Identity theft through the use of the internet and how businesses and Literature review

Identity theft through the use of the internet and how businesses and people are affected by its continuous threats - Literature review Example In the end, the mission critical data is compromised, resulting in severe losses for organizations. Generally, the business functions and processes, which exist electronically and digitally within the organization needs to be protected. The people who use Internet, provides a lot of personal information on the Internet in order to perform banking, registration, subscription, purchasing a product or service. The personal information has enormous dimensions to get extracted and become vulnerabilities. One of the most common threats in the context of misusing personal information is identity theft A network dictionary demonstrate the concepts of Identity theft as â€Å"Identity theft is a crime in which an imposter obtains key pieces of personal information, such as Social Security or driver’s license numbers, in order to impersonate someone else. The information can be used to obtain credit, merchandise, and services in the name of the victim, or to provide the thief with false credentials.† In order to protect identities of the customer, organization need to protect and manage identities. A good definition of identity management is illustrated in the network dictionary as â€Å"Identity Management is an integrated system of business processes, policies and technologies that enable organizations to facilitate and control their users’ access to critical online applications and resources while protecting confidential personal and business information from unauthorized users†. In the code of deferral regulations (CFR), identity theft is defined as a fraud that is conducted by using the identity information of another person without permission. Identity theft can also contribute to other crimes. For instance, identify theft is successful in document fraud, bank fraud, immigration fraud and in the form of burglary and robbery. Consequently, the challenges for eliminating identity theft including victimization, offending and prosecution rate s, needs to be considered by the congress, as these threats are arising by the contribution of identity theft and related crimes (Finklea 2009). Online privacy policy is of great concern, when considering identity theft as privacy policies of some websites does not satisfy the users for disclosing their personal data. There is no undertaking from the website owner for securing the contents provided by the user online. This is one area, which needs research and improvement, in order to provide a mechanism of securing data privacy, policies that are implemented by web services to ease privacy concerns associated with information related to their clients and adhere to legislative measures. Moreover, this also involves the undertaking for personal data usage including, what organizations would do or not with the personal information of their clients. This is crucial as some websites may sell personal information of their clients to cyber criminals or other competitors in terms of cash. This personal information is substantial for online cyber criminals to extract and guess passwords and retrieve credit card numbers, once they break into the email account of users. In order to eliminate identity theft appropriate measures are required. Identity theft is categorized into two domains i.e. Physical identity theft and

Art History Essay Example for Free

Art History Essay Jose De Ribera, Martydom of Saint Bartholomew, ca. 1639. Oil on canvas * Ribera uses this piece to scorn idealization of any kind. * The drama and brutality expresses the harsh times of the Counter-Reformation. * We notice Caravaggio’s influence on Ribera through the naturalism and drama used in Martydom of Saint Bartholomew and Caravaggio’s many works. Francisco De Zurbaran, Saint Serapion, 1628. Oil on canvas * Serapion was a British martyr who was supposed to fight the Moors in Spain, who ended up being butchered in Algeria. * What makes this piece different is a complete lack of violence. There is no blood or any sign of a wound, as we can see his white robe is spotless. * Unlike most martyr paintings that make the subject seem heroic and brave, Zurbaran captures the true helplessness of the saint, winning the viewer’s emotions. Diego Velazquez, Water Carrier of Seville, ca. 1619. Oil on canvas * This piece captures the social issue of the rich and poor of Spain during the time. * The contrast of dark and light shows elements of Caravaggio, who Velaquez had studied. * Although this scene shows everyday life, the care it conveys suggests a deeper meaning. Diego Velazquez, Surrender of Breda, 1634-1635. Oil on canvas * Velazquez aided Philip IV in regaining power by using Surrender of Breda as propaganda. * This piece was not only a symbol of Spanish nationalism, but a tribute to Ambrogio Spinola, the Spanish general of this war. * Velazquez’s relationship with Spinola made Surrender of Breda especially historically accurate. Diego Velazquez, King Philip IV of Spain (Fraga Philip), 1644. Oil on canvas * Velazquez portrays Philip as a military leader by focusing attention on his marvelous red and silver campaign dress. * The painting is also known as Fraga Philip, because it was painted in the town of Fraga in Aragon. * This portrait was just another example of Velazquez’s propagandistic images used for King Philip IV. Diego Velazquez, Las Meninas, 1656. Oil on canvas * The use of depth and content in this piece helped prove Las Meninas as Velazquez’s masterpiece. * The mirror on the back wall seems to be the reflection of the king and queen, meaning they are being painted on the other side of the room. * Velazquez actually painted himself as the artist in the room. Peter Paul Rubens, Elevation of the Cross, 1610. Oil on panel * Rubens used elements both from the Renaissance and of the Italian Baroque to create the first Pan-European style, as seen in Elevation of the Cross. * The tension is emotional and physical, as seen in Christ’s face and the grief of his followers. * The drama is intensified by the strong use of light and dark. Peter Paul Rubens, drawing of Laocoon, ca. 1600-1608. Black-and-white chalk drawing with bistre wash * The predominantly black chalk drawing shows Rubens’ study of classical representation of the human form. * This piece is obviously a revisit of the marble sculpture that depicted Laocoon and his sons breaking free from serpents. * Rubens had a big focus on mastering the human body, which led him to copy classical works of earlier master artists, such as this piece. Peter Paul Rubens, Arrival of Marie de’ Medici at Marseilles, 1622-1625. Oil on canvas * The painting depicts Marie arriving in France after a long voyage from Italy. * The women waiting for her is an allegory personified to represent France, and the goddesses, Neptune and the Nereids (daughters of the sea god Nereus), represent the sky and the sea rejoicing her safe arrival. * The surfaces are enriched with decoration to further bring the painting together. Peter Paul Rubens, Allegory of the Outbreak of War, 1638. Oil on canvas * The beautiful human forms and energy that take away attention from the chaos of this piece is a recurrent theme in Rubens’ other works. * The Thirty Years’ War was Rubens’ reason to create Allegory. * The woman clothed in black, deprived of her jewels and ornaments is an unhappy Europe. Anthony Van Dyck, Charles I Dismounted, ca. 1635. Oil on canvas * Charles I turns his back on his attendants as he looks over his domain. * His location on higher ground gives us the idea he is higher than all of his observers and followers. * The king impersonates as a noble man for a casual walk in the park, but no one can take their eyes off his regal poise. Hendrick Ter Brugghen, Calling of Saint Matthew, 1621. Oil on canvas * The naturalistic presentation of the subjects echoes the work of Caravaggio. * This piece differs from work of Caravaggio because the use of color, rather than extreme contrast of light and dark. * There is a definite claustrophobic effect as noticed by the figures being crammed into a well-lit room. Gerrit Van Honthorst, Supper Party, 1620. Oil on canvas * In this painting, Honthorst portrays the darker side of humanity. * The man on the right being fed by the woman is sometimes interpreted as a warning by Honthorst to avoid the sin of gluttony. * Honthorst frequently placed a hidden light source in his paintings, such as Supper Party, to work with violent dark and light effects. Frans Hals, Archers of Saint Hadrian, ca. 1633. Oil on canvas * The Archers were one of many militia groups that helped in liberating the Dutch Republic from Spain. * In this portrait, each man is a troop member yet individually different from the next. * The troop members’ attire further helps create a certain rhythm to the piece. Frans Hals, The Women Regents of the Old Men’s Home at Haarlem, 1664. Oil on canvas * This piece captures the details of each sitter and their cultural characteristics. * The women seem to have different emotions all around, from complete disinterest to concern of their environment. * The monochromatic theme of this painting further adds to the painting’s restraint. Rembrandt Van Rijn, Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp, 1632. Oil on canvas * The students’ individual faces tell us each has different feelings and thoughts about the man being dissected. * Van Rijn diagonally placed the body to break away from the strict horizontal orientation found in traditional paintings. * Rembrandt chose to have the students all on the left side to highlight Dr. Tulp and the body.

English Settlers of the Chesapeake Region and New England Essay

English Settlers of the Chesapeake Region and New England Although New England and the Chesapeake region were both settled largely by people of English origin, by 1700 the regions had evolved into two distinct societies. As English settlements in North America began to progress, social, economical, and religious ideas divided the English immigrants. The settlers journeyed to North America to meet their individual needs and beliefs. Whether they were fleeing to become wealthy or to escape religious pressures; all of these settlers came attempting to improve their lifestyles. The Chesapeake region and New England settlements proved how two English settlements could have differing societies. English origins seemed to be their only common trait. Life for the earliest Chesapeake settlers was brutal and deadly. Diseases such as malaria, dysentery and typhoid shortened life expectancy, while nearly half of the Virginia and Maryland settlers didn’t live to see their twentieth birthday. This frail Chesapeake region continued a slow growth primarily because a majority of the settlers were â€Å"single men in their late teens to early twenties†(Document C). Because of the overpopulation of men and the scarcity of women, families became sparse. However, despite the harsh beginnings of its society, the Chesapeake region continued to endeavor by acquiring an immunity to diseases and increasing birthrates. The Chesapeake region also held its own economic standards. When 120 men arrived in Jamestown on May 14th,1607 they relied on the hopes of discovering gold. Most of the settlers’ time was devoted to searches for gold instead of the stabilization of their... ...regularly preached in New England schools. They also included a religious attitude towards their economy. â€Å"This court †¦.in the interim recommends (that) all tradesmen and laborers consider the religious end of their callings.(Document E)† The Chesapeake region and New England societies differed mainly because of the ways their settlements were first organized and developed. The Chesapeake region began with a irresponsible development, which led to severe consequences. An overpopulation of men with desires to strike gold, slowed the settlements growth by making gold the only priority. New England, on the other hand, settled as families with family priorities and values. They developed well organized towns with Puritan teachings. Also, New Englanders used practical resources to begin the process of developing their economy.

Spas in Roman Times :: essays research papers

What is the â€Å"spa†? The word â€Å"spa† is rooted in the Latin language and means â€Å"salus per aquam.† For those of you who are not very polished on your Latin, that means â€Å"health from water.† â€Å"Spa† is also the name of a small village in Belgium where hot mineral springs were discovered by ancient Romans and used by soldiers to treat aching muscles and wounds from battle. When? It is unclear when the Romans used the first public bath, but during the reign of Caesar Augustus from 27 B.C. to 14 A.D., there were approximately 170 baths throughout Rome.At this time, citizens of Rome began to view baths as a way of providing rest, relaxation, and solace to all people, not just those weary of war. Spa in England In 70 A.D., the Romans built a spa and dedicated it, as a shrine consisting of a reservoir around the hot springs at Bath, in what is now England, a complex series of baths, and a temple, to the honor of the goddess Sulis Minerva. As the Roman Empire grew, so did the number of public baths. By the year 300 A.D., there were over 900 baths throughout the empire. The oldest Roman spa still in existence today is located in Merano, Italy, providing evidence of the idea that the Romans used natural springs in an organized manner to provide treatments. Types of Spa   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After exercising, bathers entered the tepidarium, a room where they would prepare for their bath. The first step was to remove the oil from their body. Oil was used as a substitute for soap, which was reserved for only the very wealthy in ancient Rome, then scraped off with an implement known as a strigil, removing dirt and grime with it. Upon completing this step, bathers were ready to enter the caladarium. This room was very hot and filled with steam, created by sunken pools of hot water. Some baths also included a room that was very hot and dry, very much like our modern day saunas, called a laconicum. Visits to the hot rooms were followed by a visit to the frigidarium. As the name implies, this room was cold and served to close pores that were open from sweating in the hot rooms. This room also frequently contained either a small pool of cold water for washing away sweat or a large pool of cold water for swimming.

Enron Ethics Essay

This article tries to show how the company’s culture had profound effects on the ethics of its employee? And particularly in this case: how did Enron lose both its economical and ethical status? This question makes the Enron case interesting to us as business ethicists. Enron ethics means that business ethics is a question of organizational â€Å"deep† culture rather than of cultural artifacts like ethics codes, ethics officers and the like. BackgroundAt the beginning Enron faced a number of financially difficulty years. In 1988, the deregulation of the electrical power market took effect and Enron redefined its business to energy broker and got a thriving company. The company became a â€Å"matchmaker† in the power industry, bringing buyers and sellers together. Enron embraced a culture that rewarded â€Å"cleverness†. Pushing the limits was considered a survival skill; the motto of the CEO Jeffry Skilling was â€Å"Do it right, do it now and do it better†. This culture admires innovation and unchecked ambition and publicly punishes poor performance can produce big return in the short term. However, in the long run, achieving additional value by constantly â€Å"upping the ante† becomes harder and harder. A lot of smoke and mirrorsWith Enron’s spectacular success, the business community rewarded Enron for its cleverness and Enron’s executives felt driven by this reputation to sustain the explosive growth of the late 1990s, even when they logically knew that it was not possible. In order to indicate that the company was not as successful as it appeared, Enron entered into a deceiving web of partnerships and employed increasingly questionable accounting methods to maintain its investment-grade status. PartnershipsTo push the value envelope, Enron created â€Å"special purpose vehicles† (SPV), pseudo-partnerships that allowed the company to sell assets and â€Å"create† earnings that artificially enhanced its bottom line. Enron exaggerated earnings by recognizing gains on the sale of assets to SPVs. An example is the partnership with Blockbuster which was intended to provide movies to homes directly over phones lines. In this case Enron recorded $ 110.9 million in profits prematurely, even if these profits were never realized as the partnership after only a 1,000-home pilot. Therefore booking  earnings before they are realized were rather â€Å"early† than wrong. The culture at Enron was quickly eroding the ethical boundaries of its employees. Keeping debt off the balance sheetTo avoid that a highly leveraged balance sheet would threaten its credit rating, Enron parked some of its debt on the balance sheet of its SPVs and kept hidden from analysts and investors. This can be read as another example of ethical erosion, but Enron’s decision makers saw the shuffling of debt rather as a timing issue and not as an ethical one. Partnerships at â€Å"arm’s length†Enron enlisted help from its outside accountants and its attorneys to guarantee that the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) did not consider its partnerships as Enron subsidiaries. Enron crafted relationships that looked (legally) like partnerships, although they were (in practice) subsidiaries. A closer look at the partnerships would have revealed that the outside investments came from companies that were owned by Enron. Conflicts of interestEnron officials obviously had close ties with its partnerships. For example, the CFO war partial owner of two of the most important partnerships. The culture of cleverness at Enron started as a pursuit of excellence that devolved into the appearance of excellence as executives worked to develop clever ways of preserving Enron’s infallible faà §ade of success; for the good of the company, Enron’s executives also began to bend the rules for personal again. Once a culture’s ethical boundaries are breached thresholds of more extreme ethical compromises become lower. The self-reinforcing decline of EnronThe sum of incremental ethical transgressions produced the business catastrophe. As partnerships began to fail with increasing regularity, Enron was liable for millions of dollars it had not anticipated losing. The financial implosionThe partnerships that once boosted earnings and allowed Enron to prosper became the misplaced card that caused the Enron  house to collapse. The very results Enron had sought to prevent – falling stock prices, lack of consumer and financial market confidence – came about as a direct result of decisions that had been driven by Enron’s culture. The Enron case of ethical failure consists of more than a series of questionable business dealings. Enron employees, who had been encouraged to invest heavily in the company, found themselves unable to remove and salvage their investments. The company culture of individualism, innovation, and aggressive cleverness left Enron without compassionate, responsible leadership. Leadership mechanisms and organizational culture at EnronLeadership is the critical component of the organization’s culture because leaders can create, reinforce or change the organization’s culture. According to Schein (1985) there are five primary mechanisms that a leader can use to influence an organization’s culture: attention, reaction to crises, role modelling, allocation of rewards, criteria of selection and dismissal. AttentionIf the leaders of the organizations focus on the bottom line, employees believe that financial success is the leading value to consider. Enron executives’ attention was clearly focused on profits, power, greed and influence; â€Å"Profits at all costs†. As Stern has suggested, if the organization’s leaders seem to care only about the short-term bottom line, employees quickly get the message too. Reaction to crisesSchein asserts, that a crisis tests what the leader values and brings these values to the surface. With each impending crisis, leaders have an opportunity to communicate throughout the organization what the company’s values are. Enron was facing a crisis of how to sustain a phenomenal growth rate. Leaders reacted by defending a culture that valued profitability, even when it was at the expense of everything else. The mantra at Enron seems to be that ethical wrongdoing is to be hidden at any cost; deny, play the dupe, claim ignorance, lie, quit. It appears that the truth and its consequences have been a part of the Enron culture. Role modeling (how leaders behave)Actions speak louder than words –  therefore- modeling behaviour is a very powerful tool that leaders have to develop and influence corporate culture. Employees observe the behaviour of leaders to find out what is valued in the organization. Perhaps, this was the most significant shortcoming of Enron executives. Enron’s leaders’ primary message about their values was sent through their own actions. They broke the law as they concentrated on financial measures and used of the creative partnerships. It also sent a message to employees that full and complete disclosure is not a requirement, or even recommended. If the company achieved short-term benefits by hiding information, it was acceptable. The leadership of Enron almost certainly dictated the company’s outcome through their own actions by providing perfect conditions for unethical behaviour. Just as the destiny of individuals is determined by personal character, the destiny of an organization is determined by the character of its leadership. Allocation of rewardsThe behaviour of people rewarded with pay increases or promotions signals to others what is necessary to succeed in an organization. To ensure that values are accepted, leaders should reward behaviour that is consistent with the values. Enron’s reward system established a â€Å"win-at-all-costs† focus. The company’s leadership promoted ant retained only those employees that produced consistently, with little regard to ethics. â€Å"The moral of this story is break the rule, you can cheat, you can lie, but as long as you make money, it’s all right†. The company’s compensation structure contributed to an unethical work culture, too – by promoting self-interest above any other interest. Enron’s reward system rewarded individuals who embraced Enron’s aggressive, individualistic culture and were based on short-term profits and financial measures. Criteria of selection and dismissal (how leaders hire end fire employees)The selection of newcomers to an organization is a powerful way of how a leader reinforces culture. Leaders often unconsciously look for individuals who are similar to current organizational members in terms of values and assumptions. This tends to perpetuate the culture because the new employees typically hold similar values. The CIO of Enron (Skilling) perpetuated a focus on short-term transactional endeavours from the very beginning by  hiring employees that embodied the beliefs that he was trying to instil: aggressiveness, greed, a will to win at all costs, and an appreciation for circumventing the rules. The way a company fires an employee and the rationale behind the firing also communicate the culture. Some company deal with poor performers by trying to find them a place within the organization where they can perform better and make a contribution. At Enron, fifteen to twenty percent of producers were let go or fired after a formal evaluation process each year. Final comments and suggestions for future work†Consequences of unethical or illegal actions are not usually realized until much later when the act is committed†. Enron’s culture is a good example of groupthink where individuals feel extreme pressure not to express any real strong arguments against any co-workers’ action. Employee were loyal in an ambiguous sense of the term, they wanted to be seen as part of the star team and to partake in the benefits that that honor entailed. Two of the most important lessons to learn from the Enron culture history is that bad top management morality can be a sufficient condition for creating a self-destructive ethical climate and that a well-filled CSR (corporate social responsibility) and business ethics toolbox can neither stop nor compensate for such processes. Enron is a case of deceiving corporate citizenship and of surface or faà §ade ethics. A typology with moral cultures can be draft with two dimensions: ethicalness of an organization culture and presence of business ethical tools of artifacts (ethics officers, codes of ethics, value statement). Enron looks at first sight like â€Å"type I†, like a classical business ethics case, with a typical mix of â€Å"amorality† and â€Å"immorality†. But the thesis of the authors is that Enron is an at least as good illustration of â€Å"type II†, of window-dressing ethics, with talking instead of walking, ethics as rhetoric. While â€Å"type II† looks modern, â€Å"type III† looks like the old-fashioned type of moral business ethics, CSR, marketing and public relations were invented with collective moral conscience as consistent label and content, perhaps additionally communicating moral humbleness, with a  touch of British understatement. â€Å"Type IV† refers to a moral role business culture in the age of marketing and public relations, with walking the talk, with showing and confessing openly its collective moral conscience. Bibliography: http://www.springerlink.com/content/p712j1555807774r/ Enron Ethics (Or: Culture Matters More than Codes) – Ronald R. Sims, Johannes Brinkmann

The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet

The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet The peak of love between Romeo and Juliet leads to hatred and non-acceptable amongst the behavior of opposite forces. The force from the parents of Julietto marry with Paris, betrayal of Nurse and the delusion of Friar Lawrence are the factorswhich resulted in the death of Romeo and Juliet. Primarily, the obstacle that Juliet had toface was the compression to marry with Paris and the inappropriate behavior fromparents. The Capulet 's attitude towards Juliet was strict and biased which leads anegative impression on Juliet and the pressure to marry with County Paris made hercried. When Juliet refused to marry Paris, Capulet replied, " Hang thee, young baggage,disobedient wretch! I tell thee what I get thee to church a' Thursday or never after lookme in the face" (3,5,160-162), which describes that how much Capulet insulted her andmade her to marry Paris that resulted to take Juliet her own life.Romeo and Juliet, Act I-Scene_3. Lady Capulet and ...You not only have a feeling of pity for the separated lovers, but for their whole community that also suffered from the family's pointless feud. The second part of this theme is focused on the fear at how devastating two family's hostility can be. Not only were Romeo and Juliet's lives ruined, the entire community felt a loss over the many deaths and shame for their foolishness.Romeo and Juliet matches multiple criteria for a tragic plot set by the philosophers Bradley and Aristotle. The first criterion is met since the plot is a result of the main character's actions. The main character in this play, Romeo, causes many of the events that affect the plot's unfolding in the way that it does. In the beginning acts, Romeo's sorrow over Rosoline gives Benvolio reason to take him to the party where he falls aimlessly...

Media Communication essays

Media Communication essays Political candidates are increasingly utilizing alternative methods for the dispersal of their political messages and platforms. These alternative methods incorporate advanced technologies that allow the public to obtain information through diverse media. Examples include are video-streamed press conferences available online and podcasts. I think that these new methods are highly effective and allow the public to obtain important information with greater accessibility and flexibility. People are generally spending more and more time on computers, whether it be for work or in their leisure time, and it is often more convenient for people to obtain information online than through traditional media, such as radio and television. In order to obtain information through these traditional media, it is necessary to be near a radio or television at a prescribed time, which may not be convenient for all people. The advantage offered by online availability and podcasts is that the public are able to access the information they seek on demand at times that are convenient to them. There are several reasons why candidates may choose to use these new, alternative means of broadcasting information. First, these new methods provide an opportunity to reach a broader audience. This is due to the availability of the information not only when it is initially presented, but also afterward at anytime that is convenient to individuals. Second, I assume that podcasts and video-streamed online messages are cost efficient due to the limited resources required to produce such broadcasts. And third, using these methods demonstrates that the candidates are current in their views through their use of new technologies. These new methods are highly effective in reaching the public through increased accessibility. They may especially prove effective among young people, who are generally watching less TV but spending more time on computers. ...

David by Michelangelo Essays

David by Michelangelo Essays David by Michelangelo Paper David by Michelangelo Paper Name: Tutor: Course: Date: David by Michelangelo David is a Renaissance sculpture that was formed between 1502 and 1504, by the Italian sculptor, Michelangelo. The sculpture is a 17-foot marble bust that displays a naked standing male. The character used in the sculpture represents the biblical King David, a special subject in Florentine art. The sculpture was initially commissioned as one of a set of masterpieces of prophets to be situated alongside the roofline of the Florence Cathedral. However, the statue was alternatively placed in the Palazzo della Signoria public square, in Florence City where it was made public in 1504. Because of the personality of the individual it represented, it soon came to denote the defense of social liberties embodied in Florence, a self-governing city-state endangered from all directions by powerful adversary states. The original statue was relocated to the Accademia Gallery in Florence and replaced with a replica at the same location. Historical background Before Michelangelo became involved in the development of the statue, the management at the Florence Cathedral had planned to erect twelve massive Old Testament effigies that would also act as the buttresses for the building. In fact, work had already started on these sculptures led by Donatello (Joshua and David sculpture) and Agostino’s unfinished David sculpture. However, just before the project was complete, the cathedral management ran into the challenge of how to hoist the sculpture onto the roof. Finally, they appointed a team of several artists to deliberate on the most appropriate location for the statue. Interpretation of the sculpture Michelangelo’s David was slightly different from earlier representations of the theme in that the biblical character was not portrayed as the killer of the giant Goliath. Typically, David was always represented as holding Goliath’s head, and, in fact, Verrocchio and Donatello sculpted their own works with this traditional inclusion. Most academics believe that the masterpiece showed David when he was preparing for a battle with Goliath. Instead of showing signs of victory over an enemy mightier than he was, David’s face displayed a lot of tension and preparedness for combat. The muscles in his neck stood out stiffly; his facial especially his upper lip was taut; his forehead was wrinkled, and his eyes appeared to concentrate attentively on a far away object. While veins were protruding from his lowered hand, his body was in a tranquil pose, and he was armed with his sling that was lying offhandedly over his shoulder. The calm pose itself was dissimilar from any other earlier representations of David; Both Verrocchio and Donatello had created sculptures of David standing triumphant over Goliath’s head while Andrea del Castagno had portrayed the character while he was swinging his weapon and Goliath’s head down at his feet. However, the entire range of masterpieces done by earlier Florentine artist had not failed to include the Philistine giant overall. The difference between his powerful appearance and his peaceful pose, possibly suggested that David’s sculpture represented his demeanor after he decided to wrestle Goliath, but before the real encounter. The large part of his body mass was stressed on his back leg in a manner consistent with the Renaissance tradition of portraying its subjects in retreated, composed positions, just before they sprung into action. Michelangelo’s representation was that of the period between mindful choice and conscious battle. Michelangelo’s David was a Renaissance understanding of a general historical Greek theme of the upright valiant male nude. In the High Renaissance, contrapposto styles were regarded as a characteristic feature of historic sculpture. In David, the form stands with one leg supporting its complete weight and the other leg loosened up. This traditional pose makes the statue’s shoulders and hips to sit at conflicting angles, creating a small s-curve to the complete upper body. Additionally, the head was twisted to the left, whereas the left arm was lifted towards his left shoulder and his sling that was thrown on his back. Michelangelo’s David became one of the most celebrated sculptures of Renaissance sculpture, becoming a representation of both might and youthful human attractiveness. The gigantic mass of the sculpture was the most extraordinary feature of Michelangelo’s statue compared to that of his rivals. One of the artists, Vasari described the sculpture as a marvel created by Michelangelo that had the ability to bring to life the past memories of the dead. He concluded by mentioning all the other marvelous creations that were done by Michelangelo over the Renaissance period. The sizes of David and other sculptures were an atypical feature of Michelangelo’s efforts; the effigy had an abnormally large head and limbs especially the right hand. These exaggerations may be because the effigy would have been initially displayed on the cathedral rooftop, where the significant parts of the statue would unavoidably be emphasized in order to be noticeable from below. The statue was also abnormally slim when compared to its height. While most artist would have attributed this difference to individual taste, it was probably Michelangelo’s oversight that could not be rectified. It is probable that David was envisaged as a political effigy before Michelangelo started to sculpt it. Definitely, David had long been perceived as a political character in Florentine culture, and pictures of the Biblical personality were already influencing political actions there. Donatello’s David made of pure bronze as a distinct feature in the Medici family quarters. Later on, it still assumed a political role at the Palazzo della Signoria courtyard, where it represented the Republican government. Analysts have even pointed out that David’s undamaged penis that went against Judaic practice was in line with the traditions of Renaissance art. Conclusion Michelangelo’s David arrived from the Piazza della Signoria in 1873 due to the threat of natural erosion that would erode the sculpture as well as intentional damage. There were undocumented reports of vandalism in 1991 hen a man defaced the statue. After this incident, the statue was considered for renovation several times. A replica of the sculpture was however, made and placed in the exact position, in Piazza della Signoria. In spite of the awareness of the statue’s illustration, the utter magnitude of the marble effigy always surprised all the contemporaries and even the present day viewers. The present connection between Florence City and David is highly political. Since the Renaissance period, Florence perceived the David statue as a symbol of the city. David’s power, bravery and youthful assurance were the picture that Florence needed to project. In the 14th century, Florence regained its position as a republic. David signified the city’s sovereignt y from unknown authority, both the aristocracy and colonialists. Like Florence, David illustrated a calm power that was often overlooked by many. The strategic position outside the state offices also made it seem like he was a guard that reminded the citizens to defend bravely and lead fairly.

Institutions of American Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Institutions of American Government - Essay Example In my opinion, however, it may be more accurate to say that media is a contest terrain of both the American and world politics. Out of America’s democratic tradition, American media is known as the fourth branch of government. Democratic thinkers argue that although formally, there are three branches of government (or the executive, legislative, and the judicial branches of government), media adds to the first three categories. Actually, media is outside of formal ambit of government. However, if it wishes to, the state can have effective control of the media. State control on the media is feasible via restrictions and regulations. It is also feasible to control media via technology. The military is well known to have the capability to scramble radios, disrupt media transmission lines, and shut down electronically media’s operations. The American government and the military have even the capability to shut down or censor the internet if they want to. They can even use à ¢â‚¬Å"ethical† hacking to bring down a website. Yet, at the same time, there is no need for America’s elite to shut down or censor the internet. Shutting down or imposing censorship in the internet will be to the disadvantage of America’s elite because shutting down or censoring the internet can also mean crippling or slowing down business operations. Other than this, shutting down or censoring the internet too much will mean losing the political vantage that America enjoys over her enemies. Democracy and freedom are America’s fighting slogans against communist and Islamic fundamentalism. Shutting down or censoring the internet will be costly politically for American to win the political, military, and moral war over perceived enemies. Elite dominance over the media has not been formal anyway. It is not as if government directly threatened media

Mini assignments Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Mini assignments - Coursework Example However, the premises are not accurate. This makes the argument valid, but not sound. A valid deductive argument that is sound: Premise: Either I own a dog or a cat. Premise: I do not own a cat. Conclusion: Therefore, I must own a dog. This argument can be valid and sound. It is possible that I own a cat or a dog, but not both. It is possible I own a dog. It also cannot be true that I own a cat because of one of the premises. The only conclusion is I own a dog. 2. Inductive Language Construct an inductive argument for a specific conclusion. Then, explain what you might do to make this inductive argument stronger, either by revising the premises or by revising the conclusion. Inductive argument for a specific conclusion: Premise: John is a redhead. Premise: Jay is a redhead. Premise: Jennifer is a redhead. Premise: John, Jay, and Jennifer are siblings. Premise: John, Jay, and Jennifer’s parents are redheads. Conclusion: Parents with red hair have a good chance of having childre n with red hair. This is an inductive argument because the conclusion is more than likely correct. However, it is not as strong as it could be. Here is another argument that might be stronger. Premise: John is a redhead. Premise: Jay is a redhead. Premise: Jennifer is a redhead. Premise: John, Jay, and Jennifer are siblings. Premise: John, Jay, and Jennifer’s parents are redheads. ... Give an explanation of why each makes a mistake in drawing the conclusion it does. Review your classmates’ examples and see if they, in fact, commit the fallacy identified. Ad Hominem Fallacy Premise: Adolf Hitler was German Premise: Adolf Hitler waged a genocide war against the Jews, mentally ill, and Slavic people. Premise: Hitler was evil. Conclusion: Therefore all Germans are evil. This is an Ad Hominem Fallacy because it is based on a person’s, Hitler, character. Begging the Question Premise: Adultery is always wrong. Premise: Jane has committed adultery. Conclusion: Therefore, Jane is always wrong. This is Begging the Question Fallacy because it has circular reasoning. Jane is wrong because she committed adultery. Adultery is wrong, so Jane is wrong for committing it. Hasty Generalization Premise: My computer is an Acer. Premise: My computer’s hard drive crashed because of a virus. Conclusion: All Acer computers have hard drives that crash. This is a Hasty Generalization. Just because my computer crashed due to a virus does not mean all Acer computers have hard drives that crash. I might not have had the right anti-virus protection on my computer, or I could have bought a damaged computer. Just because one product fails does not mean the whole line of products will fail. 4. The Media and Fallacies One rich source of fallacies is the media: television, radio, magazines, and the Internet (including, of course, commercials.) Identify two distinct fallacies you see committed in the media. Do you think it is more likely that you will not be fooled by these fallacies having studied logic? What do you think those

An Annotated Bibliography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

An Annotated Bibliography - Essay Example â€Å"Multilingual Identities in Higher Education: Negotiating the ‘Mother Tongue’, ‘Posh’ and ‘Slang’†, Journal of Language and Education, Vol. 24., no. 1,pp. 21-39. Preece’s articles analyses linguistic diversity amid minority ethnic undergraduates students classified as from broadening participation background in a new University in Britain. The author recognizes that students negotiate multilingual and bidilectal identities within the framework of an academic writing programme considered as offering English language remediation. Leung, C., Harris, R. and Rampton, B. 1997. â€Å"Multilingualism in England,† Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, no. 7, pp. 224-241. The authors point out about the recent reactions to multilingualism in the national education systems and point to the increasing tension between education policy and research. The authors then suggest that there is so much that has happened in the study and und erstanding of multilingualism in England. To analyze this, the authors focus on the dynamic and contested connections amid educational policy, academic debate and daily sociolinguistic practice. As multilingualism in growing in the United Kingdom as a result of immigration, urban areas are becoming more diverse in their utilization of language. This is resulting in local government regulations being imposed to provide for those who do not speak the prevailing language. These policies are targeted at ensuring diversify and acceptance amid the scope of languages and speakers in any given region. School curriculums are making it possible for students to learn each other’s languages and so make sure good communication between distinct cultures. It is at times presumed that English is sufficient, but in global terms just 60 percent of the population are native speakers and 75 percent speak no English at all. Research on the internet reveals a decline in the relative influence of E nglish online, from 51 percent of traffic in 2000 to 27 percent as of 2011. The United Kingdom requires a multilingual population in order to succeed in a globalised universe, for global citizenships, for diplomacy, security and in global relations and for creating a taskforce to operate proficiently in trade and investment. In spite of the numerous interest groups affected by multilingualism and development of new ways to quantify the linguistic topography in the UK’s exhaustive information on UK multilingualism has only presently surfaced. The in particular emerges from conflicting definitions of language capability and situational usage, with non-standardized measures utilized to explain these (Edwards, 2004). The engagement of the state with the subject of multilingualism functions at numerous levels. The United Kingdom has not general official regulation on multilingualism, even though the EU supports trilingualism. Public discussions about multilingualism are London tra nsforms often, though there is some persistency in promoting specific forms of bilingualism, specifically through formal learning. There is prejudice in the conceived positions of distinct languages. Bilingualism appears to be regarded as an asset if it is learned as opposed to the acquired language prestige. On the other hand, bilingualism is conceived as an inadequate if possessed in a migrant home. There are discussions over if and how the past

The Role of Milk-Derived Peptides in Metabolic Syndrome Article - 1

The Role of Milk-Derived Peptides in Metabolic Syndrome - Article Example Several factors have led to increased incidences of metabolic syndrome and they include unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, the obesity epidemic, and tobacco use. Metabolic syndrome (Mets) can be reduced by improving one's diet and this may involve taking low- fat milk and dairy products, high intake of fruits, vegetables and whole grains and reduced intake of meat, sugar, and fat. A change in lifestyle can also lead to a reduction in Mets and it may involve regular physical activity and check on the dietary habits. Several signs serve as indicators of metabolic syndrome and a victim may display several of them. Such as blood pressure exceeding 130/185 mmHg, fasting blood glucose equal or higher than 100mg/dl, large waist circumference (length around the waist) for men 40 inches or more, women 35 inches or more. Triglycerides levels may rise to 150mg/dl or more. Several researchers have reported on the beneficial role of dairy peptides in the prevention of metabolic syndrome and have created much debate with many commercialization of dairy products currently on-going. The aim of this paper is to review the perceived beneficial effects of dairy products in the prevention and treatment of metabolic syndrome and to analyze the known facts and the perceived faults that exist in the role of dairy products in the prevention and treatment of the disease. Bioactive peptides derived from milk have been found to be beneficial in prevention and treatment of MetS. Various mechanisms of managing Mets may include; decreasing body mass, regulating insulin, blood pressure and cholesterol with the ultimate goal of losing 7% -10% of one’s current body weight. If one has impaired fasting glucose tolerance a diet which is rich in fiber and low saturated fat with increased physical exercise can help reduce this. It has been noted that peptides from dairy products are protective in preventing ischemic coronary disease, heart attack, and diabetes.  

Effective group discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Effective group discussion - Essay Example The agenda would involve discussion on the above topic/ question and determine whether the conjecture is supported by sufficient facts to make it a plausible outcome. Use of moderator and tape recorder would ensure that discussion progresses smoothly during the 30 minutes, allotted to the group. The two questions would be discussed to come determine the veracity of the topic. Two discussion questions would be: the possible penalty that can effectively serve as deterrent measure for speeding; and previous outcome of the penalty on the convicts (Ehrlich, 1973). 2 minutes would be allowed to each of 10 participants to give their reasons and 10 minutes would be used to make empowered decision by the group leader, based on the informed choices as presented by the participants. It is hoped that discussion would help determine the outcome of conjecture. The discussion would focus on 3 areas: the legal aspect of the process of euthanasia in different countries; the moral paradigm of practice of euthanasia; and the efficacy of methods used on patients with terminal illness (Emanual & Fairclaugh, 2000). A moderator would oversee that discussions proceed within the defined guidelines and make recordings of the same. The 6 participants would be given 2 minutes to present their facts and views. Rest of the times would be used to collate the facts and use brainstorming techniques to decide on the outcome. The group leader would ensure that facts and moral compulsions are judiciously used to determine the conditions under which conditions euthanasia can be made legal. The main agenda of discussion would involve discussing the situation on the broader context of healthcare accessibility to the marginalized population of poor countries and the ways it can be addressed by developed countries and corporations. The discussion would be of 30 minutes

The Role of Milk-Derived Peptides in Metabolic Syndrome Article - 1

The Role of Milk-Derived Peptides in Metabolic Syndrome - Article Example Several factors have led to increased incidences of metabolic syndrome and they include unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, the obesity epidemic, and tobacco use. Metabolic syndrome (Mets) can be reduced by improving one's diet and this may involve taking low- fat milk and dairy products, high intake of fruits, vegetables and whole grains and reduced intake of meat, sugar, and fat. A change in lifestyle can also lead to a reduction in Mets and it may involve regular physical activity and check on the dietary habits. Several signs serve as indicators of metabolic syndrome and a victim may display several of them. Such as blood pressure exceeding 130/185 mmHg, fasting blood glucose equal or higher than 100mg/dl, large waist circumference (length around the waist) for men 40 inches or more, women 35 inches or more. Triglycerides levels may rise to 150mg/dl or more. Several researchers have reported on the beneficial role of dairy peptides in the prevention of metabolic syndrome and have created much debate with many commercialization of dairy products currently on-going. The aim of this paper is to review the perceived beneficial effects of dairy products in the prevention and treatment of metabolic syndrome and to analyze the known facts and the perceived faults that exist in the role of dairy products in the prevention and treatment of the disease. Bioactive peptides derived from milk have been found to be beneficial in prevention and treatment of MetS. Various mechanisms of managing Mets may include; decreasing body mass, regulating insulin, blood pressure and cholesterol with the ultimate goal of losing 7% -10% of one’s current body weight. If one has impaired fasting glucose tolerance a diet which is rich in fiber and low saturated fat with increased physical exercise can help reduce this. It has been noted that peptides from dairy products are protective in preventing ischemic coronary disease, heart attack, and diabetes.  

Liberalisation that Triggered the Asian Crisis and the Apparent Essay

Liberalisation that Triggered the Asian Crisis and the Apparent Insulation of China and India - Essay Example Least expected is that, in a very short period of time, a financial crisis sprouted in Thailand and spread like epidemic to the neighbouring countries of Southeast Asia and eventually triggered serious turmoil in the currency and financial markets of Japan and South Korea. While the extent of crisis differed from country to country, the Asian economies were brought face to face with serious difficulties that came from over-reliance on short-term foreign capital, speculative investments, and poor supervision by financial authorities. Even the resilient economies of Singapore, Taiwan, and Hong Kong have shown related problems, slowly being eroded by the persistent weaknesses of their neighbouring economies. What may have gone wrong that spelled the unfortunate events to take place? Why did some countries in the region, like China and India, have been unaffected by the crisis? What measures did these affected countries do to thwart the eventual downfall of their economies? What did policies did India and China foster in order to insulate them from the said crisis? As this paper explored answers to these questions, further recommendations by experts will also be tackled in order to prevent the same crisis from ever happening again. Liberalisation is termed as a programme of changes in the direction of moving towards a free-market economy. This normally includes the reduction of direct controls on both internal and international transactions, and a shift towards relying on the price mechanism to co-ordinate economic activities. In such a programme less use is made of licences, permits and price controls, and there is more reliance on prices to clear markets.

Bread Mold Imrad Essay Example for Free

Bread Mold Imrad Essay The materials needed to conduct this experiment are six small squares of bread, a container of milk, four small Ziploc bags, a thermometer, a phone to record data and a heat lamp. The container of milk will be used for residue on the inside of two of the plastic bags. The heat lamp will be used to generate heat onto the bread towards the possibility of mold. The thermometer is used to measure the heat that the heat lamp is producing; this is to make sure it does not get too hot. The thermometer, milk, and heat lamp are part of the independent variables. The dependent variable is the amount of mold that grows. The experimenter should begin this experiment by organizing their materials so that they are all in front of he/she. Start by opening one of the plastic bags. Over a sink, pour a small amount of milk into the bag, close it then make sure the inside is completely covered in milk residue. Then pour the milk out into the sink. Repeat this process with another bag. Carefully place a piece of bread in each of the milk-saturated bags and secure. Put these bags aside and grab the other two clean plastic bags. Put a piece of bread in each of them and close it. The two extra pieces of bread with be used without a bag, this is the control group. Next find a safe location to keep the bags of bread for the experiment, away from possible culprets such as mice. Once the location is decided, plug in the heat lamp and angle it towards the surface where the bread will sit. The head of the heat lamp should not be anymore than ten inches away from the bags of bread. After the heat lamp is situated, place a bag with milk-residue, a bag with only bread, and a single piece of bread under the heat lamp. Put the other two bags and the other single piece of bread away from the heat lamp, out of the light. Record the data of the bread at the same time everyday for as long until mold appears.

Uses of Brand Extension Strategies

Uses of Brand Extension Strategies 1- PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND This chapter contains background of our study, statement of the problem, significance and delimitation of the study. Furthermore Definitions of the terms used in this dissertation are also explained in this chapter. 1.1 Introduction One of the most famous strategies to leverage brand equity is brand extension. It is believed that consumers will favor new extension if new products are under the label of already established brand name.Familiarity and trust with the parent brand is one of the factor due to which companies hope that their consumers will react in a favorable manner. It is beneficial for the companies because of the positive association which consumers already have with the parent brand. A brand is the identity of a specific product, service, or business. (Kotler 1996). Brand extension denotes to the corporate activity in which companies bring in new products, new product variants or product improvements by leveraging the brand equity of the existing parent brand. It is believed that instead of establishing an entirely a new brand, extension of brands can be favorable for companies in terms of promotional and awareness activities, distribution, customer perceived risk in buying any product of service. (Keller, 2002) stated that another major factor for which Companies prefer to use brand extension is lower cost. Introducing a new brand into consumer market can be relatively much higher than introducing new product or product variants under the same brand name. This cost can range above millions of rupees and can not guarantee of any success. So instead of launching entirely a new product, most companies prefer brand extension. Successful examples such as Diet Pepsi and Diet Coke benefited from the brand franchise of their parent products. Coca-Cola introduced six extensions and captured a larger market share than the original brand. For example, Cokes extension, Cherry Coke, was successful even without considerable advertisement. Apart from benefits of brand extension there are some potential problems associated with brand extension, such as failure or semi failure of brands like brand dilution or brand cannibalization. Rather than success of brands, failed extension might maculate the parent brand name thus the result would be reduced market share of the parent brand. Brand association in terms of quality and consistency are crucial for any brand extension to be successful in the eyes of the consumers. Association with the brand is also dependent on consumers own values, preferences, taste, buying situation and manager should always focus on what these dependent variables are and when they come into action. Take an example of new Coke; Coca Cola did not pay attention to what the core brand meant to stand for. It mainly focused on the taste and thought that the taste is the only factor which consumers are looking for. This concept was wrong. Coca cola was unable to identify the attachment of the consumer with the original coke before launching New coke, even though Coca Cola spent a lot of money on conducting research before launching New coke. Brand dilution occurs when consumers loss the original grasp of brand perception on their minds and no longer associate the brand with a specific product. For instance, Sunsilk may experience brand dilution by loosing its strong identity of hair care and shampoo range by running a number of different categories like mashed potatoes, powdered milk and soups. Too broad varieties of product categories run under same brand can frustrate consumers in thinking which variations of products that actually fit to their perceptions. For Example, too many ranges of Sunsilk shampoo include Sunsilk black, pink, white, yoghurt, dandruff can make customers confused in buying a suitable product which actually fit to their needs. Consumers these days have now become selective and demand innovative products. Those brands which are not unique or innovative in any means eventually got tarnished. Consumers do not prefer such extensions which do not offer any innovation or new features in extended brands. Consumers perception about parent brand and extended brand is one of the factors which may lead to either success or dilution of brand. Success and failure of brand is also dependent on familiarity with the parent brand and concept of fit between parent brands and extended brand. Brand loyalty by a consumer can be changed in case of brand extension. If brand extension is favorable it may lead to more loyalty towards the parent brand and if brand extension in unfavorable then the effect would be opposite. As per early research regarding brand extension leads to brand dilution, Aaker and Keller (1990) found insignificant evidence between unsuccessful brand extension leads to brand dilution. Conversely, in a research (Loken and Roedder-John 1993) pointed that inconsistency of product and brand beliefs may lead to brand dilution. Brand dilution and failure of brand can occur when consumer find it difficult to associate the extension with the parent brand, a lack of similarity and familiarity and discrepancy between Integrated marketing communication messages. Brand extension is a strategy which most of the companies are using to minimize risk associated with introducing an entirely new brand and to maximize their profits from the new brand. But in some of the cases brand extension fails, and the reason is the weak brand equity of the parent brand that bears upon the success of the brand extension. If the equity of parent brand is strong, brand extension can be successful and vice versa. Both Functional and non functional attributes of a brand can harm and eventually dilute the equity of an integrated oriented brand, which means due to the weak brand equity, brand dilution can occur across the parent brand. Such kind of failures of extensions can make customers to create a negative association with the parent brand or even with the brand family. These failures can also agitate and blur the original identity and meaning of a brand even positioning as well. Brand managers already know that there are some advantages and disadvantages associated with brand extension. Nevertheless couple of unsuccessful brand extension in past years was noticed. To be successful in brand extension knowledge related to brand extension should be refined. Brand extension is successful or not is decided by what factors? One of the most important factors is concept of fit. Fit with the parent brand in terms of quality and image. It is customer perceived fit which plays an important role in making consumers to decide whether extended products are favorable or unfavorable. If fit between parent brand and extended brand is as per consumers perception then consumers will respond more favorably to that extension and if fit between parent brand and extended brand are not as per consumers perception then consumer will respond to that extension unfavorable and it might lead to the failure or dilution of the brand. According to Martinez and de Chernatony (2004) brand image has two types: the general brand image and the product brand image. According to them there would be no negative impact on general brand image if the brand image is strong for example, Nike or Sony. Dilution effect would be more on product image instead of general brand image. Therefore, mostly the customers would stick to their beliefs about the parent brand with respect to its attributes and feeling. Nevertheless their study shows that â€Å"brand image can be diluted by brand extension, and beliefs and association with the parent brand can also be changed. In Pakistani environment companies especially MNCs prefer brand extension because they consider it more convenient. Top most cause for this is that products from multinationals already have an image of developed countries. Due to the past record of products from these developed countries, consumers give them positive response. Due to the image of product from these countries in the mind of the consumers, less cost is incurred by the companies on creating awareness and communicating about the product message with the target audience. These products already have good market share and media coverage; therefore it becomes easy to launch brand extension in Pakistan for such companies. 1.2 Statement of the Problem Since last couple of years, new product failure has been observed quite a few times. As a result companies now are relying on brand extension instead of launching new products. There are couples of other reasons instead of new brand failures, which companies consider for brand extension, such as low promotion and awareness cost, acceptance and less chances of being failed. Though these advantages are considered by companies to use brand extension as a part of their branding strategy, but apart of these advantages there couple of failed extensions have also been observed in last couple of years. Researchers are now focusing to identify the factors which are useful in evaluating brand extension and factors which play a role in either failure or success of brand extension. In this Thesis we will also try to find about the favorability or unfavorability of brand extension. Most of the researches which were conducted to know about the favorability or unfavorability of brand extension were focused on consumers point of view about brand extension. But as a matter fact it is quite difficult for consumers to evaluate whether brand extension is favorable or unfavorable. They can not evaluate it in undifferentiated fashion (Aaker and Keller, 1990, Keller and Aaker, 1992; Dacin and Smith, 1994; Smith and Andres, 1995). Brand extension according to consumers point of view was taken into consideration many a times, but very low attention was given to the managers point of view about brand extension (Nijssen and Agustin, 1999).Managers point of view regarding brand extension can give an extensive knowledge about brand extension because of their deep analysis about consumers and competitors and their personal experiences about the market and the brands. Hence in this thesis we will focus on managers perspective about brand extension along with consumers point of v iew. Both local and multi nationals are into brand extension from a long time. Such as Nestle , Pakola (Pakola, bubble up, Applesidra, double cola, Pakola milk), Sunsilk (Sunsilk black, Sunsilk white, Sunsilk pink, Sunsilk yoghurt, Sunsilk egg), Haleeb food Pvt Ltd (Milk, Juices, Cream, yoghurt), National Food (Pickle, salt, spices), Shan Food(spices, pickle, food), Unilever Pakistan (Lifebuoy, Soaps, Shampoo, Ice creams, Washing powder), PG (Soaps, Shampoo, Ice creams, Washing powder) Pakistan By keeping above relation in mind, it will be beneficial to have brand managers point of view about the success or failure of brand extension. 1.3 Significance of the Study The significance of this thesis is to explore the use of brand extension strategies in the Pakistan context. Whether the strategy of brand extension is favorable or not, or due to brand extension, brands gets diluted or cannibalized? Since brand extensions is one of the most popular strategies for leveraging brand equity, this study will also focus on brand extension effect on brand equity. This thesis will focus on brand extension strategies of products from various companies which include Haleeb Foods Ltd Pakistan, Nestle, Pakola and Head Shoulders. Various companies insights regarding brand extension will help us to study favorability or unfavorability of brand extension in a well manner. We will try to achieve this purpose by answering the following research questions. RQ1. What are the reasons to choose brand extension as a part branding strategy? RQ2. Is brand extension favorable or Unfavorable? Above mentioned two research questions were divided further into a set of questions. Purpose was to gain a deep insight to answer these two research questions. By answering above question, we will come to know whether brand extension is favorable or it leads to brand dilution, and whether brand extension is favorable for those companies who prefer extension and are involved in brand extension from couple of decades. We will also come to know that for what reasons companies in Pakistan are using brand extension, and whether brand extension is in accordance with the successful brand extension concept or not. This thesis will be beneficial in indentifying the success rate or failure rate of brand extension of those companies which have been chosen for this thesis. 1.4 Scope and Delimitation This thesis focused on brand managers of those companies which are operating here in Pakistan. Only four products have been chosen for which research is conducted to identify whether brand extension is favorable or unfavorable. So the product range is limited to four companies only. Another limitation faced during the course of this study was that brand extension strategy for most of the multi national companies are crafted in their home country and then implemented here in Pakistan. Furthermore, Interview process is chosen to know about brand managers point of view about failure or success of brand extension. Out of 4 brand managers, 2 interviews were taken on telephone and 2 were taken face to face. Due to the limitation of telephonic interview, non verbal responses could not be gauged. Other limitation confronted during the course of research was the fact that majority of multinationals (MNEs) formulate brand extension strategies at their head quarters abroad. Lastly, we came to k now that in Pakistan brand extension responsibilities is handled by marketing managers instead of brand managers in some companies. 1.5 Definitions 1.5.1 Brand According to (American Marketing Association 2007 brand is: A name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or a combination of them, intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competition†. 1.5.2 Brand extension According to (Aaker 1991) brand extension can be defined as utilizing an already established brand to enter from one class of product category to another class of product category. (Kotler 1991) defined brand extension strategy as exploiting a well known and successful brand name either to launch a new or modified product can be termed as brand extension process. As per (Kotler Armstrong 1990) defined brand extension strategy as an expansion strategy, where companies try to further extend their already established and well known brands into either different other categories or in same category with some modification. 1.5.3 Product Line Extension (Kotler Armstrong 1990) defined product line extension as a process of using already established brand name to introduce new items with some extra innovation or modification in the same category. For example Pakola has extended its soft drink named â€Å"Pakola† into Pakola raspberry, Pakola leeche, Pakola orange, Pakola lemon. (Aaker 1991) elaborates product line as line extension occurs in the form of introducing new items under the same brand name in the same category with some modification in flavors, colors, specification, ingredients and package sizes. Product line extension is somehow differs with brand extension because brand extension is about using an established brand name to introduce new product and brand in different categories, while line extension leveraging and established brand to introduce new products in same category with some improvements, modification and enhancements. 1.5.4 Brand Dilution According to (Aaker 1991) brand dilution is depraving of a brand via its overexploitation. This failure of brand occurs when extension is done in a poor manner, or when a brand with poor equity is leveraged to extend it into different other categories. This failure can also occur when an extension becomes unfavorable in the mind of consumers. As per (Kotler Armstrong 1990), unfavorability of a brand in the mind of the consumers can be due to lack of quality, over pricing, lack of consistency with the parent brand, lack of innovative feature and lack of trust. Brand dilution can be a disaster for a company. Companies use their well known established brands to leverage their equity and image to further extend it for entering into different market segments, which gives them a chance to earn higher profits. This can be true when parent brand equity is strong. But if equity of any brand is weak, then consequences might include dilution or failure of a brand. 1.5.5 Brand Cannibalization (Kotler 1991) defined brand cannibalization as reduction in sales revenue and diminishing of share of market resulted as the introduction of new products in the same category For example, when diet coke was introduced by Coca Cola, sales for original coke diminished, but eventually it led in expansion of diet soft drink market. In case of Haleeb food, introduction of tea whitener diminished the sales of UHT milk, because consumers previously were using milk for making tea, but with the introduction of tea whitener, some consumers started to prefer tea whitener instead of milk, which resulted in cannibalization of milk category. 1.5.6 Brand Equity According to (Wood 2000) brand equity can be defined as a profitable relationship between a brand and its consumers. (Kotler and Armstrong 1996) reported that it is quite difficult to measure equity of a brand. Yet a strong brand results in strong brand equity which can be leverage to extend into different other categories. Conversely weaker brand means weak brand equity which can result in failure if extended into different other brands. Strong brand equity may lead to achieve brand loyalty, quality, brand association and awareness. These benefits help companies to incur less cost on communication and awareness. 1.5.7 Brand Association (Kotler and Armstrong 1996) defined brand association as refers to a degree where consumers discern a brand in rich fashion. Positivity of any brand depends upon how deeply that brand is penetrated in the mind of the consumers in positive fashion. Brand associations are the properties of a brand which consumers recall whenever brand is talked about. Consumer relates a brand name with its implicit or explicit meanings. Brand association can also be termed as the level to which a specific product/service is acknowledged amongst its product or service family. When choosing a brand name, it is important that the name selected must reinforce an essential dimensions and specification or benefit association that forms the position of a product. 2- RESEARCH METHODOLOGY PROCEDURE In this chapter we will discuss and justify methodological choices which we have made for our research. Below mentioned figure presents an overview of the research method which will be used in this chapter for our research. Source: Adapted from Foster (1998), p.81 2.1 Research Purpose (Yin 1994) and (Wiedersheim-Paul and Eriksson 1998) found in a research that there are basically three types of research: Explanatory Exploratory Descriptive According to (Wiedersheim-Paul Eriksson, 1998) basis purpose of the explanatory research is to craft and specify the issues of the research. This type of research is beneficial when the problem is quite difficult to analyze. According to Patel and Tebelius (1987) explanatory research is used when researcher want to gain more and more information about any specific issue. Moreover, Reynolds (1971) said through explanatory research, researcher can get comprehensive information about research defined problem. (Saunders, Lewis Thornhill, 2000) found that descriptive research is useful when the problem of research is properly defined and crafted in a well manner. For this purpose, researcher must have complete information about the problem defined in the research. Collection of data must be started after having a clear understanding about the problem defined form research. Furthermore, (Wiedersheim-Paul Eriksonn 1998) described that the main objective of descriptive research is to iden tify the applicable facets of the problem of the research. For conducting descriptive research researcher has to deeply define these facets, and there must be a relation between and describe these aspects more thoroughly without researching connections between reasons and indications. For our research we will initially try to define the reasons behind brand extension. Why do companies in Pakistan prefer engaging in brand and line extension activities? Furthermore, we will also try to identify the favorability and un-favorability of brand extension in Pakistani markets and companys perspective. For gaining deep understanding about the research question defined previously, we have considered exploratory research as a part of our research. The reason is that before this research no study has been taken into consideration to know about brand extension activities in Pakistan and we want to gain as much information as we can. Along with exploratory our research is explanatory as well. We will try to explain the result which we will get through our research. On the basis of our respondents responses we will try to draw a conclusion. 2.2 Research Approach To gain a deep information about brand extension strategies in Pakistan and whether it is beneficial or not beneficial for Pakistani market we have to consider two approaches, First one Qualitative and second one is Quantitative research. (Ponteerotto, 2006) found that quantitative research approach is used when we have to gain lean descriptions and we use qualitative research when we have to gain comprehensive descriptions. In our previous chapter, we explained our research question which includes the reasons behind brand extension in Pakistan and advantages and disadvantages of brand extension in Pakistani markets perspective. We will also try to know about the factors leading to the success and failure of brand extension. (Ponterotto 2006) found that to conduct qualitative research, most beneficial instrument can be in-depth interviews because in-depth interviews researcher can define the different facets of human experiences which results in having a deep understanding about the research topic. (Holme and Solvang 1991) compared quantitative research as a conventional and integrated research approach. In quantitative research approach final results can be presented in the forms of facts and these results are also measureable. One of the main purposes of quantitative research approach is make the consequences of the research of few variables to higher numbers of entities. According to (ibid 2000) qualitative research approach uses qualitative data to draw a conclusion. It draws conclusion on the basis of factors like peoples attitude, perception, values, likes and dislikes. By using qualitative research approach, results can be drawn by gather information through specific number of entities. This process can provide us the opportunity to gain a deep understanding of the research. By keeping the above mentioned description in our consideration, our research focus would be qualitative. One reason for choosing qualitative research approach as our research approach is that we want to gain as much information regarding our topic as much we can. This research approach would give us deeper information regarding brand and line extension activities in Pakistani perspective. For conducting our research for brand and line extension activities in Pakistan and its favorability or un-favorability, initially we approached many companies, out of which four companies agreed to provide us information regarding our research topic. Before conducting our interviews with our respondents, we sent a questionnaire to our respondents.. These interviews were not recorded and average time for an interview was approximately thirty to fifty minutes. Finally, to clear some doubts regarding the first three telephone interviews the companies were re-contacted to clear the doubts in some ques tions. 2.3 Respondents of the study Following companies were chosen to gain an insight about brand extension favorability or un-favorability from brand managers perspective. Initially, we approached many seasoned companies, out of which four companies brand manager agreed to give us time for interviews. Haleeb Foods Limited Pakistan Pakola Nestle Head Shoulders (PG) 2.3.1 Haleeb Foods Ltd Pakistan Haleeb Foods Limited is one of the biggest Dairy company of Pakistan which is operating in many different categories such as Juices, UHT milk, Tea whitener, and other dairy products. Haleeb foods came into existence in 1986 Haleeb foods initially started to produce Haleeb Milk. Later on Haleeb foods entered into different other segments of the market and different other categories. Since from its establishment, Haleeb food came up with many of brand and product line extension which Haleeb foods did successfully. Mr. Adil Suleman brand manager of Haleeb foods limited Pakistan was contacted via telephone to have this interview and to gain insight about brand extension of Haleeb in Pakistan. 2.3.2 Pakola Pakola is a beverage company which came into existence in 1950 by Haji Ali Muhammad. Initially Pakola focused on producing a soft drink which represented the drink of Pakistan. Later on as a part of brand and product line extension, Pakola introduced couple of other products which includes flavored soft drink and milk range, mineral water and juices. Mr. Mubeen Munnawar Marketing Manager of Pakola was contacted to have an interview to gain information regarding brand extension activities of Pakola in Pakistan. It was a face to face interview, and during the course of this interview, we gained deep insight about brand extension activities, favorability and unfavorability of Pakola brand extension. 2.3.3 Nestle Nestle was founded in 1866 by Henry Nestle and today Nestle if one the worlds largest beverage and food company. Nestle since from last couple of decades is into brand extension and product line extension. As a result of brand and product line extension Nestle has introduced couple of successful brands. Nestle has integrated innovation and renovation techniques in its principles. Nestle extend its brands through innovation and renovation. Mr. Adnan Tariq, brand manager of Nestle was contacted via telephone to get an insight about Nestle brand extension activities in Pakistan. During this interview Mr. Adnan Tariq gave us some valuable information regarding brand extension activities of Nestle in Pakistan and favorability and unfavorability of Nestle brand extension in Pakistan. 2.3.4 Head Shoulders Head Shoulders is an anti dandruff shampoo range introduced by PG. After a thorough research a new anti dandruff formula was developed which they used in developing Head Shoulders and it was first introduced in 1950. Head Shoulders have got a ranges of shampoo which includes classic clean, citrus breeze, refresh, extra volume, dry scalp care. Mr. Shaif Shafiq, who is associated with PG from a long time, was contacted to gain valuable information about brand extension strategy of Head Shoulders in Pakistan. Information the success or failure of Head Shoulders was also gained. During the course of this interview questions related our topic were asked and responses were noted down for future consideration. 2.4 Research Instrument 2.4.1 Interviews As per (Breakwell 1995) interviews as a research instrument can be useful because it is considered as a very flexible tools and due to its numerosity of phase in the research work. According to (ibid 2000) it is easy to use interviews as a part of research instrument because of its multi faceted nature of the research design. Observations and questionnaire can be used as a part of interviews to collect data for our research approach. Using interviews as a part of our research, we first took our research framework into our consideration. By keeping our research framework in our mind we developed a questionnaire which consisted of series of questions regarding reasons for brand extension and its favorability or unfavorability. Some irrelevant questions were late on excluded from our questionnaire before conducting our interviews. 2.5 Sources of Data (Wiedersheim-Paul and Erikson 1997) purposed two types of data collection method. First one is Primary data and second one Secondary data collection. Primary data is the first hand information which is collected for some specific purpose while second hand data is already published data which was collected for some other purpose or some other research. Moreover, (ibid 2000) shed some light on data collection methods as, there can be three different types of data collection method. First one is observation, second one is interviews and the last one is documentation. As per (Yin 1994) interviews can be one of the most reliable source for collecting data. Using interviews as a data collection method, interviewee and interviewer both can focus on the topic. Furthermore, (ibid, 2000) elaborated that interviews can be useful when it comes to gain insights of the interviewee about any specific topic. 2.5.1 Primary Data In previous section we focused more on that secondary data collection method for research can not be ample to identify more accurate and reliable information about any specific topic of research. When it comes to identify about the reason behind brand and product line extension and its favorability or unfavorability, it is important to determine what companies and their brand managers think about brand extension and product line extension. For this purpose use of primary data collection can be beneficial. Thus interviews are selected as an instrument for primary data collection method. These interviews include face to face and telephonic interviews. According to (Churchill, Gilbert A., Iacobucci and JR. Dawn, 2005), â€Å"proper communication can be a reliable and beneficial instrument for data collection. The reason is that in communication method no one forces researchers to wait for a certain event to be occurred†. (p. 167). Nevertheless, communication techniques have some drawbacks. In communication techniques it is not confirmed whether the answer to the research question will be obtained in an accurate manner. Using communication has some weaknesses. One of a reason for this is that responses are dependent on interviewees will to pass on the expected information. 2.5.2 Secondary Data For our research regarding brand extension and product line extension in Pakistani perspective, we also focused on collecting some secondary data. As per (Churchill, Gilbert A., Iacobucci and JR. Dawn, 2005) â€Å"for conducting any research, we must begin with searching for secondary information†. (p, 167). Using secondary data collection for gaining information can be beneficial in terms of having an initial idea about what have already been researched about the topic. Some useful information about research topic, already published information can also be gained in a timely fashion. Apart from advantages of secondary data collection method, there are some drawbacks associated with secondary data collection method. Secondary data can not be sufficient to give complete information regarding specific question of research. Furthermore, already published information was collected for some other purpose which not necessarily answers the question which you have included in your the sis. Indeed, according to them first of all, the data had been â€Å"collected for someone elses p Uses of Brand Extension Strategies Uses of Brand Extension Strategies 1- PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND This chapter contains background of our study, statement of the problem, significance and delimitation of the study. Furthermore Definitions of the terms used in this dissertation are also explained in this chapter. 1.1 Introduction One of the most famous strategies to leverage brand equity is brand extension. It is believed that consumers will favor new extension if new products are under the label of already established brand name.Familiarity and trust with the parent brand is one of the factor due to which companies hope that their consumers will react in a favorable manner. It is beneficial for the companies because of the positive association which consumers already have with the parent brand. A brand is the identity of a specific product, service, or business. (Kotler 1996). Brand extension denotes to the corporate activity in which companies bring in new products, new product variants or product improvements by leveraging the brand equity of the existing parent brand. It is believed that instead of establishing an entirely a new brand, extension of brands can be favorable for companies in terms of promotional and awareness activities, distribution, customer perceived risk in buying any product of service. (Keller, 2002) stated that another major factor for which Companies prefer to use brand extension is lower cost. Introducing a new brand into consumer market can be relatively much higher than introducing new product or product variants under the same brand name. This cost can range above millions of rupees and can not guarantee of any success. So instead of launching entirely a new product, most companies prefer brand extension. Successful examples such as Diet Pepsi and Diet Coke benefited from the brand franchise of their parent products. Coca-Cola introduced six extensions and captured a larger market share than the original brand. For example, Cokes extension, Cherry Coke, was successful even without considerable advertisement. Apart from benefits of brand extension there are some potential problems associated with brand extension, such as failure or semi failure of brands like brand dilution or brand cannibalization. Rather than success of brands, failed extension might maculate the parent brand name thus the result would be reduced market share of the parent brand. Brand association in terms of quality and consistency are crucial for any brand extension to be successful in the eyes of the consumers. Association with the brand is also dependent on consumers own values, preferences, taste, buying situation and manager should always focus on what these dependent variables are and when they come into action. Take an example of new Coke; Coca Cola did not pay attention to what the core brand meant to stand for. It mainly focused on the taste and thought that the taste is the only factor which consumers are looking for. This concept was wrong. Coca cola was unable to identify the attachment of the consumer with the original coke before launching New coke, even though Coca Cola spent a lot of money on conducting research before launching New coke. Brand dilution occurs when consumers loss the original grasp of brand perception on their minds and no longer associate the brand with a specific product. For instance, Sunsilk may experience brand dilution by loosing its strong identity of hair care and shampoo range by running a number of different categories like mashed potatoes, powdered milk and soups. Too broad varieties of product categories run under same brand can frustrate consumers in thinking which variations of products that actually fit to their perceptions. For Example, too many ranges of Sunsilk shampoo include Sunsilk black, pink, white, yoghurt, dandruff can make customers confused in buying a suitable product which actually fit to their needs. Consumers these days have now become selective and demand innovative products. Those brands which are not unique or innovative in any means eventually got tarnished. Consumers do not prefer such extensions which do not offer any innovation or new features in extended brands. Consumers perception about parent brand and extended brand is one of the factors which may lead to either success or dilution of brand. Success and failure of brand is also dependent on familiarity with the parent brand and concept of fit between parent brands and extended brand. Brand loyalty by a consumer can be changed in case of brand extension. If brand extension is favorable it may lead to more loyalty towards the parent brand and if brand extension in unfavorable then the effect would be opposite. As per early research regarding brand extension leads to brand dilution, Aaker and Keller (1990) found insignificant evidence between unsuccessful brand extension leads to brand dilution. Conversely, in a research (Loken and Roedder-John 1993) pointed that inconsistency of product and brand beliefs may lead to brand dilution. Brand dilution and failure of brand can occur when consumer find it difficult to associate the extension with the parent brand, a lack of similarity and familiarity and discrepancy between Integrated marketing communication messages. Brand extension is a strategy which most of the companies are using to minimize risk associated with introducing an entirely new brand and to maximize their profits from the new brand. But in some of the cases brand extension fails, and the reason is the weak brand equity of the parent brand that bears upon the success of the brand extension. If the equity of parent brand is strong, brand extension can be successful and vice versa. Both Functional and non functional attributes of a brand can harm and eventually dilute the equity of an integrated oriented brand, which means due to the weak brand equity, brand dilution can occur across the parent brand. Such kind of failures of extensions can make customers to create a negative association with the parent brand or even with the brand family. These failures can also agitate and blur the original identity and meaning of a brand even positioning as well. Brand managers already know that there are some advantages and disadvantages associated with brand extension. Nevertheless couple of unsuccessful brand extension in past years was noticed. To be successful in brand extension knowledge related to brand extension should be refined. Brand extension is successful or not is decided by what factors? One of the most important factors is concept of fit. Fit with the parent brand in terms of quality and image. It is customer perceived fit which plays an important role in making consumers to decide whether extended products are favorable or unfavorable. If fit between parent brand and extended brand is as per consumers perception then consumers will respond more favorably to that extension and if fit between parent brand and extended brand are not as per consumers perception then consumer will respond to that extension unfavorable and it might lead to the failure or dilution of the brand. According to Martinez and de Chernatony (2004) brand image has two types: the general brand image and the product brand image. According to them there would be no negative impact on general brand image if the brand image is strong for example, Nike or Sony. Dilution effect would be more on product image instead of general brand image. Therefore, mostly the customers would stick to their beliefs about the parent brand with respect to its attributes and feeling. Nevertheless their study shows that â€Å"brand image can be diluted by brand extension, and beliefs and association with the parent brand can also be changed. In Pakistani environment companies especially MNCs prefer brand extension because they consider it more convenient. Top most cause for this is that products from multinationals already have an image of developed countries. Due to the past record of products from these developed countries, consumers give them positive response. Due to the image of product from these countries in the mind of the consumers, less cost is incurred by the companies on creating awareness and communicating about the product message with the target audience. These products already have good market share and media coverage; therefore it becomes easy to launch brand extension in Pakistan for such companies. 1.2 Statement of the Problem Since last couple of years, new product failure has been observed quite a few times. As a result companies now are relying on brand extension instead of launching new products. There are couples of other reasons instead of new brand failures, which companies consider for brand extension, such as low promotion and awareness cost, acceptance and less chances of being failed. Though these advantages are considered by companies to use brand extension as a part of their branding strategy, but apart of these advantages there couple of failed extensions have also been observed in last couple of years. Researchers are now focusing to identify the factors which are useful in evaluating brand extension and factors which play a role in either failure or success of brand extension. In this Thesis we will also try to find about the favorability or unfavorability of brand extension. Most of the researches which were conducted to know about the favorability or unfavorability of brand extension were focused on consumers point of view about brand extension. But as a matter fact it is quite difficult for consumers to evaluate whether brand extension is favorable or unfavorable. They can not evaluate it in undifferentiated fashion (Aaker and Keller, 1990, Keller and Aaker, 1992; Dacin and Smith, 1994; Smith and Andres, 1995). Brand extension according to consumers point of view was taken into consideration many a times, but very low attention was given to the managers point of view about brand extension (Nijssen and Agustin, 1999).Managers point of view regarding brand extension can give an extensive knowledge about brand extension because of their deep analysis about consumers and competitors and their personal experiences about the market and the brands. Hence in this thesis we will focus on managers perspective about brand extension along with consumers point of v iew. Both local and multi nationals are into brand extension from a long time. Such as Nestle , Pakola (Pakola, bubble up, Applesidra, double cola, Pakola milk), Sunsilk (Sunsilk black, Sunsilk white, Sunsilk pink, Sunsilk yoghurt, Sunsilk egg), Haleeb food Pvt Ltd (Milk, Juices, Cream, yoghurt), National Food (Pickle, salt, spices), Shan Food(spices, pickle, food), Unilever Pakistan (Lifebuoy, Soaps, Shampoo, Ice creams, Washing powder), PG (Soaps, Shampoo, Ice creams, Washing powder) Pakistan By keeping above relation in mind, it will be beneficial to have brand managers point of view about the success or failure of brand extension. 1.3 Significance of the Study The significance of this thesis is to explore the use of brand extension strategies in the Pakistan context. Whether the strategy of brand extension is favorable or not, or due to brand extension, brands gets diluted or cannibalized? Since brand extensions is one of the most popular strategies for leveraging brand equity, this study will also focus on brand extension effect on brand equity. This thesis will focus on brand extension strategies of products from various companies which include Haleeb Foods Ltd Pakistan, Nestle, Pakola and Head Shoulders. Various companies insights regarding brand extension will help us to study favorability or unfavorability of brand extension in a well manner. We will try to achieve this purpose by answering the following research questions. RQ1. What are the reasons to choose brand extension as a part branding strategy? RQ2. Is brand extension favorable or Unfavorable? Above mentioned two research questions were divided further into a set of questions. Purpose was to gain a deep insight to answer these two research questions. By answering above question, we will come to know whether brand extension is favorable or it leads to brand dilution, and whether brand extension is favorable for those companies who prefer extension and are involved in brand extension from couple of decades. We will also come to know that for what reasons companies in Pakistan are using brand extension, and whether brand extension is in accordance with the successful brand extension concept or not. This thesis will be beneficial in indentifying the success rate or failure rate of brand extension of those companies which have been chosen for this thesis. 1.4 Scope and Delimitation This thesis focused on brand managers of those companies which are operating here in Pakistan. Only four products have been chosen for which research is conducted to identify whether brand extension is favorable or unfavorable. So the product range is limited to four companies only. Another limitation faced during the course of this study was that brand extension strategy for most of the multi national companies are crafted in their home country and then implemented here in Pakistan. Furthermore, Interview process is chosen to know about brand managers point of view about failure or success of brand extension. Out of 4 brand managers, 2 interviews were taken on telephone and 2 were taken face to face. Due to the limitation of telephonic interview, non verbal responses could not be gauged. Other limitation confronted during the course of research was the fact that majority of multinationals (MNEs) formulate brand extension strategies at their head quarters abroad. Lastly, we came to k now that in Pakistan brand extension responsibilities is handled by marketing managers instead of brand managers in some companies. 1.5 Definitions 1.5.1 Brand According to (American Marketing Association 2007 brand is: A name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or a combination of them, intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competition†. 1.5.2 Brand extension According to (Aaker 1991) brand extension can be defined as utilizing an already established brand to enter from one class of product category to another class of product category. (Kotler 1991) defined brand extension strategy as exploiting a well known and successful brand name either to launch a new or modified product can be termed as brand extension process. As per (Kotler Armstrong 1990) defined brand extension strategy as an expansion strategy, where companies try to further extend their already established and well known brands into either different other categories or in same category with some modification. 1.5.3 Product Line Extension (Kotler Armstrong 1990) defined product line extension as a process of using already established brand name to introduce new items with some extra innovation or modification in the same category. For example Pakola has extended its soft drink named â€Å"Pakola† into Pakola raspberry, Pakola leeche, Pakola orange, Pakola lemon. (Aaker 1991) elaborates product line as line extension occurs in the form of introducing new items under the same brand name in the same category with some modification in flavors, colors, specification, ingredients and package sizes. Product line extension is somehow differs with brand extension because brand extension is about using an established brand name to introduce new product and brand in different categories, while line extension leveraging and established brand to introduce new products in same category with some improvements, modification and enhancements. 1.5.4 Brand Dilution According to (Aaker 1991) brand dilution is depraving of a brand via its overexploitation. This failure of brand occurs when extension is done in a poor manner, or when a brand with poor equity is leveraged to extend it into different other categories. This failure can also occur when an extension becomes unfavorable in the mind of consumers. As per (Kotler Armstrong 1990), unfavorability of a brand in the mind of the consumers can be due to lack of quality, over pricing, lack of consistency with the parent brand, lack of innovative feature and lack of trust. Brand dilution can be a disaster for a company. Companies use their well known established brands to leverage their equity and image to further extend it for entering into different market segments, which gives them a chance to earn higher profits. This can be true when parent brand equity is strong. But if equity of any brand is weak, then consequences might include dilution or failure of a brand. 1.5.5 Brand Cannibalization (Kotler 1991) defined brand cannibalization as reduction in sales revenue and diminishing of share of market resulted as the introduction of new products in the same category For example, when diet coke was introduced by Coca Cola, sales for original coke diminished, but eventually it led in expansion of diet soft drink market. In case of Haleeb food, introduction of tea whitener diminished the sales of UHT milk, because consumers previously were using milk for making tea, but with the introduction of tea whitener, some consumers started to prefer tea whitener instead of milk, which resulted in cannibalization of milk category. 1.5.6 Brand Equity According to (Wood 2000) brand equity can be defined as a profitable relationship between a brand and its consumers. (Kotler and Armstrong 1996) reported that it is quite difficult to measure equity of a brand. Yet a strong brand results in strong brand equity which can be leverage to extend into different other categories. Conversely weaker brand means weak brand equity which can result in failure if extended into different other brands. Strong brand equity may lead to achieve brand loyalty, quality, brand association and awareness. These benefits help companies to incur less cost on communication and awareness. 1.5.7 Brand Association (Kotler and Armstrong 1996) defined brand association as refers to a degree where consumers discern a brand in rich fashion. Positivity of any brand depends upon how deeply that brand is penetrated in the mind of the consumers in positive fashion. Brand associations are the properties of a brand which consumers recall whenever brand is talked about. Consumer relates a brand name with its implicit or explicit meanings. Brand association can also be termed as the level to which a specific product/service is acknowledged amongst its product or service family. When choosing a brand name, it is important that the name selected must reinforce an essential dimensions and specification or benefit association that forms the position of a product. 2- RESEARCH METHODOLOGY PROCEDURE In this chapter we will discuss and justify methodological choices which we have made for our research. Below mentioned figure presents an overview of the research method which will be used in this chapter for our research. Source: Adapted from Foster (1998), p.81 2.1 Research Purpose (Yin 1994) and (Wiedersheim-Paul and Eriksson 1998) found in a research that there are basically three types of research: Explanatory Exploratory Descriptive According to (Wiedersheim-Paul Eriksson, 1998) basis purpose of the explanatory research is to craft and specify the issues of the research. This type of research is beneficial when the problem is quite difficult to analyze. According to Patel and Tebelius (1987) explanatory research is used when researcher want to gain more and more information about any specific issue. Moreover, Reynolds (1971) said through explanatory research, researcher can get comprehensive information about research defined problem. (Saunders, Lewis Thornhill, 2000) found that descriptive research is useful when the problem of research is properly defined and crafted in a well manner. For this purpose, researcher must have complete information about the problem defined in the research. Collection of data must be started after having a clear understanding about the problem defined form research. Furthermore, (Wiedersheim-Paul Eriksonn 1998) described that the main objective of descriptive research is to iden tify the applicable facets of the problem of the research. For conducting descriptive research researcher has to deeply define these facets, and there must be a relation between and describe these aspects more thoroughly without researching connections between reasons and indications. For our research we will initially try to define the reasons behind brand extension. Why do companies in Pakistan prefer engaging in brand and line extension activities? Furthermore, we will also try to identify the favorability and un-favorability of brand extension in Pakistani markets and companys perspective. For gaining deep understanding about the research question defined previously, we have considered exploratory research as a part of our research. The reason is that before this research no study has been taken into consideration to know about brand extension activities in Pakistan and we want to gain as much information as we can. Along with exploratory our research is explanatory as well. We will try to explain the result which we will get through our research. On the basis of our respondents responses we will try to draw a conclusion. 2.2 Research Approach To gain a deep information about brand extension strategies in Pakistan and whether it is beneficial or not beneficial for Pakistani market we have to consider two approaches, First one Qualitative and second one is Quantitative research. (Ponteerotto, 2006) found that quantitative research approach is used when we have to gain lean descriptions and we use qualitative research when we have to gain comprehensive descriptions. In our previous chapter, we explained our research question which includes the reasons behind brand extension in Pakistan and advantages and disadvantages of brand extension in Pakistani markets perspective. We will also try to know about the factors leading to the success and failure of brand extension. (Ponterotto 2006) found that to conduct qualitative research, most beneficial instrument can be in-depth interviews because in-depth interviews researcher can define the different facets of human experiences which results in having a deep understanding about the research topic. (Holme and Solvang 1991) compared quantitative research as a conventional and integrated research approach. In quantitative research approach final results can be presented in the forms of facts and these results are also measureable. One of the main purposes of quantitative research approach is make the consequences of the research of few variables to higher numbers of entities. According to (ibid 2000) qualitative research approach uses qualitative data to draw a conclusion. It draws conclusion on the basis of factors like peoples attitude, perception, values, likes and dislikes. By using qualitative research approach, results can be drawn by gather information through specific number of entities. This process can provide us the opportunity to gain a deep understanding of the research. By keeping the above mentioned description in our consideration, our research focus would be qualitative. One reason for choosing qualitative research approach as our research approach is that we want to gain as much information regarding our topic as much we can. This research approach would give us deeper information regarding brand and line extension activities in Pakistani perspective. For conducting our research for brand and line extension activities in Pakistan and its favorability or un-favorability, initially we approached many companies, out of which four companies agreed to provide us information regarding our research topic. Before conducting our interviews with our respondents, we sent a questionnaire to our respondents.. These interviews were not recorded and average time for an interview was approximately thirty to fifty minutes. Finally, to clear some doubts regarding the first three telephone interviews the companies were re-contacted to clear the doubts in some ques tions. 2.3 Respondents of the study Following companies were chosen to gain an insight about brand extension favorability or un-favorability from brand managers perspective. Initially, we approached many seasoned companies, out of which four companies brand manager agreed to give us time for interviews. Haleeb Foods Limited Pakistan Pakola Nestle Head Shoulders (PG) 2.3.1 Haleeb Foods Ltd Pakistan Haleeb Foods Limited is one of the biggest Dairy company of Pakistan which is operating in many different categories such as Juices, UHT milk, Tea whitener, and other dairy products. Haleeb foods came into existence in 1986 Haleeb foods initially started to produce Haleeb Milk. Later on Haleeb foods entered into different other segments of the market and different other categories. Since from its establishment, Haleeb food came up with many of brand and product line extension which Haleeb foods did successfully. Mr. Adil Suleman brand manager of Haleeb foods limited Pakistan was contacted via telephone to have this interview and to gain insight about brand extension of Haleeb in Pakistan. 2.3.2 Pakola Pakola is a beverage company which came into existence in 1950 by Haji Ali Muhammad. Initially Pakola focused on producing a soft drink which represented the drink of Pakistan. Later on as a part of brand and product line extension, Pakola introduced couple of other products which includes flavored soft drink and milk range, mineral water and juices. Mr. Mubeen Munnawar Marketing Manager of Pakola was contacted to have an interview to gain information regarding brand extension activities of Pakola in Pakistan. It was a face to face interview, and during the course of this interview, we gained deep insight about brand extension activities, favorability and unfavorability of Pakola brand extension. 2.3.3 Nestle Nestle was founded in 1866 by Henry Nestle and today Nestle if one the worlds largest beverage and food company. Nestle since from last couple of decades is into brand extension and product line extension. As a result of brand and product line extension Nestle has introduced couple of successful brands. Nestle has integrated innovation and renovation techniques in its principles. Nestle extend its brands through innovation and renovation. Mr. Adnan Tariq, brand manager of Nestle was contacted via telephone to get an insight about Nestle brand extension activities in Pakistan. During this interview Mr. Adnan Tariq gave us some valuable information regarding brand extension activities of Nestle in Pakistan and favorability and unfavorability of Nestle brand extension in Pakistan. 2.3.4 Head Shoulders Head Shoulders is an anti dandruff shampoo range introduced by PG. After a thorough research a new anti dandruff formula was developed which they used in developing Head Shoulders and it was first introduced in 1950. Head Shoulders have got a ranges of shampoo which includes classic clean, citrus breeze, refresh, extra volume, dry scalp care. Mr. Shaif Shafiq, who is associated with PG from a long time, was contacted to gain valuable information about brand extension strategy of Head Shoulders in Pakistan. Information the success or failure of Head Shoulders was also gained. During the course of this interview questions related our topic were asked and responses were noted down for future consideration. 2.4 Research Instrument 2.4.1 Interviews As per (Breakwell 1995) interviews as a research instrument can be useful because it is considered as a very flexible tools and due to its numerosity of phase in the research work. According to (ibid 2000) it is easy to use interviews as a part of research instrument because of its multi faceted nature of the research design. Observations and questionnaire can be used as a part of interviews to collect data for our research approach. Using interviews as a part of our research, we first took our research framework into our consideration. By keeping our research framework in our mind we developed a questionnaire which consisted of series of questions regarding reasons for brand extension and its favorability or unfavorability. Some irrelevant questions were late on excluded from our questionnaire before conducting our interviews. 2.5 Sources of Data (Wiedersheim-Paul and Erikson 1997) purposed two types of data collection method. First one is Primary data and second one Secondary data collection. Primary data is the first hand information which is collected for some specific purpose while second hand data is already published data which was collected for some other purpose or some other research. Moreover, (ibid 2000) shed some light on data collection methods as, there can be three different types of data collection method. First one is observation, second one is interviews and the last one is documentation. As per (Yin 1994) interviews can be one of the most reliable source for collecting data. Using interviews as a data collection method, interviewee and interviewer both can focus on the topic. Furthermore, (ibid, 2000) elaborated that interviews can be useful when it comes to gain insights of the interviewee about any specific topic. 2.5.1 Primary Data In previous section we focused more on that secondary data collection method for research can not be ample to identify more accurate and reliable information about any specific topic of research. When it comes to identify about the reason behind brand and product line extension and its favorability or unfavorability, it is important to determine what companies and their brand managers think about brand extension and product line extension. For this purpose use of primary data collection can be beneficial. Thus interviews are selected as an instrument for primary data collection method. These interviews include face to face and telephonic interviews. According to (Churchill, Gilbert A., Iacobucci and JR. Dawn, 2005), â€Å"proper communication can be a reliable and beneficial instrument for data collection. The reason is that in communication method no one forces researchers to wait for a certain event to be occurred†. (p. 167). Nevertheless, communication techniques have some drawbacks. In communication techniques it is not confirmed whether the answer to the research question will be obtained in an accurate manner. Using communication has some weaknesses. One of a reason for this is that responses are dependent on interviewees will to pass on the expected information. 2.5.2 Secondary Data For our research regarding brand extension and product line extension in Pakistani perspective, we also focused on collecting some secondary data. As per (Churchill, Gilbert A., Iacobucci and JR. Dawn, 2005) â€Å"for conducting any research, we must begin with searching for secondary information†. (p, 167). Using secondary data collection for gaining information can be beneficial in terms of having an initial idea about what have already been researched about the topic. Some useful information about research topic, already published information can also be gained in a timely fashion. Apart from advantages of secondary data collection method, there are some drawbacks associated with secondary data collection method. Secondary data can not be sufficient to give complete information regarding specific question of research. Furthermore, already published information was collected for some other purpose which not necessarily answers the question which you have included in your the sis. Indeed, according to them first of all, the data had been â€Å"collected for someone elses p