Galdiator essays

Galdiator essays Imagine brutal sword fights equipped with severed limbs, decapitated bodies, men doing anything to kill their opponents, gruesome deaths, and one man caught in the middle. The movie Gladiator consists of all these traits. Gladiator was produced by Douglas Wick, directed by Ridely Scott and starred Russell Crowe. Russell Crowe plays a character named Maximus Desimus Meridius, the general of the Roman Empire army. The movie begins with a war Maximus has just won. The Emperor of Rome, who is dying, shows up at the battle scene to congratulate Maximus on his victory and plans to give the empire to Maximus, not to his son Commodus. In anger and jealousy Commodus, the Emperors son, kills his father, declares himself Emperor, and orders Maximus and his family to be killed. Maximus escapes but it is too late for his family. Maximus is then captured by slave owners and forced into slavery. As a slave, he has to fight as a gladiator in an arena for his life. As Maximus becomes more popular he goes to Rome as a gladiator, but he really goes to Rome to meet Commodus where he can avenge his family and overthrow Commodus. It comes down to a final battle, where Maximus kills Commodus, but also dies in doing so. Maximus is an interesting character because he is a fearless leader, and a ferocious fighter. In the first scene, it is showing Maximus leading his army into a fierce battle. He shows no signs of fear what so ever. He and his horse ride into battle with their heads high, almost as if he enjoys war. He is the first soldier into the battle, and goes to work quickly. He enters the battle, swings his sword a couple times, as if it is an everyday job for him, and begins to slay his enemy. The battle scene is cold and brutal; mens limbs are being severed and everywhere one looks people are being gutted like fish. However, Maximus pays no mind to the vicious moment, for he is so caught up in the moment he grabs one of his own s...

Beginners Guide to the Aztec Empire of Central Mexico

Beginners Guide to the Aztec Empire of Central Mexico The Aztec Empire was a group of allied but ethnically different city states who lived in central Mexico and controlled much of central America from the 12th century AD until the Spanish invasion of the 15th century. The main political alliance creating the Aztec empire was called the Triple Alliance, including the Mexica of Tenochtitlan, the Acolhua of Texcoco, and the Tepaneca of Tlacopan; together they dominated most of Mexico between 1430 and 1521 AD. The capital city of the Aztecs was at Tenochtitlan-Tlatlelco, what is today Mexico City, and the extent of their empire covered almost all of what is today Mexico. At the time of Spanish conquest, the capital was a cosmopolitan city, with different ethnic groups from all over Mexico. The state language was Nahuatl and written documentation was kept on bark cloth manuscripts (most of which were destroyed by the Spanish). A high level of stratification in Tenochtitlan included both nobles and commoners. There were frequent ritual human sacrifices, part of the military and ritual activities of the Aztec people, although it is possible and perhaps likely that these were exaggerated by the Spanish clergy. Timeline of the Aztec Culture AD 1110 - Mexica leave their homeland (Aztlan)AD 1110-1325 - Mexica travel throughout what is now Mexico, looking for a place to settleAD 1325 - Mexica settle TenochtitlanAD 1372-1391 - Rule of Acamapichtli, the first king of TenochtitlanAD 1391-1415 - Rule of Huitzilihuitzli; alliance with  Tepanecs AD 1415-1426 - Rule of ChimalpopocaAD 1428-1430 - Tepanec WarAD 1430 -  Triple Alliance  established between Mexica, Tepaneca of the city of Tlacopan, and Acolhua of the city of TexcocoAD 1436-1440 - Rule of ItzcoatlAD 1440-1468 - Rule of Motecuhzoma I (also called Montezuma)AD 1468-1481 - Rule of AxayactlAD 1481-1486 - Rule of TizocAD 1486-1502 - Rule of AhuitzotlAD 1492 -  Columbus lands in Santa Domingo AD 1496 - Columbus second voyageAD 1502-1520 - Rule of  Motecuhzoma II AD 1510 - Tenochtitlan floodsAD 1519 -  Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes lands  on the Yucatan peninsula and begins his assault on AztecsAD 1520 - Rule of CuitahuacAD 1520 - First smallpox epidemic; Cuitahuac diesAD 1520 - Rule of Cuauhtemoc AD 1521 - Tenochtitlan falls to the Spanish A Few Important Facts about the Aztec Empire Population:  In 1519, the population of the Basin of Mexico was estimated at 1 million inhabitants, between 100,000 and 200,000 in the capital city alone Extent:  Thirty-eight provinces were submitting tribute to Tenochtitlan in 1519, according to the  Codex Mendoza State Language:  Nahuatl, a Uto-Aztecan language Life Expectancy:  37 years, due to high  birth rates  and high infant mortality rates Writing:  State documents concerning administrative details such as the amount of tribute paid to the capital city by each province were preserved on colorfully painted bark cloth paper, made by soaking and pounding the inner bark of the fig or mulberry tree. Calendars:  Like the Maya and other American civilizations, the Aztecs had two cycles to their  calendar, one a 365-day solar year and one a 260 ritual year. Combined, they made a 52-year Calendar Round. The Aztecs believed bad things happened at the end of a Calendar Round. Marriage:  Men could take as many wi ves as they could afford. The first wife was principal, but all wives spun thread and wove cloth, both sources of wealth for Aztec families. Ethnographic Data:  The best information we have on the Aztecs today comes from the writings from members of the Spanish colonization force, such as  Bartolome de las Casas  and  Fray Diego Duran. Aztecs Ritual and the Arts Intoxicants:  Pulque, from fermented agave sap;  peyotl  buttons, datura, psilocybin, black nightshade,  tobacco, morning glory seeds,  chocolate  in a drink, sometimes flavored by  chili peppers  and/or  vanilla Lapidary Arts:  Jadeite,  obsidian, chalcedony,  spondylus  shell Metallurgy:  Two bronzes, one of combined copper and tin, and one of copper arsenic; cast bells,  rings,  and tweezers; some gold and silver. Much was imported from west Mesoamerican  mines,  and metalworkers;  craft work in Tenochtitlan  included hammering, filigree and lost wax methods. The Feathered Serpent:  This pan-mesoamerican fantastic creature was called Quetzalcoatl in the Aztec language. Tlachtli Ball Game:  Played with a rubber ball in a masonry court, the ball game called tlachtli was so important to the Aztecs that 16,000 balls were imported from the Maya lowlands into Tenochtitlan annually. Aztecs and Economics Markets and Trade Network:  Cortes reported that he found a  large market system  in place in the Aztec capital city, where 60,000 people came to trade goods. During the Aztec Empire (1325-1520), the distribution of goods was so widespread that many of the materials traded were mass-produced in villages. A  long-distance trade  exchange system was in place throughout the Aztec Empire, with professional traders called  pochteca  carrying goods such as bird feathers, cacao beans and, most importantly, information. Currency:  Gold jewelry, textiles, cacao beans, and beaten copper axes. Cultivated Crops:  Maize, beans, salvia, squash, tomatoes, cactus, cotton, chile, manioc, goosefoot, amaranth,  cacao (chocolate), avocado, agave Domesticated Animals:  Turkey, duck,  dog Agriculture:  The chinampa system of agriculture used by the Aztecs consisted of a raised planting platform built in a shallow swampland and irrigated through a series of dikes. Aztecs and Warfare Weaponry:  Bow and arrow,  atlatl, oak broadswords with obsidian blades, thrusting spears, round shields of fire-hardened cane, quilted cotton armor, and shield and armed canoes. Ritual  Sacrifice:  According to written records by the Spanish, prisoners of war were led to the top of the Great Pyramid in Tenochtitlan and sacrificed by having their hearts cut out. Their bodies were then thrown down the steps of the pyramid, where they were decapitated, dismembered and eaten by Aztec warriors. This may have been exaggerated by Sahagun, but there is no doubt that ritual sacrifice was part of the rituals of Aztec war. Ritual  Bloodletting  Bloodletting, or auto-sacrifice, was a personal ritual performed by Aztec elites. Empire:  The Aztec mode of imperialism was to conquer a new territory, and then put in a leader over the existing system, rather than replace the entire ruling leadership. This unique blend of force and bribery was extremely effective in maintaining a  far -flung empire. Important Archaeological Sites of the Aztec Empire Tenochtitlan  - Capital city of the Mexica, founded in 1325 on a swampy island in the middle of Lake Texcoco; now underneath the city of Mexico city Tlatelolco  - Sister city of Tenochtitlan, known for its huge market. Azcapotzalco  - Capital of the Tepanecs, captured by the Mexica and added to the Aztec hegemony at the end of the Tepanec War Cuauhnahuac  - Modern day Cuernavaca, Morelos. Established by Tlahuica ca AD 1140, captured by Mexica in 1438. Malinalco  - Rock cut temple built ca 1495-1501. Guiengola  - Zapotec city on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Oaxaca state, allied with the Aztecs by marriage Xaltocan, in Tlaxcala north of Mexico City, founded on a floating island Study Questions Why would the Spanish chroniclers of the Aztecs exaggerate the violence and blood of the Aztecs in their reports back to Spain?What advantages are there to placing a capital city on a marshy island in the middle of a lake?The following English words are derived from the Nahuatl language: avocado, chocolate, and  atlatl. Why do you think these words are the ones we use today?Why do you think the Mexica chose to ally with their neighbors in the Triple Alliance rather than conquering them?What role do you think disease played with the fall of the Aztec empire? Sources on the Aztec Civilization Susan Toby Evans and David L. Webster. 2001. Archaeology of Ancient Mexico and Central America: An Encylopedia. Garland Publishing, Inc. New York.Michael E. Smith. 2004. The  Aztecs. 5th edition. Gareth Stevens. Gary Jennings. Aztec; Aztec Blood and Aztec Autumn. Although these are novels, some archaeologists do use Jennings as a textbook on the Aztecs. John Pohl. 2001. Aztecs and Conquistadores. Osprey Publishing. Charles Phillips. 2005. The Aztec and Maya World. Frances Berdan et al. 1996. Aztec Imperial Strategies. Dumbarton Oaks .

Marketing principles and applications Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Marketing principles and applications - Essay Example In fact, a consumer can use the appliance even without reading the instructions leaflet. In opposition with other appliances of the same characteristics the particular coffee maker offers to the consumer the impression of being involved in a unique experience: a series of color icons, showing cups of coffee of different size, helps the user to decide the type of coffee preferred. Then, icons showing spoons full of sugar and coffee help the user to decide on the amount of coffee and sugar that should be used for the type of coffee chosen. Finally, an icon with cup of milk is used for showing to the user his potential to choose a cup of coffee with milk. Particular emphasis has been also given to the components of the appliance. High quality materials have been used ensuring that the flavor of the coffee is strong. In the context of the issues discussed above, the appliance chosen fully supports the firm’s mission statement, which focuses on quality, convenience and innovation, as described in the introduction section. 2.   Classify Company G’s products using the three-way consumer product classification system. The three-way Consumer Product Classification system is based on the following rule: products can be classified in three categories according to specific characteristics. Reference is made particularly to ‘convenience, shopping and specialty goods’ (Boone & Kurtz, 2012, p.352). The particular system is quite helpful for the development of effective marketing strategies (Boone & Kurtz, 2012, p.352). However, the system is also related to an important weakness: consumer preferences worldwide are not standardized (Ferrell & Hartline, 2010). In fact, differences can be identified in consumer trends even within the same market and in regard to the same product. For example, the performance of a product can be changed within the same market under the impact of severe turbulences in the global market (Ferrell & Hartline, 2010). In ge neral convenience products are those that are highly popular, at least more than shopping products which are not necessarily incorporated in consumers’ daily shopping (Boone & Kurtz, 2012). Moreover, specialty goods are goods of specific characteristics and, usually, of high price (Boone & Kurtz, 2012). Using the above classification system Company G’s products could be classified by referring to three categories: convenience, shopping and specialty goods. It should be noted that the Table refers only to the firm’s small appliances and not to all its products. The consumer factors involved in the classification process are presented in the first column. In the three other columns the relevance of the firm’s products to each product category is analyzed. A rounded rectangle is used for showing the product category to which the firm’s products are nearer; the blue color indicates a high relevance, the green color is used for showing an average releva nce while the red color shows the lack of any relevance. Consumer factor (Boone & Kurtz, 2012, p.352) Convenience products Shopping products Specialty products Time spent on identifying the firm’s products The firm’s products cannot be chosen instantly Thought is required before buying the firm’s products The decision-making process in regard to the purchase of the firm’s products may takes a lot of time Location of the firm’s products The firm’s products are not available in all retail stores The firm’

Perils of Social Networking Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Perils of Social Networking - Research Proposal Example The research problem endeavors to ascertain the assorted aspects that make various social networking sites become disadvantageous among miscellaneous societal members, particularly the young (Azriel, 2011). The study will also attempt to look into mitigation measures, in order to alleviate challenges associated with social networking. The justification of this research is to analyze the extent of the negative impacts of social networking among the dissimilar societal members, particularly the youth. The study will also endeavor to mull over various challenges that result from social networking, and thereby propose mitigation measures (Dailey, 2013). These mitigation measures will be applicable a proposal for implementation will be significant. The study aims at critically examines the role of social networking and challenges to societal members, particularly the youth, and the negative impacts that they pose to the people today. The study will critically review the correlation between social networking youth challenges such as crime, drug abuse and dismal performance among schools (Fuchs, 2012). Following the objectives of the study, it will tend to be more qualitative than quantitative. The study will also look into the implemented measures to alleviate such challenges and their suitability. While critically examining the available research on challenges that social networking poses to the youth, these studies prove to be inadequate. For instance, most studies took place before the introduction of the numerous diverse social networking sites that provide a different platform for association (Fuchs, 2012). This results from the fact that the advancement of technology creates various platforms of social networking, thereby posing new challenges. Additionally, numerous researches on the perils of social networking failed to address the issue of mitigation measures and suitable processes of

Consequences of psychologic fixation Essay Example for Free

Consequences of psychologic fixation Essay The first stage of psychosexual development is the oral stage, spanning from birth until the age of two years, where in the infants mouth is the focus of libidinal gratification derived from the pleasure of feeding at the mothers breast, and from the oral exploration of his or her environment, i. e. the tendency to place objects in the mouth. The id dominates, because neither the ego nor the super ego is yet fully developed, and, since the infant has no personality (identity), every action is based upon the pleasure principle. Nonetheless, the infantile ego is forming during the oral stage; two factors contribute to its formation: (i) in developing a body image, he or she is discrete from the external world, e. g. the child understands pain when it is applied to his or her body, thus identifying the physical boundaries between body and environment; (ii) experiencing delayed gratification leads to understanding that specific behaviors satisfy some needs, e. g. crying gratifies certain needs. [5] Anal stage The second stage of psychosexual development is the anal stage, spanning from the age of eighteen months to three years, wherein the infants erogenous zone changes from the mouth (the upper digestive tract) to the anus (the lower digestive tract), while the ego formation continues. Toilet training is the childs key anal-stage experience, occurring at about the age of two years, and results in conflict between the Id (demanding immediate gratification) and the Ego (demanding delayed gratification) in eliminating bodily wastes, and handling related activities (e. g. manipulating excrement, coping with parental demands). The style of parenting influences the resolution of the Id–Ego conflict, which can be either gradual and psychologically uneventful, or which can be sudden andpsychologically traumatic. The ideal resolution of the Id–Ego conflict is in the childs adjusting to moderate parental demands that teach the value and importance of physical cleanliness and environmental order, thus producing a self-controlled adult. Yet, if the parents make immoderate demands of the child, by over-emphasizing toilet training, it might lead to the development of a compulsive personality, a person too concerned with neatness and order. If the child obeys the Id, and the parents yield, he or she might develop a self-indulgent personality characterized by personal slovenliness and environmental disorder. If the parents respond to that, the child must comply, but might develop a weak sense of Self, because it was the parents will, and not the childs ego, who controlled the toilet training. Phallic stage The third stage of psychosexual development is the phallic stage, spanning the ages of three to six years, wherein the childs genitalia are his or her primary erogenous zone. It is in this third infantile development stage that children become aware of their bodies, the bodies of other children, and the bodies of their parents; they gratify physical curiosity by undressing and exploring each other and their genitals, and so learn the physical (sexual) differences between male and female and the gender differences between boy and girl. In the phallic stage, Latency stage[ The fourth stage of psychosexual development is the latency stage that spans from the age of six years until puberty, wherein the child consolidates the character habits he or she developed in the three, earlier stages of psychologic and sexual development. Whether or not the child has successfully resolved the Oedipal conflict, the instinctual drives of the id are inaccessible to the Ego, because his or her defense mechanisms repressed them during the phallic stage. Hence, because said drives are latent (hidden) and gratification is delayed — unlike during the preceding oral, anal, and phallic stages — the child must derive the pleasure of gratification from secondary process-thinking that directs the libidinal drives towards external activities, such as schooling, friendships, hobbies, etc. Anyneuroses established during the fourth, latent stage, of psychosexual development might derive from the inadequate resolution either of the Oedipus conflict or of the Egos failure to direct his or her energies towards socially acceptable activities. Genital stage The fifth stage of psychosexual development is the genital stage that spans puberty and adult life, and thus occupies most of the life of a man and of a woman; its purpose is the psychologic detachment and independence from the parents. The genital stage affords the person the ability to confront and resolve his or her remaining psychosexual childhood conflicts. As in the phallic stage, the genital stage is centered upon the genitalia, but the sexuality is consensual and adult, rather than solitary and infantile. The psychological difference between the phallic and genital stages is that the ego is established in the latter; the persons concern shifts from primary-drive gratification (instinct) to applying secondary process-thinking to gratify desire symbolically and intellectually by means of friendships, a love relationship, family and adult responsibilities.

The Existential Theme of London’s To Build A Fire Essay -- Build Fire

The Existential Theme of London’s â€Å"To Build A Fire"  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   Jack London’s short story, â€Å"To Build a Fire,† is the tragic tale of a man who decides to travel alone through the hostile environment of the Yukon in sub-freeing temperatures and falls victim to the unrelenting and unforgiving power of nature. During his journey, the man gets his feet wet as he falls through the ice into the water of a hot spring (London 122). Because of the severity of the cold, some â€Å"one hundred and seven degrees below [the] freezing point,† the man’s life depends upon his ability to promptly light a fire to keep his feet from freezing (122-23). After one, half-successful fire-starting endeavor, and several other pitiful attempts, the hopelessness of the man’s lone struggle against the hostile environment of the Yukon begins to become apparent. After a lengthy episode of panic in which the man tries desperately to return the feeling to his extremities by â€Å"running around like a chicken with its head cut off† (128), the man at last â€Å"grows calm and decides to meet death with dignity . . .† (Labor 66). The story’s central theme is one portrayed by many existentialist writers—that man lives a solitary existence which is subject to the relentless, unforgiving forces of nature; an ever so subtle part of this theme is that it is man’s goal to find meaning in his existence. The word existentialist, as well as the subject of existentialism itself, evades definition. Davis McElroy points out this problem by comparing the act of defining existentialism to the act of trying â€Å"to explain human existence in a single sentence . . .† (xi). For the sake of brevity, perhaps a short, simple definition would be best; according to the American Heritage Dictionar... ...s artful placement of irony within the story. Works Cited â€Å"Existentialism.† The American Heritage Dictionary. 3rd ed. New York: Dell, 1994. Hendricks, King. Jack London: Master Craftsman of the Short Story. Logan: Utah State U P,   Ã‚  Ã‚   1966. Rpt. In Jack London: Essays in Criticism. Ed. Ray Wilson Ownbey. Santa Barbara:   Ã‚  Ã‚   Peregrine, 1978. 13-30. Labor, Earle. Jack London. New York: Twayne, 1974. London, Jack. â€Å"To Build a Fire.† Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry and Drama.   Ã‚  Ã‚   6th ed. Ed. X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. New York: Harper Collins, 1995. 118-29. McElroy, Davis Dunbar. Existentialism and Modern Literature. Westport: Greenwood, 1968. Perry, John. Jack London: An American Myth. Chicago: Nelson-Hall, 1981. Walcutt, Charles Child. Jack London. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota P, 1966.         

Qutans Case Study Essay

Qantas is an Australian icon. Australia’s national airline has enjoyed a long history as a profitable business, a respected brand name and has a deserved reputation for safe and reliable travel. For a small country of 23 million people, the Australian domestic airline industry is significant. The high level of urbanization of Australia’s population, the long distances between major urban centres, the lack of high speed trains and the importance of Australia’s tourism industry all spurred growth in air travel in Australia. Qantas has always been the dominant player in the industry. In the years prior to 1990, Qantas operated within a duopolistic industry with Ansett Airlines. After 1990, a variety of short lived challengers entered the Australian market, but none until Virgin Blue (now Virgin Australia) survived. A few days after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Ansett also went bankrupt, leaving Qantas the dominant Australian airline largely untroubled by a much smaller Virgin Blue and a number of insignificant competitors. The years after 2001 were relatively good for Qantas. Its dominance of local airports and landing ‘slots’ made it difficult for Virgin and new entrants to assail its dominant position. For example, when Tiger Airways sought to fly to and from Melbourne, it was required to use a converted shed at Tullamarine Airport as its base. Qantas’ profits between 2001 and 2008 were good. Unlike most of the world’s airlines, Qantas made substantial profits in the years after the 2001 attacks. This was largely because of its dominance of the lucrative Australian domestic market, and most especially its effectively monopoly on domestic business class travel within Australia. In recent years, however, the company has encountered turbulent times. Like all airlines, the global financial crisis of 2008 severely dented demand for Qantas travel, especially leisure travel. The stubbornly high value of the Australian dollar also made Australia a relatively less place to travel for international tourists and students. The airline industry in Australia has become significantly more competitive. After the collapse of Ansett, Virgin Blue had around 10% of the Australian domestic market, while in 2013 in exceeded 30%. Importantly, Virgin has introduced its own business class services domestically while also reducing their fares in this segment. The international airline industry has seen the fall of a number of well-known airlines and the rise of a number of new carriers. The vision of the Qantas group is to be one of Australia’s great businesses and among the world’s great airline groups. However, in the 2012/13 environment, Qantas faced a number of setbacks to this vision. In 2013 Qantas is struggling on two fronts. The first front was the declining profitability of international operations. This problem culminated with Qantas reporting a $257 million dollar loss for the year ending on 30th June, 2012. This was the first loss for the airline since it was fully privatized in 1995. Internationally, Qantas faced tough challenges. New entrants on the Pacific route to the US and the ‘Kangaroo Route’ to Europe constrained fares. The entrance of highly subisidised middle-Eastern carriers like Emirates, Ethihad and Gulf Air also placed pressure on the profit margins on European routes. The emergence of low cost carriers in Asia (like, for example, Air Asia) also brought new capacity to Australia and lowered the market price of economy flights to cities like Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. The airline is, however, profitable in the domestic market, maintaining a 65% market share and keeping its commanding lead over Virgin Australian in the highly profitable domestic business class market. The most profitable activity for Qantas is flying business class passengers. Flying economy between Sydney and Melbourne, for example, can often be less than $100 return. A business class, return flight on this route costs more than $1300 on Qantas. Domestic business class travel thus has very high profit margins, and these premium travelers generally don’t pay for their tickets (this being a perk of senior managerial jobs in many organisations). Qantas has been keen to develop loyalty among this group, investing extensively in lounges and loyalty programs to keep this key customer group content. In an ominous way, John Borghetti (the Virgin Australia CEO, and former Qantas executive) signaled a strong intention to pursue Qantas’ customers in this key segment in 2012 and launched a full-service, business class offering at a 25% discount to Qantas on key routes. Qantas explained the 2011/12 loss in the context of record high fuel costs of $4. 3 billion for the 2011/12 financial year. The airline’s fuel bill was $645 million greater than the previous financial year. In the annual report, the airline also announced a one-off cost of $398 million for a turnaround plan for the airline’s international network. The high Australian dollar and global economic uncertainty also played a role in the airlines woes. Qantas had been a key purchaser of new aircraft from the major manufacturers, Boeing and Airbus, being one of the first customers for Airbus’ A380 and Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner. As one of the few profitable airlines post September 11, 2001, Qantas was able to build its fleet while negotiating strong discounts on new planes. These purchases had improved Qantas’ fleet efficiency and image in the marketplace, but had also driven an escalation in the company’s fixed costs. The second front where Qantas was struggling was continuing industrial action that culminated in the airline locking out some employees and then grounding the entire Qantas fleet on 29 October 2011. Qantas has traditionally been highly unionized – especially in comparison to its new competitors like Virgin Australia and Tiger Airways. Qantas locked out engineers, pilots and baggage handlers from their place of employment. Aircraft were immediately grounded when the lockout announcement was made, and passengers who on board aircraft were ordered to disembark. Some aircraft turned around while they were taxiing for take-off, however aircraft in the air continued on to their destination and were then grounded. This specific industrial action stemmed from difficulties with negotiations commencing in 2010 on a new enterprise bargaining agreement, however the relationship between Qantas and its unions had been troubled for many years. The aircraft grounding ended on the 31st of October when Fair Work Australia ordered the cessation of all industrial action taken by Qantas and the relevant trade unions. A number of issues prompted the industrial action, including the airline’s plans to establish Jetstar Japan, a low-cost subsidiary based in Tokyo. The airline also announced plans to establish Jetstar Hong Kong in partnership with China Eastern Airlines. When announcing Jetstar Japan, the airline also announced the loss of 1000 positions, and so the strategic moves were linked to job losses in Australia. This announcement influenced employees in deciding to take the industrial action that led to the employee lockout. The airline justified its move to establish new bases in Asia as part of its strategy to become more competitive internationally. The strategic moves followed earlier, successful initiatives in establishing Jetstar Asia based in Singapore and Jetstar Pacific Airlines based in Vietnam. In 2012, Qantas has a minority shareholding in both of these airlines. The damage to the Qantas brand by the airline lockout and subsequent grounding of the fleet is difficult to ully quantify. Understandably, there was widespread anger amongst passengers, despite the airline offering refunds and reimbursement for additional passenger accommodation costs. In their annual report for 2011/ 2012, Qantas states that the grounding and industrial action cost the airline $194 million. The impact on staff morale is difficult to quantify. During the period 2011/12 in the industry environment, Qantas faced challenging competition from foreign government backed airlines and the rise of successful middle eastern airlines such as Emirates. The airline industry can also be characterized as a battle of rival world hubs, with Singapore, Hong Kong and other countries vying for supremacy in the East Asian region. The hub battle, however, is one that Australia cannot win on home soil as it is ‘at the end of the line’ in terms of airline route geography. In recent years the industry has also been characterized by the rise of the low cost carriers such as Air Asia and RyanAir. The Australian domestic market, however, has been relatively positive for the airline, with Australia’s economic strength and the growth of the resources sector in the country providing a solid revenue base. The airline is also positioned in the high growth region of Asia, and the related opportunities for the company in this region are numerous. In countering these environmental challenges, Qantas has successfully developed a multi-brand model of operations. The model operates with the Qantas premium brand is the flagship, QantasLink for regional operations, Qantas freight (for freight) and Jetstar as the low cost carrier. In addition, Qantas has a relatively effective frequent flyer program and a relatively dominant domestic market position with corporate clients and business travelers. The company’s codeshare arrangement with airlines in the Oneworld alliance has helped it to overcome the limitations of Australia’s geographical position. On the 6th of September 2012, Qantas announced a new major deal linking its international operations with Emirates and moving away from their previous arrangements with British Airways. This 10-year deal provides Qantas with better access to Europe and Africa, and moves some flights away from Singapore as a stop-over hub for flights to Europe. Dubai would be the new hub for Europe. However Qantas flights to Asia are expected to increase as the move will allow Qantas to focus on Asian airports as destinations rather than as stop-overs. Basically the deal will reduce travel times for passengers on many flights and provide more one-stop destinations for Qantas. It remains to be seen, however, if these initiatives can help to repair the apparent damage to the Qantas brand following the fleet grounding in 2011. In theory, the potential operational efficiencies from the deal should help Qantas to return its international operations towards profitability; however the move comes at a time when there is a degree of political instability in many of the countries near to Dubai. Whatever the outcome, the flying kangaroo of Qantas is likely to continue to retain its dominant position in the Australian aviation market, regardless of the performance of the international division.