SouthWest Airlines Case Analysis Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

SouthWest Airlines Analysis - Case Study Example The company sells seats on a one-way basis. Fares are set on the basis of demand for particular flights and by reference to the period remaining to the date of departure of the flights. Higher fares are charged on flights with higher levels of demand made nearer to the date of departure. The company provides various ancillary services and engages in other activities connected with its core air passenger service. These include non-flight scheduled services, the in-flight sale of beverages, food and merchandise and Internet-related services. As part of its non-flight scheduled and Internet-related services, the company distributes accommodation services and travel insurance through both its website and its telephone reservation offices. Southwest also sells bus and rail tickets onboard its aircraft and through its website. Southwest Airlines was established in 1971 in Texas with three Boeing 737 planes and routes between Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. The company's business model was simply: "If you get your passengers to their destinations when they want to get there, on time, at the lowest possible fares, and make darn sure they have a good time doing it, people will fly your airline." (Southwest Airlines Co., 2010) Rollin King and Herb Kelleher decided to start an airline that is distinct and unique in terms of services and fare. They envision an airline that caters to the travelling businessmen and other passengers who requires frequent point to point flights. With President Lamar Muse at the helm, Southwest Airlines took off on its maiden voyage in 1971 and began service between Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. In 1979, innovative self-service ticketing machines were introduced and utilized in ten cities to make the ticketing faster and more convenient for customers. (Southwest Airlines Co., 2010) By 1980s, Herbert D. Kelleher comes aboard as permanent President, CEO, and Chairman of the Board for Southwest Airlines, and Southwest spreads its wings to San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, Kansas City, and Phoenix. Three additional Boeing 737-200s are purchased, and Southwest flies over 9,500,000 satisfied Customers. And in 1989, it reaches its billion dollar revenue mark and become a major player in the airline industry. (Southwest Airlines Co., 2010) By 1994, the company introduced Ticketless Travel in four cities and became available system wide by January 1995. And in 2004, the company began offering online boarding passes via southwest.com. Today Southwest Airlines is the largest airline in the United States, based on domestic passengers servicing 68 cities with a fleet of 537 planes and is on its 37th straight year of profitability. Southwest became a major airline in 1989 when it exceeded the billion-dollar revenue mark. Southwest is the United States' most successful low-fare, high frequency, point-to-point carrier. (Southwest Airlines Co., 2010) B. Business Vision and Mission Statements Figure . Southwest's vision and mission statements ( (Southwest Airlines Co., 1988) C. External Opportunities and Threats Fuel Price Impact Fuel prices can have a significant impact on Southwest's profitability. Volatile fuel costs, coupled with a continued domestic economic downturn, had a significant effect on Southwest and the airline industry, in general. In 2008, the higher fuel prices during most of the year led to industry-wide capacity

Luigi Pirandello 1867-1936 War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Luigi Pirandello 1867-1936 War - Essay Example However, the real skill of Pirandello in War lies in his ability to show to the readers the actual human side of these characters, which does not understand the claims of the country and the King and which mourns and bereaves the loss of the loved ones. The message of the story is that the emotional side of the human existence is simply unaware of the artificial concepts like national pride, courage and bravery, and tends to miss and bereave the loved one’s lost to such noble sounding and lofty causes. The fat man in the story asserts that, â€Å"it is natural at their age (boys) should consider the love of their country (I am speaking of decent boys, of course) even greater than the love of us (Pirandello 109)?† While saying so, the fat man as a father sounds to be very matter of fact and committed to the larger claims of nationalism and the duty towards one’s country. While saying so, the fat man appears to be very successful in suppressing the emotional side o f his personality to support his so called loyalty towards his country. However, once â€Å"the woman in deep mourning (Pirandello 107)† poses a simple question â€Å"Then†¦ is your son really dead (Pirandello 109)?† the entire idea of national pride simply gives way. What emerges is a father who is deeply sad and disturbed at the death of his son. â€Å"†¦ At the silly, incongruous question- he suddenly realized that his son was really dead- gone forever- forever (Pirandello 109).† A simple question by a grieved mother simply unravels the hollowness inherent in the notions of country, national pride, and selfless sacrifices, to show to the readers the sad, bloody and ruthless side of war. Certainly, the claims of the country look smaller compared to the more pressing claims of the human heart. In War, Pirandello uses the third person point of view. This approach allows the writer to bring out the typical waste and tragedy of war, by extending to the r eaders an insight into the emotional confusion and anxiety of the characters. To begin with, the omniscient point of view makes the readers think that they are witnessing a simple conversation taking place in a group, during a war. Almost all the travelers in that second class carriage are shown to be talking about the young men from their families, who have been sent to the war. Yet, the very same omniscient narrator brings down these displays of patriotism and national cause, by bringing out the emotional confusion gripping the characters. All the men in the carriage try to score over each other by declaring the magnitude of sacrifices made be their family to the national cause, to be greater than others. To one gentleman’s claim that â€Å"You should thank God that your son is only leaving now for the front. Mine has been sent there the first day of the war (Pirandello 108)† the second passenger responds that â€Å"I have two sons and three nephews at the front (Pi randello 108).† In this competition for sacrifice and selflessness, these men simply seem to be unaware of the pain of losing their family members. This very emotional confusion shows how much emotionally disturbed they are. The characterization by Pirandello in the story is very appropriate and masterfully brings out the superiority of human feelings over artificial concepts of patriotism an

Distinguish Between Sense Reference And Denotation Philosophy Essay

Distinguish Between Sense Reference And Denotation Philosophy Essay Individuals transfer their thoughts and ideas to each other via language. The speakers of a language have a common basic vocabulary, and share the knowledge of meaning of several words, in their mental lexicon. The meaning of an expression cannot be understood as the definitions found in a dictionary entry; consequently, linguists suggest alternative ways of defining meaning. K. Nelson (1985) proposed that meaning has three counterparts relating to: reference, denotation and sense. A reference is the association between an expression and the object it refers to (the referent). Expressions referring to a particular object or entity in the world are described as referring expressions J.I Saeed (2003). Therefore, girl is a referent in: That girl seems nice, which is a referring expression. Objects in the world Reference, partly depends on the sense of expressions. Sense shows a relationship between the expression and the object in the world, in relation to a mental representation. J.I Saeed (2003) describes a mental representation as a complex and abstract element relating an idea to the object in the world (the concept). The relationship between sense, the expression and the referent was outlined by C.K. Ogden and I.A Richards when they presented the first semiotic triangle in: The Meaning of Meaning (1923). In the meaning triangle an expression is thought to provide access to an underlying concept, which in turn refers to an object in the world (referent). This clarifies the existence of a relationship between a word, a sense and its referent. Denotes A distinction between reference and sense is made in: On Sense and Reference, G. Frege (1892), revealing their close correlation whilst it is also suggesting that the sense of a sign may change without altering the referent. In order to describe how expressions referring to the same object may differ in sense, Frege presents the expressions morning star and evening star. Both refer to the same object regardless of their different senses. (Morning star= Venus at dawn whilst Evening star= Venus at dusk). Frege describes the reference as the expression having an actual object corresponding to it and the sense of this expression as the concept of the expression. An expression is said to expand its ability to denote because it is associated to an object, in the speakers mind. Hence, reference and denotation are closely related. Referring is the action taken by the speaker in picking out objects in the world while denoting is a property possessed by the expression. A denotation is a constant relationship in a language which is independent of word use; it is not altered by time, unlike reference. Two major theories also clarify the terms reference and denotation, both theories highlight the relationship between a linguistic expression and a referent. The Denotational Theory describes a direct relationship between expressions and objects. The Representational Theory, on the other hand, states that the relationship between the words and objects in the world is mediated by our mental model. To conclude, language is seen as a means of recognizing objects in the world. Reference cannot be the sole idea of the theory of meaning but our semantic knowledge suggests that sense, reference and denotation are vital for our understanding. Speakers of the same language understand each other because they share a basic vocabulary whilst also making sense of what a particular expression is denoting and referring to. 4. Outline the main features of Prototype Theory and show how it differs from the classical view of concepts as necessary and sufficient conditions. Give examples to support your answer. Through the years, philosophers, scientists and linguists have thought about how language ties a word to a particular concept, whilst raising arguments about what makes a concept and what is the definition of meaning. One of the most remarkable theories presented in the 1970s was that of Eleanor Rosch and her colleagues. This theory is based on the idea of prototypes, viewing concepts as constructed with the intention of creating a more typical member of a category, but eventually deviating into a less typical and hazier idea. For example in the  Ã¢â‚¬ ºcolour Ã‚  concept; red is a more central representative, as opposed to fuchsia. E. Rosch and her co-workers sustained their theory by analysing trends seen in the evidence they obtained during their experiments; speakers settled for the more typical members of a category of concepts. This demonstrates how categories are structured; some members of a concept may be more prototypical than others, lacking a certain sense of boundary. So, if speakers are asked for an example of  Ã¢â‚¬ ºfruit Ã‚ , they are expected to come up with more obvious examples, such as apples, rather than plums. This happens since the more outlined ideas, are the first that come to the speakers mind, because the speaker is more used to these ideas, and feels they are the safer and more accurate. Categories are mostly based upon the speakers knowledge and experience of the real world. These categories are learned ideas, they are personal ideas (personal construct) and so they are biased. As a result the lexicon (and conceptual categories) will differ according to the individuals social background and culture. The Prototype Theory is sometimes described as a non-classical theory because, may contrast the principles of the classical view. The classical theory suggested that an object could be correctly referred to by a word only if it has the correct qualifications with regards to characteristics that signify the meaning of the expression or the word. For example, any type of bird is a bird only if it has feathers, has wings, flies etc. If the bird does not have wings, then the label bird in inadequate and does not apply to the concept  Ã¢â‚¬ ºbird Ã‚ . Central Concept Considering, the concept  Ã¢â‚¬ ºCat Ã‚ ; the first idea that comes to a speakers mind would be a small, meowing, four-legged, furry animal, with a tail. Merging out into the fuzzier members of this category, would give not only big cats like leopards, lions and tigers, but also Sphinx (furless cats) and Manx (tail less cats). If the classical theory was applicable to this category, a Sphinx would never be considered a cat because it is furless, a Manx wouldnt be considered a cat either because it has no tail, and even tigers, leopards and lions, they would be declined in the cat category for the reason that they do not meow, they roar. In spite of the fact that the classical theory was taken for granted as correct for a long period of time, the breakthrough brought about by the works of E. Rosch brought linguists, philosophers and scientists alike to a understand the complexity of the meaning of a concept, and how it does not only depend on the entity it is tied to but also to the individual way by which it is perceived, a true milestone in cognitive language. To what extent would you expect people who speak different languages to display fundamental differences in the way they think and perceive the world? Support your answer with examples from one particular domain, such as that of colour terms or number words. The question of whether thought differs by culture, due to language differences in cultures has been puzzling philosophers for a long period of time. Does the representation in human thought involve a linguistic element or does it comprise mental images, independent of language? No stable conclusion has ever been taken regarding this situation but philosophers and linguists alike have aimed their studies and observations towards finding a clearer explanation. The Universalist point of view suggests that thought is autonomous from language, whilst the Realist view suggests that language mirrors culture (relativism) and it influences the manner by which we think (determinism). The latter view suggests that cultural differences result in different ways of thinking. Humbolt (19th century philosopher) implies that; languages project different perspectives on the world. Two of the most prominent relativist theorists were Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf. E. Sapir proposed that language made part of culture, and therefore is a factor that effects how a speaker thinks: We see and hear and otherwise experience very largely as we do because the language habits of our community predispose certain choices of interpretation. (Sapir, 1929). Whorf further suggested that culture not only ties itself to language but is also related to the way thought is created, paying attention to how grammar may create alternative lines of thought (Whorf, 1956). Speakers of different languages are expected to think differently, this is not only due to their cultural differences but also due to their different language and linguistic abilities. By no means does a simpler language make the speaker simple-minded, but not having words to describe a concept, may contrast that more complex language in terms of expressivity. For example, how can a person think that Christmas comes in December, without the words Christmas and December in his mental lexicon? The analysis for the further understanding of how language and thought relate can be done by analysing two speakers of different languages and comparing the way an object is perceived with regard to the vocabulary present within the language of each speaker. Taking the core concept  Ã¢â‚¬ ºcolour Ã‚  and assuming that everyone has the same mental capacity to perceive concepts; if a language (L1) fails to provide a word for the colour yellow; language does indeed effect perception, only if speakers of L1 will be unable to perceive the concept  Ã¢â‚¬ ºyellow Ã‚ . Berlin and Kay (1969) studied this relation between thought, culture and language by tackling the core concept of colours; comparing languages whilst questioning whether there is a pattern for the understanding of core concepts to all cultures. For example: Dani (New Guinea) has two terms for describing colour, Tamil (India) has six terms for colour whilst Lebanese Arabic and English each have up to eleven terms. E. Rosch revised the Berlin and Kay theory by comparing speakers of Dani (having only a black/white system) and English speakers. Rosch studied whether speakers of Dani could still observe different colours and differentiate between them. Results of this stu dy showed that regardless of their linguistic contrasts; Dani and English speakers showed the same trends in colour understanding helping Rosch to conclude that colour concepts are universal. Language and thought may be related since certain concepts cannot be thought of unless the thinker or speaker has a language. Therefore, language and culture are seen to go hand in hand with thought.

Death Penalty Essay -- essays research papers

The use of the death penalty in the United States has been a great debate for many years. One of the major aspects of this debate is whether or not we should continue to use this form of punishment for criminals. In my opinion, the death penalty should be abolished because it costs taxpayers much more than sending an inmate to prison and there is no factual evidence that it has any greater deterrent effect than life imprisonment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One major reason that I believe that the death penalty should be abolished is because the expenses of the death penalty greatly exceed those of life imprisonment. â€Å"Maintaining a system of Capital Punishment is far more expensive than sending murderers to prison until they die of natural causes. No systematic study has reached a contrary conclusion†(Costanzo 62). When various states conducted research on reinstating the death penalty, it was found that the cost would be enormous. A study in New York showed that the cost would be $118 million dollars each year to restore the death penalty within the state. Another study conducted in Kansas illustrated that the cost of the death penalty would be $11.4 million for the first year of reinstatement, and that the expenses would only rise each year as more prisoners were placed on death row (Quoted in Hanks 125). When compared to the cost of life imprisonment, these figures are astronomical. â€Å"A life sente nce in prison without parole is estimated to range from $750,000 to $1.1 mi...

American Correctional Policies

The main focus of the juvenile justice systems has always been rehabilitation of the offender. However, this principle has been criticized by some sociologists prompting research activities on the most appropriate method of dealing with juvenile delinquency. Steiner and Wright (2006) carried out a research to determine the effectiveness of tougher penalties on certain cases of juvenile delinquency. According to their study, Steiner and Wright the more strict penalties introduced in the late 20th century had no impacts on the rate of juvenile delinquency and recidivism.A similar study by the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (2004) indicated that there is no evidence of the effectiveness of the therapeutic foster care intervention programs in dealing with juvenile delinquency. This program was introduced to assists delinquent youths who are unable to live with their parent. However, the program recommended that young people with chronic deviant behaviors should be put under a fost er parent who is trained to handle such individuals.Although the findings of the two studies are essential in formulation of correctional policies, it is important to note that both studies do not consider the factors that forced the juvenile to commit the crime before looking at the effectiveness of the programs. There is no doubt that every case of juvenile delinquency should be addressed separately if intervention programs have to be effective. Reference Cocozza, J. & Skowyra, K. (2002). â€Å"Youth with mental health disorders: issues and emerging responses. † Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Journal, 7(1), pp 3-13.MMWR (2004) Therapeutic foster care for the prevention of violence: A report on recommendations of the task force on community preventive services, CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 53 (RR-10). Steiner, B. , Wright, E. (2006). â€Å"Assessing the relative effects of state direct file waiver laws on violent juvenile crime: Deterren ce or irrelevance? † The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology. 96(4), pp 1451-1477. Part two: Abstract Policies that are geared towards restoration of justice have been common in the criminal justice systems in the United States.These policies have progressively found their way into the juvenile justice systems in many states. These policies are aimed at balancing the interests of the juvenile offenders and the victims of the offences. There are several studies that have been carried out to ascertain the effectiveness of these programs in the juvenile justice systems. This paper is aimed at examining the restorative justice policies in the juvenile justice systems which has concluded that this approach has been adopted by almost all states in the country in the recent past.Reference Pavelka, S. (2008). â€Å"Restorative Juvenile Justice Legislation And Policy: A National Assessment,† International Journal of Restorative Justice, 4(2) pp 100-118 http://www. restorativ ejustice. org/legislative-assembly/15statutes-cases-regulations-and-recommendations-from-national-regional-and-intergovernmental-bodies/restorative-justice-and-the-law/statutes/restorative-juvenile-justice-legislation-and-policy-a-national-assessement.

Mass Communication History Essay

Mass communication is the study of how we get information to the greatest number of people as quickly and effectively as possible. This broad-based area of study has evolved from print and broadcast journalism to today’s Internet-connected social media community. As opportunities to communicate to larger audiences grew, universities started offering programs to help students learn how to best communicate with the masses. Basic to the study of mass communications is examining the important and memorable events that emerged along the way Communication to an Immediate Audience People and societies have been communicating with each other since the time of cave drawings and drums. Ancient cultures, such as the Chinese and Romans, communicated through plays and art works. The beginnings of print media were seen in China where movable clay type was invented in 1041. Monks and holy men copied the Bible by hand, but mass media really took off around 1439 whenJohannes Gutenberg‘s invention of movable type allowed the mass production and distribution of books. Although newspapers began in the early 1600s, many American colonists still relied on the town crier as their sole source of information. Communication Spreads to the Masses Digital History focuses on the period from 1880 -1920 as leading the rise of mass communication, with the introduction of the mass market newspapers featuring comic strips, fashion pages, sports news, and women’s pages. National mass circulation magazines, such as Ladies’ Home Journal, also began to appear at that time. Frank Doubleday started organizing book tours to make and promote bestsellers. Thomas Edison introduced us to the wonders of music with his phonograph. Advertising became popular in the late 1800s when the National Biscuit Company, which later became Nabisco, spent the unheard-of sum of one million dollars on a national advertising campaign. Others (like Campbell Soups, Heinz, and Quaker Oats) quickly followed suit in communicating their products’ benefits to the buying public. At the same time, schools of higher learning were beginning to realize that they needed to instruct students on these communication techniques. Although known more for its business degrees, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania offered the first communications courses in 1893. The University opened an official school of communications 60 years later. However, Otterbein College in Westerville, Ohio is distinctly known for having the first communications program. Their program, which was founded in 1906, began awarding degrees in 1909. A Rapid Rise Communication programs at schools first focused on writing, publishing, and newspaper journalism. As photography, radio, and movies became part of the mainstream media, universities had to work hard to bring their programs up to date. In 1903, the movie The Great Train Robbery began to show the ability of the motion picture to tell a story. Marconi introduced wireless communications in 1895, which lead to commercial radio broadcasting in 1920 and television broadcasts in 1939. By 1922, movies had become so popular that they sold up to 40 million tickets a week. Walt Disney himself said, â€Å"Of all of our inventions for mass communication, pictures still speak the most universally understood language.† The first doctoral degree in mass communication was conveyed by the University of Iowa’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication in 1948. After World War II, class offerings in mass communication started growing dramatically as students looked for information on comm unicating through media such as magazines, radio, and television. A Bold New World of Mass Communication In the digital age, the possibilities for mass communication are growing even larger. Since the first commercial communication satellite was launched in 1960, communication possibilities have expanded to include Internet, social media, blogs, RSS feeds, podcasts, online video, and mobile media. In the 1990s, schools started offering courses in online communications. In 2007, Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication introduced a digital newsroom to train the news reporters of the future. A degree in mass communication can take you in many directions—business, advertising, acting, journalism, public relations, government, and international relations—and into the future. But you have to take the first step and start by getting solid fundamentals offered in advanced degree programs. Examples of Major Corporations Deploying Mass Media Strategies Mass Media Strategies Make a Marketing Difference The study of mass communication can lead you in many exciting career  directions—politics, corporate marketing, charitable work, and more. Many organizations effectively utilize mass media strategies to get their message out to their target audiences. Savvy politicians are using social mass media strategies to reach today’s highly-connected generation of voters. Some mass media strategists are now using their knowledge and abilities to fight for change and equality in the world. The following examples highlight where a degree in mass communication could take you. Ford Fuses Mass Media Strategies to Sell the Fusion When Ford Motor Company introduced its new Ford Fusion in 2005, the manufacturer wanted to move from its traditional Taurus-driving family appeal to attracting younger, hipper drivers. The â€Å"Life in Drive† mass media strategy fused traditional television advertising with an online â€Å"Photo Fusion† interactive component to build awareness. The campaign helped Ford sell more than 23,000 Fusions in just three months and motivated the company to increase production quantities to meet demand. Olympus Uses Mass Media Strategies to Climb to the Top Olympus Imaging used an innovative â€Å"augmented reality† campaign to motivate prospective customers to try out a simulated version of their new portable digital camera. They relied on a mass media strategy to drive consumers to a website for an interactive tutorial and simulated product â€Å"test drive.† Olympus quickly managed to get a version of their product into the hands of over 50,000 potential buyers without ever asking them to walk into a store. In addition, a contest which motivated enthusiastic visitors to share their experience through social networks spread the news even further. Green Mass Media Strategies Help Book Authors See Green Results Similar to the results that can be seen in product marketing, a mass media strategy can also be effective in book marketing. When Shel Horowitz, a green marketing consultant, and his co-author, Jay Conrad, wanted to promote their book, Guerrilla Marketing Goes Green, they combined traditional media, social marketing , and green guerilla marketing elements to achieve success. The book was published in January 2010; three months later it was number one on Amazon’s environmental list. Using Social Mass Media Strategies to Become President Perhaps the best example of using today’s social mass media outlets to raise money, generate awareness, and build momentum is the Barack Obama Campaign for president in 2008. Through his campaign’s unprecedented use of social mass media, over 30 million dollars was raised by thousands of individuals and groups that were motivated to work on his behalf. Voters can count on seeing more of this effective use of mass media strategies in the 2012 presidential election campaign as traditional media costs soar and it becomes more difficult than ever before to reach a targeted voting audience. Using Mass Media Strategies to Effect Positive Change in the World Mass media strategies can also play a part in developing global strategic communications. The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women has effectively used a combination of community mobilization, outreach, and mass media to provide education, reduce violence, and develop initiatives to promote gender equality in developing countries around the world. In the United States, the Family Violence Prevention Fund used a mass media public service announcements strategy to promote the availability of a â€Å"Coaching Boys into Men† program that provided sports coaches with a â€Å"playbook† on how to talk to their teams about domestic violence. As more mass media opportunities are becoming available to promote products, services, and ideas, more mass media marketers will be needed to help develop and direct these campaigns. You can start building your knowledge and insight into the world of mass media with an online degree in mass communication. This program can give you an understanding of the various mass media strategies that are av ailable today and provide you with knowledge to help you make informed decisions in a world where mass integrated communication can make a massive difference.