How Do Narrative and Genre Features Create Meaning Essay

As film audiences we have an expectation of particular conventions, which certain film genres work with and if these expectations are met, then viewing pleasure is certified. This is a result of our understanding of generic conventions, which derives from past experiences with films we have seen. The film industry understands this, but is however, constantly attempting to ? extend’ these genres sometimes for artistic reasons and sometimes to secure financial revenue. The narrative of a film is the sequence of events which are organised in a structure to tell and develop a plot. It is just as important in function as the genre is, with regard to securing audiences and satisfying their expectations and audiences will have particular anticipations for a narrative’s different segments. By this we can observe that a film producer is dependent at least partly on the satisfaction of the film’s target audience for the proceeds at the box office. This essay will discuss how a 10-minute sequence from James Wan’s ? Saw’ (2004), uses many conventions from a few different genres and it considers how the narrative ties in with this. The film in itself illustrates so many of the conventional rules attached to a thriller, that we have learnt to accept as ? normal’. I would describe this sequence as a pastiche as it is not only thrillerish but there are also elements of detective genre. These are all traits within a horror movie. The clip begins with what we believe is detective Tapp carrying out surveillance on Dr. Gordon’s house. He is filming their bedroom window and talking, but to whom we have no knowledge. As the camera moves from the television screen to a side wall, the frame reveals a compilation of images, of who we assume to be Dr. Gordon. It also shows that he has perhaps been recording phone calls from within Dr. Gordon’s household. The mise-en-scene (stacks of empty coffee cups and take away trays) illustrates that detective Tapp has been there for quite some time, and it is now evident that he is in fact alone. Suddenly, we are confronted with a wall plastered in a mass of newspaper clippings. We realise that this is not official police work, it could be stalking. This convention of the obsessed detective is a usual element of thriller films as well as in crime films. A cross fade is the utilised for the introduction of the next frame. Fades are usually employed to suggest a flashback or for the use of moving forward in time, but in this case we consider that it is a flashback, though we are still uncertain. This car scene involves Dr. Gordon being taken home by detective Tapp. Unlike others, this film concentrates solely on the plot and the characters and the director ensures this through the way there is never or rarely any background situations which might distract the audience. Everything excluding the characters is darkened out, leaving the audience nothing to observe but them and their conversation. The next scene reveals Tapp at his desk, watching evidence from the ? jigsaw case’, we can see that his desk lamp is focused on a mound of file work which may be more significant than the ? jigsaw case’, – work which he evidently does not see as priority. Detective Tapp’s back is turned to this mound of work and he is focused on the television screen, scrutinizing the video tape. Also, the mise-en-scene shows only a few newspaper clippings on the side of his work space in this scene, which might be suggesting this is the beginning of his ? stalking’ behaviour. With one desk lamp on in the entire room it is evident that all of his other colleagues are going or have already gone home. This type of behaviour (working over hours when everyone else has left) is suggestive of reclusive characters with little or no social or family life, having nothing but work to look forward to and these characters are usually found in crime-thriller movies or psychological-thriller movies. This ? work obsessed’ character is reinforced when his work colleagues invite him to accompany them and he declines without even removing his gaze from the television screen. The character of Tapp is played by the actor Danny Glover, frequently associated with the action-crime-thriller sequel films ? Lethal Weapon’. In these films he also plays a detective officer often involved in action, so it comes as no surprise that we have expectation of the narrative to place him in a place of police action. Again, the background is dark, suggesting that nothing else matters to this character, including his partner, Sing, who remains behind. Sing’s demeanour implies that Tapps behaviour is possibly recent and unusual, transpiring only, through the ? jigsaw case’. The frame illustrating half of the light on Sing may bring connotations that he is in half a mind about Tapp, he is unsure about what has happened to him and why. After noticing something about the evidence, Tapp hurriedly beckons Sing back. In this scene we see Sing under a more (although not much more) prominent light in contrast to before. Tapp is still the one mostly saturated in light, he is the one with the information and we see that as Sing learns and gains more information, the light shed on him also increases. The snapshots that the clip uses of the derelict warehouses, remind us of a stalker ? the way that detective Tapp stalks Dr. Gordon and the way ? jigsaw’ stalks his victims. This type of stalking behaviour again, links in with the conventions of the thriller genre. The next frame portrays both Tapp and Sing looking onto a map, both saturated in an equal amount of light. They are just as important as each other here; they need each other to make a break through. This is reflected in their names, Tapp and Sing ? when combined unified it creates rhythm and music, an outcome. This convention of crime/detective partners having a connection between their names, and their names revealing traits of their characters when they are together, is usually found in detective-thriller/action genre films, e. g. in the action ? crime-thriller ? Lethal Weapon’ the main characters are called ? Martin Riggs and ? Roger Murtauth’. The way that the first letters of their names are arranged, mirrors the way that the characters work in opposite ways (M. R. as oppose to R. M). On the car journey to the derelict factory, everything in the background is darkened out, thus creating the feeling of suspense and mystery. Also, with barely any street lighting, it could be proposed that this road is not popularly accessed by the public, signifying there could be danger here. These are all generic conventions of a thriller film. The mise-en-scene mainly supplies us with dark and dull colours, i. e. black and metal grey, which run throughout the film, connotating mystery, a cold and possibly even pain and depressing feelings, which create the theme for the entire movie. As the two detectives ascend the stairs, they are entering darkness; again a sign that they don’t know what is ahead of them. The use of a handheld camera panning the scene allows for a sense of first hand experience to take place, again correlated with thriller films, i. e. ; ? The Blair Witch Project’. As they approach the ? workspace’ of this scene, we notice how lighting is positioned over specific areas, where there are ?projects’ developing. Each of these are covered by a red cloth. To some, i. e. the police characters and some audiences, the colour red would have connotations of danger. In this case, the colour red signifies passion. The red cloth is used by ? jigsaw’ to signify passion for the projects that he has covered in the cloth. One main theme can be found in all of the characters in this clip ? they are all deeply passionate and devoted to their work. Conventions of a horror genre can be found in the next upcoming scene. Here we witness the detectives discover a seemingly insignificant man entrapped in a death contraption and we soon after determine when ? jigsaw’ returns, that this merely a ? test run’ for a later purpose. Sinisterly, ? jigsaw’ wears a cloak with a strip of the same cloth that he has used to cover his projects, he is truly devoted to this work and the matching cloak almost makes it seem like this is his ? team’. As the detectives leap out of their hiding places and confront him, ? jigsaw’ stamps the contraption to a start, leaving the detectives panicking and him in control of the situation. Again, by using a hand-held camera with an over the shoulder shot behind the ? jigsaw’, the audience sees the ? jigsaw’ as the largest figure and therefore the dominant party in this scene; consequently the detectives literally look small in this scene, clueless under the grasp of this psycho. This hand-held camera technique also delivers a sense of panic to the audience. Subsequently, fast editing shots build suspense and panic, leading to the peak where one person on each side of the room manages to escape ? the victim escapes his death, and ? jigsaw’ escapes the detectives, one a split second after the other. For that minute split second we have the high hope that the detectives have gained control of this situation. Our hopes are sunk however as Tapp is slashed across the throat and ? jigsaw’ escapes. This is an expectation that audiences have become acquired with in thriller movie narratives. This film delivers many expectations as well as offering new interweaves that may never have been supplied to a thriller audience before. In this next frame which shows Sing running along a corridor, two main genres come into place; horror and action thriller. The frame shows conventions of horror films through its use of the green coloured steam coming from the mouldy pipes along this gory corridor. The narrative of a police officer chasing a criminal is typical of an action thriller film. The scene where Sing is trying to protrude through the cobwebs to get to ?jigsaw’ as he lays ? dead’ on the floor is significant. This barricade of cobwebs is an illusion to cover the trip-wire which will be the cause of Sings death. This illusion is a reminder that nothing is as it may seem, a principle of psychological-thriller films. As Sing collapses dying, ? jigsaw’ rises, obviously still alive – another illusion. The last scene of this clip begins with a close up of the scar on Tapps neck, gained when he was slashed by ? jigsaw’. At this instant, our prior belief’s that this was all a flashback are confirmed. A scar takes time to heal and where Tapp’s physical scars have healed, his mental scars have not. We see him frantically talking to a framed picture of Sing, as well as talking to himself. A framed picture usually contains family or friends – people who are close to you, and so, it is reinforced to us that Sing was his only family. Tapp blames himself for the death of Sing, perhaps why, although he has already been discharged from the force, he feels he needs to close this case as he owes it to Sing. Word count: 1,927.

Public Sector

The country was facing problems like inequalities in income and low levels of employment, regional imbalances in economic development and lack of trained manpower. India at that time was predominantly an agrarian economy with a weak industrial base, low level of savings, inadequate investments and infrastructure facilities. In view of this type of socio-economic set up, our visionary leaders drew up a roadmap for the development of Public Sector as an instrument for self-reliant economic growth.This guiding factor led to the passage of Industrial Policy Resolution of 1948 and followed by Industrial Policy Resolution of 1956. The 1948 Resolution envisaged development of core sectors through the public enterprises. Public Sector would correct the regional imbalances and create employment. Industrial Policy Resolution of 1948 laid emphasis on the expansion of production, both agricultural and industrial; and in particular on the production of capital equipment and goods satisfying the b asic needs of the people, and of commodities the export of which would increase earnings of foreign exchange. . 1. 3 In early years of independence, capital was scarce and the base of entrepreneurship was also not strong enough.Hence, the 1956 Industrial Policy Resolution gave primacy to the role of the State which was directly responsible for industrial development. Consequently the planning process (5 year Plans) was initiated taking into account the needs of the country. The new strategies for the public sector were later outlined in the policy statements in the years 1973, 1977, 1980 and 1991. The year 1991 can be termed as the watershed year, heralding liberalisation of the Indian economy. 2- 1. 1. 4 The public sector provided the required thrust to the economy and developed and nurtured the human resources, the vital ingredient for success of any enterprise; public or private. 1. 2 GLOBAL TREND industrial revolution in Europe. With the advent of globalization, the public secto r faced new challenges in the developed economies. No longer the public sector had the privilege of operating in a sellers market and had to face competition both from domestic and international competitors.Further, in the second half of the 20th century in the developed economies, the political opinion started swinging towards the views that the intervention as well as investment by Government in commercial activities should be reduced to the extent possible. 1. 2. 1 The Public Sector emerged as the driver of economic growth consequent to the 1. 2. 2 Many eminent economists argued that Government must not venture into those areas, where the private sector could undertake job efficiently.Lot of emphasis was laid on market driven economies, rather than State controlled and administered economies. The collapse of socialist economy of the Soviet block convinced the policy planners, around the world, that role of the State should be that of a facilitator and regulator rather than the pr oducer and manager. It may be worth mentioning that, in various countries, the turn towards liberalism including deregulation and decontrol also led to discontent amongst some sections of population as its benefit did not flow down to the weaker and disadvantaged sections of society. . 2. 3 Today, both Public Sector & Private Sector have become an integral part of the economy. There may not be much difference in working of these sectors in advanced countries, but in developing countries, the performance of Public Sector has considerable scope for improvement. It is also observed that Pay packages are almost similar in both sectors in developed countries, but large differences exist in remuneration in the two sectors in developing countries, like ours. -3- 1.3 Economic Scenario and Role of Public Sector in India – General perspective 1. . 1 Government of India, as part of its national agenda to promote growth, increase in efficiency and international competitiveness, has been continuously framing policies for industrial growth, fiscal, trade and foreign investment to achieve overall socio-economic development of the country. As a result of exceptionally severe balance of payments and fiscal crisis in the year 1991, the government decided to shift to a liberalized economy with greater reliance upon market forces, a larger role for the private sector including foreign direct investment. 1. 3. The Government realized that a strong and growth oriented nation could be built if India grows as part of the world economy and not in isolation. Thus, liberalising and deregulatory steps were initiated from the year 1991 onwards, which aimed at supporting growth and integration with the global economy.Since then, the thrust of New Economic Policy has been on progressive reforms such as reduction in the scope of industrial licensing, reforms in the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices (MRTP) Act, reduction of areas reserved exclusively for public sector, disinve stment of quity of selected public sector enterprises (PSEs), enhancing limits of foreign equity participation in domestic industrial undertakings, liberalization of trade and exchange rate policies, rationalization and reduction of customs and excise duties and personal and corporate income taxes, promoting FDI, investments from NRIs (Non-Resident Indians), extension of the scope of CENVAT, implementing the VAT regime in States, taking steps to switch over to goods & services tax system w. e. f. 01. 04. 010, e-governance and simplification of various procedures, rules and regulations etc. 1. 3. 3 Since the setting up of World Trade Organization (WTO) in the year 1995, as an apex body at the international level, to which India is a signatory, the world trade has definitely grown thereby giving indications that international trade reforms do play an important role in boosting economic development of various countries. 1. 3. 4 Industrial policy has seen a sea change with most Central Government industrial controls being liquidated.The Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) were classified into ‘strategic’ and ‘non-strategic’. Strategic CPSEs were identified in -4- the areas of (a) Arms & Ammunition and the allied items of defence equipments, Defence air-crafts and warships; (b) Atomic Energy (except in the areas related to the operation of nuclear power and applications of radiation and radio-isotopes to agriculture, medicine and non-strategic industries); and (c) Railway transport. All other CPSEs were considered as non-strategic.Further, Industrial licensing by the Central Government has been almost abolished except for a few hazardous and environmentally sensitive industries. 1. 3. 5 The main elements of the present Government policy towards Public Sector enterprises as contained in the National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP) are reproduced below: i) To devolve full managerial and commercial autonomy to successful, profit making companies operating in a competitive environment ii) Generally , profit-making companies will not be privatized ii) Every effort will be made to modernize and restructure sick public sector companies and revive sick industry iv) Chronically loss making companies will either be sold off, or closed, after all workers have got their legitimate dues and compensationv) Private industry will be inducted to turn-around companies that have potential for revival vi) Privatization revenues will be used for designated social sector schemes vii) Public sector companies and nationalized banks will be encouraged to enter the capital market to raise resources and offer new investment avenues to retail investors. . 3. 6 The Government has made a clear commitment to empowering the CPSEs and their managements. It was recognised that public enterprises could not compete effectively with private entrepreneurs without freedom to function and operate -5- commercially. Thus, the concept of Navratna and Mi ni-Ratna was introduced with greater delegated authority, both financial and managerial. Government has realized that ‘Navratnas’, ‘Mini-ratnas’ and other CPSEs are required to grow and deliver on the promises they have made to their stakeholders.Other reforms have also been announced, such as professionalisation of the Boards of Directors of public sector enterprises and evaluation of performance of CPSEs through Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). 1. 4 Performance Status wide range of activities in the manufacturing, engineering, steel, heavy machinery, machine tools, fertilizers, drugs, textiles, pharmaceuticals, petro-chemicals, extraction and refining of crude oil and services such as telecommunication, trading, tourism, warehousing, etc. and a range of consultancy services.

Overcoming Negative Thoughts

It was during the summer vacation and I was very excited having been offered a job as a sales person. The detergent was new and I had obtained good results after using it and so I was sure that I would make many sales. In addition, the price was affordable. After a half day’s training we began the job. However, when I started the job I was disappointed to realize that I was not making as many sales as I had anticipated. This dampened my spirits a little.When the time to hand in our weekly reports came, I was discouraged to learn that others had met and even exceeded the targets while I had barely met the target. This happened for two times and after this I started feeling like I did not measure up and that I could never meet the targets. Even as I approached prospective customers, I could visualize them rejecting me and this translated to even less sales. One day I sat down and wondered why I could not meet the targets yet others could. I started telling myself that I could do it if others could.I searched the internet for tips on direct selling and started to put them into practice. All of a sudden my whole attitude changed and as I approached customers, I felt that I would make sales as I knew the tips. The most surprising thing is that people started being more enthusiastic about the detergent I was selling to them and the sales increased to a point where I became among the people who always exceeded sales targets. It is true that positive thinking is contagious (Sasson, 2010). Reference Sasson, R. (2010). The power of positive thinking. Retrieved 30 April, 2010 from http://www.successconsciousness.com/index_000009.htm

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Division of Labor and Gender Roles in the Society Essay

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Syncretism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

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Fukushima power plant disaser - Essay Example The events resulted in an explosion and partial nuclear meltdown in three operational reactors of the plant. However, it never caused serious fatalities given the rapid response including evacuation efforts. Even though the disaster never caused many deaths, it comprises of the significant occurrences in the global history. It remains as the biggest nuclear disaster that took the authorities about 14 days to completely shut down the facility and several years to decommission and restore the effects. The collapse began when the tsunami severely damaged three operational reactors in plant number 1 and 2 at the Fukushima Daiichi. Subsequently, the shutdown stopped operations of the site by stopping the backup diesel generators thereby leading to a site blackout. The blackout and tsunami resulted in the failure of seawater pumps thus hindering cooling of the reactors. It then led to the meltdowns in the three primary reactors of the facility. In response, the government issued an evacuation notice for people within the 3-kilometre radius and later 10 km radius because of the magnitude of the challenge (Fukushima Accident). The radiations contaminated the Pacific Ocean water and caused massi ve air pollution. It also led to displacements of people, disruption of the way of life, the decline in the economic activities. The Tokaimura accident in 1999 triggered the development of radiation-resistant robots. However, a task force that included the representatives of Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) discredited the robots in 2002. Besides, no nation or plant projected the possibility of occurrence of a disaster similar to the Chernobyl. The firms also showed belief in the skilled employees to manage and limit the occurrence of nuclear accidents. Hence, dissolution of radiation robots enhanced Japan’s vulnerabilities and limited the response options to the Fukushima disaster (Lochbaum, Lyman and Stranahan 40). Earlier on, the Tokyo Electric Power

Essay One Description and Narration Essay Example for Free

Essay One Description and Narration Essay Anyone who has ever achieved anything has had to face many obstacles to accomplish their goals. But what defines their success is never how many obstacles stand in their way, but how many obstacles they overcome. Even though I might have to overcome many tough obstacles in order to become a police officer, I believe that it is important to protect the public and prevent crime. In order to gain a position in the police force, I will have to pass various examinations, such as a written exam that will be based on correct wording, grammar, spelling and punctuation. In my opinion, this exam seems pretty easy because I am good in language arts and reading. Perhaps whenever it comes my time to take this examination, I will ace it. The police academy training also prepares police officers for active duty. The training probably has to be the hardest obstacle for me because it requires intense physical workouts. The first week in training I will have to run, and do calisthenics, which consists of push-ups, crunches, and jumping jacks. I will also have to use the medicine ball to do sit-ups, twist and hand offs, curls presses and extended workouts. Each week I will have to do the sets and reps for these physical workouts and each week the exercises double , so I will have to do double the work. Finding the job as a police officer will definitely be the second hardest obstacle. There will be a lot of competition in order for me to get into police training. In the past, becoming a police officer was not as difficult as it is today. One of the  main reasons that getting a police officer jobs is more difficult now, is that there are many more applicants than there used to be. Once I am a police officer, I can move into other areas like drug investigation. If I become a drug investigator I will have to have five or more years of police experience. Police dog services, also known as K9s is another advancement that I am interested. As K-9 handler I must be able to perform specific tasks with my dog, such as bomb and narcotic detection, human tracking, and finding hidden objects. Or even an explosives disposal technician, which are specialized in training to handle chemical, biological and even nuclear weapons. Out of all these three options, the main one that catches my attention has to be a drug investigator. Hopefully when I have a lot of experience in the police force I can work my way up and become a drug investigator or even a police k-9. It will also be personally gratifying to protect the public.

Health Belief Model and Hypertension Treatment Compliance

Health Belief Model and Hypertension Treatment Compliance The health belief model and compliance with hypertension treatment Running title: Health Belief Model and Compliance in Hypertension Pauline E. Osamor and Olanike A. Ojelabi Pauline E. Osamor,  Institute of Child Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria, Olanike A. Ojelabi,  Worcester State University, Urban Studies Department, Worcester, MA 01605, USA Author contributions: Osamor PE, contributed to the conception and design of the study; all authors contributed to the writing and critical revision of the manuscript. Biostatistics statement: The study was designed, analysed and data interpreted by the authors. Data available in this manuscript did NOT involve a biostatistician. Conflict-of-interest statement: The author reports no conflicts of interest in this work. Data sharing statement: No additional data are available Abstract AIM: To explore the use of the Health Belief Model (HBM) in evaluating care seeking and treatment compliance among hypertensive adults in south-west, Nigeria. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire to obtain information from 440 hypertensive adults in an urban, low-socio-economic community, situated in south west Nigeria. Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were conducted with a subset of the population. The relationship between treatment compliance and responses to questions that captured various components of the HBM was investigated using chi-square tests. Content analysis was used to analyze data from the FGD sessions and to provide context to the survey responses. Data entry and management was carried out using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 11.0. RESULTS: The components of the HBM reflecting Perceived Susceptibility components were significantly associated with treatment compliance. On the other hand, HBM Perceived Seriousness components were not significantly associated with compliance. The main HBM Perceived Benefit of Taking Action component that was prominent was the belief that hypertension could be cured by treatment, a theme that emerged from both the survey and the FGD. CONCLUSION: Use of the HBM as a framework is helpful in identifying perceptions and behaviors associated with hypertension treatment compliance. Key words: Health belief model; Compliance; Hypertension; Community-based; Nigeria Core tip: Hypertension is a major health problem in developing and developed countries, and treatment compliance for such chronic conditions is often poor. In this study, the Health Belief Model (HBM) was used to evaluate care seeking and treatment compliance among hypertensive adults. HBM proved to be a valuable framework to develop and modify public health interventions and also serves to improve treatment compliance and reduce the risk of complications. Osamor PE, Ojelabi OA. The health belief model and compliance with hypertension treatment. World J Hypertension 2017; INTRODUCTION Hypertension, otherwise known as high blood pressure, is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD) worldwide[1]. The proportion of the global burden of disease attributable to hypertension has significantly increased from about 4.5 percent (nearly 1 billion adults) in 2000 to 7 percent in 2010[2-9]. This makes hypertension a major global public health challenge and the single most important cause of morbidity and mortality globally. The prevalence of hypertension in Nigeria may form a substantial proportion of the total burden in Africa. This is because of the large population of the country currently estimated to be over 170 million[3,6,10]. In Nigeria, hypertension is the commonest non-communicable disease with over 4.3 million Nigerians above the age of 15 classified as being hypertensive using the erstwhile national guidelines (systolic BP > 160 mmHg and diastolic BP > 90 mmHg)[12-15]. Treatment of hypertension rests on a combination of lifestyle interventions and use of antihypertensive medication. However, poor compliance with treatment is often common in hypertension. Studies of treatment compliance have explored the role of various factors, including demographic and socio-behavioral features of patients, the type and source of therapeutic regimen, and the patient-provider relationship[16]. Yet, a common framework for evaluating such factors is often lacking. One such framework is the Health Belief Model (HBM),which has shown utility in evaluating compliance with antihypertensive medications[17-20]. Health Belief Model The Health Belief Model (HBM) is an intrapersonal health behavior and psychological model. This model has been commonly applied to studying and promoting the uptake of health services and adoption of health behaviors[21]. Recently, a National Institutes of Health publication, Theory at a Glance, A Guide for Health Promotion Practices proposed that the HBM may be useful in the examination of inaction or noncompliance of persons with or at risk for heart disease and stroke[24], suggesting a natural fit for this study. The HBM is a value-expectancy model [17]. It attempts to explain and predict health behaviors by focusing on the attitudes and belief patterns of individuals and groups. The modelconsists of six dimensions: perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, cues to action and modifying factors. While the HBM has been criticized for overemphasizing the logical order and rationality of ones health behaviors[28], it is considered to be one of the most influential models in the history of health promotion practice[29], and has shown usefulness in predicting health behaviors among population with or at risk for developing cardiovascular disease. With respect to care-seeking and treatment compliance, a hypertensive patients ability to see a physician and comply to medical treatment regimen is a function of a various factors. These include patients personal knowledge, benefit and perceptions, modifying factors, and cues to action[30]. Therefore, the goal of this study is to explore the use of the HBM as a framework for evaluating care-seeking and treatment compliance in hypertension in south-west Nigeria. Rationale Uncontrolled hypertension is caused by non-adherence to the antihypertensive medication, patients understanding their drug regimens and the necessity to adhere to this regimen will help to improve their adherence, thus help prevent the complications of hypertension that are debilitating and if not prevented can increase the burden of a disease that is already on the increase[31]. Knowledge and beliefs about hypertension have been frequently examined in efforts to better understand the disparities in blood pressure control[33,34]. Relatively few studies, however, have attempted to identify individual factors associated with the adoption of hypertension control behaviors using a health behavior model as the theoretical framework. Thus, this study aims to explore the use of the HBM- an intrapersonal health behavior and psychological model in evaluating care seeking and treatment compliance among hypertensive adults in south west Nigeria. MATERIALS AND METHODS This community-based cross-sectional study was carried out in an urban, low-socio-economic community in Nigeria. Most of the residents belong to the Yoruba ethnic group and the dominant religion is Islam. The health facilities in the community include an outreach clinic run by the Department of Preventive Medicine and Primary Care of the University of Ibadan, four private clinics and a small dental clinic. Other sources of health care in the community include Patent Medicine Vendors (PMVs) and three traditional healing homes. The study site was selected for three specific reasons: Firstly, the community has been the site of previous research studies where people were screened and therefore know of their hypertension status. Secondly, a community study approach (instead of a clinic-based approach) was chosen because selecting participants from a clinic or hospital will only select those who are attending clinic or complying, thereby introducing a selection bias and thirdly, the commun ity has a variety of sources of healthcare located within the community, implying that residents have options when seeking healthcare. The study is a community-based cross-sectional study which enrolled hypertensive adults (age 25 years and above) in the community. It utilized both the survey and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) to collect primary data from the respondents. The participants for this study were selected from a list of known hypertensive adults residing in the community that was developed from a previous hypertension study[35] and updated for the present study during home visits. Four hundred and forty (440) hypertensive subjects were enrolled using a consecutive sampling method. After obtaining informed consent, subjects were administered a semi-structured questionnaire that had items on several issues, including knowledge on causes, prevention and severity of hypertension, healthcare seeking for hypertension, their beliefs and perception about hypertension and compliance with treatment including keeping clinic follow-up appointments and regularly taking their antihypertensive medications. Eight FGDs were conducted, each with 6-8 discussants. The dimensions of the HBM were operationalized as described in table 1, where each dimension was framed as a series of questions, which were asked in the survey and/or discussed as a topic in the FGD. Data entry and management was carried out using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 11.0[36]. Univariate analyses were employed in interpreting socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents, while a bivariate analysis was used in cross tabulating variables. The transcription of the qualitative data was carried out immediately after each FGD session. This was essential since the memory of the interviewer/note taker was still fresh and it was easier to reconcile written notes and the interview transcripts. Content analysis was used to analyze data from FGD sessions. RESULTS Socio-demographic characteristics A total of 440 (including 287 women) respondents were studied. The ages of respondents ranged from 25 to 90 years, with a mean of 60 (SD 12) years. Most (71%) of the respondents were married and 61.4%, Muslims. Slightly over half of the respondents (51.1%) had no formal education. About half (50%) of the respondents were traders, while those who have retired and not working constituted 25.7%. Prevalence of compliance with clinic visits and taking medication The prevalence of self-reported compliance with clinic appointments was 77.5% and that of good compliance with treatment was 50.7% of respondents. 41.5% reported poor treatment compliance at different levels ranging from regularly missing taking their medication to fairly regularly, sometimes and rarely taking their medication. Perceived Susceptibility to hypertension In response to being asked what they understood by the disease hypertension, most respondents defined hypertension as an illness of anxiety and stress (60.9%). Nearly one in twelve (7.3%) said they did not know what hypertension meant. A few of the respondents (4.1%) believed that hypertension means too much blood in the body, thereby causing tension in the blood. Roughly two percent of respondents said hypertension was in everybodys blood. A quote from one of the FGDs is illustrative: Hypertension is in everybodys body and blood. When we exert undue stress on our body, think too much and do a lot of wahala (stressful things), hypertension will start. This statement clearly articulates the notion that everyone is predisposed to hypertension but the condition only becomes apparent or manifests itself when the person experiences a lot of stress. This could either mean that everyone is predisposed to having hypertension or that hypertension is hereditary. Perceived Severity of hypertension A large proportion 89.8% of the respondents knew that hypertension could lead to other serious health problems or complications. Only 1.1% did not affirm that it will lead to serious problem, while 9.1% did not know if hypertension could lead to other health problems. Other health problems that could result from hypertension mentioned by respondents include: stroke (47.5%); death (25.5%); severe headache (5.2%) and heart attack (5.0%). In the FGD sessions conducted, respondents were asked if they perceived hypertension to be a serious health problem. The general response was that hypertension is a serious health problem. One of the FGD discussants summed it this way: Hypertension is a very serious sickness. It is not sickness we should take lightly. It can lead to quick death. One of my younger brothers who worked in the bank had hypertension. He suffered attacked from hypertension while in the office and before they got to the hospital, he died. Hypertension kills fast. But it has drugs that can control it and if one is not taking the drugs regularly, it will cause serious problem. A fifty-two years old woman used her personal experience to buttress the magnitude of hypertension. She stated that: This sickness they call hypertension is a very serious sickness. I was not taking any drugs because I did not have money to buy it and I was not worried because I was not feeling sick. In 2003, I was sick just for a week and before I knew what was happening I could not walk or move my body. I was rushed to the hospital and they told me my blood pressure was very high. I was in the hospital for almost a month and my children spent a lot of money. I am better now, but am still using walking stick because the hypertension made my body stiff. I am taking my medication always now so that I do not die quickly because it can kill. The general perception of the respondents and focus group discussants on the complications from hypertension is that hypertension itself is a very serious health problem and that any complications arising from it could be very severe. Perceived benefit of treatment compliance Nearly three quarters (73.2%) of the respondents believed that hypertension could be cured with treatment. Most (72.0%) of the respondents reported that it is not good to wait until one feels sick before taking antihypertensive medication and the reason given by a large proportion (30%) of these respondents is that taking medication regularly will prevent reoccurrence of hypertension. Despite the fact that respondents believe they needed to take medication as prescribed (and not only when they are sick), only a relatively small proportion (a little above 50%) of the respondents did take their medication as prescribed. Perceived barriers to complying with treatment Among the respondents, 41.5% had poor compliance at different levels ranging from regularly missing taking their medication to fairly regularly, sometimes and rarely taking their medication. Of these respondents who were non-compliant with their medication, 11.4% said they felt better and therefore had no need to continue taking their medication. Only 0.5% said they were tired of taking drugs, while 6.8% stopped because of lack of funds to purchase drugs. Other factors included side effects of drugs (6.1%), forgetfulness (8.4%), busy schedule and limited medication (3.6%). A major theme from the survey and FGDs is that respondents were apprehensive of the long term effects from antihypertensive medication and the possibility of being stuck with it for the rest of ones life or the medication causing other illness or complications. Negative feelings were elicited in some cases, as antihypertensive drugs were perceived as being damaging or not good for the body. The FGDs highlighted fac tors that hindered good compliance to treatment despite the general acceptance of the necessity to take antihypertensive medications. One of the discussant said: I do not take my medicine every day. People do not always follow what doctor say. It is not only for hypertension, even for other sickness. If they say take medicine for five days, once we feel better by thethird day, the person will stop. Even the doctors themselves, will they swallow medicine every day? A discussant in another session stated: Let me tell you the truth it is not easy to be taking drugs every day. Sometimes, we forget especially when you are rushing to go out. Sometimes we do not have the money to buy it. Another respondent added details about what often happens as a result of the financial obstacles: That is what we have all been trying to say. Money is the major problem. In the hospital, they will ask you to pay for ordinary card, before you see the doctor. When they write drugs for you there is no money to buy all. If you do not have money and you go to a private hospital, they will not even attend to you. That is why some people prefer to just go to chemist and buy what they can afford and some others prefer traditional medicine because you do not have to drink it every day and it is less expensive. Cues to action An important source of cues to action includes the individuals cultural conditioning of available treatment options. In this study family and friends were a major source of cues to action. Overall, 19.3% of respondents reported that family members were very concerned about their hypertension while 74.8% said family members were extremely concerned about their hypertension. Also, 20.2% and 73.2% respectively reported that family members were very helpful or extremely helpful in reminding them about taking their medication. Regarding support from friends, 26.4% of respondents reported that friends were very concerned about their hypertension while 28.9% said friends were extremely concerned about their hypertension. Out of the 440 respondents, 91 and 150 (20.7% and 34.1%) respectively reported that friends were very helpful or extremely helpful in reminding them about taking their medication (Figure 1). DISCUSSION Hypertension is a condition of sustained high blood pressure which can only be confirmed after blood pressure measurements that meet the criteria for the condition. The cause of hypertension is not known in most cases[1] hence the term essential hypertension. In the present study, hypertension is perceived primarily as an illness of anxiety and stress. This finding is consistent with a previous study of hypertension in Nigeria[38] which revealed that over 60% of their respondents irrespective of the educational background believe that psychosocial stress is the main cause of hypertension. Similarly, Koslowsky et al[39] found that stress and tension were most commonly stated as causes of hypertension. Majority (more 90%) in this study believe hypertension is a serious condition and two-thirds (66%) believe that hypertension can be prevented. Contrary to findings and reports from previous studies[38,40,41], nearly three-quarters (73%) of respondents in the present study believe that hy pertension is curable. Almost half of the respondents claim good compliance with respect to drug treatment and 86% claim good compliance with keeping their doctors appointment. Reasons for compliance to treatment include fear of the complications of hypertension and the desire to control blood pressure. Benson and Britten[42] reported that patients comply with medication regimen for a variety of reasons including perceived benefits of medication; fear of complications associated with hypertension and feeling better on medication. The latter reason is contrary to the generally held belief among physicians that hypertension is a largely asymptomatic disease[43]. One central theme that runs through the data in this study is the issue of socio-economic status of the respondents. This suggests the importance of considering other variables that can help form individuals perception including health care costs and some sort of lay consultation that takes place before they resolve to take a recommended health action[27]. Financial hardship is a barrier which should not be ignored as it is a contributory factor to noncompliance. This finding corroborates the observed association between poor compliance, ignorance and lack of funds for purchase of drugs[44]. Failure of patients to keep scheduled appointments is an important obstacle to the provision of effective healthcare. By missing appointments, individuals deprive themselves of professional services. Interestingly, 77.5% of the respondents in this study claim they comply with keeping their follow up clinic appointments every time. Several studies have investigated HBM and appointment-keeping for chronic disease management. Nelson et al[20] and also Landers et al[45] found HBM variables to be unrelated to keeping clinic appointments for hypertension. Social support networks are important in the long-term management of chronic conditions such as hypertension, which require a radical and life-long change in the lifestyle of the affected person. In this study, those who had support from friends or family members (concerned about their illness, giving reminders about medication) showed better treatment compliance than those who did not, although this difference was greatest for those that had the support of friends. This is an important finding and is consistent with what has been reported for multiple chronic diseases in several parts of the world[46]. A summary of the major findings in this study in the context of interpreting compliance using the significant components of the HBM shown in Figure 1 suggests that HBM Perceived Susceptibility components tested were significant predictors of compliance. On the other hand, HBM Perceived Seriousness components were not significantly associated with compliance. The main HBM Perceived Benefit of Taking Action component that was prominent in this study is the belief that hypertension can be cured. This is a recurring theme in all the components of the study (survey and FGD) and most respondents believed that taking the medication for some time led to a cure and one could stop taking medication. This finding agrees with studies of Kamran et al[47], which showed a relationship between HBM constructs and treatment compliance. The constructs that were significantly showing relationship in their study were perceived susceptibility, perceived benefit of using the medicine and perceived barrier to treatment. This has major personal and public health implications because hypertension can only be controlled (not cured) and stopping medication can lead to complications. More importantly, it highlights the discrepancy between healthcare providers and their patients in the perceived goal of treatment since the former are working towards control while the latter believe compliance can lead to cure. Most of the HBM Barriers to Taking Action components emerged during the FGD sessions. These barriers are practical issues that loom large and prevent the patients from making optimum use of the hospitals and medications that are available. In other words, the option of a university teaching hospital is available but is not accessible because of costs and inconvenience. Similarly, known medications that work well in hypertension are available but the costs are too high for the patients to comply with the prescriptions as written. It is noteworthy that believing that one can stop taking the medication after some time can also serve as a barrier to compliance because the individual now believes there is no need for more medication. Another major finding from this study is that HBM Cues to Action are extremely important in predicting compliance with hypertension treatment in this community. These cues are centered on patients having family members and/or friends who are concerned about the individuals health and treatment. This finding is important because, as noted by Harrison et al[48] in a meta-analysis, cues are often not included in Health Belief Model studies. Indeed, these authors limited their review to articles to the four major components of the HBM (susceptibility, severity, benefits and costs) because in their words: Cues to action have received so little attention in empirical studies that we excluded this dimension. However, the findings of this study shows that cues are an important dimension in these types of study. While the specific cues that are important may vary between locations, cultures, and environments, they emphasize the social context in which health behavior takes place. As expected, attending clinic regularly is an important predictor of compliance in the present study. It provides an opportunity for multiple cues that can improve compliance, including blood pressure checks, discussing actions to control blood pressure, and reminders to take medication. CONCLUSION Components of the HBM show variation in association with treatment compliance for hypertension in this Nigerian community. The findings provide useful baseline data for future studies of the Health Belief Model in hypertension and other chronic conditions in similar societies. Strength and limitations of the study Strengths of this study include: the use of both survey and FGD methods; inclusion of a large set of variables and focus on the components of the HBM to a non-communicable disease (hypertension) in a developing country context. A potential limitation is that the study did not formally investigate the modifying factors dimension of the HBM. Nonetheless, the findings provide clues to care-seeking and compliance issues, while suggesting potential intervention points (e.g. breaking the cost barrier, including social networks in treatment plans) that could be further studied and tested. Ethical Approval Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the Joint University of Ibadan /University College Hospital Ethical Committee. Acknowledgment The authors are grateful to the study participants and community leaders of Idikan community, Ibadan. The input of Dr. Bernard Owumi and Dr. Patricia Awa Taiwo of the Department of Sociology, University of Ibadan, is hereby acknowledged.    REFERENCES 1Mukhopadhyay, B. Detecting and preventing hypertension in remote areas. Ind. J Med Ethics 2006; 3(4): 124-5 2 Lim SS, Vos T, Flaxman AD, Danaei G, Shibuya K, Adair-Rohani H, et al. A comparative risk assessment of burden of disease and injury attributable to 67 risk factors and risk factor clusters in 21 regions, 1990-2010: a systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study 2010. The Lancet. 2012; 380(9859): 2224-60 [DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(12)61766-8] 3 Adeloye D, Basquill C, Aderemi AV, Thompson JY, Obi FA. An estimate of the prevalence of hypertension in Nigeria: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Hypertens 2015; 33: 230-242 [PMID: 25380154 DOI: 10.1097/HJH.0000000000000413] 4 Beaglehole R, Bonita R, Alleyne G, Horton R, Li L, Lincoln P, et al. UN high-level meeting on non-communicable diseases: addressing four questions. The Lancet 2011; 378: 449-455 [PMID: 21665266 DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(11)60879-9] 5 Alwan A, Armstrong T, Bettcher D, Branca F, Chisholm D, et al. Global status report on non-communicable diseases 2010. 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Sudha Chandran: Biography and Profile

Sudha Chandran: Biography and Profile Sudha Chandran On January 28th, 1984, Sudha Chandran stood behind the curtain, staring at the crowd nervously and waiting for the crowd to settle down. It had been a while since she had danced on the stage. The accident had not only left her dejected but also left her fans sceptical about her ability to return to the sacred dance floor. How can a single-legged person dance Bharatnatyam, one of the most intricate Indian dances? She proved everyone wrong. Her dance left the audience spellbound. Sudha was known to have this captivating effect since childhood. The young Sudha was a plethora of talent. She was born on September 21st, 1964 in Mumbai. She is the only child of K.D. Chandran and Mrs. Thangam. Her mother was an exceptionally good singer and her father was an art lover. They instilled in her the love for singing and dancing. Sudha started dancing at the tender age of 3. Seeing how well Sudha was dancing on her own, her father took her to the famous dance school of Mumbai, ‘Kala Sadan’. The principal of the school refused to admit Sudha as she was below the age-limit. Her father pleaded with the principal to at least see Sudha dance and then make the decision. Needless to say, the principal was mesmerised with Sudha’s dance and immediately admitted her in the school. Here, her talent was nurtured under the guidance of her teachers. By the age of 17, she had already performed 75 stage shows and gained popularity for her effortless and graceful dancing. Her parents were her support system. They were very particular about her studies and wanted her to be the best in whatever she did. Her mother left her job and stayed at home so that Sudha’s upbringing was not compromised. She made sure that Sudha went to school, completed her homework, went for the dance class, ate healthy and slept on time. There was no scope of lack of discipline in Sudha’s life. Life was not always dull for her. She was always full of life and made life-long friends during her college days. They went to watch movies together and have road-side food. Life took a sudden turn on 5th May, 1981. She was travelling overnight for a pilgrimage with her parents when her bus collided with a truck resulting in the immediate death of the driver and severe injuries to the passengers. Sudha’s legs were stuck in the wreckage. She was admitted to a government hospital in Trichy, Tamil Nadu. Initially, the doctors thought that she had a minor fracture and treated the leg by putting a plaster on it. It turned out to be a huge mistake. When she went for a check-up to a hospital in Chennai, then Madras, the doctors found out that a wound had not been cleaned properly and, with the plaster on, it had developed gangrene. Whenever gangrene develops in the body, the body part has to be amputated to save the person’s life. Sudha’s leg was amputated in order to save her life. It left Sudha’s heart filled with sadness and her body without a limb. For a dancer, especially of her calibre, it was a major setback. As she couldn’t dance anymore she put all her efforts and energy into studies. She had already finished her B.A degree and was pursuing her M.A in Economics from Mithibai College, Mumbai. The family was heartbroken. Her family had dreamt big for their only daughter. However, no one showed Sudha any pity. They might have been hurting inside, but when they sat together they would talk as if nothing had happened. This helped in avoiding any scope of sympathy and pity for her disability. It was a tremendous attempt to treat her like a person without disability. Through these trying times, her major source of inspiration was her father. He never showed any sign of pity on her daughter and still expected her to have a good life. She learnt to draw strength from her pain. She tried to walk with the help of the crutches as she refused to use a wheelchair. Six months after the amputation she came across an article which changed her life and staged the rebirth of an outstanding dancer. Dr. Sethi was gaining worldwide popularity for manufacturing artificial legs known as the ‘Jaipur Foot’. She could manage to get an appointment with Dr. Sethi, but only after a week because of his busy schedule. Meanwhile, she convinced her parents and set off for Jaipur. Dr. Sethi was stunned by her determination. She refused to leave for Mumbai without getting a foot. He listened intently and understood her requirements. Due to many positions of the foot while performing Bharatnatyam, she needed a more flexible foot than there was. Dr.Sethi created the foot with many nuts and bolts so that it could be bent in any position. When Dr. Sethi presented her with one of the kind foot, Sudha asked him if she could dance again. Dr. Sethi wore the foot and did two dance steps to demonstrate what the foot could do. Sudha knew that the foot would give her, her life back. She practiced dance, wearing the artificial foot, for several hours a day. At times, the pain would be excruciating and often it would bleed, especially when the movements of the foot became fast. But, that didn’t stop Sudha for making her dream a reality; once again. She was surrounded by people who believed in her, especially Dr. Sethi and her parents. Dr. Sethi believed in her and her strength to withstand any adversity. With the support of her loved ones and Dr.Sethi, her confidence and desire to perform on the stage started to return. On 28th January, 1984, after two years of dance practice with the ‘Jaipur Foot’, she performed on the stage at the ‘South India Welfare Society’ of Mumbai. By the time Sudha finished her stellar performance, the entire audience stood up to see the dance of willpower. They could not imagine that a person with an artificial limb could perform such delicate and fast-moving steps. According to Sudha, ‘Once I was on stage, I forgot about my artificial foot. I could only remember that I was performing after a long time and that I had to give my best. The audience’s energy got transformed into my energy.’ Her life inspires people from all walks of life. Ramoji Rao, a Telgu producer approached her with a script titled, ‘Mayuri’ which was loosely based on Sudha’s life. She agreed to play the lead actress and overnight she became a star after the release of the film in 1984. She was presented with a special award ‘Silver Lotus’ and a sum amount of 5,000/- for her role in the film ‘Mayuri’ at the 33rd National Film Festival. In 1986, Ramoji Rao made a Hindi version of the film and titled it ‘Nache Mayuri’. The film was enjoyed by the audiences all across the globe, adding to her popularity. Through ‘Mayuri’, her inspirational story was able to reach out to millions of people across the globe. She believes that everything happens for a reason. She did not let one setback in life ruin her future, â€Å"The accident was a blessing in disguise because without it I would have been just like millions of other dancers. But, dancing with the Jaipur foot makes me one of a kind.† Over the years, she started concentrating more on her acting career. She became part of the small screen and film songs. During the shooting of one of her films, she met Ravi Dang, an assistant director back then. Since then, they have been inseparable. They both provided emotional support to each other. Ravi Dang now manages her dance academy called Natya Mayuri Sudhachandran Dance Academy which is in Ville Parle, Mumbai. She has also established herself as an actress in both on the small screen and in the films. Her name will always be synonymous with courage and dedication. If one thing can be learnt from her life, it is to never give up. Word Galaxy: adversity misfortune; harsh conditions amputate to surgically remove a limb for medical reasons calibre ability; talent excruciating extremely painful; unbearable gangrene decomposition of body tissue due to obstructed circulation or bacterial infection. intricate complex; elaborate sacred holy; revered spellbound awestruck stellar outstanding trying times period of time of hardships or difficulties Fresh Facts: Prior to the accident, she had received two important awards: Nritya Mayuri from the Dance Academy and Bharatnatyam and Nav Jyoti from the Telgu Academy. Dr. Sethi is a specialist in artificial limbs. He is also a recipients of the Raman Magasassay Award. She won the National Film Award – Special Jury Award for her role in Mayuri. The Trend Of Bakery: Justo Eat The Trend Of Bakery: Justo Eat Justo Eat is a bakery with experienced bakers serving all customers with undivided passion. The bakery has a wide range of products for the customers, from a simple mini cheese tart to the often sought-after ice cream cakes. The bakery strives to use only the best ingredient in the market in order to create quality products as ingredient plays an important role to baking mouth-watering delicious food. When the trend of bakery started growing in early 20s, Alvin Lau flew over to Singapore to learn the skills of baking from the established Bread Story. After several years of training, he came back to Malaysia in the hopes of using his skills to teach fellow Malaysians the fine art of bakery besides to create a better living. The first Justo Eat was formed in 2007 in Teluk Intan with a small number of employees, with most of the operations managed by him. From a humble beginning in Teluk Intan, the bakery expanded quickly to Bidor, Batu Gajah, and several regions in Perak. With 4 bakery and 1 bakery academy to boast in a short span of 6 years, Justo Eat has managed to achieve plenty that most could only dream of. Breaking sales of more than RM100,000 and also having the ability to achieve break-even point in a short span of 6 months, Just To Eat bakery is indeed intriguing. Hence, we have chosen this bakery for our research due to its remarkable marketing strategy and also the strategic management of the company. Problems that rose during the course of business and how , using sound marketing strategies, the company managed to stay competitive in the industry, all these would be discussed in the following pages, altogether with the discussion of the bakery industry. 2.0 The Environment Bread is an essential item in all households of Malaysia. It is a necessity that sells very well even in the times of financial turmoil. Though rice is the staple starch for most of the Malaysia population, bread still serves the Malaysia family as it is a choice for breakfast due to the nutrition present in bread. The production of bakery products consists of a few vital components, primarily, sugar, and wheat flour. Unlike wheat flour, the price of sugar over the years has increased ever since the government began cutting subsidies in January 2010. This has caused a significant of 58.6 percent from Rm1.45 per kilogramme (Ariffin, 2012). The hike in sugar price has caused headaches in the bakery industry since sugar is a vital component in the production. However, on the 3rd of February 2012, the government has signed a long-term sugar supply deal that would peg the sugar price of RM2.30 for 3 years, stretching from January 2012 to 2014. Hence, till then the price of sugar would not fluctuate and this is very favorable to the business. The value of bakery products in 2003 reached a whopping RM2 billion with an annual growth of RM65 million over the previous year and it is expected to grow by 4% per annum to reach RM2.9 billion in 2006 (Nordin, Simeh, and Shariff, 2008). There was also a growth in production of bakery products by 1.39%, from 259, 800 tons in 2009 to 263,400 tons in 2010. The increase of production and value of the bakery product is due to the increased use of bakery products by Malaysians due to the rising disposable income and a faster pace of life (Shah, 2011) in the last five to seven years. In 5th July 2012, the Danish firm Palsgaard announced its plan to build an emulsifier plant in Malaysia which will be completed in the first half of 2013 (Culliney, 2012). This announcement further reinforces the bakery industry of Malaysia; allowing greater efficiency of the bread production. The rise of boutique bakery such as BreadTalk, Free Mori, or The Loaf also sparked an increased interest of the public towards bakery products. This latest development of the bakery industry has come to the stage where the choice of buying is not just between white and brown, but a variety of factors due to the emergence of exotic range created by these boutique bakeries. Despite the positive business climate for the bakery industry in Malaysia, the industry still lacks of proper baker association or education that is needed to guide and teach Malaysians regarding this field (Bernama, 2011). Professional training modules need to be implemented in the country in order to create more varieties in the bakery industry and also to gain more knowledge regarding the field. A report released by Euromonitor shows that the retail value of all bakery products in Malaysia has increased from 651.3 million US dollars in 2006 to 742.16 million US dollars in 2011. With appropriate learning environment in Malaysia for the bakery industry, the Euromonitor forecasts that the retail value of bakery product in Malaysia will increase to 871.20 million US dollars in 2016. 3.0 The Industry Our research is based on a bakery store Justo Eat, thus the bakery industry of our assignment is based on the bakery industry in Malaysia, but it is of the bakery industry in Kampar, Teluk Intan, and Bidor instead since these places are where the bakery operates. Since the bakery is not available nationwide, hence, to include major competitors such as Breadtalk or Kings Confectionery which dominate the scene would be unnecessary since they do not provide a direct competition to the bakery in these places. Instead, we would be writing an analysis around these areas in order to provide a better understanding regarding the bakerys business situation. The threat of new competitor in the bakery industry in Perak is very low. This is because bakery is actually a specialized skill is hard to come by, therefore to compete in this industry, one needs to be a learnt baker with enough resources prior to his entry to the industry. It should also be noted that the bakery industry in Malaysia is still very new albeit it is very promising, hence there is not a well-known bakery organization that could produce qualified bakers in Malaysia (Bernama, 2011). Also, the start-up capital for this business is also pretty high, ranging from RM50,000 to RM100,000 for the price of the equipments needed for baking. These baking equipments and machineries are essential for business since the business need to produce thousands of breads everyday. The specialized set of skills needed for the business, coupled with an above average cost of start-up capital, make the threat of new competitors in the market rather low. However, the industry is not without competition. Just-To-Eat faces severe competition in places such as Teluk Intan from a local firm, Happy Angel. The Happy Angel bakery is an established bakery in this region, thus they have extensive resources to compete. Happy Angel bakery has competed with Justo Eat by opening branches wherever they operate in the hope of damaging Justo Eats sales overtime till it is forced to close down eventually. Happy Angel bakery also has competed directly with Justo Eat using pricing strategies in Teluk Intan due to the advantage it has from economies of scale. The price war between these two bakeries went on for a year with Justo Eat emerging as the ultimate winner, however, when Happy Angel bakery was forced to move out due to the diminishing profits. Since bread is a type of fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), theres a variety of substitutes. Substitutes of bread include instant noodles which relatively cost a little higher than bread, yet it provides a better taste for consumers. Whole wheat bread easily available in all convenience store is also a substitute for bread, especially for the health-conscious consumers due to the low level of carbohydrates. Consequently, instant food such as Twiggies and Roti Koko that can be conveniently consumed are substitute products too since it is cheaper. It should also be noted that the small packets of nasi lemak which makes a more filling meal for a cheaper price is also another good substitute product. These products relatively make business a lot harder for bakeries such as Justo Eat because not these products are cheaper, they also offer much better taste than bakeries. Bread is a product of low-involvement, therefore the bargaining power of buyers in the market does not provide a threat to the industry. The low prices of these products do not affect the customers significantly, hence the buyers alone do not impose a great pressure on the bakery. The real threat comes from the variety of substitute products instead since not only these alternate meal options provide a better taste, these products are also subject to price changes constantly. The bargaining power of suppliers is also limited due to high number of suppliers in the market. Suppliers for bakery usually supply raw material, hence these first tiers suppliers can easily be found in the market. Various suppliers compete for the large account of Justo Eat, therefore most often the power to bargain prices usually fall in the hands of this bakery instead. 4.0 Justo Eat Marketing strategies Objective of marketing strategy Product objectives of Justo Eat are desire to grow and enhancing the companys position in the market. Justo Eat is producing high variety of products and maintaining the high quality of products to differentiate and enhance itself in the market. The objective of promotion for Justo Eat is to create awareness among customers and attract more customers in order to increase demand. Pricing objective of Justo Eat is market-share objective. Justo Eat seeks to maximize sales and increase market share for its products. Justo Eat is having distribution channel objective of establishing direct sales contact with final customer to enhance networking generating good relationship for retaining customer. Target market The target market of Just-to-Eat is household who frequently purchase its products especially during special event of wedding and birthday celebration. Justo Eat has high coverage of target market because its product can be consumed daily and convenient to target market. The products being sold are also economically affordable to all customers with low price and full satisfied. Competitive advantage Justo Eat has competitive advantage of good networking with its supplier. The good relationships with suppliers enable Justo Eat to acquire high quality of ingredients with a reasonable cost. The high quality of ingredient will further ensure the product quality. In addition, good relationship with suppliers can help to avoid shortage of ingredients. Secondly, Justo Eat positioned as guaranteed high quality of products which can serve as an instrument to retain customers and carry positive word-of-mouth. Product The top sales product of Justo Eat is bun. Justo Eat bakery provides freshly prepared bakery buns at all times to ensure fresh baked goods are always available. As a result, fresh and high quality buns produced successfully attracting a lot of customer for frequent purchase. Buns such as hawaii pizza, hot dog chicken floss and garlic cheese are generating more sales compare with other bakery products such as cakes. Product line expansion is best to described Justo Eat product strategy. In order to expand the market and boost market share, Justo Eat believed that with wide variety of bread and cakes, different taste of customers can be tailored. In general, it also helps to retain the loyal customer by satisfying their desires through providing a wide variety of bread with good quality, innovative and creative design. For example, Justo Eat carrying variety of products such as fresh cream cakes in cheese series, chocolate and coffee series, fruit series, ice-cream series. In addition, Justo Eat also introduced a product line for festival series such as cartoon series, numbering, wedding and engage, and fullmoon series ( Justo Eat bakery, 2011). Promotion mix On every new opening of branch, Justo Eat rely on banner advertising to grab customer attention. The orange colour of banner can actually brings Justo Eat an identity. Banner is not the only method in advertising the bakery shop, Justo Eat also use brochure. Creative brochure with some important information about company are distributed. Brochures is a low cost advertising method that used by company to create awareness of company to target market. With good reputation, Justo Eat enable to form postive word-of-mouth among the customer. Satisfied customers will spread the positive comment and information about company to their acquaintances and peer groups when they are satisfied with the product purchased. This word-of-mouth is effective and efficient in free advertising. Pricing The price range set by Justo Eat for buns is RM1.20 to RM3.60, tart is RM2.20 and each slice of cake is ranged RM3.20 to RM4.50 while 1kg cakes is in price range of RM28 to RM40. In bakery industry, price war is inevitable, price setting of Justo Eat is relatively lower than competitors. This is useful for rapid market acceptance and maximum sales when come to time for intensive competition with other bakery. Competitor of Justo Eat, Happy Angel Cake House set 1kg of cakes in price range of RM30-RM45 which higher than Justo Eat. (Happy Angel, 2010) A powerful pricing tactics used by Justo Eat, RM 1 price promotions for all breads. Obviously, this is aiming to increase the sales and market share by attracting new customer. Nonetheless, the core advantage Justo Eat can gain from this price promotion is beating down its competitor. The lauching of RM1 per bread promotion is lasting for nine months in order to gain high profit and generated high market share. Competitors had been killed by Justo Eat in this critical period. Place Justo Eat is using direct market channel to reach the market. Justo Eat selling products only in their bakery shop. Justo Eat believed that direct contact with customer is the most effective way to satisfy them. Justo Eat also distribute products to some entertainment shop and campus cafeteria. However, this only serves as a promotional tactics to reach more potential customer to try on Justo Eat bread. As Justo Eat hold that the using of intermediate channel does not earn much profit to them. Justo Eat also invited Taiwanese for demostratation in its shops to attract customers and grab opportunity to learn and improve skills from them. Place strategy that using by Justo Eat is pull strategy which involves a massive word-of- mouth to create demand for product that draws the consumer to seek for it. Pull strategy can easily gather customer feedback on ways improving products. This strategy also can create high demand of products in a short time especially during the period of new open bakery branch. 5.0 Justo Eat challenges and its course of action Despite Justo Eats success, every business surely has to face some problems and challenges among the industry. The trend of the business will lead Justo Eat facing the lowest point of the career with the poorest sale performance due to bread is not the main course for people daily life especially Malaysian. People have other choices of foods such as noodle or rice. In addition, Justo Eat is small in size and the shop recognition is not popular in Malaysia compare to those famous bakeries such as Bread Story. Thus, although the sales is high at the beginning stage, yet the sales drop for a certain period when consumers no longer feel fresh with the bakery. This is a common phenomenon for all businesses. The dropped sales caused Justo Eat to rethink its strategy in order to bear the huge business expenses. As a store with low profit still need to pay for rental, water and electric bill, and employee wages. This kept a critical question for Justo Eat to maintain the business at this sho rt term trough trend. To maintain and even enhance the business during the trough point of the trend, Justo Eat expand the business by opening more branches in other area. The new branches can acquire more customers to gain more sales and eventually increase the popularity of Justo Eat. By doing this, the profitable branch can compensate the low sales branch. Instead of controlled by the trend, Justo Eat take initiative to open bakery academy which provide bakery course. The courses include one day self-interest DIY baking class, specialist certificate course, and professional diploma in baking and confectionery. Different courses had fulfill different student needs to learn a bakery skill. It also brings revenue to Justo Eat. The students who joined the courses in the first year of the commercement of bakery academy can enjoy the priority for partnering with Justo Eat to start own bakery business. By doing this, Justo Eat believed that their venture can be sustained despite the slow trend at certain peri od. In order to maintain the bread and cake business during the slow trend, Justo Eat put more effort in ensuring the performance at store level. The management emphasizes in cleanliness and hygiene of the shop. This helps the firm to earn some credits for the operating environment. It will influence perceive value of consumer, and then it will affect consumers purchasing decision making. Furthermore, the quality of product never been neglected and the best service is provided for customer. To establish employee morale in doing this, Justo Eat management had built up a clear reward performance system culture among the employee. Justo Eat only hire those employee with capability and good working attitude. Moreover, monthly meeting held in headquarter with the entire branch manager is necessary to understand every branch situation and giving opinion to improve the management team. During the meeting will discuss the problem facing and solution in different branch. Therefore Justo Eat can e nsure the employee provide the customer with best service to increase customer satisfaction so that positive word-of-mouth can be established among the customers. With this, customers are willing recommend the bakery to others. When considering a business, location is always a very critical element to be considered. The classic advice location, location, location is right on the mark for a business. The same is to Justo Eat, the location plays an important factor that lead to the firm success. Justo Eat bakery has the fifth branch in sitiawan early in the year of 2009. The opening of this branch had boom the bakery industry in sitiawan at the early stage. Justo Eat had ripped off majority of the market share from the competitors in that particular area. The shop was perceived to be placed at a good location as it located at the main street in Sitiawan and it was located beside The Store supermarket. Initially, Justo Eat believed that the exposure and the awareness of Justo Eat can be exploited from The Store as the bakery shop is viewable from The Store. Thus, the customer surely can notice and recognise the shop. Nonetheless, the shop location is believed to have satisfied number of pedestrian. However, few months later, the sales had dropped tremendously. Justo Eat overlooked the attractiveness of the location. Although there is many customer patronage The Store, but they are not guaranteed to visit the bakery shop. Whats more? Justo Eat overestimated the pedestrian traffic at the particular place. A business should ensure that the area is to be guaranteed to have pedestrian around the shop location from time to time. There is lack of pedestrian around the bakery shop, or can be inferred that during day time, there is not much pedestrian along the road. Therefore, in the end, Justo Eat decided to milk this branch to avoid further losses. Fortunately, the companys sales from the early period is enough to compensate the later stage loss, thus the company able to cover the initial start-up cost and any other operating expenses. The location problem not only existed in Sitiawan, the bakery branch in Kampar also faced location problem but it derived from another aspect. The increasing population in Kampar is really an attractive factor which can gauge business to come in. The number of student no matter in TAR College or UTAR is increasing, the company can exploit this opportunity to gain market share in Kampar. At the opening, the students are also attracted by the RM1 bread promotion, Justo Eat had also achieved high sales at this stage. However, Justo eat failed to anticipate the student study period. Students from both college and universiti will have a 3-week of semester break after final exam. During this time, they will not been in Kampar, therefore, there will be very low sales during that particular month. During the semester break month, Justo Eat can only rely on the sales from household in Kampar. Unfortunately, the location of the bakery shop only serves as a convenient place for the student in Kampar but not for the resident in Kampar. After few semester of lost, Justo Eat decided to milk this branch. Although the location is not suitable for selling their product, yet the store is remained and turns into a bakery academy. The idea of bakery academy is not merely for solving the problem in Kampar, it is a new strategy formulated by Justo Eat for future expansion as mentioned above. Since Justo Eat was searching for store space for bakery courses, while the bakery shop location is suitable for opening bakery academy, Justo Eat subsequently exploit the store space in Kampar to open their first bakery academy. By doing this, Justo Eat can eventually reduce the cost in market research and store renovation in Kampar. 6.0 Suggested alternate courses of action and its implementation To engage in business in a good location is essential to attain exposure in the short-term and to gain profit in long run as agreed by every entrepreneur and businessman. However, by depending solely ones own sixth sense which is considered as an entrepreneurs alertness, is not always reliable. Therefore, it is critical to conduct a thorough survey and analysis before entering a market and location. This can help a company to better understand what the attraction in that particular area or location is, how to draw potential target customers and who its competitors are. Justo Eat, a family-style bakery shop, should create a small marketing team in which they gather useful information, analyze the new shop locations and strategies as well as carry out simple surveys in a particular location to ensure there is a high chance of being able to target its customers. The founder and brains behind Justo Eat is a successful entrepreneur who had depended on his business acuity to correctly anal yze the potential success of a location for a new shop, but there have also been some unforeseen mistakes which is the reason the small marketing team. The marketing team will be able to assist him by delving deeper into his judgment and help him explore his ideas by using survey and analysis research from his marketing department. Tea break is an increasing trend in Malaysia among youths, young adults and oldies, where they will spare some time for a short break no matter how busy they are. To seize this golden opportunity, Justo Eat should include different types of beverages in their shops and chairs and tables where customers can easily enjoy a combination of bread and coffee, and think of Justo Eat when they want to have a tea break. Other than that, the company can also improve the quality of the cake by providing training for its employees. This is due to the poor emphasis on cakes, rather than bread from the company. When compared to the breads, the sales of cake of the company are not always on target. For that reason, improving in the quality of their cakes may be an advantage to the company, to an extent, boosting its sales and revenue. The customers can not only have bread but also enjoy cake during tea time in any Justo Eat shop. Although this will be another operating cost to the company as the co mpany has to increase the number of employees, in the long-term, the company is able to increase its profit and target another new opportunity, enhancing the patronage of customers. This will be its competitive advantage in the bakery industry, as opposed to being just limited to only selling bread and pastries. The overall marketing strategy used by Justo Eat targets the family-based markets. Families often go to bakeries to buy different breads for their childrens breakfast, for them to bring to school or serve as the lunch for the adults. However, there are also unmarried individuals and youths, who prefer more variety in their lives. The variety of choice in Justo Eat is limited and after some time, the single individuals and youths will begin to feel bored due to the lack of new variety. In regards to this, Justo Eat can implement a Weekly Special program, where they introduce new breads to spice things up. This will encourage them to patronize the store at least once a week, using the weekly special bread to attract them, which will boost sales and allow differentiation among the other bakeries in the area. 7.0 Conclusion Justo Eat has good strategies to overcome the company problem, and it also has a complete management system for the daily operation. Throughout its five years of existence, Justo Eat has developed the organization with more and more branch. Developing the business had created the well-known reputation of company. However, in spite of the successful strategy and expansion of company, the future of Justo Eat is challenging. The major challenge is competition among the industry. The company do not have brand strategy that customer can differentiate the company product when compete with others. It does not have a unique product that able to impress the company brand. In other words, there are no products that can makes customer to recall Justo Eat when they think of breads or cakes. Secondly, culture and eating habit towards the Malaysian when having the main course. Consumer may not eat a bread or cake for their lunch or dinner but they will have noodles or rice. Breads and cakes will not be their only choice when considering a meal. Moreover, the society is moving towards healthy food habit. This creates a challenge for Justo Eat in considering the ingredients used in cakes and breads baking. In order to make the first decade, Justo Eat has developed the business by opening bakery academy. It is not merely for increasing the profit but also serve as an opportunity for future expansion. The graduation candidates from Justo Eat can partner with the company to open branch in other location. Therefore, company can have a sharing of the business risk with others and expands the business at the same time. It also helps the company to be well-known as the students will probably spread their experience to others. Upon the venture of Justo Eat, it cannot be denied that the observation of the market and a strong network relationship can really affect a successful business thoroughly. A complete and appropriate management system is essential for daily operation. Still, it is very important how a person can implicate the experience or learning to the venture.