends (including make-up, clothing) were changing and consumers all over Korea were suddenly following their favorite drama stars. Theses consumers called themselves the members of ‘Korean tribe. Consumers not only imitated the fashion style of their idols but went ahead to look like their idols with the help of plastic surgery. The posters and pictures of Korean stars were seen everywhere, from backpacks to notebooks and the wall. For example, Inlingua School in Singapore reported a 60% increase in the number of students willing to learn Korean in 2003 as compared to 2001 because of the attention generated by Korean movies and dramas. Almost every organization in the Korean economy benefitted from Korean wave. Pop stars were used to sell different goods and service. Celebrity endorsements were used extensively to promote superior brand image. Pop idols took advantage of their gaining popularity through several means. According to news, Actor Kwon Sang Woo charged $200 for some seats at a fan meeting in Tokyo. Tickets were also auctioned online for as much as $500. Moreover, according to a match making service, the role of pop stars as being romantic lovers led to the perception Korean men were generally like that in real life as well. It was due to this fact that more than 6400 female required match making services to find suitable Korean lover for them. The impact of the Korean wave was not only limited to the Korean economy, but it affected the lives of pop idols themselves. After Korean wave, Korean male celebrities like Bae Yong Joon were one of the highest paid actors in the worldwide film industry.   There are some positive impacts associated with the consideration of Korean wave as a transnational phenomenon. Apart from earning foreign currency for the local economy, it helped in improving the foreign relations of Korea. Korea had a long history of diplomatic frictions with the neighboring countries. Korean soldiers fought against the Liberation Army of Vietnam and it established ties with Beijing in 1992 at the cost of its relations with Taipei. 2.7 Negative Effects of the Korean Wave Korean wave has been criticized due to several reasons. It isbelieved that it was introduction of foreign films in Korean cinemas that threatened the Korean culture. According to a Chinese news magazine, government of South Korea was representing its culture as the essence of Asian culture.   Before the Korean wave, classical music has been a part of cultural accomplishments and was a source of pride for the Korean population. But after the Korean wave, classical music and culture was suddenly replaced by the pop culture. Increasing Demand for the pop culture was no longer considered a problem and government exported it to foreign countries. There was an overall change in the conceptual framework as the Ministry of Sports and tourism promoted venues and advertising campaigns by incorporating classical and pop culture.   Finchum-Sung explained how the dynamics of these new measures resulted in the formation of new form of cultural production. The neighbouring countries of Korea undertook several measures to protect their own entertainment industry. Chinese media limited the amount of time for the broadcast of Korean dramas. The government of Vietnam also threatened to ban Korean shows if the number of Vietnamese shows on Korean television was not increased. Taiwan also considered limiting the foreign shows played on national television. All these examples prove that countries were retaliating against the success of Korean wave. 2.8 The Korean Wave in China and Japan The development of the Korean wave phenomenon was most evident in China and Japan because of several reasons. The culture of Korea, China and Japan are very similar to each other. the Korean wave initially began in China, which is the most attractive and profitable market for the Korean products. Japan also happens to be the biggest consumer market of Asia. According to Jung, Japanese TV dramas were creatively transformed for the production of Korean dramas which contributed immensely to the increasing popularity of Korean dramas among young people all over Asia, including Japan and China (Iwabuchi 2008, 153). In fact the concept of Korean wave has generated a new dimension in the one way flow of globalization and researchers have been forced to revise it (Kim Sujeong 2009; Jeon and Yoon 2005). Korean wave is an appropriate example of mutual circulation of cultural values between the non-western countries. It questions the existing theories relating to the belief that information flows from western to non-western countries. According to the imperialism theory, capitalist societies of west have threatened the growth of non-western cultures and have homogenized them. (Schiller, 1976, 1991; Hamelink, 1983; Mattelart, 1984). Even during 1970s the unilateral structure of information flow was based on dependency theory suggesting that information was sent by First World countries and received by Third World countries. In 1980s, some new approaches developed with the growth of media in Korea. These new approaches extended the application of imperialism domination to the field of communication technology. However, this was also criticized by researchers, (Tomlinson, 1989 ; Friedman, Pieterse Hall) according to whom the information was not exchanged unilaterally.   The imperialism theory was then replaced by globalization, which promoted a greater understanding of diverse cultures. (Friedman, 267. Pieterse also argues that the impact of non-western culture on west should not be ignored (Pieterse, 307~9). The growth of global television in 1990s contributed significantly to flow of information from Asian economies to western economies. (Barker, 1999). As the media in Asian markets grew, western TV programs were imported to these nations while at the same time TV programs of these nations were exported to western countries. Therefore Chan (2000) addressed that China could be a centre of this unique mass cultural expansion in Asian regions. 2.9 Factors Supporting the Korean Wave in China There are many contextual and textual factors that are thought by researchers to have facilitated the rapid expansion of the Korean wave in China. Contextual factors are all those which consist of the wider aspect of Sino-Korean relationship as well as the various changes in China which helped in the diffusion of Korean culture in China. These factors include the relationship between China and Korea, the cultural exchange in Asia, the reforms in the Chinese culture â€Å"industry† and the Chinese audience. On the other hand, the textual aspect has more to do with the strength of the Korean drama and includes factors like the similarity between the cultures of the two countries (resulting in an emotional involvement) and the fact that the Chinese audience see the Korean cinema as a mixture of traditional values with modern style, which adds to its appeal. 2.9.1 Contextual Factors Contextual factors consist of wide aspect of Sino-Korean relationship as well as varied changes in China, which supported the diffusion of Korean culture in china. Sino-Korean relations and cultural exchange within Asia There have been historical and geographical connections between China and Korea. The relations between both the countries have been strained since the communist regime. However in 1992, diplomatic relations improved leading to superior economic and cultural ties. Due to its open policy, china has always permitted the expansion of foreign culture in its region. Many cultures like Japanese, and Taiwan were imported to China. By 1990s, Korean culture also started spreading rapidly in China. China has been a hub of Confucianism for many years. Socialist culture was not a source of satisfaction for Chinese people. Western culture was also not popular among Chinese people. They did not accept Japanese culture as well, and the roots of these sentiments were embedded in historical Japanese invasion of china. It is believed that Chinese people were looking for their identities when Korean culture was introduced in China. Chinese people had anti-Japan and anti-war sentiments but no anti- Korea sentiments existed. In fact Korean culture was perceived as a favourable culture, with a lot of talented people. Chinese cultural industry The cultural market of China has always been highlighted due to its open policies. These

Personal goal and professional goal Essay

Submit a statement that discusses your career goals, as well as the factors that led you to select the Mid-Career MPA program as a means of furthering your personal and professional goals. Be as specific as possible in describing how your expected course of study will enable you to build on your prior professional experience and achieve these goals (750 word limit). Economic development and welfare of the people are the natural fit with my personality traits from my childhood which allowed me to choose the highest level of Federal Civil Service Examination of India and got selected in this merit based competitive examination. Candidates with different To get the blend of all the fields I was the class monitor up to class 5th; class president from 6th to 11th class to conduct the weekly debates, secretary of the scientific society in college, in Students’ Union at Indian School of Mines, club secretary in Ordnance Factory, and secretary, Residence Welfare Association. I was in National Cadet Corps and Junior Red Cross Society. After completing the schooling and graduation with merit scholarships I joined Indian School of Mines, the premier Institute for Earth science for Masters in applied Geology through national competition. Selected in National Education Test of UGC and with a scholarship from Council for Scientific and Industrial Research I completed M. Phil. Initially, 12 years I have worked in middle level management in various Defence production units mainly in the field of Administration, Industrial Relations, Human Resources, Estate and store. I got one year exposure in policy issues in Higher Technical Education. As the head of Coal Mines provident Fund Organization (CMPFO) for two years, I sought to improve the public service to benefit 7.5 lakh coal workers in the field of provident funds and pensions bringing reforms in a mission mode. SAP ERP was implemented in the organization which was first in govt. department in India. A bench mark was created in engaging multiple Fund Managers leading to transparency and fair competition. I had the exposure of Board level management in Mineral Exploration Corporation limited, a pan India Company as Director. Four years under my leadership, as the country head of computerization at Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO), the organization transformed from manual environment to fully computerized system. All receipts and payments of PF and pension became online making the life of 50 million poor workers easy removing all paper returns. The interactions are now through web and SMS reducing the footfalls of workers and employers in EPFO offices. 6 years, while working with the Federal Ministers for Water Resources, Rural Development and as the Director in coal ministry of Government of India, I have actively participated in development of macro level policies, its formulation and implementation. To name a few are; the National Water Policy, Land Use Policy for Inclusive Economic Development, Drinking Water and Sanitation, Corporate Social responsibility in coal sector, re-engagement of ex-service personnel in coal transportation, Poverty Eradication through National Rural Employment Guaranty Act to meet the Millennium Development Goal, programme were massive initiatives of the Government. I have played important role in the planning and monitoring of execution of such policy options. Additionally, I have been deeply engaged in my advisory role to the ministers to address the political and other socio-economic development issues of the different political provinces of India. Now I am working in top level management of Ordnance Equipment Factory, a Defence production Unit of India. The Mason program is intended to provide the analytical and leadership skills to implement major social and economic change. It has the sessions on experience sharing, strategic management, communication, and policy decision making. The curriculum also includes the applied economics, quantitative analysis, political institutions and globalisation. My extensive experience in multiple roles in different government departments of India will provide a good fit to contribute during the MPA programme as a Mason Fellow. My in-depth knowledge in important streams of public work will further allow me to perform effectively during my academic work at Harvard. I have credible track record of having developed and fostered enhanced level of partnership and cooperation between the stakeholders engaged in the faster socio-economic growth of India. I have demonstrated leadership skills by initiating several joint institution development activities with government, which all will be honed through a formal exposure to a MPA programme at Harvard. I have dreamt and aspired lately to be a Mason Fellow and would accomplish my personal goals of doing public good with improved knowledge and competence. I seek to join a mid career management course in public administration to sharpen my ideas in consonance with the emerging National and International Economic Scenario. I strongly feel MPA under Mason Programme, would provide me this opportunity to upgrade my capacity and equip me with latest management techniques. As I grow in my career, I would be required to take more responsibility and be associated in major policy making issues in govt. in the country.

Principles of Law Essay

QUESTION Malik runs a restaurant at Taman Desa Kluang, Johor. He ordered from Ah Chong Mini Market 50 bags of Pakistani basmati rice at RM40 per bag and 200 packets of sugar at RM2.20 per packet. It was expressly agreed between the parties that Ah Chong must pack the sugar in boxes containing 20 packets each. However, when Ah Chong delivered the goods to Malik’s restaurant, it was found that the sugar was packed in boxes containing 30 packets each. The basmati rice that was supplied was found to be from India not Pakistan. Malik wishes to reject the goods. Advise Malik. Problematic Issue Whether Malik can take legal action against Ah Chong for breach of implied condition by description. Principles of Law Section 2 of SGA â€Å"Every kind of movable property other than actionable claims and money, and includes stocks and shares, growing crops, grass and thing attached to or forming part of land which are agreed to be severed for sale or under the contract of sale† Section 15 of SGA If the contract is for the sales of goods by description, there is an implied condition that the goods must correspond with the description. Case: Moore & Co v Launder Facts: Contract for 3,100 cases of canned fruit packed 30 tins to a case. But half of the cases contained only 24 tins although the total quantity was met. Held: the goods not correspond with contractual description.The buyers entitled to reject the goods. Case: Nagurdas Purshotumdas v Mitsui Bussan Kaisha Previous contract- sale of flour which had been sold in bags bearing a well-known trade mark. Subsequent contract- flour ordered ‘the same as our  previous contract’. Seller supplied flour of the same quality but did not bear the same well-known trade mark. Held: there was a breach of condition as the goods did not correspond with the description. Application According to Section 2 of SGA, basmati rice and sugar are movable property. According to Section 15 of SGA, the basmati rice and sugar supplied by Ah Chong must correspond with the description stated by Malik. According to the case of Moore & Co v Launder, Malik ordered from Ah Chong to delivered 200 packets of sugar and pack the sugar in boxes containing 20 packets each but Ah Chong pack the sugar in boxes containing 30 packets each. According to the case of Nagurdas Purshotumdas v Mitsui Bussan Kaisha, Malik ordered Ah Chong to delivered basmati rice from Pakistan but Ah Chong supplied basmati rice from India not Pakistan. Conclusion Malik ordered from Ah Chong to delivered 200 packets of sugar and pack the sugar in boxes containing 20 packets each but Ah Chong pack the sugar in boxes containing 30 packets each. Malik also ordered Ah Chong to delivered basmati rice from Pakistan but Ah Chong supplied basmati rice from India not Pakistan.Therefore, Malik can take legal action against Ah Chong for breach of implied condition by description. Malik also can repudiate the contract or reject the goods. QUESTION Discuss the differences between conditions and warranties in a contract of sale of goods. CONDITIONS Section 12(2) of SGA-Definition of Condition Condition is a stipulation essential to the main purpose of the contract. Breach of Condition Contract can be repudiated, goods can be rejected. Exceptions (Situations where the innocent party cannot repudiate the contract) Section 13 of SGA – Where the buyers waives the condition. – Where the buyers elects to treat the breach of condition as a breach of warranty. – Where the contract is NOT severable and the buyer has accepted the goods. – Where the contract is specific goods the property in goods or ownership has passed to the buyer. WARRANTIES Section 12(3) of SGA-Definition of Warranty Warranty is a stipulation collateral to the main purpose of the contract. Breach of Warranty Can only claim damages but cannot reject goods or repudiate the contract.

Marx vs. Weber on Capitalism

Marx vs. Weber on Capitalism Introduction The capitalism, its roots and impact on social development were the sphere of interest of the outstanding sociologists Karl Marx and Max Weber. However, their ideas were essentially different. Weber studied the concept of capitalism in light of culture and its development, whereas Marx emphasized the economic element of the capitalism.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Marx vs. Weber on Capitalism specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The aim of this essay is to compare the approaches and views of Karl Marx and Max Weber on capitalism. Capitalism in sociology The evolution of thoughts on the roots and consequences of capitalism can be explained by the social and economic transformations occurring during the history. The major changes in sociological thoughts occurred in the end of the XIX century. Besides, this time was the period of the close attention of the sociologists to the bourgeois society and the devel opment of capitalism. â€Å"The debate over the relationship between Marx’s political economy and Max Weber’s interpretative sociology, which has raged with varying degrees of intensity since the publication of The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (Weber 1932) in 1904, has determined many of the major issues for research in the social sciences in the twentieth century† (Là ¶with Turner 1-2). Marx interpretation of capitalism Karl Marx was the outstanding German philosopher and sociologist. Capital, one of his famous works, represents his ideas on the economic development and social progress emphasizing, in general, the negative side of the capitalistic society. The objection of capitalism by Marx is explained primarily by his view on its self-destructing nature caused by the inherent contradictions. Furthermore, Marx considered capitalism as the unethical social arrangement leading to the social inequality, poverty, and exploitation. The theme whi ch occupied an essential place in Capital is the capitalism system itself which was intrinsically unjust due to â€Å"the parasitic exploitation of the labor force by direct producers† (Là ¶wy n.pag.). The ideas expressed by Marx gave rise to the workers’ movements and the social protests against capitalists’ expansion. â€Å"Yet even Capital is not simply a critique of political economy, but a critique of man in bourgeois society in terms of its economy. The ‘economic kernel’ of this economy is the commodity form of the product of labour† (Là ¶with Turner 100).Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The profound study of the concept of value added allowed Marx concluding that the capitalistic arrangement ultimately divided the society into the bourgeois who exploited the labor force and the proletariat which had to sell its labor b ecause it was forced to do so in order to survive. Thus, Marx compared people in the capitalistic society to ‘commodities’. Such society would ultimately lead to the social alienation of the individuals according to Marx. He stressed that the social injustice resulted in the manifestations of workers struggling against â€Å"exploitation of children, miserable wages, inhuman working hours, and the sordid conditions of the working class life† (Là ¶wy n.pag.). Marx stated that the strategy of the capitalistic development lead to the concentration of the capital in the possession of the small social group which enriched itself on the impoverishment of the other social groups. Marx concluded that the capitalistic order would eventually destroy itself and it would be changed by the more progressive socialistic order. Weber interpretation of capitalism Max Weber was the outstanding German sociologist and one of the founders of the sociology as a science. The transitio n of the society from the old conventions to the modernity is considered to be the central topic of study of Max Weber. The scholars argue that Weber approach can be primarily described by his explanation of social changes through the concept of rationalization. However, Weber also paid close attention to the influence of the religion on the society. These basic features of his sociological research can be found in his ideas on capitalism as well. Weber introduced his own views on capitalism expressing the objection to the theory of Karl Marx. In particular, Weber considered Marx’s theory biased towards Marx’s own value judgments (Là ¶with Turner 54).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Marx vs. Weber on Capitalism specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The modern sociologists consider the views of Weber on capitalism much more contradictory than the ideas of Marx. â€Å"Rejecting all socialist ideas, Weber d id not hesitate occasionally to employ apologetic arguments in favor of private capital† (Là ¶wy n.pag.). Although Weber had a rather critical attitude to the bourgeois society, he considered the capitalism as the more progressive social arrangement than some others, the feudalism, for example. â€Å"According to Weber, capitalism could only become the ‘most fateful’ power in human life because it had itself already developed within the framework of a ‘rational way of life’† (Là ¶with Turner 63). The bureaucratic rationalization of the modern capitalistic society was one of the main features making Weber’s interpretation of capitalism distinct from the interpretation of Marx. Weber considered that the bureaucratic rationalization developed regardless of the form of ownership on the means of production. The main distinctive feature which made the approach of Weber different from that which was introduced by Marx lied in the ethical und erstanding of the capitalism. Marx considered the pursuit of gains and greed as the underlying features of capitalism making this social arrangement unethical. In contrast, Weber considered that the capitalism, in its essence, was characterized by the spirit of entrepreneurship. Weber stressed that the pursuit of gains and greed were independent from the social arrangement as they were inherent in the people nature. The controversy and ambiguity can be seen in the Weber approach. In particular, the sociologist considered the bureaucratic rationalization and the capitalism as the progressive step in the social development making the society absolvent from the irrational actions, on the one hand. On the other hand, he stressed the mechanicalness of the capitalist society and thus the limitation of the freedom of personality. â€Å"Weber compared this constraint to a kind of prison where the system of rational production of goods imprisons individuals† (Là ¶wy n.pag.).Advertisi ng Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to Weber, the main positive aspect of rationalization underlying capitalistic society was the progress which it facilitated in science. Undoubtedly, Marx made a significant influence on Weber understanding of social development but Weber’s approach to capitalism should be rather characterized as the culturological, although he came to it through the political economy introduced by Marx. Conclusion The capitalistic social arrangement was one of the main themes of study of Karl Marx and Max Weber, two outstanding representatives of the German philosophy and the founders of sociology. The comparison of their views on capitalism allowed concluding that both of them considered capitalism as the new more progressive way in the development of the society. However, Marx criticized the capitalistic arrangement for the economic degradation to which it would eventually lead. In contrast, Weber stressed the benefits which the capitalism provided to the cultural and scientific d evelopment. Là ¶with, Karl, and B. S. Turner. Max Weber and Karl Marx, New York: Routledge, 1993. Print. Là ¶wy, Michael. â€Å"Marx, Weber and the Critique of Capitalism†. 31 August 2006. Internationalviewpoint.org. Web. internationalviewpoint.org/spip.php?article1106

Snow White essays

Snow White essays Throughout history, people from across the land and oceans have found that folklore and stories that they have shared have similarities that tie them together. Folklore enables readers to view the spiritual and material aspect of any different culture that can be transmitted orally or by observation. Most stories and folklore have been known to be passed from one generation to the next by word of mouth or written text. Many know the stories of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and Snow White, but what many people do not know is that in countries like China, Russia, France, Italy, and the United States there are stories that resemble the same. Cultures can well define the values that make each society different but there are many beliefs that lie within the values that keep our societies quite the same. In the story of Snow White a child can learn the consequence of what being vain can do to a person or drive a person to do and the constant battle between good and evil. Though the title of the story changes with different cultures the moral of the story seems to stay the same. The German version of the story is called Little Snow-White, the Italians call the story The Young Slave or The Crystal Casket, and in Scotland it is called Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree. The version that is told by the U.S. and the one that is most popular with companies like, Disney is that of the tale of a young woman that is the daughter of a king and queen. The queen though beautiful herself cannot cope with the fact that an enchanted mirror has told her that it is her daughter that is the fairest of them all. So the story goes on with the queen wanting her daughter dead and sends a servant to do the killing but the servant is struck by her beauty, cannot bring himself to do the crime, and banishes her to the forest. There Snow White is forced to find shelter in the home of seven dwarfs ...

Ethical behavior and unethical behavior articles Assignment

Ethical behavior and unethical behavior articles - Assignment Example The Queen insists that she wasn’t placing publicly funded payment within the charity. She said that fund â€Å"would only include her private money.† She further claimed that the lone costs that were covered by the payment were housekeeping costs, together with salaries. Belgium wants to cut the annual stipend of Queen Fabiola after political leaders learned she had put up a private charity to provide for her nephews and nieces and for her preferred Catholic foundations after her demise. Premier Elio Di Rupo had told MPs he sought to cut the sum to â‚ ¬923,000 ( £776,000) back from â‚ ¬1.4 million ( £1.18m). As the only widow of the late King Baudouin – a dedicated Catholic who in 1990 did step aside provisionally to steer clear of signing the nations abortion bill – insists the cash came from assets inherited from her Hispanic family. The 84-year-old at the moment maintains that she has had to dissolve the charitable vehicle set up in September that let her to forward monies. The surfacing of the plan not many weeks ago aggravated rare fury in both political and media circles in Belgium and has hit the realm to its foundations. The Property Principle and The Citizenship Principle were not respected by the monarch in her dealings with the state. The Dignity Principle had been violated and Labour apologises for it. The Labour Party has had to apologise after one of its own most superior politicians was heard describing Belgium and Denmark as the "second-tier" nations. Delineating the partys defence strategy re-evaluation, ex-Security Minister Lord West claimed the UK reserved a "certain clout". And he further argued that too much relegation of military capability could make it further like "bloody Denmark or Belgium"...that is Irrespective of any period of war decorations awarded to their populace (the Nepalese did get a fair few, also), fatalities or their inexplicably considerable donations to UN and NATO

How did the recent financial crisis affect Financial Markets and Essay - 1

How did the recent financial crisis affect Financial Markets and institutions - Essay Example Causes of recent crisis The most immediate cause of the credit crisis was the bursting of the US housing bubble (Almendarez , â€Å"The Financial Crisis and a Fragile Global Economy†). There was a sharp rise in the value of the real estates in several countries which included the advanced economies of the world. Various countries including the largest world economy were running high and growing â€Å"current account deficits† (Obstfeld & Rogoff, â€Å"Global Imbalances and the Financial Crisis: Products of Common Causes†). Buoyed by the booming housing market there was an excessive rise in the leverage level especially in the consumer market of Britain and US and various global financial entities. Some noted economists like Greenspan argue that global imbalances led to the financial fiasco. Again there are others like Taylor who discards this view. The progressive deregulation of the financial markets coupled with an ineffective supervisory oversight is also said to be one of the reasons that aggravated the crisis. There are contradictions regarding the link between the global financial turmoil and global imbalances. ... balances with easily available foreign money facilitated deferral of crucial policy decisions (Obstfeld & Rogoff, â€Å"Global Imbalances and the Financial Crisis: Products of Common Causes†). To make gains from the boom in the housing markets the lenders extended adjustable rate mortgages (ARM) to borrowers with a wrong credit history. All this was well as long as the Fed kept the interest rates low but with the hike in the rate of interest the borrowers were unable to meet their rising instalments resulting in delinquencies and loan foreclosures. The value of the mortgage backed securities fell sharply due to the sudden delinquencies. The investment in these securities were not limited to advanced economies rather to make gains from the housing boom the investors across the globe rushed to invest in these mortgage backed instruments. Therefore a fall in the value of these instruments sent ripples across the worldwide financial markets plummeting the global stock indices. Imp act of crisis on money and capital markets The issue of asset backed commercial paper (ABCP) peaked in July 2007 with a sharp drop in the subsequent months. The financial institutions like IKB Deutsche Industriebank AG were not able to roll over their ABCP investments. There was a sharp rise in the spread between the â€Å"ABCP rate and overnight interest swap rate† which is actually a measure of the liquidity and default risk of ABCP. The impact of the crisis was first seen in the global capital markets. In June & July 2007 there was a downgrade of the mortgage backed securities from AAA to A+. This downgrade was significantly large as the ratings downgrade normally happens in single notches. OECD labelled these ratings downgrade to be unexpected and this exposed the credit rating agencies to