Death of a Titan essays

Death of a Titan essays After years of construction and work, the Titanic was finally ready for her maiden voyage. The beginning of her voyage was to take place on the morning of April 10, of 1912 at approximately 10:00am. The firs of Titanic passengers began to board the ship. Most of these passengers were British residents who had journeyed to Titanic by means of transportation either that a boat train. The real precipitance came when the boat train arrived. People rich or poor were scattered all aver Southamptons bay, attempting to find their gangway. After the second and third class passengers boarded, the firs class passengers were to be escorted to their cabins. Approximately at 12:00pm Titanic was ready to set sail. After Titanic sets out into the open sea, her water displacement causes mooring ropes of the New York, which was a small ship, to brake. Which causes her stern to swing towards Titanic's mighty bow. Titanic officials quick actions prevent a catastrophic collision. After hours delayed the Titanic finally sets sail into the open sea headed towards Cherbourg, France. The Titanic lowered her anchor when arrived at Cherbourg, France, at about 5:30pm of the same day. More passengers boarded the Titanic. At approximately 8:10pm Titanic raised her anchor and sailed towards Queenstown, Ireland. She arrived at Queenstown at around 11:30am of the next morning to pick up more passengers and 1,385 bags of mail as well. Now Titanic once more raised anchor and by 1:30 she was on her way to New York. It was 11:30pm of the night of April 14, of 1912. As Titanic sped through the darkness towards its doom, the majority of the passengers and crew had not the slightest inkling idea that they were in danger at all. The last games of cards were breaking up. The last conversations were ending. Most passengers were already in bed, but the few who remained, were heading towards their cabins. Though the passengers settled, the office...

The History of LCD Technology

The History of LCD Technology An LCD or liquid crystal display is a type of flat panel display commonly used in digital devices, for example, digital clocks, appliance displays, and portable computers. How an LCD Works Liquid crystals are liquid chemicals whose molecules can be aligned precisely when subjected to electrical fields, much in the way metal shavings line up in the field of a magnet. When properly aligned, the liquid crystals allow light to pass through. A simple monochrome LCD display has two sheets of polarizing material with a liquid crystal solution sandwiched between them. Electricity is applied to the solution and causes the crystals to align in patterns. Each crystal, therefore, is either opaque or transparent, forming the numbers or text that we can read.   History of Liquid Crystal Displays In 1888, liquid crystals were first discovered in cholesterol extracted from carrots by Austrian botanist and chemist, Friedrich Reinitzer. In 1962, RCA researcher Richard Williams generated stripe patterns in a thin layer of liquid crystal material by the application of a voltage. This effect is based on an electrohydrodynamic instability forming what is now called â€Å"Williams domains† inside the liquid crystal. According to the IEEE, Between 1964 and 1968, at the RCA David Sarnoff Research Center in Princeton, New Jersey, a team of engineers and scientists led by George Heilmeier with Louis Zanoni and Lucian Barton, devised a method for electronic control of light reflected from liquid crystals and demonstrated the first liquid crystal display. Their work launched a global industry that now produces millions of LCDs. Heilmeiers liquid crystal displays used what he called DSM or dynamic scattering method, wherein an electrical charge is applied which rearranges the molecules so that they scatter light. The DSM design worked poorly and proved to be too power hungry and was replaced by an improved version, which used the twisted nematic field effect of liquid crystals invented by James Fergason in 1969. James Fergason Inventor James Fergason holds some of the fundamental patents in liquid crystal displays filed in the early 1970s, including key US patent number 3,731,986 for Display Devices Utilizing Liquid Crystal Light Modulation In 1972, the International Liquid Crystal Company (ILIXCO) owned by James Fergason produced the first modern LCD watch based on James Fergasons patent.

Discussion week 9-2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion week 9-2 - Essay Example In view of the assignment given prior to the lesson (essay outlining the role of different people in society), the instructor will then evaluate the students understanding before the lesson and after the discussion (mentioned below). On the other hand, informal presentation will come in handy while carrying out some activities during this same lesson. I mentioned in the lesson plan that the lesson is predominantly a discussion; therefore, judicious review is a major strategy. This aspect ensures that information delivery is clear and concise while providing for students’ active involvement in information gathering and rehearsal. The power point presentation as a visual aid will further accentuate this method. Structured discovery will also work well in this same lesson. This is because the lesson is safe in view of environment and potential discoveries and failure is not imminent. The instructor first outlines a few of the objectives (occupations in society); the students are already consciously aware that people need to make a living by having an occupation. After this, it is up to the student to create a connection to other objectives, for instance, differences in occupations, benefits of different types of occupations and gender disparity in different types of

What will happen to traditional books and why Essay

What will happen to traditional books and why - Essay Example Contrarily, e-books can be saved in CDs and DVDs, and can be read on the internet. One does not have to carry them around all the time, if they are on the internet, and this makes them much more convenient than traditional books. â€Å"E-books are infinitely more portable than paper books when carried with you on a PDA† (Singh 247). I remember myself carrying loads of books in college, and I hated it. Catone (para.3) counter-argues that holding a book in hand can never be matched with viewing it through pixels on a screen. But, I believe that it is just a matter of habit, which can be changed. Traditional books also prove to be much more expensive than e-books, and so, not everyone is able to purchase them. Contrarily, digital forms are very cheap, since people can read them on the internet and their PCs. This makes e-books affordable. Publishers of e-books state that â€Å"they offer e-books to students and bookstores at prices lower than those of traditional textbooks† (Howle 44). I used to spend all my pocket money in buying fairy tales when I was young, the ones which young kids can read online today, in free. Breslin (2) counter-claims that since writers put a lot of effort in writing books, they must be paid fairly. But, I believe that the affordability of books by common people is more serious an issue than writer’s payments. Traditional books use a lot of paper resource, and thus, they do not play role in making the environment green. A lot of paper is used in compiling and publishing books. In contrast, e-books are much resourceful as they do not consume paper. â€Å"The useful functions of an e-book are the replacement of traditional paper, reducing tree cutting, and increasing environmental protection† (Hesselbach and Herrmann 67). I remember my favorite trees were cut down by a company, for paper manufacture. Mims (para.7) counter-argues that â€Å"after just 10 minutes of

Nissan Report Essay Example for Free

Nissan Report Essay Company Overview Established in Yokohama, Kanagawa in 1933, Nissan Motors Co. Ltd currently manufactures vehicles in 20 countries and areas around the world, including Japan. Global unit sales in fiscal 2009 totalled 3.515 million vehicles. In addition to vehicles, Nissan also develops, manufactures and markets marine equipment. Nissan has a portfolio of two brands, NISSAN and INFINITI, worldwide. NISSAN vehicles are marketed in all major market worldwide. INFINITI was launched as a luxury car brand in North America in 1989. The INFINITI brand has since expanded to Middle East, Korea and Europe, and will continue to enter into new markets globally. Nissan builds high-quality cars that are safe and have the bold design and innovative technology to satisfy our customers’ needs. Vision Nissan: Enriching People’s Lives Mission statement Nissan provides unique and innovative automotive products and services that deliver superior measurable values to all stakeholders* in alliance with Renault. Long term goal Nissan wants to continue its quest to optimize product development and deliver highly innovative technology. Today, in various countries and regions around the world, they enjoy a stellar reputation for creating truly innovative vehicles and service programs. Short term goal The world is changing, and Nissan is adapting with it. Their short term goals are to harness the power thats inside Nissan to prepare solutions that their customers will want and value, now and in the years to come. Solutions such as: electric and fuel cell vehicles that are attractive, fun-to-drive cars with the appealing benefit of zero emissions; global entry cars that make mobility more accessible and affordable for all; and Innovative technological advances that are good for the environment, enhance safety, improve dynamic performance or provide greater life-on-board satisfaction. Organisational structure Nissan places high value on transparency, both internally and externally, in its corporate management. They focus consistently on the implementation of efficient management for the purpose of achieving clear and quantifiable commitments. In line with this principle, and in accordance with Japan’s Company Law and its related regulations, the Board of Directors has decided on the Internal Control Systems to pursue these goals and on its own basic policy. The board continually monitors the implementation status of these systems and the policy, making adjustments and improvements as necessary. One board member has also been assigned to oversee the Internal Control Systems as a whole. Nissan has adopted a system under which the Board of Statutory Auditors oversees the Board of Directors. The Statutory Auditors attend board and other key meetings, and also carry out interviews with board members to audit their activities. The Statutory Auditors regularly receive reports on the results of inspections and plans for future audits from independent accounting auditors, as well as exchange information to confirm these reports. The Statutory Auditors also receive regular reports from the Japan Internal Audit Office, making use of this information for their own audits. The organisational structure could also be explained with the help of the following diagram Here the Board of Directors overlooks the working of the CEO and President who is Carlos Ghosn. The CEO overlooks the working of the branch managers in various locations. Each branch manager handles a groups o VP marketing, VP production, VP finance, VP Public Relations, and VP Human Resource. Organisational Behaviour Nissan is deploying various activities under the banner of Blue Citizenship, which encapsulates their desire to preserve the blue Earth and to be a corporate citizen in harmonious coexistence with people and society. Those activities range from such global issues as the environment to contributing to communities, promoting diversity and making personal mobility available to as many people as possible. SUSTAINABILITY Nissan Green Program The history of Nissan taking environmental measures goes as far back as 1947. Since 1992, abiding to our environmental philosophy Symbiosis of People, Vehicle, and Nature, we have as an enterprise, been accelerating the activities pertaining to the said philosophy. At present we are promoting our mid-term environmental plan Nissan Green Program 2010, identifying the 3 crucial issues, and setting the ultimate goals of reducing CO2 emissions, cleaner (conservation of the atmosphere/water/earth) emissions, and resource circulation (the promoting of the 3 Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle). We are furthering our measures to achieve these goals. The 4 optimums, Nissan’s Powertrain Road Map In order to steadily reduce CO2 emissions, Nissan sees the total contribution of providing truthfully effective technology at an affordable price to its clients, while at the same time swiftly propagating these technologies, as crucial. That said, we believe the 4 optimums Investment in the optimum technology that fits the market needs, at the opportune moment, at the best value for the clients, as the basis of technology investment. Based on these 4 optimums, we will not only ultimately heighten the engine efficiency of petrol motor vehicles, but also proceed with the development and  investment of electrical vehicles which are zero-emission vehicles. Measures for a zero-emission vehicle For vehicle manufacturers, the best long-term policy that both creates demand and protects the environment, is to created a zero-emission vehicle that has no negative effects toward the environment. The Renault-Nissan Alliance sees the propagation and investment in electrical vehicles, which are zero-emission vehicles, as central to the corporate strategy, and committed to become a leader through electrical vehicles. The electrical vehicles that are being developed in Nissan will be introduced in the United States, Europe as well as in Japan in FY2010. By FY2012, there are plans to globally merchandise them. Lithium-ion Batteries Nissan had, at an early stage, taken interest in the development of motors, batteries, and inverters which are key technologies for electrical vehicles. Aiming to achieve the goals set forth in the Nissan Green Program 2010, we are striving to strengthen the developmental measures we have been taking up to this point. Additionally, we are working to develop technology for further practicability, and taking efforts in reducing their costs. In 2007, we established the Automotive Energy Supply Corporation (AESC) that deals with the production and sales of compact lithium-ion batteries. The batteries that are to be developed will be used within electrical vehicles, as well as hybrid vehicles and fuel cell vehicles. Quality At Nissan, we believe that the quality of our products allows us to build a relationship of mutual trust with our customers and is the foundation for continual growth. Product quality is far more than just the performance of Nissan vehicles. It means everything related to our car that brings satisfaction to our customers, from the moment of seeing and touching a Nissan car in the showroom to the support given by the sales staff and the post-purchase driving experience. Nissan quality also extends to after-sales inspections and repairs. We will continue to evaluate and improve all areas of our operations in order to provide the products and services that will constantly give satisfaction to our customers. Safety Shield Nissan aims to halve the number of fatal and serious injuries from accidents involving Nissan vehicles in Japan by 2015 compared with 1995. Based on analysis of real-world accidents, Nissan has been working progressively to design and engineer safer vehicles. Safety shield is an approach to provide continuous support against dangerous situations, by activating various barriers according to the circumstances, from normal driving to post-accident. We are advancing development based on even more sophisticated and proactive safety policy. PARTNERSHIP Yokohama mobility â€Å"Project ZERO† In March 2009, the Renault-Nissan Alliance and Yokohama City saw an agreement over the 5-year -plan, the `Yokohama Mobility Project Zero, which aims to realize the environment model city that is promoted by Yokohama City. In order to reduce CO2 emissions, this partnership will see cooperation in disseminating eco-drive, in addition to testing guidance routes that will contribute to reducing traffic, as well as propagating electrical cars. Additionally, Nissan is in works with Tokyo University in developing a joint industry-university research concerning vehicle transport that aims for the symbiosis of urban space and nature. In terms of the evaluation and the release of information concerning this times planned items, we are, in cooperation with Tokyo University, also furthering them. Yokohama City is planned to be one of the first markets where Nissans electrical vehicles will be supplied, similarly to the various regions throughout the world that have similar partnership agreements with the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Partnership regarding zero-emission mobility From January 2008, aiming for the realistic propagation of electrical vehicles, the Renault-Nissan Alliance concluded on the 40 cases (as of December 2009) of Partnership regarding zero-emission mobility along with governmental sectors, municipal sectors and other sectors. With this, we are working to prepare the social infrastructure such as by installing chargers, as well as taking into consideration benefit measures in times of purchasing the zero-emission vehicles. Through the cooperation with our partners throughout the world, we are contributing to a vehicle society that is both  people-friendly and considerate of the environment. Sky Project In Sky Project, which has been implemented since October 2006 in partnership with non-automobile industries and in cooperation with government agencies, Nissan, with the participation of customers, has been working to reduce the number of traffic accidents and alleviate traffic congestion by using intelligent transportation system (ITS). While providing information to cut the number of encounter head accidents and reduce driving speed in school zones and other areas, we investigate the potentiality for the alleviation of traffic congestion, realized through daily use of ITS, to improve effectiveness of energy use and reduce CO2 emissions. In Beijing, China, we have been implementing Star Wings, a project to develop new transportation information system, in cooperation with Beijing Traffic Information Center (BTIC), in order to alleviate traffic congestion and improve traffic conditions in Beijing and China. Wind power Beginning in 2007, Nissan became an active Y-green partner when it harnessed wind-power for use in its facilities in Japan. The company, through its Yokohma plant facility and the new Global Headquarters, seeks to utilize green energy in its facilities and implement local green energy for local consumption. Since November 2005, Nissan Motor Manufacturing Ltd. (UK) has been using a wind-power facility at its Sunderland plant. Addressing the key issues of Nissan Green Program 2010, the company is reducing C02 emissions by utilizing wind derived power in its facilities worldwide. ACCESSIBILITY BUI-2 (Best usability interior-2) BUI-2 (Best Usability Interior-2) is a concept car, whose interior has been created with a focus to design the way people feel so that all the elements can smoothly appeal to people as they engage in cars. For Nissan, three types of design interface design, colour and material design, and sensitivity quality design are broadly defined as interaction design. Through various research activities, we are making efforts to realize even more convenient and attractive interior designs. Lifecare vehicles (LVs) Nissan lifecare vehicles (LVs) help bring mobility to the elderly or those with physical disabilities. We regard LVs as an essential part of our line-up of cars rather than specialty vehicles, and we are enhancing the products and services available to them. As of the end of January 2009, in Japan there were 401 certified dealerships with LVs on display and advisory staff with expert knowledge of the vehicles, and a total of 5,520 LV advisors. There are dealerships in every prefecture of the country meeting the needs of customers and offering the chance to test-drive these vehicles. Since 2003, we have also been carrying out an annual campaign of LV trial rides for people who have only limited opportunities to get out and about, so that they too can experience the joy of mobility. COMMUNITY Corporate citizenship activities distinctive of Nissan Nissan endeavours to fulfil its role as a corporate citizen toward the realization of a sustainable society, while providing attractive products and services globally, under the vision of enriching peoples lives. We are thus advancing corporate citizenship activities in fields centered on three priority areas support for education, environmentally friendliness, and humanitarian assistance in order to contribute to the sustainability of society. We share our vision globally with Nissan employees around the world and strive to strengthen our relations with local communities by conducting activities responsive to the circumstances and needs of each country and region. Corporate citizenship in education field (Japan) Nissans corporate citizenship initiatives have been always focusing on Cultivating Future Generation. In education field, we have many programs such as Nissan Childrens Storybook and Picture Book Grand Prix with its long history, and Nissan Joyful Picture Book and Storybook Exhibition, and in addition, we started the new programs such as Nissan Monozukuri Caravan and Nissan Design Waku-Waku Studio, which utilize Nissans strength for those original programs. Organisational culture The diversity of Nissan’s employees is the driving force enabling them to meet the varied needs of their customers and to maintain sustainable growth. The employees create greater value by sharing their knowledge, based on their individual experiences and different ways of thinking, in response to the various challenges they all face. For these reasons, Nissan have made diversity a corporate strategy and strive to create an environment where all their employees—who numbered 169,298 at Nissan and its affiliates as of March 2010—can extend their individual talents to the fullest. SUPPORTING CAREER DESIGN Continually Improving Human-Resource Systems A company’s employees are its most important resource. So that both Nissan and its employees can reach their full potential, they constantly work to improve our human-resource systems. The evaluation-based remuneration system used to accurately gauge employee contributions is structured in a way that motivates them to set and achieve high goals. An employee’s salary is determined through a combination of performance evaluations, which measure how well the employee achieved certain goals (commitments), and competency evaluations, which measure such intangible variables as technical skill, knowledge and attitude. Support for Self-Designed Careers Nissan believes that employees should â€Å"design their own careers† and actively assists their efforts to do so. Employees in Japan meet with their supervisors twice a year to discuss their performance and competency evaluations, as well as to express their ideas on how to proceed in their career path. Employees in Japan also have the chance to take on the challenge of a new position through the Shift Career System (SCS) and the Open Entry System (OES). The SCS enables employees to apply for positions in other departments and work areas that interest them regardless of whether there is a position immediately available. The OES allows them to apply for all openly advertised positions. Around 250 employees applied for approximately 100 open posts during fiscal 2009, and roughly 80 of them were successful in getting the positions they applied for. Fostering Specialized Skills Helping employees develop specialized skills over the medium to long term is vital for a company to achieve sustainable growth. They introduced the Nissan Expert Leader System as a means of strengthening and fostering further development of specialized skills in a wide range of technical and nontechnical areas like purchasing and accounting. In fiscal 2009, the system’s fourth year, they focused on 91 fields of specialization, designating 42 employees as Expert Leaders and 2 management-level employees as Nissan Fellows. The Expert Leaders and Fellows make use of their specialized knowledge to contribute to Nissan’s business endeavours overall. In addition to sharing their knowledge with others via our corporate intranet and other communication tools, they contribute to the fostering of the next generation of experts by passing on their specialized skills in seminars and training courses. CREATING A CULTURE FOR LEARNING A Variety of Learning Opportunities As an organization that continues to grow through constant learning, Nissan supports employees’ personal growth with a proactive, systematic approach to human-resource development. The act of learning is one in which people stretch themselves to develop skills that create value. They believe that a corporate culture of learning cannot exist without the motivation to take part in this value creation. The Learning Navigation system on their intranet is one means of providing employees with opportunities for learning. This system lets employees search for information whenever they wish to develop specialized skills, receive training in management techniques, participate in e-learning programs or take distance-learning courses. The site is updated regularly to provide information our employees need to increase their skills and build their careers, meeting their growing thirst for knowledge. Management Institute The Nissan Learning Center Management Institute in Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture, was established with the aim of cultivating human resources with  the specialized skills and leadership qualities needed for future development. The institute contributes to the ongoing creation of Nissan value through a number of programs, including human-resource development seminars, which provide leadership training to pass on the company’s accumulated experience and knowledge to the next generation; cultural diversity workshops; and our Consortium Program, in which they invite other global companies to take part in cross-industry exchange. Moreover, the leaders of our business activities around the world who have taken part in such programs as our Nissan Way Workshops are now active in educating fellow employees in the Nissan Way—the crystallization of experience and knowledge gained through our company’s revival—demonstrating our commitment to promoting a corporate cult ure of learning. Global Training Centers With the globalization of production systems, manufacturers must ensure that all of their manufacturing sites maintain consistent standards of quality. Nissan established Global Training Centers (GTCs) at its Oppama and Yokohama Plants in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, and at its Sunderland Plant in the United Kingdom to educate trainers who share their knowledge at Nissan plants around the world. Trainees selected from among all employees at Nissan’s production facilities worldwide are brought to the GTCs to take part in the company’s Master Trainer Program. Upon finishing the program they are certified as Master Trainers and charged with instructing other employees at Regional Training Centers using a globally standardized curriculum and materials. As of the end of March 2010, 466 Master Trainers were hard at work passing on their technical skills to local employees at Nissan plants worldwide. Nissan’s accumulated know-how has been put into audio-visual form as an educational tool, available in five different languages, for global-standards training at GTCs. They also conduct â€Å"Nissan DNA† training seminars for all management-level employees at our production sites, working to strengthen skills that contribute to improved quality and lower costs and to foster the human resources that can carry out more efficient management of production operations. INTERNAL COMMUNICATION Employee Surveys Nissan carries out surveys to get employee input and suggestions for improvements, using the results to help improve the company’s management quality and employee motivation. From the results of these surveys, they identify the strengths of the company as a whole and those of individual divisions, as well as areas for improvement. They then work to make improvements that will lead to the creation of a better work environment for our employees and to continued growth for the company. The results of these efforts are analyzed for the company as a whole and for each region and department. Based on these analyses, each level of management formulates and carries out action plans tailored to specific needs. Enhancing Communication Tools Nissan introduced a corporate intranet system called WIN (Workforce Integration @ Nissan) in 2005 as a tool to promote communication and information sharing. Since then they have continued to update the system with new technologies while encouraging employees to make active use of this tool for internal communication and collaborative activities. They have expanded the WIN network beyond Japan, North America and Europe to include other markets and our major business partners. They also use internal newsletters and in-house video broadcasts to provide a variety of information to be shared by all employees at Nissan production sites around the world with no difference in time. Employee-Executive Exchange Nissan holds opinion-exchange meetings involving executives and employees as a means of building trust through clear communication between these two groups, as well as among employees themselves. These meetings, held at Nissan’s corporate headquarters in Japan as well as the company’s business offices in China, North America and other parts of the world, give executives a venue for informing employees of the current situation of the company and delivering management messages. They also provide employees with opportunities to ask questions and voice their concerns in a direct and open manner. They plan to continue these meetings as an important channel for active communication. Ethical Issues Global Educational Activities to Promote Compliance As a means of fostering compliance awareness throughout the company, Nissan has established groups and placed officers in charge of promoting compliance policy in each region where it operates. We place special emphasis on education to ensure that all employees have a correct understanding of the Code of Conduct and, as a result, make fair, transparent judgments in the course of their duties. To ensure full understanding of the code in Japan, all employees, including executives, take an elearning or video training course based on the Japanese version of the Nissan Code of Conduct—â€Å"Our Promises,† instituted in April 2004—after which they sign an agreement to abide by it. The revised parts of the code in fiscal 2010 were in response to legal amendments and retained all employees since fiscal 2010 to further strengthen the spirit of compliance within the company. Education programs to promote compliance are held regularly for all employees in North America, and a set of universal guidelines has been drawn up for each country in Europe. Compliance-related training is also being carried out in the General Overseas Markets based on guidelines that take into account conditions in each of those countries. Moreover, all group-affiliated companies have introduced their own codes based on the Nissan Code of Conduct. Additionally, they have created sets of internal regulations covering the global prevention of insider trading and the management of personal information. Nissan seeks to heighten awareness of compliance companywide through such measures as well as various education and training programs. Our Stance against Discrimination and Harassment Item 6 of Nissan’s Global Code of Conduct, â€Å"Value Diversity and Provide Equal Opportunity,† is our requirement to accept value and respect the diversity  to be found among our employees, business partners, customers and communities where we do business, and to reject discrimination and harassment in all their forms, no matter how minor they may be. Nissan executives and employees must respect the human rights of others, and may not discriminate against nor harass others based on race, nationality, gender, religion, physical capability, age, and place of origin or other reason; nor may they allow such a situation to go unchecked if discovered. We also work to ensure that all employees, both male and female, can work in an environment free from sexual and other forms of harassment. PEST analysis PEST analysis is a useful strategic tool for understanding market growth or decline, business position, potential and direction for operations. The use of PEST analysis can be seen effective for business and strategic planning, marketing planning, business and product development and research reports. PEST also ensures that company’s performance is aligned positively with the powerful forces of change that are affecting business environment. PEST is useful when a company decides to enter its business operation into new markets and new countries. The use of PEST, in this case helps to break free of unconscious assumptions, and help to effectively adapt to the realities of the new environment. Looking at the current condition of Japan, it is difficult to mention anything about its political, economical, technological or sociocultural since there is no stability in the country at the moment, due to the natural disaster crises they are facing. SWOT Analysis Strength: 1) Global Brand: According to business Week Global Brand Scorecard Nissan is the fastest growing automotive brand. Nissan’s brand equity was valued at $3,108 million in 2006. Some of the company’s passenger car models include Maxima, Sentra, Altima, Versa, Z Roadstar and Z Coupe. Some of its truck models are Quest, Armada, Pathfinder, Murand and Xterra. Brand strength provides competitive advantage that can offset the increasing competition. Over the last five years company has establish the global brand by focusing on the brand pyramid and dynamics that caters the silky design, the vibrant experience, the interplay between serenity and driving pleasure has reached a high level of alignment and consistency. That makes it easier to communicate about the brand and specific features of its model. 2) Renault-Nissan Alliance: The alliance has provided advantages to both companies. They can move into new markets faster and with lower costs because they dont have to build new plants. (Renault builds cars in Nissans Mexico plants and Nissan uses Renaults Brazil plant and distribution networks) The companies are collaborating on building common platforms, components and engines, and each company leads engine design in their area of expertiseRenault in diesel and Nissan in gasoline. And they have increased purchasing power because they buy components for six million cars not three as will be in the case of Nissan alone. The alliance has so far boosted the profitability, market capitalization and sales in 192 countries for both partners. CEO and president of Renault to his titles in 2005, says hell rely on the strengths of two distinct work forces: French innovation in concept stages and Japanese dedication to process in manufacturing. 3) Most fuel efficient car: Nissan is known to m ake the most fuel efficient cars over the years and this has become one of its major strengths in the competitive market. Due to its fuel efficient car, the demand for them has also increased over the past few years. Weakness: 1) Product Innovation time lag: Nissan launched two new or redesigned vehicles, in comparison to 14 in the three previous years. Nissan has misjudged its model strategy in the United States over the past few years. Like the other Japanese automakers, the company was a relative late-comer to the countrys high-profit margin and high-volume pick-up markets. Nissans late entry meant that it has suffered from the decline in the sector as a result of rising fuel prices in Japan, While Toyota and Nissan have been well placed to benefit from a shift in emphasis in Japan market towards compact sales as a result of the Scion and Civic models respectively, Nissan at the moment has no competitive offering in this segment. However, there  are a number of new models that should reinvigorate the companys fortunes in the United States, including the Sentra and Altima mid-size sedans, as well as its luxury-brand Infiniti G35 sedan. The company also desperately needs new offering in key segments in the European market. The Almera C-segment hatchback and Primera D-segment sedan are hopelessly outmoded and largely ignored by European buyers, although the new Note small multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) should provide Nissan with a sales success in Europe. 2) Lack of Diesel Technology: In the Japanese market, diesel accounts for only 0.4% of vehicles sold (Rowley, 2006). In contrast, diesel is very popular and its share in overall sales has been increasing. In the year ending 1st January 2006 the number of diesel cars sold increased by 7.5%. Some analysts believe that the diesel market will account for more than 80% of total vehicle sales in Europe by the end of 2008. Diesel technology has been improving significantly over the past decade reducing emissions, fuel consumption and cost. As Nissan’s home country has a low demand for diesel engines, Nissan lacks the technology and experience to produce diesel engines of comparative quality. Opportunity: 1) Asia market: Lower penetration coupled with strong rise in income levels, led to continuous jumps in car sales in markets like china and India. In fact china, followed by India is estimated to be major growth driver in the next decade. Hence it is necessary for global player to be present in these countries. Therefore all global players either have products for these markets or planning to develop products to enter into these markets. In India in year 2004-05 domestic sales of car and utility vehicles has crossed the 1 million mark. 2) Relocate its manufacturing unit to reduce cost: The Japanese car maker has stepped up their policy of producing where demand exists. Car making is an industry situated at a forefront of globalization and major player is accelerating their cross border activities. Manufacturing units in America and Europe have huge capacities in line with their vast domestic automobile  output. While this offered them the benefits of scale, the continuous sluggish growth in their local market and their inflationary increase in production cost, especially wage cost. Adoption of cost reduction measure became imperative for players to survive. China, India and Thailand have been regarded as the Low Cost Production bases with their unique offering to the outsourcers. Low cost country will provide them the global clientele and technology and also have synergetic operation. Area of opportunity for India lies in the products which have high level of design and engineering requirements, low level of auto mation and significant assembly requirement. 3) Renault-Nissan Purchasing Organization (RNPO): The RNPO, which was established in 2001 in the early stages of the alliance, was one of the key ways in which Renault-Nissan would combine their resources to create a more efficient organization. Currently Nissan and Renault share 60% of the same part and raw material suppliers. This has led Nissan to achieve greater purchasing power and has served to reduce costs and reduce the bargaining power of suppliers. There still remains significant opportunity through the RNPO to decrease costs and provide increased competitive advantage. Threats: 1) Cross-Cultural Disharmony: As Nissan and Renault become further integrated with one another, the risk of cross-cultural disharmony increases. If disharmony occurs then, as occurred at DaimlerChrysler, overall company performance may be reduced and the current strengths that the Alliance provides may become instabilities. Nissan is currently working to reduce the likelihood through its Business Way program but corporate and national culture takes a long time to change. 2) Rising Commodity Prices: Due to the economic expansion of China, changes in commodity prices could affect the costs incurred by Nissan. Over the past 12 months, the price of steel used in car production has risen by nearly 30% (London Metal Exchange, 2006). Nissan has taken steps to reduce the effect of rising steel prices; in 2000, Nissan began using hot dip zinc coated steel and converted to less expensive steel in 2002, which saved about $16 million per year (Nissan Motor Co., 2004). This however, has done little to  reduce the upward pressure on vehicle costs and prices. As this increase in cost has been passed on to the consumer, demand for new vehicles has reduced. This threatens Nissans viability in the region. 3) Market saturation: With overall industry sales number stagnant, if not declining in key economies term, the overall automobile industry has been significantly impacted. Due to overall market saturation, the individual company new product development strategy towards market expansion is changing from iterative year on year model changes to drastic innovation. The emergence of SUV market few years back is an evidence of how product and market innovation has changed the very composition of US auto market. Marketing Strategies TARGET MARKET Nissan’s target market will be the low-level income group and middle class. Whereas Infiniti’s target market is people looking for luxury, great driving experience with unparallel appeal. With constant awareness and education about Nissan affordability and safety features, different type of group could be acquired resulting in increase of brand loyal consumers. People are more aware and therefore, they are constantly more particular when deciding which car to purchase. With strategic advertisement, consumers can be attracted with its latest features and a new image Nissan will provide to owners. NISSAN TARGET MARKET: GEOGRAPHIC SEGMENT The major concern of Nissan is to capture all the district headquarters of the country resulting in its coverage of almost all over the country. NISSAN TARGET MARKET: PSYCHOGRAPHICS With new image Nissan will provide to its buyers, owners will feel more confident and proud considering that Nissan is an international organization with strong background resulting driving Nissan a status symbol. Also safety and comfort are big factors of considerations in a consumers mind so Nissan by focusing on these factors will attract safety and comfort conscious people. Seeing its potential, consumers will most likely shift to Nissan. NISSAN TARGET MARKET: DEMOGRAPHICS Primary Target market belongs to middle class, upper middle class and low earning income people in society, falling in income bracket of below $ 2500. Also the target will be people from 25 60year old who are major automobile buyers. DISTRIBUTION STRATEGIES Basically there are two types of distribution channels available: Direct distribution and In-direct distribution PROMOTION STRATEGIES Promotion is one of the most important factors of marketing; it is done to affect the consumer behaviour in order to achieve sales and increase product image. In promotion the major task is to make consumers aware of the product and to attract consumer towards the product by highlighting the advantages of the product. Also it keeps consumers aware and well informed about product’s features and improvements. ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH An extensive market research will be conducted to have better idea about consumers’ perception about Nissan and its competitors. For this purpose Nissan will acquire services of marketing and research agencies to better analyze market environment. This will enable Nissan to learn about the consumers’ behaviour, how they perceive us and compare with the competitor. The media of the advertising a product is always chosen after the market environment research to get knowledge that if the target audience is interested in that mode of advertisement or not. ADVERTISING To advertise the product better and create awareness about product; Nissan will use different advertisement methods to approach the consumers. The diversity of advertisement channels will help in reaching the masses of different mindsets. Following Advertisement methods will be used: †¢ Nisan will use print and electronic media to introduce the product to consumers. †¢ Special events will be sponsored by Nissan. †¢ Use of Billboards, flex signs etc for massive introduction of car’s launch. †¢ Special road shows and displays will be set at dealers outlets. †¢ Prize contest will be conducted to attract people towards the car. Financial Review Net sales For fiscal year 2009, consolidated net revenues decreased 10.9%, to  ¥7.517 trillion, which reflected the strong yen offsetting the increase in sales volume. Operating profit Consolidated operating profit totalled  ¥311.6 billion, compared to a negative  ¥137.9 billion in fiscal year 2008. Net income Net non-operating expenses increased  ¥69.1 billion to  ¥103.9 billion from  ¥34.8 billion in fiscal 2008. Net income reached  ¥42.4 billion, an increase of  ¥276.1 billion from fiscal year 2008. Major competitors In Asia the 3 big of the automobile industry is Nissan, Toyota and Honda. But Nissan Motors major competitor is Toyota Motor Corporation. Toyota, much larger than Nissan and possessing deeper financial pockets, was better positioned to sustain the losses incurred from the global economic downturn. Consequently, Nissan entered its ninth decade of operation facing formidable obstacles. The first financial decline came in 1991, when the companys consolidated operating profit plummeted 64.3 percent to  ¥125 billion (US$886 million). Six months later, Nissan registered its first pretax loss since becoming a publicly traded company in 1951 ¥14.2 billion during the first half of 1992. The losses mounted in the next two years, growing to  ¥108.1 billion in 1993 and  ¥202.4 billion by 1994, or nearly US$2 billion. To arrest the precipitous drop in company profits, Nissans management introduced various cost-cutting measuressuch as reducing its materials and manufacturing costswhich sav ed the company roughly US$1.5 billion in 1993, with an additional US$1.2 billion savings realized in 1994. Nissan also became the first Japanese company to close a plant in Japan since World War II and cut nearly 12,000 workers in Japan, Spain, and the United States from its payroll. Nissan also was staggering under a debt load that reached as high as US$32 billion and threatened to bankrupt the company. Only intervention from Nissans lead lender, Industrial Bank of Japan, kept the company afloat. There were some positive signs in the early 1990s to inspire hope for the future. Nissans 1993 sales increased nearly 20 percent, vaulting the car maker past Honda Motor Co., Ltd. to reclaim the number two ranking in import sales to the all-important U.S. market. Much of this gain was attributable to robust sales of the Nissan Altima, a replacement for its Stanza model, which was introduced in 1992 and marketed in the United States as a small luxury sedan priced under $13,000. To the joy of Nissans management, however, the Altima typically was purchased with various options added on, giving the company an additional $2,000 to $3,000  per car. Nissan also was encouraged by strong sales of its Quest minivan, which was introduced in the United States in 1992 and had been developed jointly with Ford Motor, which marketed its own version, the Ford Windstar. Nissans losses continued through the fiscal year ending in March 1996, cumulating to US$3.2 billion over a four-year span. The companys return to profitability in fiscal 1997 came about in part because of the cost-cutting program and in part from the yens dramatic depreciation against the dollar. Despite the return to the black, Nissan remained a troubled company. From its 1972 peak of 34 percent, the companys share of the Japanese auto market had fallen to 20 percent by early 1997. Competition from the more financially stable Toyota and Honda played a factor in this decline, but Nissan also hurt itself by failing to keep pace with changing consumer tastes both in Japan and in overseas markets. For example, Nissan was behind its rivals in adding minivans and sport utility vehicles to its product line-up, having for years dismissed these sectors as passing fads. Meanwhile, minivans, sport utility vehicles, and station wagons accounted for half of all passenger car sales in Japan by early 1997, up from just more than ten percent in 1990. In the U.S. market, the Altima lost ground to two midsized rivals, the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry, because Nissans model was smaller and thus less desirable. In the luxury car sector, Toyotas Lexus line became the hot brand in the United States, triumphing over the Infiniti. Because of these and other factors, Nissan returned to the red for fiscal years 1998 and 1999. Although the losses were not as large as earlier in the decade, the companys continued sky-high debt loadwhich stood at US$19.7 billion in late 1998did not bode well for Nissans future. Business Strategies, Keeping Competitive Edge 1) Product Strategy To secure our profitability and sustainable growth based on our future product line up plan, in our product strategy developing process, we are monitoring the impacts of some different types of risk scenarios such as global market changes and demand deteriorations to our future profitability (COP) based on our plan. 1. Drastic decline of total global demand, past examples as reference case. 2. A demand shift between vehicle segments drastically faster than our assumptions in our mid-term planning. 3. A demand shift from the matured markets to the emerging markets drastically faster than our assumptions in our mid-term planning. We periodically monitor the impact of these scenarios to secure our future profitability and sustainable growth, and also update our future line-up plans periodically based on the results. To improve the robustness of our product line up against these risks, we take following countermeasures as our main direction when planning our product strategy. Expand availability of individual products across markets to mitigate the risk of single market demand fluctuations. Increase volume and efficiency per product through a consolidation and rationalization of the portfolio to lower the breakeven point and thereby reduce the profit risk of global Total Industry Volume declines. Prepare a more balanced product portfolio meeting needs in a broader range of markets and segments reducing reliance on specific large markets. 2) Quality of Products Services Nissan is working on the corporate task named â€Å"Quality Leadership† which aims for achieving top level quality by FY2012. In this project, actions are carried out with numerical targets for following 4 areas. 1. Perceived quality attractiveness: Customers’ impression on vehicle’s quality when customer looks it at a dealer’s show room 2. Product quality: Quality of product itself based on the experiences as an owner of the vehicle 3. Sales service quality: Quality related to behaviour or attitude of sales staff or quality of service when inspection and maintenance 4. Quality of management: internal management quality to improve employees’ motivation which supports above 3 qualities For example, target of â€Å"Product quality† is to become top level at Most Influential Indicator (MII) of each region. In order to achieve the target, it is broken down to internal indicators by model which correlate with MII. Progress of all quality improvement activities are monitored with those  internal indicators. All the actions are taken based on rotating PDCA cycle, such as, the progress of activities are monthly reviewed by â€Å"Quality Committee† chaired by EVP and necessary actions are decided. Total picture of â€Å"Quality Leadership† on global base is monitored and discussed at the Global Quality Meeting chaired by COO annually. 2 years passed since this project started and it is going well. We are confident that we can achieve the target by FY2012. With respect to new model project, in order to achieve the quality target of each project, milestone meetings set at each key process of design, preparation for production and production, confirm key check points, such as achievement of quality targets, adoption of measures to prevent recurrence of past problem, adoption of measures for potential risks related to new technology / new mechanism / design change. Commercial production can be started after confirmation at â€Å"SOP (Start of Production) Judgment Meeting†, which confirms all issues are solved and quality target can be achieved. Final decision that the model can be sold is made at â€Å"Delivery Judgment Meeting†, after confirmation of quality of commercial production and preparedness for service / maintenance. As described above, Nissan is implementing thorough quality check before new model launch. Nissan is progressing quality improvement activities also after launch by gathering quality information from markets and prompt deployment of countermeasures. In case of occurrence of safety or compliance issues, necessary actions such as recall are implemented with close cooperation with market side team based on the decision by independent process from management. Occurred incidents are deeply investigated, analyzed and feed backed to models on the way of production or development for prevention of recurrence In addition to above described activities, such as quality assurance at new model project and quality improvement activities on daily basis, the â€Å"Quality Risk Management† framework has been newly developed from FY2009.  This is the high level system to ensure successful quality management for on-going and future projects. This includes assessment of quality related risks, evaluation of risk level, assignment of responsible person based on the level and to clarify organization for follow up. These processes are implemented at â€Å"Quality Risk Management Committee† chaired by EVP twice a year. 3) Compliance and Reputation As described above, Nissan produced the Nissan Global Code of Conduct for all employees of the Nissan group worldwide. To ensure thorough understanding of the code, training and education program such as e-learning is improved and compliant situation is monitored by Global Compliance Committee. Nissan has also adopted the internal whistle blowing system (Easy Voice System). This allows any employees to submit opinions, questions, requests or suspected compliance issue directly to Nissan’s management. Additionally, Nissan created sets of internal regulations covering the Global Prevention of Insider Trading and the management of personal information. Nissan keeps effort to prevent reputation risk to the company by continuous implementation of such measures as various education and training programs. Conclusion As the automobile industry is booming, It is necessary to keep up with the competition. The only way to compete with the competitors is to come out with innovative technology, fuel efficient cars, and luxury looking yet affordable cars. Nissan has not only concentrated on making cars but also provided their support to various stakeholders. Its working has benefited the environment by taking many environmental initiatives such as starting the Nissan Green Program 2010. The company also has worked towards effectively and efficiently developing their employees in terms of specialisation, or giving them a work-life balance. In line with its vision of Enriching People’s Lives, Nissan’s desire is to provide attractive products and services to customers worldwide while at the same time fulfilling its responsibility as a corporate citizen to help realize a sustainable society.

Lessons from Hewlett-Packard Case Essay -- corporate spying, hp corpora

Hewlett-Packard Corporation plays an important role in the Information Technology products. In the report, it will choose two of the issues which are related to each other from the Hewlett-Packard troubles list. The first issue is the congressional federal did research to the corporate spying and pretexting in 2006. The second issue is about Mark Hurd, who was the president and CEO in HP, was accused of sexual harassment and did illicit business which conduct that he is short of judgment. First, the report begin with identify the moral problem which combine with some relevant background information which can let the reader better understand the situations. Next part, the report will definitely point to point analysis two of the issues related with the moral problem which are covering in the organizational behavior, so that reader can deeply understand and interpretation the problems. At last, finding the feasible ways and establishing the clear effectiveness solutions are the importa nt steps to pull HP Corporation through the downturn. The purpose of this report is using organizational behavior knowledge to comprehend and solve the HP workers’ moral problem. â€Æ' In the report, the first issue describe Hewlett-Packard Corporation was involved into an investigation of spying and pretexting by a congressional federal. According to Hyatt (2007), Patricia Dunn, who was the chairwoman in HP, illegally obtained the private phone records and some of the employee’s information which using the pretexting method led to HP corporation internal leaks. In the second issue, in his article, Hurd on the Street, Booth (2010) describes Mark Hurd, who was the chief executive officer in HP, was got fired on account of intentionally faked financial sta... ... Works Cited Barnard, J. (1992). Successful CEOs Talk about Decision Making. Business Horizons, 35(5), 70-74. Sheeder, F. (2006). If you Find Yourself in A Hole, Put Down the Shovel. Journal of Health Care Compliance, 8(6), 51-52. Booth, R.A. (2010). Hurd on the Street. Regulation, 33(4), 2-4. Collins, D. (2006). Five Levees for Improving Ethical Performance. Strategic Finance, 88(1), 19-21. Gebler, D. (2006). Creating an Ethical Culture. Strategic Finance, 87(11), 28-34. Hyatt, J. (2007). Lessons from Hewlett-Packard. Board Leadership, 2007(90), 6-7. Ostapski, S.A. & Pressley, D.G. (1992). Moral Audit for Diabco Corporation. Journal of Business Ethics, 11(1), 71-80. Priem, R. L., Walters, B. A., & Li, S. (2011). Decisions, Decisions! How Judgment Policy Studies Can Integrate Macro and Micro Domains in Management Research. Journal of Management, 37(2), 553-580.

Thorn Queen Chapter Twenty-Six

It was no secret: my mother hated Otherworldly things. Her feelings weren't that hard to understand, considering that she'd been a prisoner there, serving as Storm King's forced mistress-not unlike my own experiences now. Just as she tried to ignore what Roland and I did for a living, she also tried to ignore the gentry blood in me, treating me as though I were fully human and often refusing to hear otherwise. Therefore, I was a bit surprised that she took everything better than Roland did when we got back to Tucson. I knew they had discussions when I wasn't around. He filled her in on what had happened in Yellow River, how I'd been practicing magic on the sly, and how I was now the reigning monarch of a fairy kingdom. He told her about Leith too. If she was shocked by any of it, if she was repulsed by it and hated me for what I'd become†¦well, she never let on. She was just†¦well, my mother. She set me up in my old bedroom. It hadn't changed much over the years and even still had the same glow-in-the-dark stars I'd stuck to the ceiling. When I'd put them there in my youth, she had fretted that they'd never come off without ripping out part of the paint. So, I guess she'd never bothered in all these years. Roland knew someone who knew someone who came and did a field surgery on my shoulder, removing the bullet and leaving me with pain meds and antibiotics. That was about all I saw of Roland in those initial days of recovery. It was my mom who stayed with me the most, talking about anything that wasn't Otherworldly and making sure I had entertainment in the form of books and TV. I could pay little attention to those diversions, though, not when my mind was on so many other things. I would turn the events of the previous weeks over and over in my head until I grew too weary to string any coherent thoughts together. When I reached that exhausted point, I would usually just let my mind go blank for a while. It was oddly soothing, particularly since I so often woke up from nightmares about Leith. An empty mind was sometimes welcome. And it was my mother I went to when my period came. She'd already bought a pregnancy test too, just for peace of mind. When it came out negative, I stared sobbing. My mom held me in bed and rocked me the whole time, saying, â€Å"I know, baby, I know.† It was odd because I didn't even know why I was crying. The negative test was a good thing, and I was glad there were no loose ends with Leith. As she held me-the first time I'd really let anyone touch me since Art's house-I suddenly wondered how she had felt when she was pregnant with me. Had she been repulsed by the thought of the half-gentry child forced on her? Had she wanted to get rid of me but been unable to in the Otherworld? I shuddered, not wanting to ponder that too much. Thinking I was cold, she went and got me a sweater. It was a few days later that Roland and I finally talked. I was more mobile then and had come downstairs to make a bowl of cereal in the kitchen. He strolled in and joined me, sitting at the table with his coffee. His face seemed to have more lines than the last time I'd seen him. My fault, no doubt. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I said when the silence grew too hard to bear. â€Å"I†¦I should have told you.† He looked up from his cup. â€Å"Which part exactly?† â€Å"All of it. Everything. I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I sighed. â€Å"You were always so mad that I was spending time in the Otherworld at all. I thought you'd be upset if you knew the rest.† â€Å"Oh, believe me, I'm much more upset to hear it now than I would have been then.† â€Å"I'm sorry,† I said again, not knowing what else to say. â€Å"It all just happened so fast. There was that fight with Aeson-â€Å" â€Å"I know, I know. Kiyo gave me the details of that, though he too was a bit surprised to find out you can conjure up hurricanes worthy of Storm King now.† I shook my head. â€Å"I'm a long way from that. And once I started learning the magic†¦I just can't stop.† Now Roland sighed. â€Å"He's been by a couple of times.† It took me a moment to realize he meant Kiyo, not Storm King. â€Å"I'm not ready to see him.† â€Å"I know.† There was a pause, and I think it took a lot for Roland to say his next words. â€Å"He's not so bad. Relatively speaking.† I gave him a sad half-smile. â€Å"Yeah, he's great.† And I meant it†¦but something was bothering me about Kiyo, something that kept nudging me in the back of my head. I continued to ignore it. â€Å"So what happens now?† Roland asked. â€Å"What are you going to do?† I stared in surprise. â€Å"Well†¦what else would I do? The same thing I've been doing.† â€Å"What, running back and forth between the worlds, trying to act like you have some semblance of a normal life?† The tone of his voice hurt me. â€Å"What do you expect me to do? And it's not like our lives have ever been normal.† He shook his head. â€Å"This is different. You can't do this. You can't literally live in two worlds.† I munched on my cereal for a moment to give me a chance to think. â€Å"I don't really see that I have a choice. That land is bound to me. If I neglect it, it dies.† Roland said nothing. â€Å"Oh, come on! You think I should do that? Abandon it and let all those people suffer? You're as bad as Art.† The mystery of what had happened to Art's body and to Abigail was†¦well, a mystery. No one had told me exactly, save that it had â€Å"been taken care of.† Roland's eyes flashed with anger. â€Å"No, I'm nothing like him. Don't ever make that mistake. But the gentry aren't our people. They aren't your people.† â€Å"They are now,† I said, surprising myself. He stood up, his entire posture weary and defeated. â€Å"I don't know what to think anymore. I don't know what to think of you. I don't even feel like I know you.† In all these years together, he'd never raised a hand to me. But in that moment, it was like he'd slapped me. â€Å"What does that mean?† I asked. I meant to sound defiant. Instead, my words came out very small and very scared, much like a pleading child's. I remembered how grateful I'd been to see him at Art's. My father. My protector. â€Å"Do you not†¦do you not love me anymore?† He'd started to walk away but paused to look back. His blue eyes took me in for several moments. â€Å"Of course. I will always love you. You're my daughter. But†¦I'm not sure if things can ever be the same.† Roland walked out of the kitchen, and that's when I realized it was time for me to leave. Tim nearly knocked me over when I got back to my own house. My mom had called him to tell him I was okay when I'd first come to her place, but between my recovery week and the week at Art's with no contact, Tim had done a fair amount of freaking out. â€Å"What happened? Are you okay? I dealt with Lara while you were gone. You would have been proud.† I smiled, more pleased that he'd called her by her first name instead of â€Å"bitch secretary.† â€Å"Do you want me to make you something?† â€Å"You sound like my mom,† I teased. â€Å"Always wanting to feed me.† He shrugged. â€Å"You're too skinny. And I don't say that lightly, considering the kinds of girls I go after.† He was right both about me and his choice in women. They'd fed me at Art's, but I'd hardly eaten any of it. I'd lost a lot of weight, and while part of me wanted to bulk back up by tapping the bag of Milky Way candy bars in my pantry, I knew I should probably be delving into some serious nutrition for a change. So, I dispatched Tim to cook up some steak stir-fry, a request he was more than eager to accomodate. I spent the rest of the day restless and bored, unsure of what to do with myself. I did some laundry, despite Tim's protests that he could do it, and scarfed down lots of his stir-fry. The animals were all there, which led me to believe Kiyo was still staying there too. After I'd refused to see him at my parents', I half-expected him to have moved out. Honestly, I wasn't sure what to do now. I didn't plan on going to the Otherworld anytime soon, and there was no way-as I told Lara later on the phone-that I could take any new jobs for a while. This made both Tim and her nervous about my accounting, but I knew my savings account was at least temporarily secure. My magic I left completely alone. I wasn't going near that, even though there were times the air and the water vapor around me would call to me like a siren's song, and I'd burn to touch them. The one bit of magic I did use was shamanic: I tried to summon Volusian. He didn't come. I wasn't sure what to think of that. I was almost grateful for nightfall so that I could go to bed and stop trying to figure out things to pass the time. I wondered if this apathy was just a natural consequence of the trauma I'd been through, some kind of numbed state. TV, my puzzles, even Tim's cheery chatter†¦none of it could hold my attention. I wasn't bored, exactly. I just wasn't very engaged with the world. That night, just as I used to do, I dreamed of the Thorn Land. The dream was so vivid and real. It was like I'd stepped outside my own home to go walking in the foothills, like my soul was traveling on without my body. The air was sharp and clean, filled with the fragrance of desert flowers. The sun was warm and merciless-yet comforting in its familiarity. And the colors†¦the colors made my dream self want to weep. Peaches and greens and all the colors of the cacti flowers looking up at the clear blue, blue of the sky. For the first time since my capture and rape, I felt at peace. I felt whole and healed in the dream. I woke up with a longing in my chest, like there was a piece of me missing. The sharpness of it startled me-and scared me a little. Tossing on a robe, I made my way out to the kitchen, hoping coffee and breakfast would shake off that all-consuming desire to run to the Otherworld. â€Å"Kiyo,† I exclaimed. He sat at the table with coffee, both dogs at his feet. I had a weird deja vu from coffee with Roland yesterday and suspected there was â€Å"a talk† in store for me. â€Å"Eugenie,† he said, looking up from the paper. His eyes were warm and chocolate-brown, filled with so much love. He rose from his chair and approached me, arms open. I started to go into his embrace but something made me shrink back, some protective instinct of my body's to keep itself safe. I knew he wasn't Leith. I knew Kiyo loved me†¦but there was just something within me that was afraid to touch anyone else. My mother was the only one I'd allowed to hug me so far. Sadness and hurt flashed through Kiyo's eyes at my rejection, but he seemed to understand. Awkwardly, he simply gave me a soft touch on the arm, which I allowed with only a slight flinch. We both sat down-after I'd fetched coffee-and he drank me in with those intense eyes, like he hadn't seen me in years. Of course, these last two weeks or so had certainly felt like years to me, so perhaps that wasn't such a bad comparison. â€Å"How are you?† he asked. â€Å"I've missed you so much. I've been so worried.† â€Å"I'm okay. I was in good hands.† â€Å"How's your shoulder?† I gave it a slight shrug. â€Å"Stiff. But mending. I could probably go over to the Otherworld and get someone to patch it right up.† His face instantly darkened. â€Å"I think you need to stay away from there for a while.† â€Å"Jesus Christ. Not you too. I'm that land's ruler. I have to go back.† A flash of the dream came back to me. It was more than some subconscious musing, I knew. The Thorn Land and I were tied. We couldn't stay apart. I had known that being away from it would cause it to die, and now I was realizing that I might die without it as well. â€Å"There has to be a way. I was talking to Maiwenn, and she's going to look into it. Surely, somewhere in the pages of their history, someone gave up their kingdom without dying.† â€Å"Is that a good idea?† I asked. â€Å"Me giving it up?† â€Å"Of course,† he said, shocked. â€Å"You've never wanted it. You've said so a hundred times. It'd be better for everyone. The next person bound to the land probably wouldn't transform it into a desert. You'd be free, able to go on with your life here, free of the magic†¦.† I narrowed my eyes. â€Å"I'll never be free of that either.† â€Å"Yeah,† he agreed, stiffness in his voice, â€Å"but there'll be less temptation outside of the Otherworld. Why the hell didn't you tell me you were learning all that stuff?† â€Å"I did tell you! I told you about Dorian sending Ysabel.† â€Å"What I saw you do in there†¦that was nothing like what you said she taught you.† â€Å"It happened fast†¦I didn't realize it half the time myself, and I didn't want to upset you.† â€Å"No one learns that fast,† he muttered. I remembered Shaya's words. Storm King did. â€Å"Well, I'm apparently not all-powerful. I lost hold of Volusian during that ordeal. He didn't come when I called.† â€Å"Oh. I thought you knew.† â€Å"Knew what?† â€Å"He's bound to Dorian now.† I stared for several seconds. â€Å"Oh my God. I thought that might happen†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Kiyo stared back. â€Å"You did? Then why the hell did you send him to Dorian? Why not send him to warn me?† â€Å"For exactly that reason! If Volusian broke from my control, I knew Dorian could probably bind him.† â€Å"I suppose. But I feel like you've just given Dorian a nuclear warhead.† I didn't say it, but I had a feeling Kiyo was more upset that it was Dorian I'd contacted for help and not him. â€Å"And that's how you found me, right? Volusian told Dorian, who then told you and Roland?† I'd heard it from Roland but wanted to hear it again. Kiyo nodded. â€Å"We'd been looking for you as soon as you disappeared after the battle. None of us had a clue what had happened. We got Roland involved a few days later to help with a hunt in this world, but none of us†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shook his head. â€Å"None of us had any idea that that's what had happened to you.† Awkward silence fell, each of us thinking about the things neither of us would give voice to. My imprisonment. My rape. I lowered my eyes, playing with the edge of the coffee cup. The memories were like a rollercoaster. Sometimes they'd sink way down low into the bottom of my mind. Other times, they'd flare up sharply, pushing to the forefront of my mind and unleashing all the dizzying, horrible feelings of fear, violation, and helplessness that ordeal had caused. I suddenly looked up sharply and met Kiyo square in the eyes. â€Å"Why didn't you let me kill Leith when I had the chance?† With a shiver, I remembered the vengeance burning within me and the storm swirling around me. The question clearly caught Kiyo off-guard. â€Å"What? You know why. Because of the political fallout†¦because you're not the kind of person given to revenge†¦.† â€Å"Aren't I?† I demanded. I was suddenly angry at him, and it occurred to me right then that I'd been suppressing a lot of it this whole week. â€Å"You have no right to talk about when revenge is right. You didn't go through what I did.† â€Å"I know,† he said, trying to be gentle. â€Å"I don't doubt he deserved a horrible punishment. I can only imagine how it was for you-â€Å" â€Å"No. There is no way you can imagine.† â€Å"It's more than just revenge, though. Do you know what's happened in the wake of this? Katrice is massing her armies, Eugenie. The monarchs haven't had an all-out war in ages. This could get very bad. People are going to die. I wanted to save you from that†¦wanted to save you from being her target.† â€Å"Alright. Then why didn't you kill him?† Dead silence. â€Å"What?† Kiyo exclaimed at last. I never lowered my gaze, astonished at the coldness in my voice. â€Å"You said he deserved a horrible punishment.† â€Å"Yeah, imprisonment or-â€Å" â€Å"Imprisonment? Are you crazy? He's a prince. We couldn't have kept him without the same ‘political fallout.' He would have walked.† â€Å"Going to war is worse, believe it or not.† â€Å"Then you still should have killed him,† I repeated. â€Å"Everyone keeps going on about how you're ‘just' a kitsune. You aren't technically aligned with anyone. Maybe she would have put a hit out on you, but she wouldn't have gone to war against you alone.† Kiyo's eyes were wide. â€Å"Are you listening to yourself? This is insane! You're condemning me for not killing a man that was on his knees.† â€Å"That man did horrible, awful things. He didn't deserve to walk away unpunished.† Kiyo's shock had given away to anger. â€Å"I can't believe you're holding me responsible for this. And you know what? This is the magic talking. The more of it you use, the more it changes you. This is why you need to stay away from the Otherworld! For your own protection. Before you turn into someone you don't want to be.† â€Å"Oh, now you want to protect me! Look, you of all people should understand. I can't stay away from the Otherworld. I can't stay away from this world. I don't belong anywhere! And yet†¦I belong everywhere. There's no good fit for me. I'm split, Kiyo. I thought you'd get that. You told me before that you did. You're the same.† â€Å"It†¦it's different somehow.† â€Å"That's not good enough. You're being a hypocrite,† I exclaimed. â€Å"You make decisions for both of us based on what's convenient at any given time. You think you can handle it one way but that I can't. That's not fair. You can't make different rules for each of us.† â€Å"I'm trying to protect you,† he repeated. â€Å"You don't think I'm strong enough to handle the things you can?† He held up his hands. â€Å"I don't know. Maybe I'm the one who isn't strong enough to make the tough decisions.† â€Å"Dorian is.† It was out before I could stop it. Dead silence, round two, descended on us. Kiyo finished his coffee. â€Å"I see. So that's what this is really about.† He stared around, taking in the house and the cats sprawled everywhere. â€Å"Maybe†¦maybe it's time I pack up my things.† I crossed my arms. â€Å"I think that's a good idea.† â€Å"It might take me a day or two to collect these guys, though.† â€Å"That's fine.† I kept perfect control in my voice, focusing all my energy on sounding flat. If I slipped up, I might start crying or begging him to stay. I might apologize for being so harsh and holding him responsible for not letting me kill Leith. It wasn't fair for me to blame Kiyo and laud Dorian†¦ †¦and yet I did. Kiyo stood up, saying he'd come back to do a thorough packing when I wasn't around since that might be easier on both of us. I agreed. Tension engulfed us as he moved toward the door. I'd hurt him; I knew it. And truthfully, I didn't fully know if I was making the worst mistake of my life here in breaking up with Kiyo. True, we had been fighting a lot, with him not understanding the choices I'd been having to make. The heart of it was, though, that I felt he'd had the opportunity to protect me†¦and hadn't. â€Å"Eugenie,† he said, hovering near the back door. â€Å"I know you were hurt. I know you suffered-and still do. And I guess I can see why you think what Dorian did was noble. But it's not. There are big consequences to this, and someday-probably soon-you're going to regret what he did.† I shook my head, still obstinate. â€Å"I don't know. Maybe.† â€Å"No matter what you think of me, it's not too late. You can make amends with Katrice. You can stop this.† There was a desperate, pleading look in his eyes, and I wondered if it was because of his desire for peace or the agony of leaving me. My own hurt over him leaving was steadily growing, but something in his words halted it. â€Å"Make amends? What's that mean?† â€Å"I don't know†¦apologize†¦blame it on Dorian. Maiwenn might negotiate†¦.† My anger spun back up. â€Å"I am not going to grovel to the woman whose son raped me. And I'm not going to let Dorian get punished for something I should have done myself.† Maiwenn didn't even deserve mentioning. â€Å"I'll face the consequences, Kiyo. I'm the Thorn Queen.† He gave me a small, sad smile. â€Å"Are you sure? Or are you the Storm Queen?† I frowned. â€Å"What?† â€Å"That's what you told Leith. Back in the kitchen.† â€Å"No.† So much of those memories were fragmented, but I was certain I'd recall that. â€Å"I told him I was the Thorn Queen a few times-but good God. Not Storm Queen.† â€Å"I heard you. Once you said Storm Queen.† I shook my head, anger returning. â€Å"You made a mistake. They sound alike. Easy to mishear.† His smile twitched; his sadness grew. â€Å"Not with my hearing.† Kiyo left after that-to where, I didn't know. It didn't matter. My heart was broken, and thinking about him too much was only going to make things worse. Instead, I knew I had to leave too. I had to get out of here-and I knew exactly where I had to go. I had to go to my kingdom.

Philippine Daily Inquirer

â€Å"The Philippine Daily Inquirer† I. Introduction Philippine Daily Inquirer is one of the most prominent newspapers in the Philippines. It is the most widely read newspaper nowadays because of its updated content. The Philippine Daily Inquirer is undeniably the country’s most widely read and circulated newspaper. With over 2. 7 million nationwide readers daily, it enjoys a market share of over 50% and tops the readership surveys. Not only is it the most read among all sectors and ages, it is also the country’s most trusted source of hard-hitting news and countless exposes. Distinguished by award-giving bodies like the Catholic Mass Media Awards, Jaime Ongpin Awards for Investigative Journalism and Anvil Awards, it is the Philippines’ most awarded broadsheet with over 200 awards and citations. Besides being the country’s leading journalistic voice, the Inquirer is also strongly committed to social responsibility and has taken an active role in various socio-civic programs. Its business savvy and social conscience have been recognized with the Agora Award for Outstanding Marketing Company of the Year in 1998, Anvil Award of Merit for its participation in Tabang Mindanaw and Gold Quill Award of Excellence for Economic, Social and Environmental Development in 2003. It is also the most environmentally friendly newspaper in the country, being the first local newspaper to use organic soy-based ink, 100% recycled newsprint and a resizing of the paper saving seven trees a day. It won a special citation from the Catholic Mass Media Awards for its environmental initiatives and a Gold Quill Award of Excellence for its youth readership program. Its meaningful goal of making a difference in the everyday life of Filipinos continues to be the driving force behind its journalistic and corporate initiatives. As the country’s no. 1 newspaper, the Philippine Daily Inquirer will remain steadfast in its commitment to bring â€Å"Balanced news, fearless views† to readers when and where it matters. II. History The Philippine Daily Inquirer was born in the last days of 1985. Like its predecessors, the Mr. and Mrs. Special Edition and the weekly Philippine Inquirer, it was to play an important role in helping bring about chronicling the historic EDSA revolution. The Sandiganbayan on December 2, 1985 acquitted all 25 soldiers and a civilian accused in the Aquino-Galman double murder case. At about the same time, President Ferdinand E. Marcos called for a snap presidential election. Ms. Corazon C. Aquino, widow of Sen. Benigno S. Aquino Jr. , was soon nominated by the opposition to run against Marcos. A strong demand then arose for a credible alternative broadsheet that would compete with the three national dailies controlled by the government. Mrs. Eugenia D. Apostol, Chair of Mr. & Ms. Publishing Co. , and a group of media people organized the INQUIRER to meet the demand for a credible broadsheet. The group headed by Mrs. Apostol wanted to have a newspaper that was truly independent, free from the influence of interest groups. The INQUIRER started publishing with less than P1 million in seed money, its maiden issue, published on December 9, 1985, sold 30,000 copies. The first issue said that the INQUIRER would chronicle the times with candor and courage. The paper later adopted the slogan â€Å"Balanced News, Fearless Views. The new daily was housed in the dilapidated one-story Star Building on 14th and Railroad streets in Port Area, Manila. It was put out by 40 editors, reporters, correspondents, photographers and other editorial employees working in a 100 square meter newsroom. Columnist Louie Beltran was named its Editor-in-Chief. The INQUIRER's circulation increased as Ms. Aquino's campaign picked up. By January 1986 it was selling 100,000 copies and by February 1986, shortly before the election, it was selling more than 250,000 copies and circulation was continuing to climb beyond the 300,000 mark. After the EDSA Revolution, the circulation settled down, but the INQUIRER still ranked second among the top broadsheets with 175,000 paid copies daily. On June 27, 1986, the INQUIRER transferred to the former Madrid Restaurant on EDSA. The new president, Ms. Corazon C. Aquino, was the guest of honor at the inauguration. In its first year of operation, the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc. ranked 339th on the list of top 1,000 companies of the country. Since then it has been consistently on the list in 1988, 530th; in 1989, 467th; in 1990, 451st in 1991; 451st again; in 1992, 349th ; in 1993, 333rd; in 1994, 315th; and in 1995, 296th. Frederico D. Pascual, former assistant managing editor of the Daily Express, was named executive editor in February 1987, replacing Beltran. Pascual was appointed Editor-in-Chief two years later. On Sept. 22, 1987, two veterans in newspaper management joined the INQUIRER: Mariano B. Quimson, Jr. as president and Ben M. Pangilinan as Vice President for Marketing, it was also at that time that the INQUIRER received an additional capital infusion. In November of that year, the INQUIRER began setting up a modern electronic newsroom Today, the entire editorial and production operation of the INQUIRER is 100 percent computerized. On November 17, 1987 the INQUIRER moved again, this time to the BF Condominium on Aduana Street, Intramuros. It was in 1990 that the INQUIRER overtook the lead of another daily and became the country's biggest circulated broadsheet. This was validated by a circulation audit conducted by Sycip, Gorres and Velayo for the Print Media Audit Council which found that the INQUIRER had an average net paid daily circulation of 200,759 for the period of October 1989 to March 1990. Since that time the INQUIRER has consistently led in the circulation ratings. The BF Condominium building was damaged in the earthquake of July 1990. On January 5, 1991 the INQUIRER transferred to the YIC building on United Nations Avenue and Romualdez Street in Malate. On June 14, 1991, Leticia Jimenez Magsanoc, columnist and associate publisher, was appointed Editor-in-Chief. On January 26, 1994, Ms. Apostol, the INQUIRER founding chair, retired and Ms. Marixi R. Prieto took over her post. A group led by Eduardo Espiritu, former PNB president bought Ms. Apostol's shares in the company. Previously, a group headed by Ms. Prieto had bought into the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc. On Feburary 4, 1994, the PDI board of directors appointed Isagani Yambot as publisher. The INQUIRER transferred to its building on Chino Roces Street (formerly Pasong Tamo) corner Yague and Mascardo Streets in Makati City on January 5,1995, its printing press was installed earlier, only about 20 meters away from the office building. The INQUIRER is now the No. 1 newspaper in the country in terms of ciculation and readership. It has a daily average circulation of 250,000 and a Sunday circulation of 270,000. Based upon the Asia Research Organization's (ARO) trimedia survey, it is estimated that more than 2. million readers nationwide are now reading the INQUIRER. Of the INQUIRER'S 416 employees, 192 are with the editorial group and 224 with the business group. In addition to its 56 regular reporters based in Metro Manila, the INQUIRER has 90 provincial correspondents who cover the news throughout the country. It has four news bureaus in Baguio City (Northern Luzon), Legaspi City (South ern Luzon), Cebu City (the Visayas) and Davao City (Mindanao). To date, The Inquirer is the most awarded broadsheet. It's writers have been honored with over 100 awards and citations. It was chosen Newspaper of the Year by the Rotary Club of Manila in 1992 and was lone print media awardee in January 1995, during the visit of Pope John Paul II, when it was cited by the Catholic Mass Media Awards for Best News Reportage. In May 1997, it was again given the CMMA award (now the Lorenzo Ruiz Award) for its â€Å"pork barrel† series. It also received the Webby Award for its website (www. inquirer. net), and Agora award for Marketing Company of the Year, and in 1999, the grand prize of the 1998 Citibank Excellence in Journalism Award (Elena Torrijos) as well as an Anvil Award for Merit for its Tabang Mindanaw campaign in '98. In May 1998, Ben Pangilinan formally retired from the office and was succeeded by Alexandra P. Romualdez as president. The INQUIRER has come a long way from December 1985 when it started on a P1 million budget and enjoyed an initial circulation of 30,000. It is now the daily newspaper with the biggest circulation and readership. It is considered one of the most influential dailies in the country today. III. Mission, Vision, and Values The mission of the Philippine Daily Inquirer is to be the dominant, most respected and influential Philippine media organization for Filipinos here and abroad. Generally speaking, they want to be known having an important role in the society. Not only locally but to be acclaimed internationally. Their vision is focused on becoming a world-class processor of news and information, publishing the country's newspaper of record, informing and influencing our public, providing other excellent services and serving as a catalyst for social progress – all within the framework of a liberal democracy. And lastly, their corporate values which are focused on these things as follows: Excellence We uphold the highest standards in journalism and provide top-quality service to readers, advertisers and clients. We perform our roles to the best of our abilities and continuously seek to improve our expertise and skills. We strive to be reliable, accurate, efficient and effective in the delivery of our services and management of our finances. Integrity We abide by the principles of honesty, fairness and incorruptibility in our journalistic, business and interpersonal conduct. Through these, we establish our credibility and become worthy of the trust of our stakeholders. Editorial Independence We maintain the freedom to take a position regardless of external and internal pressure, ensure that we hear out all sides, decide responsibility without fear or favor, and respect independent thinking and freedom to express views and opinions. Responsibility We work for the betterment of our nation and strive to preserve and conserve resources in all our undertakings. Teamwork We respect and trust each member of the team and work harmoniously to achieve the organization's goals. Dynamism We continuously improve and respond to the changing needs of the environment, the market and the organization. We adopt an open-minded, forward-looking and proactive stance in meeting the challenges of the future. In upholding these values, we seek the guidance of Divine Providence to attain higher levels of development. IV. S. W. O. T. ANALYSIS This is an analysis which enumerates the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Philippine Daily Inquirer has fully established a good name in the media industry. It is known as one of the best leading newspapers in the country. We have asked few people with regard to their opinion about the newspaper to determine its strengths and weaknesses. STRENGTHS †¢The main strength of PDI is their news paper Name. No matter where people live, almost everybody knows their news paper Name. †¢The Philippine Daily Inquirer is undeniably the country’s most widely read and circulated newspaper. †¢It is also the most environmentally friendly newspaper in the country, being the first local newspaper to use organic soy-based ink, 100% recycled newsprint and a resizing of the paper saving seven trees a day. †¢Following the principle of honesty, fairness and credibility when giving information. †¢One of the reputed news paper industries today. They have digital edition available to all readers. †¢Good reputation among customers. WEAKNESSES †¢PDI news paper is not readable by a commoner. †¢High cost structure. Not all people can afford the price of the news paper. OPPORTUNITIES †¢Aside from the internet (inquirer. net) and radio (radio inquirer) there is the opportunity for the famous publish er to go on television. †¢ As a medium, it helps to inform the general public to be aware of the latest events in the country in all aspects be it in the politics, showbiz, economy, etc.. Another thing is it emphasized quality news reporting which can bring up the mind of the people to think broader things in life. †¢It also helps the economy in terms of employment, as they hire people who qualify to their requirements. †¢ It plays a good competition in the media industry which can influence other media companies to perform a healthy and balance information to the public. THREATS †¢Because of the many forms of new media, people would not be interested anymore to subscribe to newspaper †¢Because of the majority of the Filipinos are uneducated, they tend to prefer to buy newspaper which are printed in tagalong. In terms of price, small media companies who print newspaper in tagalog are more affordable so they patronize more on them. †¢The computers and in ternet can affect the print media to boom the industry specifically the newspapers because they can also be read through the internet without buying them. †¢ If public would not patronize their newspaper chances would be more unemployment scenario if the company closes if they could not survive anymore. V. Competitors In the world of media, competition is never an outcast. Even television and radio stations are all aiming to be number one, and so as all the newspaper companies throughout the country. Philippine Daily Inquirer is only one of those competing newspaper companies. One of the most famous newspapers in the country is the Manila Bulletin. The Manila Bulletin (also known as the Bulletin and previously known as the Manila Daily Bulletin and the Bulletin Today) is the Philippines' largest broadsheet newspaper by circulation, followed by the Philippine Daily Inquirer. It bills itself as â€Å"The Nation's Leading Newspaper†, which is its official slogan. Founded in 1900 as a shipping journal, it is the second-oldest Philippine newspaper, second only to The Manila Times. Its name was changed from Bulletin Today on March 12, 1986. It was originally owned by a Swiss expatriate named Hans Menzi. The Manila Bulletin survived the Martial law era of President Ferdinand Marcos for propaganda purposes. The newspaper is owned by Filipino-Chinese business mogul Emilio Yap, who, aside from the Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation (the paper's controlling company), also owns the Manila Hotel, Centro Escolar University and Euro-Phil Laboratories. The company has been listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange since 1990, and had revenues of approximately US$45 million in 2004. Besides its flagship it publishes two other daily tabloids, Tempo and Balitia, as well as nine magazines such as thePhilippine Panorama, Bannawag, Liwayway, Bisaya and a host of other journals in English, Tagalog,Cebuano and other Philippine languages. Another newspaper that is reigning in the media organization today is the Philippine Star. The Philippine Star is a daily English-language broadsheet newspaper based in Manila and circulated nationwide in the Philippines. Owned and published by PhilSTAR Daily, Inc, it was founded on July 28, 1986 by veteran journalists Max Soliven, Betty Go-Belmonte and Art Borjal. The Philippine STAR has an established circulation in Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia. It is among the top three broadsheets in the country, by circulation, along with the Philippine Daily Inquirer and the Manila Bulletin, with other Philippine newspapers trailing far behind. Data from the Neilsen Media Index for the first quarter of 2008 show that the Philippine Star is the most read broadsheet in the Philippine capital of Metro Manila, with a Monday-to-Saturday readership of 47. percent. As of the last semester of 2007, the Media Index also showed the Star is the number one broadsheet among the ABC1 socio-economic class, with 47. 3 percent of the market, up from 35. 7 percent the previous year. A separate survey by the Nielsen Media Research – Print Advertising Information Service, which monitors print advertising placements, shows that in 2007, the STAR received the lion's share of advertising expenditure among all other Philippine broadsheets. It reports P2. 97 billion worth of advertising went to the Philippine Star, followed by P2. 8 billion for the Philippine Daily Inquirer, and P1. 35 billion for the Manila Bulletin. All of the leading newspapers today already have many similarities today. It only depends on how they market themselves to prove that they are better than anybody. Some of the other newspapers gaining prestige today are Manila Times, Business Mirror, Manila Tribune and many more. VI. Recommendation Philippine Daily Inquirer has already done all the best to establish their good name and image in the media industry. Based on the analysis that we did, I would like to focus more on the suggestions to improve their weaknesses and make it become part of the strength. We have stated in the weaknesses that Philippine Daily Inquirer is not readable by a commoner and it is something that seems to be a high cost structure. We would like to recommend to the company to have a Filipino version of the newspaper written in the native language so it is easier for all types of readers to understand the content and meaning. Make it friendlier to all readers. Because today, not all Filipinos are able to understand the English language and most of them belong to the middle and average classes only. Even those who are really capable of reading in the English language are not becoming interested in newspapers written in English simply because it needs a little more of effort to fully understand. When it comes to the high cost structure, we would like to recommend to the company to lessen the pages. As one of the readers of their newspaper, we find it a little too hard to understand and our interests focus only in one page or two. We don’t really like reading all of the pages of the paper. Another suggestion, make it more attractive. Just like with the advertisements of products, make it pleasing for the eyes of their readers. Also make it more affordable for the Filipino people. Media Management and Marketing Group Members: Montereza A. Veloria Natasha Kate Mendoza Ma. Theresa Cambel Carylle Estrella Charles Aguilar Monday/Thursday 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm Professor Dino Cantal