Uprisings in Bahrain and Syria Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Uprisings in Bahrain and Syria - Research Paper Example In both the situations, the dynamics were governed by a history of social discrimination, strong internal sectarian divide and involvement of external geopolitical forces. However, it is interesting to note the varying roles played and the different positions taken by these external geopolitical forces in both these events of great significance to the region. The Bahrain uprising, also popularly known as the 14 February Revolution, was aimed at securing greater political, social and economic reforms in Bahrain. The protesters organized themselves using social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter and claimed to have no specific religious or political affiliations. The protests were supposed to be non-violent. The main demands included disbanding of incumbent National Assembly, a new constitution modeling Bahrain as a constitutional monarchy ruled by the Khalifa family and formation of a commission to investigate and revoke the politically motivated naturalization of aliens (Bassiouni, Rodley and Al-Awadhi 75). The protests started of small and grew in strength with major showing on February 14 in different parts of the country. However, in attempts to manage the crowds the law enforcement agencies resorted to aerial shooting in which at least two lives were lost. This resulted in further escalation of tension and protestors occupying the Pearl roundabout in main Manama, the capital city of Bahrain, on February 17. In an attempt to vacate the roundabout the law enforcement caused four more casualties bringing the total to six within the first 72 hours (Bassiouni, Rodley and Al-Awadhi 73). On the same day, a session of foreign secretaries of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) expressed its solidarity with the Bahraini regime in view of the emerging crisis. The following days saw increasing protests and more loss of life. On February 18, an exiled Shiite cleric, Shaikh Hadi Al-madrassi, in a

Coupon Accounting Abuse Essay Example for Free

Coupon Accounting Abuse Essay The incentive, opportunity, and rationalization to commit fraud have plagued business organizations for many years. There are numerous ways that managers and employees can commit fraud. This makes it a necessity for businesses to have quality internal controls that help prevent fraudulent activity. However, even with the best set of controls businesses are still susceptible of fraud. This paper will concentrate on the case study concerning coupon accounting abuse and will answer questions pertaining to company controls, ways to prevent coupon abuse, parties who may be harmed, and the type of fraud presented in the case. Coupon Accounting Abuse Question 1: Discuss whether the situation described can happen to a company with a good control environment. It is imperative for a company to have good accounting internal controls. A company that has a good control environment will help deter fraud, but these controls can only provide a company with reasonable assurance. In this situation the brand manager is committing the fraud. This would make it very hard even for a company with good controls to detect fraud. In what is known as management override, managers can simply circumvent a company’s internal controls. Question 2: Describe any steps a company could take to prevent such abuse. There are many steps that a company can take to prevent fraud abuse. A company should implement a strong code of ethics policy. Every manager and employee should be trained and very aware of the policy. This will help in maintaining the integrity of the workforce. There should be a strong screening process that includes background checks to help ensure the company is hiring honest employees. There should also be a segregation of duties. In this case the brand manager has complete control over estimating the coupon liability. This estimate should be approved by another manager at the company. The company should inform independent and internal auditors of the significance that coupons can have on the company’s financial statements. A risk management group should be established whose task is to facilitate and co-ordinate the overall risk management process. Depending on the size and nature of the organization, the risk management group may be in the form of a committee who meet from time to time (CIMA, 2009). Question 3: List those parties who might be harmed by this situation. Fraud is often mistakenly considered a victimless crime. However, fraud can have considerable social and psychological effects on individuals, businesses and society (CIMA, 2009). In this situation the brand manager is harming multiple parties. When the manager replaces the 4% estimated redemption rate with 2% he is increasing revenue making the company look more profitable than it really was. This is misleading to managers and shareholders who are reading the financial statements. It could be detrimental to the business if managers think a brand is doing better than it really is. The shareholder will also be impacted in the coming year because of the added liability expenses. The brand manager is putting himself at risk to be harmed because if he is caught his job will be terminated and he will be prosecuted. Question 4: Do you consider this example to be management fraud or employee fraud? I consider this to be management fraud. Management fraud often involves senior or high level management’s intentional misrepresentation of financial statements, theft or improper use of accompany resources. Employee fraud involves a non-senior employee theft or improper use of company resources (Gottlieb, 2011). The fraud that was committed was by the brand manager who developed a myopic view and knew that he would be managing another brand in the next year. This situation is becoming increasingly common in the workplace. In order to combat fraud and white collar crime in businesses, a concerted effort must be exerted by the management of the business, the external auditors, and by all employees of the business. Everyone must realize that fraud is not a victimless crime. The cost of fraud and theft are shared by all through higher costs and lower corporate profits. Through adequate internal controls by management, better working environments for employees, more stringent requirements for external auditors, and codes of ethics for employees, everyone can start to combat frauds and defalcations within corporate America (Farrell, Franco, 1999).

Five Functions of Management: Advantages and Disadvantages

Five Functions of Management: Advantages and Disadvantages Henri Fayol is widely acknowledged as the earliest pioneer and advocate of the task of management Parker and Ritson, 2005 His management theories were first proposed in the early 1900s. Despite many criticisms, Fayols theories still form the basis of management practices and teachings in the 21st century. Taking some articles for reference, this essay will mainly analyse the advantages and disadvantages of Fayols concept of five functions of management in modern enterprises by some examples. There are about three main parts in this essay beginning with the introduction. And in the main body of this article, based on some academic researches, there are about seven parts discussing the advantages and disadvantages of Fayols concept of five functions of management. A conclusion will be made at last. There is no doubt that Fayol is best known for a three-fold contribution to management theory. Among his contributions, the concept of five functions of management is worth discussing all the time. Fayol identified five key functions of management and these functions of managerial activity are: forecasting and planning, organizing, coordination, command and control. According to Fayol, forecasting involves analyzing the future and drawing a plan of action (Pugh ad Hichson, 2007). And as for organizing, Fayol believed that an organizations structure was important, as it can facilitate the optimum conduct of its business activities (Pugh and Hichson, 2007). According to Pugh and Hichson (2007), in his original writing, Fayol used the term command to illustrate a managers responsibility to lead and direct employees towards the achievement of organizational goals and strategies. About the function of coordination, Fayol made a suggestion that managers should bind together, unify and harm onize all the organizations activities and efforts. In contemporary management practice, this can be explained into that the managers should be responsible for making sure that all the organizational business activities are coordinated to make the employees can unify together within one department or among different departments. The last not the least function of management is control. Fayol recognized the importance of control within an organization and support that it ensures everything occurs in conformity with established rules and expressed command. In the article of Fayol-standing the test of time, McLean (2011) firstly introduced the contents of the five functions of management and stated that in contemporary society, there are some advantages of these functions to development of the enterprises. First, McLean (2011) stated that with the development of globalized knowledge economy, the abilities of forecasting and planning can gain success in the competition. Second, organizing can ask the managers to carry out an appropriate infrastructure, which will optimize the organizations system, resources, procedures, processes and services and enable knowledge to be disseminated to those who need it, when they need it. Third, McLean (2011) also stated that control is one of the most important responsibilities of a manager and under the control of the managers. Under control of the managers, the policies and strategies can be implemented according to plan and within budget, set timescales and allocated resources. Fourth, under the func tion of command, the managers can develop a thorough knowledge of their employees, which can generate a positive psychological contract that engages employees with their jobs and the organization. Whats more, Fayols managerial functions are frequently cited as the inspiration for the contemporary practice of dividing managerial activity (and management textbooks) into the functions of planning, leading, organizing and controlling (Davidson and Griffin, 2000; Lewis, Goodmand and Fandt ,1995). As for the organizing, Fayol believed that an organizations structure was important, as it facilitated the optimum conduct of its business. Whether there are advantages of this concept or not remains an open question, In the article of Fayol-standing the test of time, Miss Jacqueline McLean stated that in contemporary society, organizing can ask the managers to carry out an appropriate infrastructure, which will optimise the organizations system, resources, procedures, processes and services and enable knowledge to be disseminated to those who need it, when they need it. Meanwhile, organizing also can integrate all kinds of resources of the companies, including human resources, financial and material resources. So there are some advantages about the concept. And this concept is also influencing the structure of the companies and most of organizations pay more attention to the building of the organizational structure. The KFCà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’one of the most famous and important fast food chain restaurants, is always paying its attention to the building of the structure all the time. In 2004, with the AIV spreading quickly in Asia, most of the KFC consumers quitted the line of waiting for KFC, never eating chicken. Especially in Vietnam, the most AIV-hit country, KFC business was confronted with a crisis. But KFC then changed its organizational structure, replacing the Fried Chicken with Fried Fish. So, finally it regained a big success. Under the guidance of Fayols concept about the organizing, many organizations know about the importance of the structure and pay attention to building their organizational chart and thus gain success. In fact, the building of the organizational structure should fit the development of the organization. As the saying goes, preparedness ensures success and unpreparedness spells failure. So does the development of one organization. According to Fayol, forecasting involves analysis of the future and drawing up a plan of action. About this Fayols concept, some authors viewed that there are some advantages. In the article of Fayol-standing the test of time, McLean (2011) stated that with the development of globalized knowledge economy, the abilities of forecasting and planning can gain success in the competition. In the article of The foundation of Henri Fayols administrative theory, Mr. Wren, Mr. Bedeeian and Mr. Breeze stated that the most important of the means which one must use to ensure business success was planning. To create a business, the founders need capital manpower and time and should have outlets for the products or service. To forecast these needs and providing for them is the main responsible of the managers. So Fayols concept about planning has its own advantages. And i t also improves the development of the companies in contemporary times. Due to the loss of electronic mail, Morgan Stanley paid out more than billions of dollars. But this event is just one tip of the iceberg of the suffering a great number of cost which is caused by the inappropriate information management. Confronted with this problem, British Airway made plan and forecasting and declared its commercial goal: to automate more and more function and try their best to develop customers self-help service system , such as electronic ticket, and even that customers can printed their tickets in their own home. This strategy made British Airway protocol the development lifeline of the companies designedly. Although there are lots of advantages of Fayols concept of the five functions of management, there are some disadvantages of them. As for the forecasting and planning, if a business made a good planning, it will get a great success. If not, there will be a big failure, just as the saying goes Changes always go beyond plans. As McLean (2011) stated in the article of Fayol-standing the test of time that the globalised knowledge economy and the presence of ubiquitous change and competition make forecasting, planning and strategising key managerial activities, forecasting and planning are at the same time the main cause of an organization failure. HP, a big technological products supplier of the world, is always encouraging its employees to go forward to their goals, which are planned by the organization. According to HP official Website, in 2010à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’in accordance with its plan, HP purchased Palm company with the Web-based Operating System to get itself to a higher level. But as a result, the new product with the WebOS could not compete with ipad and was not popular with the consumers. In 2011, HP declared to cease the research of WebOS. So to purchase Palm with a whole $1.2 Billion is really not a wise choice. Many other organizations in the world are also always following the rules of forecasting and planning concept in Fayols management theory, but only a good plan is far from enough in contemporary competitive context. The other disadvantage comes from the function of command and control in Fayols theory. According to Wren, Bedeian and Breeze (2002), the command made by the higher authority and which, be it direct or through successive levels in the organization, should reach all parts of the organization, and the responses should return in the reverse sense, either directly or through the levels, to the central authority. Thus an organization can operate smoothly. But there are also counterviews, who consider that the excessive command and control will harm personal satisfaction and their self-respect. In the article of Fayols 14 principles of management then and now: a framework for managing todays organizations, Rodrigues stated that if the managers can separate their managerial work from the actual work clearly, they can have energy to focus on the target of the development of their own enterprises and deal with the public relations outside the companies. In the article Henri Fayol as strategie s: a nineteenth century corporate turnaround, Wren stated that due to the hierarchy, the managers can conduct the enterprise toward its objective. The branches of Nokia in China adhere to the principle of the former, the strict command and control. Under this circumstance, the managers cannot handle the managerial work since they have to help employees to deal with lots of trivial problems. After discussion, they changed the operation strategies and set up the system of hierarchical transmission of orders, in which the employees in the lower class should report their work to his/her own managers. Whats more, as McLean (2011) stated, although Fayol had a great contribution to management theory, he has been accused of the romanticism of management and presented an almost unrealizable approach to management theorisation. He gave a clear definition to each of the functions of his management theory and some principles to carry out them, but in concrete circumstances, some of them can not be realized. As Pryor and Taneja (2010) stated that in practically Mintzberg vehemently disagreed when he went on to say that if you observe managers at work you will find what they do is quite different. According to Lamond, Fayol gave us management as we would like it to be and Mintzberg gave us management as it is (Pryor and Taneja, 2010). Therefore, today many managers favour the important role of practice and experience. They think that practice and experience are the only way to get a management qualification. In conclusion, Henri Fayol, as a founding father of what has become known as the administration school of management, made some contributions to the management theories. This essay mainly aimed to discuss some statement about Henri Fayols contributions to management today and criticism of any of his contributions under the topic of Discussion on Advantages and Disadvantages of Fayols Concept of Five Functions of Management in Modern Enterprises and then to learn about the influence of Fayols management theories to the management practices and teachings in the 21st century. It focuses on the advantages and disadvantages of forecasting and planning, the disadvantages of excessive command and control and the impracticability of the theory in the main body by taking some articles for reference. All in all, Fayols theories are valuable and relevant for organizational leaders on the one hand and debatable on the other hand.

The Electric Bass Essay -- Music

The creation of the electric bass, or an electric guitar envisioned double bass, has revolutionized the way music is both written and performed and will continue to be a driving force behind virtually every genre of music. Even though the electric bass* can be seen as a necessary creation in order to match the ever-increasing volume of live music, especially rock, it can also be viewed as a breath of fresh air and new outlook on acoustic instruments. The electric bass has both physically and functionally had an interesting development since its birth, but one thing for certain is that even trailing behind the electric guitar at first, this instrument has stepped away and cemented its place into music. Electric basses share some of the basic physical aspects of their acoustic brethren, the upright double bass, but also have their own defining characteristics that make the electric bass what it is. Generally speaking, an electric bass is composed of three major parts on which it is further subdivided: â€Å"You can divide the bass into three sections: The neck, the body, and the innards. The different parts of the neck and the body are easy to see, while the innards aren’t so obvious† (Pfeiffer, Patrick). Looking to the neck, one can see that there is actually at least four other important parts, those being: the headstock, tuning machines, nut, and fretboard. Their functions, respectively, are: to provide a spot to which the tuning machines can reside; tunes the strings up or down to achieve a particular pitch; keeps the strings held off of the fretboard and spaced evenly; the place in which you fret notes to be played. The body of the bass is where most of the reso nation will come from and the tonewood will dictate the overall char... ...layer and teacher based in Seattle, Washington† who set up the company Audiovox and produced the Model 736 Bass Fiddle around 1936. Its design consisted of â€Å"†¦a roughly guitar-shape walnut body, a single pickup and control knob on a pearloid pickguard, a neck with 16 frets, and a cord emerging from a jack on the upper side of the body† (Bacon 8-9). Tutmarc was the first to get almost everything right in designing an electric bass, but did not meet with good commercial sales. Then, in 1951 Leo Fender would set the standard for electric basses by introducing his Precision Bass to the world. Works Cited Bacon, Tony, and Barry Moorhouse. The Bass Book. New York: Backbeat, 1995. Print. Jeans, Sir James. Science & Music. Cambridge: University Press, 1953. Print. Pfeiffer, Patrick. Bass Guitar for Dummies. Indianapolis, Indiana: Wiley Publishing Inc, 2003. Print.

Castles of Norway

Abstract Norway has a rugged terrain and a cold climate. Its most famous castle, named Akershus, is located in Oslo, Norway and was built in medieval times. Its architecture was advanced for that time period, and was extremely important in the protection and defense of Norway. Akershus was also a fortress as well as a castle, which led to better protection. This was also in the time of the Vikings, the much feared defenders of Norway, who were known to be very brutal in war.It was rebuilt, updated, and repurposed several times throughout history, and is now a trademark in Norwegian history and culture, serving as a large tourist hub. There have been many castles over the centuries that people have appointed the best because of their location, defense, architecture, or history; such as the Windsor Castle, Holyrood Palace, Buckingham Palace, and the Chateau de Versailles. However, another, lesser known castle seems to be right on par with these beauties: the Akershus castle in Oslo, No rway.Akershus beats the standards in all of these categories and more, which is most likely the reason it is plainly the most famous castle in Norway. It was created and protected by the Vikings in the medieval ages, and to this day stands tall in strong, just as it did at the turn of the fourteenth century. Location Norway has a very rugged, mountainous terrain, containing some of the highest points in Europe north of the Alpine-Carpathian mountain range with only one-fifth of its total area less than one hundred-fifty meters above sea level (Norway – Topography, n. . ). The main river, the Glama goes through the Southeast and is three hundred-eighty miles long. Much of Norway has been scraped by ice, and there are one thousand, seven-hundred glaciers totaling some three thousand, four-hundred square kilometers. There are many great harbors and almost numberless fjords, along with vast strings of islands stretching all along the coastal areas of Norway. Norway’s clima te is also somewhat harsh, yet seemingly mild when compared to other locations at its latitude. Snow covers the ground at least three months a year.During the summer months, when the sea is cooler than the land, the situation is different; then the west winds cool the coast more than the inland so the warmest summers are in the inland valleys of the southeast. â€Å"Average temperatures vary between negative ten degrees Celsius in January in Spitzbergen and sixteen degrees Celsius in July in Oslo. † Even though there is much snowfall, the warm waters of the Gulf Stream keep the seaports clear of ice, but the inlands are cooler in the winter months because of the mountains blocking out warm winds (Norway, n. . ). In northern Norway, there is continuous sunlight in certain parts of the summer. â€Å"In northernmost Norway, the sun stays above the horizon for about two and one-half months. Southern Norway never has continuous daylight, though it averages nineteen hours of dayli ght a day in midsummer. † The further north you go, the longer this period of twenty-four hour light lasts. The opposite happens in the winter, where the sun hardly ever rises at all. During these times, the Northern Lights, also called an aurora, can be seen in the sky (Norway, n. d. ).Defense Norway had one of the best, most feared, and well known armies in all of the medieval ages: the Vikings. â€Å"The Vikings were greatly feared for their strength and skill in battle†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Their primary choice of weapons consisted of spears, swords, and others alike (Top / Weapons, n. d. ). Viking's swords were double-sided steel and relatively lightweight. They also had large battle axes, used to cut through an opponent's armor. The wealthiest Vikings had coats of mail, which were coats of metal links put together to protect them from arrows and such.While every Viking wore a helmet, they offered little protection. This was meant to protect the rest of the body that a helmet ca n't protect. The Vikings’ helmets were made of either leather or iron. There is a common misconception that they wore double-horned helmets into battle, when really, those were only used for ceremonies. Another misconception is that they often used archery as a method in battle. The Vikings mainly used methods of archery for hunting. They also used them for battle occasionally, but mostly for long-range shooting.However, when applied in fighting, they were very useful in large battles (The Vikings, 2011). The Vikings’ main enemies were the Christian Monasteries, as they were Pagans, not Christians like most people in Britain. â€Å"A Viking robber did not think twice about robbing a Christian church. Christian monasteries in Britain were easy to attack, because the monks in the monasteries had no weapons. † (Why Did Vikings, 2012). â€Å"The unification of Viking settlements along the Norwegian coast was well advanced by the time of St. Olav’s death in 1 030.He is credited with overseeing the population’s conversion to Christianity. A period of civil war ended in the thirteenth century when Norway expanded its control overseas to parts of the British Isles, Iceland, and Greenland. Norwegian territorial power peaked in 1265, and the following year the Isle of Man and the Hebrides were ceded to Scotland. † The Hanseatic League and the Black Death weakened Norway greatly. The royalty died out in 1387, and the union that Denmark, Norway, and Sweden tried forming had also soon fell apart (History, n. . ). Architecture In Norway, one of the main resources is wood, so much of the architecture is based around that. This still reigns true today, all over Norway. There were wooden churches built on wooden posts in the ground in the Middle Ages, known as stave churches. Norway was always a little behind on architectural advances made in the rest of the world, and when they did reach Norway, they made little impact. One of the adva nced that made a larger impact was the Baroque-inspired Barony Rosendal (The Evolution of Norwegian, n. d. ).They had double-handled saw to fell a tree, wedges, crowbars, pickaxes and hammers for stonework, and the anvil, bellows and hammer for smithing; at this time, everything was done by hand, which means they needed a blacksmith, a woodworker, a mason, and a carpenter (Tools for Medieval, 1999-2012). This castle is made only of brick, and is the only one of that nature in Norway. Akershus was built on the ridge of a cliff opposite of the harbor bay, and the highest point of this ridge lays a high tower. The main entrance of the castle is guarded by a draw bridge and a portcullis.The weakest point is on the east side, guarded by a dry moat and a ring wall. This is what makes it better than most castles of that time (Hericher, 1998, p. 69-70). Specifics Akershus was first built in 1299, and has changed multiple times since then. In 1592, it was turned into a fortress, and was then changed into a Renaissance castle in 1637-1648 (Akershus Castle, 2008-2012). It is located at approximately Latitude:  59. 9, Longitude: 10. 7 and was funded mainly under the order of King Hakon V, along with some extra money from the church (Rongen, 2004-2012; Hericher, 1998, p. 0). Today, the Akershus castle is used as a source of tourism. The Armed Forces Museum is now located inside the fortress and displays the military history from medieval times to years following WWII and it's free to visit the museum (â€Å"Akershus Castle – Museums,† 2008-2011). It is used for major events in the Norwegian government as well. It also happens to be the headquarters for the Ministry of Defense. You can go on tours of the full castle, and there are many important items and rooms on display such as the one shown in Figure 1.King Sigurd I, King Haakon V, Queen Eufemia, King Haakon VII, Queen Maud, King Olav V and Crown Princess Martha have all been buried here (â€Å"Royal Mau soleum (burial,† n. d. ). In general, Akershus is the most famous castle in Norway because of its strategical location, its perilous defense, and its outstanding architecture. The Vikings and this fortress held Norway together through the medieval ages, so that Norway is a strong remnant of what a country can be when it is backed by dedication and hard work, much like what was put into Akershus.Today, it has become the celebration and joy of Norway, as they proudly display it to the world, and rightfully so. References Akershus castle [Web brochure]. (2008-2012). Retrieved from Innovation Norway website: http://www. visitnorway. com///? pid=74461 Akershus castle & fortress (Akershus Slott) [Brochure]. (1997 – 2011). Retrieved from CustomWeather, Inc. website: http://www. viator. com/-attractions/Akershus-Castle-and-Fortress-Akershus-Slott/-a2722 Akershus Castle – Museums. (2008-2011). Akershus castle (Akershus festning) [Brochure]. Retrieved from Everycastle, inc . ebsite: http://www. everycastle. com/-Castle. html The evolution of Norwegian architecture [Government article]. (n. d. ). Retrieved 2012, from The Norwegian Museum of Architecture website: http://www. norway. org/utnorway//// Hericher, A. -M. (1998). Norwegian medieval castles: Building on the edge of Europe. In Chateau gaillard (pp. 69-70). Brepols. History. (n. d. ). Background note: Norway [Database]. Retrieved from http://www. state. gov/////. htm Norway [Fact sheet]. (n. d. ). Retrieved from WeatherOnline Ltd. website: http://www. weatheronline. co. uk///. htm Norway –

Importance of Brand Awareness a Comparative Study

Importance of Brand Awareness a Comparative Study Introduction The ability of consumers to identify, describe and differentiate a specific brand from its competition is at the center of all branding initiatives carried out by different branding managers as they try to improve their brand awareness levels. This paper shall set out to discuss the importance of brand awareness by conducting a case study that compares two brands in Australia.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Importance of Brand Awareness: a Comparative Study specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This shall be done by highlighting the importance of brand awareness, comparing the breadth and depth of brand awareness for the chosen products and analyzing the results from the survey conducted in a bid to measure the level of brand awareness each product has in the Australian market. Importance of brand awareness According to Atiglan et al. (2009), brand awareness refers to the likelihood that consumers withi n a given market know of the existence and availability of a given product. Atiglan et al. (2009) further state that brand awareness is the degree of precision to which consumers link a brand to a specific product. Effective brand awareness is measured from the consumers’ ability to recognize or recall a specific brand. Similarly, Srivastava (2009) argues that branding efforts become futile if the product does not satisfy the needs of the targeted consumers. As such, the author states that brand managers should come up with brands that consumers can identify with in regard to the product’s performance, applicability and imagery. With this in mind, it is always important for brand managers to measure the brand awareness level of their brands in order to reap the learning, consideration and choice advantages. Keller (2008), states that effective brand awareness ensures that the brand is registered in the consumer’s mind. This means that a consumer is able to easil y recognize and recall a brand amidst other competing brands. In addition, brand awareness increases the probability that consumers will consider a specific brand and choose it when faced with options. As such, measuring the brand awareness level of a given brand is important to brand managers because it enables them to market and improve their brands in a manner that guarantees consumer satisfaction and loyalty.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Breadth and Depth of Brand Awareness: Sample Description According to Keller (2008), the depth of brand awareness refers to the ease of recognition and recall and how strong the brand is categorized among competing brands. The breadth of brand awareness deals with the purchase and consumption considerations made by the consumer when choosing a specific brand. In order to measure these dimensions, a case study was conduc ted in a bid to establish the overall consumer satisfaction rating of two prominent quick service restaurants in Australia. McDonald’s restaurants and Subway restaurants were chosen and ten respondents selected to participate in the survey. Eating fast and maintain a healthy life style were the main considerations made by consumers frequenting quick service restaurants. This is according to results posted by respondents to a survey recently conducted in Australia. Age, gender and career choice played a pivotal role in determining the type of food consumers ordered. In regard to brand recognition, most people stated that they knew McDonalds and have had their meals. They attributed this to the fact that McDonalds is prominent, familiar and popular as compared to other brands. However, when asked of their satisfaction rating, most participants recalled that subway restaurants offered the best services in terms of price, quality of service and interactivity. Research method A qu alitative research methodology was selected for this study. The primary method of data collection was a survey. A semi-structured interview was conducted with the selected respondents and the results compiled and analyzed graphically. Table 1: selection criteria of respondents Gender No. of respondents Age of respondent Male 5 18-35 years Female 5 18-35 years This research method was selected due to its flexibility and its ability to give credible and computable results. In addition, it enabled the researcher to observe and interact with the respondents freely without inconveniencing their schedules. Out of the five male respondents, two were aged below 25 years old. Three of the female respondents were below 25 years old.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Importance of Brand Awareness: a Comparative Study specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The logic behind this classification is because younger females a re more conscious about their looks as compared to their older counterparts. On the other hand, older males are health conscious and try to live health lives. This criterion was effective since it was designed to evaluate the level of brand awareness of the selected brands in regard to consumer satisfaction. Measures The respondents were required to rate their satisfaction levels from the selected brands based on predefined parameters. The rating method was based on a scale of 1-5 stars, 1 star being the lowest score and 5 stars being the best score. These two restaurants were selected due to their market share and availability across the Australian market. Below is an overall presentation of the results posted from the survey. Research results As mentioned earlier brand salience focuses on the ability of the brand to create a lasting impression on the consumer mind. The results from the survey indicated that while McDonald’s is a renowned brand in Australia, its brand aware ness level is lower in comparison to the levels exhibited by subway restaurants, which are higher. The graph below shows the relationship between the respondents and their responses on the selected measures. Graph 1: respondents and response to brand awareness Measures Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More From the graph it is evident that the brand awareness levels of Subway restaurants are higher than those recorded for McDonald’s restaurants. This can be attributed to the fact that Subway restaurants have marketed their brands more effectively in terms of consumer satisfaction, quality of service and the ability of consumers to identify themselves with Subway’s products. For example, in their website, Subway restaurants offer their consumers a chance to develop a unique recipe for their meals. This is a marketing strategy that ensures that consumers have a sense of ownership to this brand, thereby guaranteeing their loyalty. In addition, subway’s emphasis on fresh and healthy products attracts more consumers. This ensures that their products are recognized, considered and chosen by consumers. On the other hand, McDonald has failed to address the key issues that may make their brand more prominent. By providing less quality products, McDonald’s has given Subway restaurants a competitive edge that remains unmatched in the Australian market. Data analysis Data analysis was categorized according to the drinks, breakfast and meal preference of the respondents as can be seen in appendix 1. In regard to drinks, McDonald’s brands were preferred by most of the respondents. Subway restaurant meals and breakfasts were preferred by all respondents due to the fact that they are healthier options in comparison to those served at McDonald’s restaurants. Below is a table showing a breakdown of brand preferences recorded by respondents Subway Meals Drinks Breakfast Pizza sub with cheese= 3 Chicken classic= 3 Chicken schnitzel= 3 Italian B.M.T= 1 Steak cheese= 1 Chicken parmigiana melt= 1 Turkey and ham= 1 Tuna= 2 Subway Seafood Sensation= 2 Chicken Bacon Ranch melt= 4 Subway Melt= 1 Veggie Delite= 1 Strawberry yogurt = 2 1% low-fat milk= 1 Chocolate milk= 2 Juice box= 2 Water= 7 Egg cheese= 8 Ham, egg and cheese= 6 Shortcut bacon , egg cheese= 5 McDonald’s Meals Drinks Breakfast Double cheeseburger= 3 Big Mac= 2 Cheeseburger= 2 Hamburger= 2 Filet-O-Fish= 1 quarter Pounder= 2 Chicken McNuggets= 1 Water= 7 Coke= 4 orange juice (Goulburn valley)= 1 diet coke= 1 chocolate shake= 2 Coke Zero= 1 frozen Fanta raspberry= 1 Espresso pronto cappuccino= 1 Latte= 2 flat white= 2 black tea= 1 White tea= 4 Sprite= 1 strawberry shake= 1 hotcakes with butter and syrup= 4 English muffin= 1 hash brown= 1 sausage and egg muffin= 1 NYC Benedict bagel= 1 Rosti brekkie wrap=1 The table above shows the number of respondents who could recognize and recall various products from the selected brands. From the results, it is evident that the depth of brand awareness for Subway brand products is higher than that of McDonald’s brand products. Conclusion Brand awareness provides brand managers with an avenue through which they can effectively market their products in a competitive busi ness environment. By ensuring that a brand is easily recognized, recalled and considered, businesses guarantee their survival, all the while increasing consumer loyalty. From this report, it is evident that brand awareness plays a pivotal role in marketing and it should be effectively implemented if success is to be achieved. References Atiglan, E, Akinci, S, Aksoy, S Kaynak, E 2009, Customer-Based Brand Equity for Global Brands: A Multinational Approach’, Journal of Euromarketing, vol. 18, no. 2, pp.115-132. Keller, KL 2008, Strategic brand management – building, measuring and managing brand equity, international edition, 3rd edn, Prentice Hall, New Jersey. Srivastava, RK 2009, Measuring brand strategy: can brand equity and brand score be a tool to measure the effectiveness of strategy?, Journal of Strategic Marketing, vol. 17, no. 6, pp. 487-497. Appendix Compiling results for depth of brand awareness Respondent Drinks Meals Breakfast Respondent 1 Coke, water, white tea Double cheeseburger, pizza sub with cheese, chicken classic, chicken schnitzel egg and cheese, shortcut bacon, egg and cheese, hotcakes with butter and syrup Respondent 2 Strawberry yogurt, latte, water Big Mac, cheeseburger, Italian B.M.T, steak cheese egg and cheese, ham, egg and cheese, English muffin Respondent 3 1% low-fat milk, chocolate milk, water, coke Double cheeseburger, chicken classic, chicken parmigiana melt hash brown, ham, egg and cheese, sausage and egg muffin, NYC Benedict bagel Respondent 4 Juice box, flat white, orange juice (Goulburn valley), Water Hamburger, turkey and ham, chicken Bacon Ranch melt, pizza Sub with cheese egg and cheese, ham, egg and cheese, shortcut bacon, egg and cheese, Respondent 5 water, diet coke, chocolate shake, Tuna, Subway Seafood Sensation, Filet-O-Fish shortcut bacon, egg and cheese, hotcakes with butter and syrup Respondent 6 Coke Zero, frozen Fanta raspberry, white tea Hamburger, chicken Bacon Ranch melt, Dou ble cheeseburger, egg and cheese, ham, egg and cheese, shortcut bacon, egg and cheese, Respondent 7 Espresso pronto cappuccino, latte flat white, coke, water, black tea Big Mac, pizza sub with cheese, chicken classic, chicken schnitzel shortcut bacon, egg and cheese, rosti brekkie wrap Respondent 8 White tea, water, sprite, strawberry shake chicken Bacon Ranch melt, subway Melt, quarter Pounder, Chicken McNuggets ham, egg and cheese, hash brown, hotcakes with butter and syrup, Respondent 9 Chocolate shake, white tea, latte (Espresso Pronto) chicken schnitzel, Tuna, Subway Seafood Sensation, egg and cheese, hotcakes with butter and syrup, Respondent 10 Strawberry Yogurt, juice box, chocolate milk Cheeseburger, quarter Pounder, chicken Bacon Ranch melt, Veggie Delite egg and cheese, ham, egg and cheese, shortcut bacon, egg and cheese, hash brown