Quadratic Equation and Marks Free Essays

Tak Nga Secondary School 2010-2011 Mid-year Exam Form 4 Mathematics (Paper I) Time allowed: 1 hour 15 minutes Class:________ Name:__________________( ) Marks: ________/ 60 Instructions: 1. Write your name, class and class number in the spaces provided on this cover. 2. We will write a custom essay sample on Quadratic Equation and Marks or any similar topic only for you Order Now This paper consists of THREE sections, A(1), A(2) and B. Each section carries 20 marks. 3. Attempt ALL questions in this paper. Write your answers in the spaces provided. Supplementary answer sheets will be supplied on request. Write your name and class number on each sheet. 4. Unless otherwise specified, all working must be clearly shown. . Unless otherwise specified, numerical answers should either be exact or correct to 3 significant figures. 6. The diagrams in this paper are not necessarily drawn to scale. Page 1 of 9 Section A(1) (20 marks) 3n ? 5m =4. 2 1. Make n the subject of the formula (3 marks) ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ 2. Calculate (? 3 + 5i ) ? (2 + 7i ) . 4 + 8i (6 marks) ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ __________________ ___ _________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ __________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ _____________________________ _______________________________ ___________________ Factorize (a) 2r 2 + 20r + 50 , (b) r 2 + 10r + 25 ? s 2 . (4 marks) ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ __________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ __________________ ____________________________________________________________ _______ ____________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ Page 2 of 9 3. 4. If f ( x) = x 2 ? 1 and g ( x) = 3 x + 2 , find the value of 2 f (0) + 3 g (1) . (3 marks) ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ __________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ __________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ _________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ 5. Solve the equation 1 2 x ? = 3 by the quadratic formula. (Give the answer in surd form. ) 2 (4 marks) ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ __________________ __________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ __________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ __________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ _____________________________________________ _______________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ __________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ Page 3 of 9 Section A(2) (20 marks) 6. In the figure, the straight line passing through A and B is perpendicular to the straight line passing through A and C, where C is a point lying on the x-axis. (a) Find the equation of the straight line passing through A and B. (2 marks) ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ __________________ ______________________________________ ______________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ (b) Find the coordinates of C. 3 marks) ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ __________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ _________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ __________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ Page 4 of 9 (c) Find the area of ? ABC. (3 marks) ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ __________________ ____________________________________________________________ ______________ _____ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ 7. Consider the function f ( x) = x 2 + bx ? 20 , where b is a constant. It is given that the graph of y = f (x) passes through the point (5, 10). (a) Find b. 2 marks) ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ _____________ _______________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ __________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ __________________ (b) Let k be a constant. If the equation f ( x) = k has two distinct real roots, find the range of values of k. (3 marks) ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ __________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ________________ ____________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ __________________ Page 5 of 9 8. Suppose P(x) = 2 x 3 ? (h ? 1) x 2 ? 18 x + k . P(x) is divisible by (2x + 1). When P(x) is divided by (x – 2), the remainder is – 40. (a) Find the values of h and k. (4 marks) ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ __________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ __________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ _________________________ ___________________________________ __________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ (b) Factorize P(x) completely. (3 marks) ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ __________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ___________ _________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ __________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ Page 6 of 9 Section B (20 marks) 9. It is given that ? and ? are the two roots of the equation 2Ãâ€"2 + 8x ? = 0, where ? ?. (a) Write down the values of ? + ? and . (2 marks) ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ (b) Find the value of each of the following expressions without solving the equation. (i) ? 2 + ? 2 (ii) ? ? ? (iii) ? 2 ? 2 (6 marks) ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________ ________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ __________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ __________________ __________________ __________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ (c) Form a quadratic equation with roots ? 2 + ? 2 and ? 2 ? ? 2 . (2 marks) ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ __________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ________________________________________________ ____________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ __________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ Page 7 of 9 10. It is given that f ( x) = ? 2 x 2 ? 6 x + c . The graph of y = f ( x) cuts the x-axis at A and B and also cuts the y-axis at C(0, 20). (a) Find the value of c. (1 mark) ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ __________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ (b) Find the coordinates of A and B. (2 marks) ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ __________________ ___________________________ _________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ __________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ (c) Find the area of ? ABC . (2 marks) ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ______________ ______________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ __________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ Page 8 of 9 (d) By the method of completing square rewrite the equation y = f ( x) in the form y = a( x ? h) 2 + k . Find the vertex of the graph and axis of symmetry of the graph. (3 marks) ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ __________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________ ________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ __________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ______________________________________ ______________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ __________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ (e) Find the domain and co-domain of f(x). 2 marks) ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________ ________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ __________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ END OF PAPER Page 9 of 9 How to cite Quadratic Equation and Marks, Papers

Annotated Bibliography Sudhir Venkatesh Essay Example For Students

Annotated Bibliography Sudhir Venkatesh Essay English 102 March 23, 2010 Annotated Bibliography Introduction: In Gang Leader for a Day, the author Sudhir Venkatesh has introduced himself to the culture of the Robert Taylor Homes of Chicago. In this experience Venkatesh meets his primary informant J. T. who shows Sudhir how the community operates. Sudhir is an ethnographer who is conducting qualitative research on the community that makes up the Robert Taylor Homes. J. T. is one of the many primary leaders for the Black Kings who has taken in Sudhir knowing his purpose for hanging around a treacherous community as an outsider. Venkatesh has spent several years in conducting research of the community and interviews of the residents. The process in which the ethnographer collects their information can be done in numerous ways. Some concerns do arise when looking at the how the researcher does interact with the subjects of the study. A particular concern that does come to mind is; how close is to close for the ethnographer? At what extent has the researcher gone beyond the legal limits of obtaining information? For example with Venkatesh in Gang Leader for a Day is it to far when Sudhir rides along while his key informant is conducting gang activity? Currently in Ethnography it is hard to define the way an ethnographer is supposed to interact with their subjects in their fieldwork process. Many ethnographers are expanding on the way they interact with individuals in who can provide information on the subject at hand. Currently ethnography’s primary means of collecting information is still done through participant observation and conducting key informant interviews. Which still gives a generous deal of information to the researcher but another way to become informed of a culture is becoming immersed into their world. For an ethnographer to do this they may need to feel like they fit in, start doing activities that the ones being researched take part in. Also the researcher may change the way they look to be accepted into a foreign lifestyle to gain access to key information. The sources included provide multiple outlooks on the way ethnography is conducted. Some ethnographers like Katherine Irwin and Karen Lumsden took the approach of trying to get in deep with their sources to uncover the information they are looking for. While other professionals in the field of ethnography take a more stand back approach to see what takes place in there setting to reveal an understanding for the society they are observing. Blackman, Shane J. Hidden Ethnography: Crossing Emotional Borders in Qualitative Accounts of Young Peoples Lives. Sociology 41. 4 (2007): 699-716. Shane Blackman was a scholarship student at the Institute of Education, University of London where he received his PhD in 1990. Shane has conducted research into sociological and ethnographic aspects of young people’s culture. Blackman has written several books, his latest titled Chilling Out: the cultural politics of substance consumption, youth and drug policy. A major part of ethnography is hidden ethnography, which is empirical data that is not released because it may be considered to controversial. This article explores the aspect of how an ethnographer explores the environment of his subjects to reveal the truth of their lifestyles to gain a better understanding. In Blackman’s fieldwork he explores low-income areas to understand what lead people to live in the conditions they currently do. He also studied a group of young woman named the new wave girls, who are aged between 16 to 17. Blackman’s social skills allowed him to connect with his participants on an intimate level, which proved to be beneficial in his work. Professor Blackman used his own subjectivity, through cultural identity to create bonds with people, which allowed his participants to open up and expose themselves to his research. From this approach Blackman is able to ask questions for what he is looking for in his fieldwork. This approach by Blackman is a good approach to gain access to the information the researcher is looking for. But also goes against guidelines established by the British Sociological Association, which state to the researcher that the subject should be reminded that they are taking place in a study and are the subjects of the material. Blackman states in his article to be against this guideline saying it can limit the about of information the ethnographer can receive. This method goes against Julia Davidson’s approach saying the subject can forget that they are objects to a study and that it is professional to ask for consent several time throughout the research and fieldwork. Davidson, Julia OConnell. If no means no, does yes mean yes? Consenting to research intimacies. History of the Human Sciences 21. 4 (2008): 49-67. In the article â€Å"If no means no, does yes mean yes? † by Julia Davidson she discusses the argument of people being studied by ethnographers are tuned in to objects and consumed by the readers. Julia Davidson is a Professor in Sociology at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom. Over the past 15 years she focused her attention at prostitution and the different aspects that surrounds this culture. In this article by Professor Davidson she was introduced to a lady Desiree that runs a brothel in the UK where the prostitution is not illegal. Over the period of nine months Professor Davidson spent one day a week at the brothel as a receptionist where she was able to interact with the customers and with Desiree the owner. The brothel is where her fieldwork was done, where she conducted interviews and interacted with clients. Professor Davidson focused on the aspect of the relationship she developed with her informant. Consent with the people being researched was very important to Davidson because she wanted the subjects to understand that being researched can change your life after it is published. With the complete understand from Desiree that she is now the subject of her study they formed an intimate relationship that lasted for several years. This qualitative research relates with Lumsden’s fieldwork by addressing how to relate with the subjects. Both ethnographers were introduced in the their subjects culture from another person that was already linked to them. Over time they established themselves in the society to break past the fronts the subjects put up. This allowed for in-depth experience for the researcher to move in close to their subjects. The difference between Lumsden and Davidson’s work is Davidson established consent with the subject over and over again while Lumsden was trying to fit in with the crowd. This allowed Davidson to obtain information easily from the source while Lumsden was struggling to get the information she was looking for. Emerson, Robert M. Ethnography, interaction and ordinary trouble. Ethnography 10. 4 (2009): 535-548. In â€Å"Ethnography, interaction and ordinary trouble†, the author Robert Emerson questions if macro-issues can cause interference of the quality of fieldwork in ethnographic research. Robert Emerson is a Professor Emeritus of sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles. His primary focus is in the study of ethnography and field research methods. Emerson has written his own book titled Contemporary Field Research: Perspectives and Formulations (2001) also co-authored Writing Ethnographic Fieldnotes (1995). In this article Emerson looks at the relationship between two roommates in college and analyzes the ordinary issues that arise. According to Emerson students tend to focus on the big factors of the research and do not pay enough attention to detail on ordinary occurrences. Trifles EssayLumsden was curious about this culture and wanted to see what it was like for the woman involved with these car races and how woman interacted in a male dominate atmosphere. After spending over a year on the inside Karen has had multiple situations where because she was a woman she was discriminated against. One instance that stood out the most for Karen was when she was trying to park her car in a line for a photograph the group was trying to take. When she was backing into her spot for the photo she could not properly position her car. Another woman came to Karen asking if she would like some help parking. While others on the side started to comment on the situation one person said loud enough for Karen to overhear: don’t ask a woman to do another woman’s job. Lumsden discovers that since she is a woman she is open to opportunities of mistreatment from the males. The other female members of the group who were active participants in the culture also adopted the male traits and were no longer the subjects to scrutiny. It could be argued that ethnographers should not be worried about fitting in with the culture or the group being studied. However, conducting participant observation would be much more difficult for the researcher who could not build positive relationships with the subject or the group. Karen Lumsden study of boy racers relates strongly with Katherine Irwin’s study in the tattoo culture. Both cultures seem to be male dominant and being a woman studying the culture creates a more challenging situation for the researchers. Women have to be accepted into the group before others open up to the researcher. Being a female ethnographer can have many limitations placed on them in terms of behavior. A woman who engages in a culture in such ways could be seen as stepping out of line and could create socially uncomfortable situations. James F. Short, Jr, and Hughes Lorine A. Urban ethnography and research integrity: Empirical and theoretical dimensions. Ethnography 10. 4 (2009): 397-415 James Short is a professor at Washington State University and is currently Instructor to Professor Emeritus of Sociology, from 1951-present. Professor Short has held several academic positions to date after graduating from the University of Chicago with a PhD in 1951. In this article by Short and Hughes it is argued that quantitative data is more important then qualitative data because it has a more developed system of keeping accurate records then qualitative research. Professor Short looks at the work of others in the social science field of ethnography and the integrity of the work. Integrity is critical to the ethnographer in recording information from fieldwork because if a researcher only sees a bias view the work is more focused on interactions about an individual and not observing the culture and how they operate in society. Short and Hughes conducted a study with several gangs including adults and children also with non-gang members to view the integrity of quantitative research verses qualitative research. The three-year study included fieldwork of participant observation to interviews of the study group. The study concludes that ethnographic data integrity is critical to the development of social sciences. Both quantitative and qualitative research is important to ethnographers, but quantitative research when done properly is more universally recognized in the field. It has been recognized that ethnography is a very contentious field and that integrity to research is critical. When related to Katherine Irwin’s Into the Dark Heart of Ethnography† she conducts qualitative research with her subjects. During the course of her study she was confronted with many situations that she did not know how to handle. Because of that she lost her marriage with her husband that she truly fell in love with during the course of the research. Qualitative and quantitative research are effective ways to conduct research and with both done correctly and professionally ethnography can reveal interesting aspects of society. Conclusion On one occasion J. T. lets Mr. Venkatesh get a taste of power and the problems that come with being a gang leader. He allows him to make the daily rounds of the platoons under his command, six-man crews that deal in crack cocaine and try to sort out the petty squabbles and mistakes endemic in a criminal enterprise comprising 250 underpaid, uneducated and violent soldiers. Without question, Venkatesh is dazzled by J. T. and seduced by the gang life. He maintains enough distance, however, to appraise the information he is given and to build up, through careful observation, a detailed picture of life at the projects. Venkatesh used participant observation to compile most of his information also conducting interviews with many of the residents. His proper use of observation gained him key interviews with informants that explained the story of the Robert Taylor Homes and the community that surrounds the homes. When comparing Sudhir’s style of ethnography to others in the field like Karen Lumsden, Sudhir’s approach was done well. Every so often he and J. T. would talk about his research project and J. T. understood that he was under observation for Sudhir’s school project. When Venkatesh introduced himself into the community he did not try to fit in like Lumsden. Sudhir kept his same personality and did not state that he changed his style of clothing to fit in with the gang. Lumsden did do this and it created a barier between her and her subjects limiting the amount of interaction that focused on her research. A valid point that Mr. Gans brings up is when a researcher becomes immersed into the fieldwork; some researchers try to turn the subjects of their study into friends. An example of this is when Katherine Irwin marries her key informant. She states that she truly loved him for who he was, Irwin still did not allow herself distance from her informant which caused problems while she was trying to conduct her research. When researchers fail to distance themselves from their informants the rules of qualitative reliability and validity are sidestepped, It becomes much harder for sociologists and the readers to trust their work that was completed. Works Cited Blackman, Shane J. Hidden Ethnography: Crossing Emotional Borders in Qualitative Accounts of Young Peoples Lives. Sociology 41. 4 (2007): 699-716. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 4 Mar. 2010. Davidson, Julia OConnell. If no means no, does yes mean yes? Consenting to research intimacies. History of the Human Sciences 21. 4 (2008): 49-67. SocINDEX with Full Text. EBSCO. Web. 1 Mar. 2010. Emerson, Robert M. Ethnography, interaction and ordinary trouble. Ethnography 10. 4 (2009): 535-548. SocINDEX with Full Text. EBSCO. Web. 1 Mar. 2010. Gans, Herbert J. Participant Observation in the Era of `Ethnography. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography 28. 5 (1999): 540. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 17 Mar. 2010. Irwin, Katherine. Into the Dark Heart of Ethnography: The Lived Ethics and Inequality of Intimate Field Relationships. Qualitative Sociology 29. 2 (2006): 155-175. SocINDEX with Full Text. EBSCO. Web. 16 Feb. 2010. Lumsden, Karen. Dont Ask a Woman to Do Another Womans Job: Gendered Interactions and the Emotional Ethnographer. Sociology 43. 3 (2009): 497-513. SocINDEX with Full Text. EBSCO. Web. 1 Mar. 2010. Short, James F. Jr, and Hughes Lor ine A. Urban ethnography and research integrity: Empirical and theoretical dimensions. Ethnography 10. 4 (2009): 397-415. SocINDEX with Full Text. EBSCO. Web. 1 Mar. 2010.

Canterville Ghost free essay sample

The Canterville Ghost -by Oscar Wilde The Canterville Ghost is a ghost story with a difference. It takes place in an English country house, Canterville Chase, which for centuries has been said to be haunted. When rich American called Mr. Otis moves into the house with his wife and four children, Lord Canterville feels he should warn them about Sir Simon, the resident ghost. However, the Otis families aren’t afraid of ghosts and no matter how hard Sir Simon tries, they simply refuse to be frightened!For anyone thinking this book is not for you because you’re scared of ghost stories, I can promise you that it’s really not scary at all – I would describe it as more of a comedy and a clever satire in disguise. Wilde juxtaposes an atmospheric gothic setting, the typical British ‘haunted house’, with a practical American family who have an amusing way of reacting to the appearance of Sir Simon. We will write a custom essay sample on Canterville Ghost or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The plot is hilarous, but the ending is quiet sentimental. It is mostly based on the ghost’s funny but vain attempts to remove the family that his moved in ‘his’ house which leads to funny reprisals. ow who stays in the house depends on who will give in first. If you are still suspicious, here is an extract from the story to remove all doubts. â€Å"Right in front of him he saw, in the wan moonlight, an old man of terrible aspect. His eyes were as red burning coals; long Grey hair fell over his shoulders in matted coils; his garments, which were of antique cut, were soiled and ragged, and from his wrists and ankles hung heavy manacles and rusty gyves. â€Å"My dear sir,† said Mr.Otis, â€Å"I really must insist on your oiling those chains, and have brought you for that purpose a small bottle of the Tammany Rising Sun Lubricator. †Ã¢â‚¬  This story has its own share of gags and suspense, well mostly gags. the part I personally liked the most is the ghosts vain attempts of revenging his humiliation by the Otis family, due its creativity and highly imaginative way of writing. i personally liked the ghost the most,maily due to hilarious, stand up comedy sessions. he is the one character that introduces almost all of the comedy in the story. Wilde is clearly having fun creating British and American stereotypes and using them to explore cultural differences, though he does it in a witty and inoffensive way. Another thing I liked is that some of the story is told from the ghost’s perspective, so that our sympathy is with him rather than the Otis family. Although the ending is a bit too sweet and sentimental, I really enjoyed this unusual little book! Its funny, imaginative way of writing is sure to keep you entertained. This book is highly recommendable for everyone!

Truss Essays - Structural System, Truss Bridges, Trusses, Mechanics

Truss Essays - Structural System, Truss Bridges, Trusses, Mechanics Truss The definition of a truss is any of various structural frames based on the geometric rigidity of the triangle and composed of straight members subject only to longitudinal compression, tension, or both: functions as a beam or cantilever to support bridges, roofs, etc. Trusses are the most commonly used structural device used in architecture today. Trusses are used in almost every thing they are in your attic, barns, buildings, and bridges. A truss is used in architecture and engineering, it is a supporting structure made of beams, girders, or rods usually made of steel or wood. A truss usually takes the form of a triangle or combination of triangles, this design is capable of carrying large amounts of weight. Trusses are used for large spans and heavy loads, especially in bridges and roofs. Their open construction is lighter than a beam structured platform but is just as strong. The parts of a truss are the tie-beams, posts, rafters, and struts; the distance over which the truss exte nds is called the span. A truss is formed by connecting the ends of straight pieces of metal or wood to form a series of triangles lying in a single plane. A truss is based on the fact that a triangle is a configuration that cannot collapse or change its shape unless the length of one of the sides is changed. The two most commonly used truss designs are the Howe and Warren trusses. In 1806 the first patented bridge system, the Burr arch truss was used in the US. The Town truss was invented in 1820, in 1840 the Howe truss was invented, and in 1841 the bowstring was invented it was a breakthrough in engineering design. The Pratt and Warren trusses were invented between 1838 and 1844. The first trusses were made of wood and used for building homes and roofs. During the 18th and early 19th centuries cast and wrought iron were used, mostly in the construction of railroad bridges. Later in the 19th century steel became the most used truss material. Trusses are used also for the constructi on of iron-frame industrial buildings and in roof and floor systems. They are also used in the construction of certain industrial machines, such as cranes, lifts, and in the design of aircraft and automobile frames. Two types of trusses are the Howe and Warren trusses, Warren trusses are more efficient than Howe trusses in carrying a load considering the weight of material used in the construction of the truss. The optimum ratio of height to span length is anywhere between 0.23 and 0.41 for Howe trusses, and 0.16 and 0.39 for Warren trusses. The Pratt and the Warren were simple skeletal forms that adapted well to iron and eventually to steel that is why they are two of the most popular trusses used today. Trusses are very important in today's world they help us cross huge bodies of water, they hold the roof up over our heads, and they allow cranes to be able to support huge amounts of weight when building giant skyscrapers. The fact is the invention of the truss is just as important as the invention of the wheel. Life would be very difficult without trusses.

Strategic Business Planning portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Strategic Business Planning portfolio - Essay Example The assignment comes in two portfolios labeled portfolio A and portfolio B by the writer. Whereas the portfolio A generally touches on the strengths and limitations of the plan and the degree to which it meets the needs of its target audience, the portfolio B critically evaluate the financial content of the plan, in particular: evaluate the extent to which the financial content meets the needs of potential investors. The writer find the assignment extremely important because as much as it serves as guiding tool for the organizations involved, it could also sharpen the writer’s skills and knowledge in building and assessing business plans for future needs. The company under scrutiny is Vusion Inc. Summary of Vusion Inc’s Business Plan Writing a business plan is an integral part of the administration of businesses, corporate bodies, organizations and companies (Bawuah, 2004). To a larger extent, getting the rubrics right is like an examination paper to a student. Though n ot an academic document, in order that writers of business plans achieve the desired aim for generally writing a business plan, there are certain criteria that need to be met. When summed, a workable business plan should have the capacity to tell a potential investor every good thing about a company and why the company is viable for investment. According to the Centre for Business Planning (2011), â€Å"Vusion is developing a chemical analyzer and Sensor Cartridge, based upon the Electronic Tongue TM technology, which can instantly analyze complex chemical solutions†. The central intention of the organization to pursue its current business plan sterns from the fact that the organization has realized that â€Å"many liquid processing industries do not have the technology available for real-time measurement of product quality† (Centre for Business Planning, 2011), To this end, the organization wishes to take advantage of the situation by introducing an analyzer and Senso r Cartridge that â€Å"will enable economical, real-time analysis of many complex chemical solutions, instantly identifying the presence and quantity of multiple chemicals within a mixture† (Centre for Business Planning, 2011). The core marketing and distribution strategy held by the organization is to merge with existing companies who are in related trade and who have already established themselves as giants â€Å"process control original equipment manufacturers (OEM) that supply instrumentation to fine chemical manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, and biotechnological companies.† The company’s initial capital for its venture is $1,500,000, which is hoped to $8m in the following year and $12m in the third year. With all these investment, â€Å"Vusion projects $57 million in revenue with $11 million in net income by Year 6† (Centre for Business Planning, 2011). Portfolio A This portfolio is limited to evaluating all aspects of the business plan except the financial aspect. The organization in question for this portfolio is Vusion Inc. To achieve a well organized and coherent evaluation, the writer is conducting the evaluation under specific themes, created out of Blechman’

Discrimination against Women Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Discrimination against Women - Research Paper Example Women are faced with challenges from a very early age. It is not uncommon to instill the belief in girls that they are only suited for certain careers, while other careers are the domain of the men. Most women in developing countries are not even given equal opportunities than men in the most basic of all necessities. In a male chauvinist society, one that is common in the tribal areas of many developing countries, girls and women are treated as inferior, and men are given the preference in every aspect of life. Boys are made to go to school and acquire education. They are favored over girls in terms of the food that they eat, the opportunities that they get and the love that is showered over them. This also follows that families are major culprits in fostering such an attitude. History is rampant with examples of babies being buried alive on the account that they were girls. The birth of baby girls in conservative families in various parts of the world still buttresses the same atti tude. The UNICEF stated that in some countries, there is a clear preference of boys over girls embedded not only in the culture but also on the economic level. Furthermore, the UNICEF observed that the misuse of pregnancy diagnostic tools often culminates in the abortion of the fetus if it is a girl. This is relatively common in many parts of the world such as some parts of China and India. Parents will put up their children for adoption or will discard the fetus in early prenatal life on the grounds that it is a girl.

An overview of marketing

An overview of marketing Marketing according to Kotler and Keller (2006) is everywhere. We as human beings tend to portray a sense of belief that we make decisions out of our own will. However, in reality we receive hundreds of inputs consciously and unconsciously from brands and businesses marketing themselves, that tends to form the very basis of everyday decisions. It is done formally or informally in a number of ways by people and organisations, and businesses need to implement good marketing strategies in order to have beneficial success. Hence as Armstrong and Kotler (2009) state that marketing has a twofold goal of trying to attract new customers by promising superior value and to keep and grow present customers by delivering satisfaction. We are surrounded by companies marketing on every possible platform that they can possibly market on. But this is no accident that marketing takes place this way. Kotler and Keller (2006) state that it is done after careful planning and efficient execution. Excellence in marketing and its strategies are continually refined and reformed to meet the way consumers react to brands. But marketing to a wide range of people either locally or globally is tricky and has to be the Achilles Heel of many prosperous companies (Kotler and Keller, 2006). It needs to include what products need to meet customer demands, the product category, what price ranges they need to fall in, brand image of the business and brand loyalty of the customer. The brands and businesses that fail to carefully understand and monitor their customers and competition but try to keep a step ahead are at the greatest risk of failing to increase their value to the end customers. 1.1 Marketing! What is it? What really is marketing? How does it benefit to implement a marketing strategy? Does marketing really work? This is explained simply by Kotler and Keller (2006) as the identification and meeting of human wants and social needs, profitably. And to this the American Marketing Association introduced a formal definition help understand marketing which states that Marketing is an organisational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating and delivering value to the customers; and for managing customer relationships in ways that are beneficial to the organisation as well as the stakeholders (Kotler and Keller, 2006). Armstrong and Kotler (2009), state that marketing is managing profitable customer relationships. Marketing has enabled exchanges of goods, services, events, experiences, information and ideas easily through various modes of communication from businesses to customers. Exchange according to Kotler and Keller (2006) is a core concept of marketing and to make any successful exchanges, marketers seek to elicit a behavioural response from the other party of consumer through analysis. But companies, businesses and brands have to understand that marketing needs to be radical and that the advantages of direct marketing are far greater. Using surgical strike advertising which as explained by Kotler and Keller (2006) are short, targeted ad campaigns helps create a emergent sense of belonging and part of a community, while making the brand or the brand image as the unifier of that community. This enables bringing about increased competition by introducing fresh, different marketing ideas and est ablishing loyalty and commitment among customers. 1.2 Do Brands really exist? Guzman cites Kapferer (1997) who states that before the 1980s the approach towards brands was different. Companies wished to buy a producer of chocolate or pasta: after 1980, they wanted to buy KitKat or Buitoni. This distinction is very important; in the first case firms wish to buy production capacity and in the second they want to buy a place in the mind of the consumer (p. 23). Guzman states that the shift in focus towards brands began when it was understood that there was something more than just mere identifiers. Also Kapferer (1997) stated that brands help perform an economic function in the minds of consumers, the value of the brand comes from its ability to gain an exclusive, positive and prominent meaning in the minds of a large number of consumers (p. 25). Thus Guzman assertens that business need to build a brand and focus on developing brand value (Guzman, A Brand Building Literature). A brand as explained by Simoes and Dibb (2001), is the combination of features (what the product or service is), the benefits for the customer (what wants and needs the product meets) and the values (which the customer associates with the product or service). If marketing adds value to a product while differentiating it from the other products in the market which may have similar features and benefits, then we are able to create a brand that customers can relate to.Brands are thus intangible assets that are residing in the minds of customers. Though they are impetus to brand creation by marketing, Kotler and Keller (2006) state that brands end up as a perceptual entity that are deep rooted in reality but reflects the perceptions and perhaps even the idiosyncrasies of customers. As explained by Armstrong and Kotler (2009), many business owners and brands tend to make the mistake of paying more attention to the product rather than to the benefits and experiences produced by the product s and coined this as marketing myopia. Therefore companies and organisations have long tried to differentiate themselves from their competitors in many ways to be able to be top of mind for customers. These differences maybe functional, rational or tangible, i.e. related to the performance of the brand; however they could also be symbolic, emotional or intangible, which helps potential customers and repeat customers relate to what the brand intends to represent (Kotler and Keller, 2006). Perceptions from customers according to Chevalier and Mazzalovo (2004) are embodied in a name. However, the American Marketing Association defines a brand as a name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them, intended to identify the goods or services of one seller or a group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competitors (Kotler and Keller, 2006). It is thus an important visible part of a more complex reality and provides the mediation of the core values of the organisation and how consumers perceive its brand image. But what needs to be understood more importantly is that consumers are looking at a particular brand because they believe it has a guarantee of a specific quality, usually superior and this tends to help form a long-term strategy assurance for any relationship between the brand and customer (Chevalier and Mazzalovo, 2004). Brands thereby focus on keeping to their core-values and delivering the benefits consumers truly want. As seen from the HBR (2003), the Brand Report Card shows us that strong brands attributes such as staying relevant or pricing strategies are based on value that the consumer perceives, positioning the brand to make it desirable and deliverable, while constantly ensuring brand consistency and monitoring brand equity  [1]  . Any value that a brand carries along with it adds or minuses its overall brand awareness which Kotler and Keller (2006) state as the power of that brand which lies in the minds of existing or potential customers on what they have seen, read, heard and experience directly or indirectly about the brand. As stated by Coulson-Thomas (1983), the appeal of a brand may remain relatively constant even as product physical attributes may change, hence companies and organisations need to constantly resonate their core values and position themselves correctly in their tar get audiences minds, in order to increase brand awareness and higher brand recall. 1.3 Gaining an Identity for the Business through Branding Urde M. (1999), Brand Orientation: A Mindset for Building Brands into Strategic Resources, Joumal of Marketing Management, 15. 117-133 There has been research from previous case studies carried out on companies such as Nestle, DuPont, Tetra Pak, Volvo, and Phamiacia Upiohn Nicorette, to see how an organisations approach is affected when its operations and marketing and strategies revolve around the companies brand or particular products of the company (Urde, 1999). The organisation acquires an identity and increased awareness when it expresses its overall goals, values and positions through its brand and brand statement. But Urde questions whether we need to rethink the market and marketing concept while challenging the ever known assumption of whether the customer is always right? He also goes on to ask whether development of the organisation or brand should be based on satisfying the customers need and wants, even if the price is not right? (Urde, 1999). But through the case studies researched by him on the companies stated above, it shows that integrity and brand competence are required to create, develop and pro tect the brands while sending out the right message through the right channels to be able to establish a trust brand identity while customers can relate to and not just an image. Also Ewing and Napoli (2005) state that while doing this organisations need to monitor consumers brand perceptions, identify whether their attitudes confer with their own brand vision and thereby instigate strategies to reinforce positive brand beliefs or change any negative perceptions because as Haynes et. al (1999) state, from a brand management perspective, brands are likely to be more successful when an audiences perception of a brand mirrors the firms view of the brand concept and both are identical to the consumers original specifications since the products or services produced by a business need to meet the customers desires and not just their demands. 1.4 Brand Orientation: Brand-orientation has been a term that has been coined by Frans Mellin and Urde and through Urdes dissertation carried out in 1997 he states that it is an process where brands and companies revolve around the development, protection and creation of the brand through an ongoing interaction with targeted customers with an aim of achieving long lasting relationships which in turn ensures competitive advantage for the brand. Brands have always been seen as only resources and expressions of the company identity to establish themselves in the minds of customers. And they have thus been treated in a very superficial or general fashion. Urde cites Macrae who states that certain companies go the extra distance to not only satisfy customers wants and needs but to lend a strategic significance to brands, which enables them to acquire an emotional and symbolic value for the brand and organisation, thereby helping them ensure that they are living the brand through their marketing strategies (Urde , 1999). Urde states that though being industry and customer centric for the last half century, there are always questions arising with regard to product related questions. Is the product good enough? Is it what the customer really wants? These questions tend to dominate when we deal with brands and this is mainly because the functional advantages of any product can be easily imitated by competitors at a lower cost hence removing the competitive advantage entirely (Urde, 1999). Thus as stated by Kotler and Levy (1969) that The marketing concept holds that the problem of all business in an age of abundance is to develop customer loyalties and satisfaction, and the key to this problem is to focus on the customers needs (Urde, 1999). Thus when Drucker (1954) first articulated this idea being called the marketing concept, he made note that marketing was never a separate function of the management but on the contrary, the whole business needs to be seen from the customers point of view (Deshpande and Webster, 1989). The marketing concept often called the market concept which is considered a corner stone by Kohli and Jaworski (1990) and Drucker (1954) who were among the first people to argue that the marketing concept needs to be adopted as a fundamental basis for any brand or company to ensure a competitive advantage. Armstrong and Kotler (2009) also state that customer focus and value are the paths to higher sales and profits for any business. Thus it goes to say that by placing the customer in focus by the firm and revolving the companys strategies to satisfy customer wants and needs is key in any marketing concept. Many authors such as; McKittrick 1957; Felton 1959: Kotler 1977; Day. Shocker, and Srivastava 1979; Webster 1992; Day 1994; Hunt and Morgan 1995, have previously in their literature contrasted this concept of marketing with market orientation and hence customer orientation. And Urde describes market orientation as the organization wide generation of market intelligence pertaining t o current and future customer needs, dissemination of the intelligence across departments, and organization wide responsiveness to it (Urde, 1999). Businesses need to be able to maintain a healthy competitive advantage by differentiating their product or service through constant sensing of their market through regular interactions with customers and potential customers helping them cater to the end customers needs and wants, and thus as Melin (1997) points out enables them to form a barrier to entry. Thus brands are forced to become the unconditional response of the firm because following the strategy to tend to the wants and needs of customers can be ensured only through the right brand communication channels and thereby right segmentation and positioning. And this is possible as seen by Urde citing Day (1994) who argues that market sensing (the ability to continually sense, interpret foresee, and react to changes in the market) and customer linking (the ability to develop relationships with customers) are two particularly important aspects of the development of a market-oriented organization (Urde, 1999). Satisfaction of customers needs and wants Æ’Â   The brand as an unconditional response to customer needs and wants But Urde (1999) also goes on to state that if brand awareness and brand loyalty of customers is intended to increase the competitive advantage, then market orientation tends to come into conflict with any long-term brand development. If marketing the business as a brand is the true question then we need to see whether the customers and their changeable preferences provide sufficiently stable grounds for the brand as a resource. If brands tend to change just because of opinions and comments of consumers based on whatever position they think is popular at the time, then the business and its brand image loses credibility. This on the contrary shows that the business has not got a strong sense of identity and forms and opportunism for signs of weak integrity to the business and the organisations core values and goals (Urde, 1999). Establishing a brand as explained by Urde (1999) should be a starting point for businesses as an expression of a mindset. If all businesses relate to their products or services as brands and work on strategies to create, develop and protect these brands as strategic resources, it will help them achieve a competitive advantage which in turn increases brand identity for customers to relate to. Research done earlier has shown that identity of a brand for a customer is enhanced through value creation and meaning creation which enables customers to experience products or services as attributes that are valuable and unique, and this makes it difficult for competitors to imitate. Urde (1999) states that companies need to consciously and actively strive to give their brand a competitive advantage through an expression of intent by constantly managing the process through which they give the brand value and meaning. This helps the brand become a symbol of an ongoing interaction between the com pany and its customers. Hence Urde points out that by doing this, it has positive consequences on the company which helps it position, prioritizes, organizes, develops, and protects its brand resource base while increasing the companys knowledge of market intelligence for its product or service (Urde, 1999). 1.5 Businesses establishing themselves as Brands A conceptual framework Former head at Nestle, Camillo Pagano, was questioned by Urde on whether it was possible to create brand passion within an organisation. To this Camillo answers, As you get new consumers all the time, by changing consumer groups, habits, and trends, you have to keep the brands continuously refreshed. Thats a job that takes a tremendous amount of attention and passion! (Urde, 1999). A passion for a brand whether it is a business, organisation or even a product or service, it needs to come from within, and this can be seen not only from the way the employees of the brand work in the organisation but also by the way customers perceive the brand through their loyalty. Businesses thus need to be brand oriented in order to generate any sort of customer loyalty towards their brand, increase brand awareness and thus be able to communicate the right message to their potential end users. This ability to be able to transform a product or service by an organisation into a brand needs to constitute as a fundamental process for organisations. As stated by Urde (1999), a product fulfils a function, while a brand symbolizes values and a meaning in a social context. A brand with emotional and symbolic values is experienced and interpreted while carrying a personality and identity of its own provides a basis for a unique relationship. It symbolizes values and a meaning in a social context and brings about experience through its reality. The understanding of a company being brand-oriented can be summarised through a number of concepts and relationships. However, Urde (1999) integrated a companys reasoning about its strategy and direction with brand equity, brand awareness and brand identity, to obtain a conceptual framework called the Brand Hexagon. Any company that needs to portray its business or its brand out into the market need to answer basic fundamental questions such as: Why does the business or brand exist? What does the brand stand for? Who is the brand? How is the goal of the brand to be achieved? As stated by Urde (1999), if these questions are answered then it helps relate to the reasons for the existence of the business or brand as well as enabling identification of the core values, identity, personality, and strategy of the brand. Also if the vision of the brand is to be projected out to the end customer on a long term basis then the business needs to be able to communicate the right information of what they want to achieve for the brand and how they will go about realising this vision. 1.6 Communicating the Brand Functional and Emotional Values As stated by Urde (1999), brand awareness for any business is concerned both with its position in the market as well as the specific products or services that is made available for the consumer. From the Brand Hexagon model, the right side reflects the reference function (product or service category and product), while the emotional function that reflects the brand name or the business name is on the left side. Urde goes on to explain that distinguishing between intellectually explaining as well as emotionally communicating are the principle ways brands need to communicate to their target audience. We as individuals use our brain (i.e. reference function) and our heart (i.e. emotional function) to interpret a brand thus enabling us to experience the brand in its entirety. The task of communication is necessary to explain the product or service that a brand or business represent, however it is not to explain brands in terms of objective relationships. We need to emotionally and symbol ically experience a brand and hence the identity of the brand cannot be explained. And Urde firmly states that insight into the limitations of the intellect in understanding, and into the limitations of the emotions in explaining, is fundamental when a company communicates about its brands (Urde, 1999). The mission and vision are at lower part of the model and relates to the brand or businesses intentions, while the upper part shows the interpretation of the brand by the target audience. Through symbolic interaction a continual reinterpretation is created by the dynamics of brand development. Thus this has lead to the process of meaning creation which puts the core values and positioning at the centre of the model, thereby forming the complete brand hexagon showing how all the elements are linked and interlinked for the development of a brand. 1.7 Awareness. Associations and Loyalty Reflections of Brand Strength As we look at Urdes Brand Hexagon, we can see that the relationships between a brand, product or service and the target audience can only be established when there is awareness, right associations and brand loyalty. 1.7.1 Awareness: As cited by Macdonald and Sharp, Baker et.al (1986) state that if a brand is not recalled due to lack of awareness then it would obviously not be chose during the decision making stage. Awareness of a product or service, produced by a business, thus needs to be conveyed to the target audience and this helps to increase the brand building process. Farquhar (1989) states awareness is a important dimension of brand equity and Aaker (Emerald Backfiles 2007) strengthens this point to say that brand awareness is pivotal since it underlies the strength of successful brands. As Aaker (1991) states, the brand should be conceptualised as a node in memory which thereby allows other information about the brand to be anchored to it and this can only be done by creating awareness of the brand (Macdonald and Sharp, 1996). 1.7.2 Associations: The brand is able to differentiate their product or service, create favourability, attitudes and bring about congruity in the brand through unique associations (Keller, 1993). Aaker and Joachimsthaler (2000, p.17) describe associations as anything that makes the consumer connect with the brand, including user imagery, product attributes, organizational associations, brand personality, and symbols. But as stated by Cochran (2002), associations will only result if all of the components of the brand make sense and are perceived by the target as an entity with which they would want to interact. Hence these associations will only be possible if there is a good communication channel between the brands and the end customer, since good associations would lead to better relationships and this would result in higher brand recall. 1.7.3 Loyalty: Loyalty as stated by Shocker (1994), marketers for brands need to understand and be able to leverage consumer-bonds which has become especially necessary in every marketplace since it is characterised by increasing unpredictability, diminishing product differentiation, and heightened competitive pressures and as cited by Fournier and Lao (1997), brand building activities have been placed back into the heart of business plans to develop consumer brand loyalties, partnerships and friendships. In addition, Aaker (Emerald Backfiles 2007) also states that by focussing on brand loyalty, this often is an effective way to manage brand equity since repeat buying patters of consumers as well as customer satisfaction are the indicators of a healthy brand and thus programs to enhance this will build brand strength. 1.8 The Core Values Centre of Gravity At the centre of the Brand Hexagon are placed the core values which enable to position a branded product and a branded company because Urde (1999) states that it is via positioning that the company expresses and interprets the core values. Positioning of the brand however but take place in relation to its competitors and always assert on attributes and benefits that complement the brand. This is usually achieved as Urde (1999) explains through using of metaphors that explicitly communicate the core values. As cited by Urde (1999), Phannacia Upjohn used the linguistic picture of Nicorette a helping hand to communicate its products for quitting smoking. Hence in principle, positioning ensures three dimensions of quality, personality and communication of the brand. 1.8.1 Quality: Quality as stated by Urde (1999) relates mainly to the product or service offered and as cited by Phillips et. al (1983), Porter (1980) cites that using quality as a differentiator helps insulate a business from competitive rivalry by reducing customer sensitivity to price, increasing customer loyalty and thus protect the business and brand. Personality: The personality of a brand are simply the human traits that consumers associate with the brand. As stated by Aaker (1997), research has been done to focus on how consumers express his or her own self, an ideal self or specific dimensions of ones self through the use of a brand. These personality traits thus are able to provide the brand with an emotional side and enables to position it in relation to other brands for the customer (Urde, 1999). Thereby Biel (1993) goes on to say that personality can be used as a central driver for consumer preference and usage. Communication: Communication is the basic human activity that helps link people and businesses together to create relationships. As stated by Duncan and Moriarty (1998), communication is at the centre of meaning-making activities which corresponds not only to marketing but also in political, social and economic areas to serve as a way to develop, organise and disseminate knowledge. Mohr and Nevin (1990) state it should be like the glue that holds the brands communication together in order to transmit information, receive feedback from the customer, and thereby help participative decision making. Thus through communication, businesses are able to chose the media channels through which they want to target their audience, use particular tones and styles in their marketing, and be able to reflect customers aspirations (cf. Kapferers (1997) reflections) (Cochran, 2002). Through this combination of quality of product or service, its brand personality and the right channels of communication, it makes it possible to position the brand clearly (Urde, 1999). There are certain values such as brand essence and brand soul that helps sum up a brand. As Aaker and Joachimsthaler (2000, p.45) states that brand essence helps become a part of brand identity as it is viewed as the glue holding the core identity of the brand together and as explained by Urde (2003), is to define and describe the innermost core of a brand. Randazzo (1993) also states that the brands soul is in its spiritual centre, the core values that defines the business and brand and permeates through all other aspects of the brand (Randazzo 1993, p.17). But as stated by Urde (2003), if core values are to fulfil their function and role they need to be built into the product, expressed in behaviour and reflects the feel of communication; thereby giving the end customer an added value which the consumer associates as an advantage to be able to differentiate a brand from a commodity. Hence McCracken (1993) states that: Brands have value, it turns out, because they add value and Urde (2003) justifies by saying that the added value maybe either functional, emotional or symbolic but they need to be closely related to the core and organisational values. Through this act of interpreting and reinterpreting the core values of the brand to the customer, helps affect the image and identity of the brand (Christiansen and Askegaard, 2001). Thereby brands and business need to be very careful while communicating the right message to their customers because the most important task of core values according to Urde (2003) is to be the guiding light of the brand building process. Thus from the Brand Hexagon we see that consumer awareness of the product needs to be established through brand associations which will help bring out conditions that help relationships exist between the target customers and the brand. But as Urde (1999) states, the main significance of the brand is reflected by the positioning of brand and reflecting the core values of the business and brand. However, he goes on to say that the loyalty of a customer towards a brand or the relationship shared is established only through brand identity and recall. Any business or brand needs to see itself as a brand-oriented company by being an associative network that communicates to the target audience (Urde, 1999). As stated by Fiske (1990, p.42) Decoding is as active as coding, therefore the brand and end consumers need to be the co-creators of this whole process. Hence communication should not take place as a one-way network but rather as an interaction with the target audience (Urde, 1999). 1.9 Communication: Communication is thus a very vital aspect of the whole concept of marketing and brands. Whether to communication is not the question anymore but asking what needs to be said, how it needs to be said, through what channels, where is your target audience located, how easy is it to access your target audience and how often can this be done financially and logically are the more pertinent questions. Over the years, there has been an increase in products available locally and globally, the competitors have increased and the overall prices of products have reduced considerably. These factors have affected the ways brands communicate to the customer in order to gain higher market share as well as undivided attention (Kotler and Keller, 2006). This has however been overcome to a large extent due to the efforts of holistic marketers  [2]  who are creatively employing multiple different types of communication. 1.9.1 Traditional vs New media: According to Lutze, companies spend millions every year on marketing their companies as brands in order to gain more market share and reach more prospects. But how often are these same companies realising the brand that is already created by their loyal, current customers? (Lutze, Reinvent Relationships With your Customers Online). As stated by Duncan and Moriarty (1998), this increasing importance of communication in marketing is easily demonstrated by the ability to use new marketing approaches as compared to traditional media (television, radio, and print media). Also marketing through traditional media could not be directly tracked unless large organisations paid huge amounts of money to market research companies to learn what their end customer feels about their product but with the introduction of the internet and social networking media platforms, all this has been changed drastically (Lutze H., Reinvent Relationships With Your Customers Online). The new approach emphasises tw o-way communication between brands and businesses and their target audience which has enabled listening to customers and interactivity with the end users. This kind of engaged marketing involving both sides of the chain can build or destroy important brand relationships and brand loyalty. 1.9.2 The Internet: With the evolution of the internet, this has sparked a whole new digital revolution in the way communication exists and the way we use communication among each other. It has impacted lives of people as well as business to a large extent and according to Harris and Rae (2010), everything around us seems