Decision questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Decision questions - Assignment Example A  fall  in sales volume may be because of poor advertising, competition, or reduced  production. Therefore, a  manager  who  is not committed  may be slow in identifying any  possible  problem that is causing the change in sales volume compared to a committed manager. Also, managers who are unable to combine analytical and creative thinking may not be able to handle complex, ambiguous operations, which require sophisticated techniques to identify any arising problems. The fundamental differences between Delphi process and nominal group are as listed below. In nominal group technique, members of the group form a list of ideas privately, then one member of the group present one item from the list and they are recorded publicly. Conversely, Delphi process is a process of decision-making which depends on a panel of experts who make decisions while in different locations. In nominal, decisions are made by a group which has a group leader who will present the ideas while in Delphi, every group member give ideas independently. In nominal, the ideas are exchanged verbally while in Delphi, the ideas are conveyed via electronic bulletin board, fax or in online discussion rooms (Whetten & Cameron, 1998). Finally, in nominal criticism of the presented ideas is not allowed while in Delphi it is allowed. Delphi would be better situated than nominal in the cases whereby the ideas needs expertise, while nominal would be better situated over Delphi in the situations exchange of the ideas verbally for convenience (Whetten & Cameron, 1998). The two processes would be controlled by consistent appraisals so as to get fruitful outcomes and get the best

The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdin Essay Example for Free

The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdin Essay A good book for me is something that you don’t want to stop reading. Something that would keep you up late at night and make you try so hard to keep those eyes from closing. The book is over 300 pages long and I figured out that this book by Robert Cialdini might be a little boring so I decided to read colorful magazines in between chapters just to get me through it. It is a classical book published years ago and there are examples of commercials that Im not familiar with. No big deal though, it’s not his fault. I have to admit that on the overall, the book is quite amazing. This classic book on persuasion explains the psychology of why people say â€Å"yes† when they could have said â€Å"no†. It purports why people comply with requests that do not necessarily benefit them. This book talks about the ways salesmen use social conditioning to influence us to buy. Robet Cialdini, a psychologist at Arizona State University, brings evidence from his field to bear on the techniques used by salesmen, politicians, and others to gain compliance. The major techniques advertisers use to manufacture desire are all discussed. These include: reciprocity, commitment and consistency, social proof, liking, authority and scarcity. . They may seem a bit unethical at some points but each chapter ends with ways to defend against each type of influence. Each social tactic is explained thoroughly and the author uses a lot of stories, anecdotes as well as his own experiments to back it up. Dr. Cialdinis research and stories detailed in this book were interesting, applicable in real life situation, and often humorous. I was flabbergasted to read about the powerful, yet restrained and cunning tactics used by many organizations and the media to influence our thoughts, behaviors and opinions. Most folks will recognize these principles in some way from personal experience such as salespersons, telemarketers, advertisements and the like. One of the great points that I find in this book is that, even after just reading the first few pages, you become very aware and realize that indeed those tactics have been used by people using these psychological tools around you. The approaches which I have experienced are on reciprocation, commitment and consistency and liking. In my own personal experiences, some individuals whom I’ve accidentally met would insist on paying for my meals in the restaurant and in return would be asking for favors which they think I can perform in my capacity. That’s just fine though; it is creating an obligation and expecting something in return. This is to trigger an innate response for me to give back. Like they say â€Å"there’s no such thing as a free lunch†. Now, that is clearly applying reciprocation. On my part, I have to do what the other person requests me to do with the idea of paying off the free payments on my meals just to get even and call it quits; you’ve paid for several meals and now I’m doing you a favor; it’s as if I’ve paid for those meals myself although I should have said ‘no’ on the first place. On commitment and consistency; making a commitment and upholding to that commitment even if something goes against what is expected is quite difficult to do. However, it is a proven fact that people who have sworn to do something will do his best to be consistent enough and adhere to that commitment. A politician in one of the local polls in my place committed to help his constituents whether he wins or loses. He lost in the local polls but he sustained what he said. He offered livelihood programs to individuals whom he assesses to be in dire need even if it meant getting the funds out of his own pocket. Cialdini’s book covers six weapons of influence. This book opens people’s eyes to all the psychological tools that people use to influence them. The book tells many stories to illustrate the tools of persuasion, and while reading it you will be thinking of the personal experiences when someone has persuaded you or when you unknowingly used one of these tools to persuade another. Cialdini did not only explain to readers the many ways that these, 6 weapons of influence are used against us, he also explains how we can avoid falling prey to them, and even turn them against the marketers and individuals who use them. It is nice to note that securing compliance from people can be greatly increased by doing them a favor, whether they ask for it, like it, or not; the simple act of a gift creates an obligation to comply with the gift givers request. Public verbal or written commitments drive intense desires to comply; people tend to determine what is correct, or not, by what other people think is correct; we are inclined to say yes to people we like; people tend to comply to authority figures; and other things seem more valuable to us when their availability is limited. This book may be classical but most folks will recognize these principles in some way from personal experiences. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in cognitive science and applied psychology. It is applicable to our daily lives. Readers can use it to defend themselves from marketers or they can use it to influence others as well.

The Relationship Between Katherine and Zebra in Anchee Mins Novel, Katherine :: Katherine

The Relationship Between Katherine and Zebra in Anchee Min's Novel, Katherine Anchee Min, a Chinese novelist, has written many books about life in China revolving around the Cultural Revolution, including her autobiography Red Azalea. In her novel Katherine (1995), readers are exposed to life after the Cultural Revolution. The story focuses on two bold characters—Katherine and Zebra. Katherine, an American schoolteacher, comes to China to teach English to the younger generation. Her western ideology—free spirit, free will, and her stylish appearance--influences her students to think differently about the ways they live. Zebra, a student, has aspiring goals to be like Katherine in every way possible. Min portrays these two characters as very close friends, lost souls with only each other to turn to and rely on. During the Cultural Revolution, Zebra was sent to work in a mine where she used dynamite. She was raped by her party boss and became pregnant. Zebra confides in Katherine that she took a drug to kill the baby and at work she felt a stream of blood run down her leg (101). Zebra has never before told anybody what has happened to her in this mine. After Katherine hears the story, Zebra cries in her arms. The only reason she tells Katherine this horrible story is because she trusts her. But before Zebra actually tells Katherine what happens she comments: â€Å"I don’t know how it happened, but all at that moment, my heart felt a sudden tenderness† (97). Katherine also confides in Zebra when telling her about her childhood. Katherine’s biological mother was mute, and it was very hard for the two to communicate. Katherine says that she struggled to have a normal childhood. â€Å"Because my biological mother was deaf and blind I thought that I might become deaf and blind at any moment† (102). Zebra is there for her and can relate, Zebra having a rough family life as well. Her mother is not blind and deaf, but the communication between the two is not there. Zebra spends little time with any of her family members, and hardly ever speaks to them. Zebra and Katherine’s lives merge because of the things they share in common—similar ages, having rough pasts, and having nobody to rely and confide in. Zebra also turns to Katherine when she has a relationship with Lion Head, a classmate of Zebra’s.

Assignment IKEA Case Study Essay

IKEA is a Swedish-owned global business founded in 1943. The business generates annual revenues of 27 billion euros and employs 139,000 people in 298 stores and 26 countries. The values and design philosophy of the founder continue to underpin the brand. These values might be summed up as frugal, democratic, environmentally aware, and design oriented. IKEA has become synonymous with Swedish lifestyle. The stores are virtually identical across the globe and sell a range of globally sourced flat-packed furniture products as well as a range of related furnishings for the home—the stores offer customers a Swedish experience by incorporating restaurants and a variety of customer services intended to simplify the shopping process (e.g., childcare). What is interesting about IKEA is that customers have become a significant part of the value creating process—customers play a key role in terms of logistics and in production. By performing the assembly of the flat-packed furniture, customers complete the final stages in the production process. In terms of logistics, the customer â€Å"moves† goods from warehouse-style storage through the checkout, and then transports the goods home. The trade-off for the consumer is lower prices and immediate gratification—furniture is typically sold using just in time (JIT) inventory management, which means that once a customer has placed an order, the furniture then goes into production and is delivered to the customer’s home some 3–4 months later. IKEA’s senior management has in the past pursued an aggressive expansion policy, but management is currently changing direction, adopting a slower rate of expansion and investing in existing stores. The company plans to increase sales by 10% a year to 2020, thereby doubling annual sales revenues. Management is concerned about how expansion in the BRIC countries, particularly India and China, is pursued. There are fears about preserving the company’s culture in these huge markets (Milne, 2013). Sources: http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/this-is-ikea/company-information/index.html Milne, R. (2013, September 1). Ikea signals slower expansion. Financial Times. What do you think? What would you do? What problems do you foresee and how will this impact IKEA’s Swedish concept? Please recommend a marketing solution that will help IKEA achieve growth in either India or China based on your understanding of the place P and how delivering the value is evolving. Please use the case study guidelines below to perform a brief analysis, identify the problem, suggest alternative solutions, and make recommendations for the implementation of the solution that you believe is the best fit. Case Study Guidelines 1. Analysis of the Current Situation—The proper context must be established for the case analysis. Please provide a SWOT analysis in a SWOT box. Research: Identify the key environmental factors such as industry trends, level of competitiveness, customer perceptions, legal considerations, and evolving technology at the outset of the analysis. Summarize the key aspects of the internal environment of the firm in terms of strengths and weaknesses and the external environment in terms of opportunities and threats to the firm in your SWOT box. 2. The Target Market—Identify your target market: Who is your target customer? In terms of demographics and lifestyle, what aspects of consumer behavior provide insights into this group of customers? 3. The Problem—Identification of key problem(s). It is easy to identify symptoms of problems while failing to identify the real problems. For example, declining sales may be identified as a problem, when the decline is only symptomatic of more complex problems that are harder to observe. Make a  clear distinction between what is identified as the problem and the symptoms of the problems. 4. Alternative Solutions—Identify and evaluate alternatives. Develop reasonable alternatives and evaluate them in terms of feasibility, projected costs advantages, disadvantages, and potential short-term and long-term consequences. 5. Recommended Course of Action—Select a course of action and provide the appropriate strategies and tactics to accomplish the chosen course. Justify your choice in terms of your analysis. As most practitioners know, charting a course of action can be a difficult job, but implementation is the true challenge. Produce a workable action plan that would have a reasonable probability of success in the implementation phase. Develop a minimum of five slides to present the findings of your analysis. Some additional research is expected. The IKEA website is highly informative. Use APA format and include an additional slide with your sources. Assume that your analysis will be presented to the IKEA senior management team and that your job depends on it!

Book Review “Thinking, Fast and Slow” Essay

I read the international bestseller â€Å"Thinking, Fast and Slow† of Daniel Kahneman (Winner of the Nobel Prize) over the last 3-4 weeks. I think it is a very interesting book and it is describing very critically the human brain and mind, which gave me many insights into decision-making and errors we are doing automatically without noticing it every day. He is very often talking about â€Å"System 1† and â€Å"System 2†. System 1 is fast; it’s intuitive, associative, metaphorical, automatic, impressionistic, and it can’t be switched off. Its operations involve no sense of intentional control, but it’s the â€Å"secret author of many of the choices and judgments you make† and it’s the hero of Daniel Kahneman’s book Thinking, Fast and Slow. System 2 is slow, deliberate, effortful. Its operations require attention. System 2 takes over, rather unwillingly, when things get difficult. It’s â€Å"the conscious being you call ‘I'†, and one of Kahneman’s main points is that this is a mistake. You’re wrong to identify with System 2, for you are also and equally and profoundly System 1. Kahneman compares System 2 to a supporting character who believes herself to be the lead actor and often has little idea of what’s going on. System 2 is slothful, and tires easily – so it usually accepts what System 1 tells it. It’s often right to do so, because System 1 is for the most part pretty good at what it does; it’s highly sensitive to subtle environmental cues, signs of danger, and so on. It does, however, pay a high price for speed. It loves to simplify, to assume WYSIATI (â€Å"what you see is all there is†), even as it gossips and embroiders and confabulates. It’s hopelessly bad at the kind of statistical thinking often required for good decisions, it jumps wildly to conclusions and it’s subject to a fantastic suite of irrational biases and interference effects (the halo effect, the â€Å"Florida effect†, framing effects, anchoring effects, the confirmation bias, outcome bias, hindsight bias, availability bias, the focusing illusion, and so on). Thousands of experiments have been conducted, right across the broad board of human life, all to the same general effect. We don’t know who we are or what we’re like, we don’t know what we’re really doing and we don’t know why we’re doing it. That’s a System 1 exaggeration, for sure, but there’s more truth in it than you can easily imagine. Judges think they make considered decisions about parole based strictly on the facts of the case. It turns out (to simplify only slightly) that it is their blood-sugar levels really sitting in judgment. We also hugely underestimate the role of chance in life (this is again System 1’s work). Analysis of the performance of fund managers over the longer term proves conclusively that you’d do just as well if you entrusted your financial decisions to a monkey throwing darts at a board. There is a tremendously powerful illusion that sustains managers in their belief their results, when good, are the result of skill; Kahneman explains how the illusion works. The fact remains that â€Å"performance bonuses† are awarded for luck, not skill. They might as well be handed out on the roll of a die: they’re completely unjustified. This may be why some banks now speak of â€Å"retention bonuses† rather than performance bonuses, but the idea that retention bonuses are needed depends on the shared myth of skill, and since the myth is known to be a myth, the system is profoundly dishonest – unless the dart-throwing monkeys are going to be cut in. In an experi ment designed to test the â€Å"anchoring effect†, highly experienced judges were given a description of a shoplifting offence. They were then â€Å"anchored† to different numbers by being asked to roll a pair of dice that had been secretly loaded to produce only two totals – three or nine. Finally, they were asked whether the prison sentence for the shoplifting offence should be greater or fewer, in months, than the total showing on the dice. Normally the judges would have made extremely similar judgments, but those who had just rolled nine proposed an average of eight months while those who had rolled three proposed an average of only five months. All were unaware of the anchoring effect. The same goes for all of us, almost all the time. We think we’re smart; we’re confident we won’t be unconsciously swayed by the high list price of a house. We’re wrong. (Kahneman admits his own inability to counter some of these effects.) We’re also hopelessly subject to the â€Å"focusing illusion†, which can be conveyed in one sentence: â€Å"Nothing in life is as important as you think it is when you’re thinking about it.† Whatever we focus on, it bulges in the heat of our attention until we assume its role in our life as a whole is greater than it is. Daniel Kahneman won a Nobel prize for economics in 2002 and much of his time he’s working together with Amos Tversky. Thinking, Fast and Slow has its roots in their joint work. It is an outstanding book, distinguished by beauty and clarity of detail, precision of presentation and gentleness of manner.

JFK History essays

JFK History essays John Fitzgerald Kennedy, was the 35th president of the United States. He was the youngest man and the first Roman Catholic ever elected to the presidency. Rich, handsome, elegant, and articulate, he aroused great admiration at home and abroad. His term of office as president was too short, however, to say what his place in history might have been Kennedy was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, on May 29, 1917. His father, Joseph P. Kennedy was a businessman who became a multimillionaire, head of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and ambassador to Great Britain. Kennedy graduated from Choate School in Wallingford, Connecticut. He then briefly attended Princeton University, and then entered Harvard University in 1936. At Harvard he wrote an honors thesis on British foreign policies in the 1930s. It was published in 1940, the year he graduated, under the title Why In 1941, shortly before the United States entered World War II, Kennedy joined the U.S. Navy. He attended a school to learn about the Patrol Torpedo boat. Kennedy was sent to the islands of the South Pacific Ocean where he was in charge of a Torpedo boat, everybody called him Skipper John Kennedy, the boat was called PT 109. The boat had been in battle and and it was dirty. The engines were in need of repair. J.F.K went to work, and soon the PT 109 was ready for war. J.F.K said, "the torpedos would sink any ship on the sea". Near an old pier the PT boats waited every day. When night came, they were ready for war. They drifted out into the ocean and listened for the sound of engines of enemy ships, for three or more nights they did that but they didn't find anything. One night in early autumm four enemy ships had been spotted near an island. The PT boats waited for dark so they wouldn't be seen. Slowly the PT 109 rode the black waves and every man of the crew listened. The crew could here the sou ...

How to Make Blueprint Paper

How to Make Blueprint Paper Blueprint paper is a specially-coated paper that turns blue where it is exposed to light, while areas kept in the dark remain white. Blueprints were one of the first ways to make copies of plans or drawings. Heres how to make blueprint paper yourself. Blueprint Paper Materials 15 mL of 10% potassium hexacyanoferrate(III) (potassium ferricyanide)15 mL of 10% iron(III) ammonium citrate solutionPetri dishWhitepaperTongs or small paintbrushSmall opaque object (e.g., coin, leaf, key) Make Blueprint Paper In a very dim room or in the dark: pour the potassium ferricyanide and iron(III) ammonium citrate solutions together into a petri dish. Stir the solution to mix it.Use tongs to drag a sheet of paper across the top of the mixture or else paint the solution onto the paper using a paintbrush.Allow the sheet of blueprint paper to dry, coated side up, in the dark. To keep the paper from being exposed to light and to keep it flat as it dries, it may help to set the wet sheet of paper on a larger piece of cardboard and cover it with another piece of cardboard.When you are ready to capture the image, uncover the top of the paper and overlay an ink drawing on clear plastic or tracing paper or else simply set an opaque object on the blueprint paper, such as a coin or key.Now expose the blueprint paper to direct sunlight. Remember: for this to work the paper must have remained in the dark until this point! If its windy you may need to weigh down the paper to keep the object in place.Allow the p aper to develop in the sunlight for about 20 minutes, then cover the paper and return to the darkened room. Thoroughly rinse the blueprint paper under cold running water. Its fine to have the lights on. If you do not rinse away any unreacted chemicals, the paper will darken over time and ruin the image. However, if all the excess chemicals are rinsed away, youll be left with a permanent colorfast image of your object or design.Allow the paper to dry. Cleanup and Safety The materials for making a blueprint (cyanotype) paper are safe to work with, but its a good idea to wear gloves since youll be working in the dark and might otherwise cyanotype your hands (turn them temporarily blue). Also, dont drink the chemicals. They are not particularly toxic, but they are not food. Wash your hands when you are done with this project.

The Jim Crow Era

The Jim Crow Era The Jim Crow Era in United States history began towards the end of the Reconstruction Period and lasted until 1965 with the passage of the Voting Rights Act. The Jim Crow Era was more than a body of legislative acts on the federal, state and local levels that barred African-Americans from being full American citizens. It was also a way of life that allowed de jure racial segregation to exist in the South and de facto segregation to thrive in the North. Origin of the Term "Jim Crow" In 1832,  Thomas D. Rice, a white actor, performed in blackface to a routine known as â€Å"Jump Jim Crow.†Ã‚   By the end of the 19th Century, as southern states passed legislation that segregated African-Americans, the term Jim Crow was used to define these laws In 1904, the phrase Jim Crow Law was appearing in American newspapers. Establishment of a Jim Crow Society In 1865, African-Americans were emancipated from enslavement with the thirteenth amendment. By 1870, the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments are also passed, granting citizenship to African-Americans and allowing African-American the right to vote. By the end of the Reconstruction period, African-Americans were losing federal support in the South. As a result, white legislators on state and local levels passed a series of laws that separated African-Americans and whites in public facilities such as schools, parks, cemeteries, theaters, and restaurants. In addition to barring African-Americans and whites from being in integrated public areas, laws were established prohibiting African-American men from participating in the election process. By enacting poll taxes, literacy tests and grandfather clauses, state and local governments were able to exclude African-American from voting.   The Jim Crow Era was not just laws passed to separate blacks from whites. It was also a way of life. White intimidation from organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan kept African-Americans from rebelling against these laws and becoming too successful in southern society.  For instance, when  writer Ida B. Wells began exposing the practice of lynching and other forms of terrorism through her newspaper, Free Speech and Headlight, her printing office was burned to the ground by white vigilantes.   Impact on American Society In response to Jim Crow Era laws and lynchings, African-Americans in the South began participating in the Great Migration. African-Americans moved to cities and industrial towns in the North and West hoping to escape the de jure segregation of the South. However, they were unable to elude de facto segregation, which barred African-Americans in the North from joining specific unions or being hired in particular industries, purchasing homes in some communities, and attending choice schools. In 1896, a group of African-American women established the National Association of Colored Women to support women’s suffrage and fight against other forms of social injustice. By 1905, W.E.B. Du Bois and William Monroe Trotter developed the Niagara Movement, assembling more than 100 African-American men throughout the United States to aggressively fight against racial inequality.  Four years later, the Niagara Movement morphed into the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to fight against social and racial inequality through legislation, court cases, and protests. The African-American press exposed the horrors of Jim Crow to readers throughout the country. Publications such as the Chicago Defender provided readers in southern states with news about urban environments- listing train schedules and job opportunities. An End to the Jim Crow Era During World War II the wall of Jim Crow began to slowly crumble. On the federal level, Franklin D. Roosevelt  established the Fair Employment Act or Executive Order 8802 in 1941 which desegregated employment in war industries after civil rights leader A. Philip Randolph threatened a March on Washington in protest to racial discrimination in the war industries.   Thirteen years later, in 1954, Brown v. Board of Education ruling found the separate but equal laws unconstitutional and desegregated public schools. In 1955, a seamstress and NAACP secretary named Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a public bus. Her refusal led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which lasted over a year and began the modern Civil Rights Movement. By 1960s, college students were working with organizations such as CORE and SNCC, traveling to the South to spearhead voter registration drives.  Men such as Martin Luther King Jr. were speaking not only throughout the United State but the world, about the horrors of segregation. Finally, with the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Jim Crow Era was buried for good.

Process vs Product Drama in Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Process vs Product Drama in Education - Essay Example According to the paper the intrinsic, imaginative of the student was part of learning and was based on the intrinsic needs of the individual. A new student-centered approach became a primary and secondary method of approaching process vs. product drama in education in England†¦ the exploration of intrinsic, imaginative needs from the ‘mind’s eye’ or inner visualization of the student was the basis of discussion and practice for production and performance moving into the 20th century. Thus, many of the ‘product vs. process drama’ perspectives were based on the intrinsic processes of the student-centered learning experiences. Teacher and drama education practitioner, Harriet-Finlay Johnson   claimed freedom of expression concerning ‘aesthetic valuation’ of product, production and performance of plays†¦a student’s aesthetics and perspective should be the diverse ‘lens’ through which the value of dramatic proce ss or theatrical experiences be judged. Analysis of the research literature is a predominant method by which this thesis.

Contemporary Dance Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Contemporary Dance - Thesis Example Perhaps one important fact to note is that visual arts, which were initially part of the musical dance, had been significantly diluted by the 20th century. This was especially so due to the elimination of the painting works that was so common in the duration that the whole meaning of music lost sense. Additionally, the pigmentation aspect in terms of music choreography underwent significant change on the onset of modern music, hence eliminating the significance of color in music choreography. When it comes to poetry and other literary works, poetry stands in direct contrast with the emotional expressions that the romantics bring about. In a similar manner, the contemporary novels focus more of the facts of the matter rather than going deep into the description of the characters and phenomena involved. This has greatly diluted the many literary and artistic works over the years, thus making them less desirable compared to other areas of creativity. As far as dialogues are concerned, two types of human personality exist, one depicting that human beings react rationally to various situations that come their way. Human beings react according to their beliefs and not the consequences however expensive the consequences might be. On the other hand, some scholars like Susan belief that human beings are both practical and logical meaning that they react in a reasonable and realize manner according to the situations that face them. The truth of the matter is that the vocabulary of the moral feeling is undoubtedly the most influential concept arising out of the belief in the inner self.

Revenge in the Contemporary Society Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Revenge in the Contemporary Society - Assignment Example Shakespeare presents two pieces of artwork of Titus and Titus Andronicus who appears as a sordid tale of bloodthirsty revenge in political turmoil. The pieces of work present a turbulent scenario characterized by massive blood flows and unthinkable brutality. In the process of affecting the revenge, countless murders are reported, rape and terrible actions of fierce mutilation. Generally, the characters in both pieces of work of Titus Andronicus are the Romans and the vital captives that found their way to the Roman Empire after the ten-year war with the Goths. This integrated the Goth’s queen, Tamara, and her family members who were the painful bearers of the cold brutal murders, hence, creating the theme of revenge (Shakespeare 232). Shakespeare presents this theme as a plot in one of his earlier works which do not appear to be popular as the pieces of work are viewed as excessively violent which, in my opinion, appear to be the best setting for the theme. The story is quite powerful and juicy as moving though is not that dynamic as one may wish a player to be. Titus Andronicus is a Roman general, who is in charge of a leadership position in the army that fights the Goths and defeats them in cruel and bloody war. Before the war is finished Titus wants to execute the son of the queen of Goths, Tamara, who pleads for the mercy for her son as it is normally said that the pain of childbirth should be enquired from the mother. Titus though defies the pleas of the mother and goes ahead to kill Tamara’s son anyway (Shakespeare 157). After the bloody killing of Tamara’s sons by Titus, the queen swears to revenge on Titus’ kingdom and initiates a total bloodbath.  

International Managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International Managment - Essay Example Zen meditation is all about focusing, inward, looking at yourself, your own soul and become one with oneself. This experience is a whole new philosophy that anyone can apply to any aspect of one’s life. Zen art has shown me the way, the true way to wisdom and knowledge and I’m not going to stop at any demented or passive thought of abandoning the journey of my life enlightenment. Zen is not just about seeing things as they are; mountains as mountains and rivers as rivers, it is much more than that (Borup, 2008). The second activity worth mentioning is giving an insight to others about my own country, Saudi Arabia. This time, I analyse my country as an outsider and see it in a different light. And show what secrets it holds for the people who are unfamiliar with this land that was once nothing but desert cones. But now the world knows Saudi Arabia as one of the key players in the world energy sector. There is so much more to discover in Saudi Arabia other than deserts an d oil. There is only a little that the world knows about the people of Saudi Arabia, its culture, religion, food, the way people live and communicate with each other, and how recent developments have changed the life of Saudis. This is how it should be; people should recognize a country for its diversity and not for just a specific thing or two. A country is not its products, its natural resources but its people. Activity I: New Cultural Experience The Zen Meditation Impression It would be better to introduce Zen before delving into the details of its meditation. Zen is one of the many schools of Buddhists teachings, called Mahayana Buddhism (Zen.rinnou.net). China was the birthplace of this meditation but now this practice is world popular. Zen is the key to the great wisdom of Asia (Johnston, 2003), an inner art and â€Å"design of the Orient† (Reps & Senzaki, 1998, pp. 17-18). The art of Zen awakens the student to the art of formless (Merton, 1968, pp. 6-7), which also mea ns not pondering at the pointed finger but observing what is being pointed at (Johnson, 2000, pp. 21-22). I have joined the Sydney Zen Center in Annandale, NSW. I’ve attended two gatherings there or more than two hours each. It has turned out to be a great cultural experience for me. I have come to know about the Chinese Buddhist culture and how it resonates in the life of an individual. The Zen philosophy is all about attaining inner peace, also known as enlightenment. The main focus is developing an insight into the Buddhist teachings. So it is not merely reciting some verses, or visiting the temple, it is about applying the principles of Zen in one’s life and seeing how it creates a difference in the everyday living. The first lesson given by the teacher was to defeat duality. I later read in book that the most important lesson of Zen is not to be dualistic (Suzuki, 2010). The feelings I experienced were incredible, I have never felt an inward observation towards my soul. Zen is magical and whoever journey’s it finds whatever they seek (Arokiasamy, 2005). The feelings were mostly of calm and peacefulness as if eliminating the negative energy out of one’s mind and filling it with the pure white energy. This white energy also fills the mind and the eyes, and that is how one starts to feel and see the world differently. The calmness of this energy put me to a state of mind where I stopped resisting and fighting for useless objectives. After the meditation session was over I felt as if we all engage in many

Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 35

Business - Essay Example The success of Apple Inc. is characterized by innovativeness, acquisitions, and product diversification. Apple Inc. is a company that has grown to a multinational with a great reputation across the world. In its path, innovation strategies, product diversification, and acquisitions have contributed greatly to its success. Apple Inc stands on the philosophy of â€Å"think different† which means the company is focused on innovation (Apple Inc, 2014). Apple has been consistent in the development of its products; they have embraced changes in several occasions hence developing products that have hit the market by storm. Another strategy the company has adopted is diversification. When the company was started, its sole mandate was to develop and sell personal computers. However, over time the company has diversified shifting from this role to that of developing and selling consumer electronics such as mobile gadgets, televisions, and iPods among others. The strategy utilized by Apple Inc is the differentiation strategy. Apple Inc. has developed various mechanisms to have a superior brand that differentiates itself from the competitors. The company’s innovativeness, leadership, and ability to embrace diversification of products characterize these strategies. In the electronic industry, Apple Inc. has created a respectable brand that people have confidence with. It has attracted technology enthusiasts and those in need of certain aspects in electronics. Creating an impressive brand promotes customers’ loyalty and presents psychological benefits to them. By remaining innovative and establishing new products that are unique from those of the competitors, the company is able to foster customer retention and hence brand loyalty. Various information systems are likely to give the company a competitive advantage over the rest. Such include the ability to use the social media platforms to market and create product awareness.

International Managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International Managment - Essay Example Zen meditation is all about focusing, inward, looking at yourself, your own soul and become one with oneself. This experience is a whole new philosophy that anyone can apply to any aspect of one’s life. Zen art has shown me the way, the true way to wisdom and knowledge and I’m not going to stop at any demented or passive thought of abandoning the journey of my life enlightenment. Zen is not just about seeing things as they are; mountains as mountains and rivers as rivers, it is much more than that (Borup, 2008). The second activity worth mentioning is giving an insight to others about my own country, Saudi Arabia. This time, I analyse my country as an outsider and see it in a different light. And show what secrets it holds for the people who are unfamiliar with this land that was once nothing but desert cones. But now the world knows Saudi Arabia as one of the key players in the world energy sector. There is so much more to discover in Saudi Arabia other than deserts an d oil. There is only a little that the world knows about the people of Saudi Arabia, its culture, religion, food, the way people live and communicate with each other, and how recent developments have changed the life of Saudis. This is how it should be; people should recognize a country for its diversity and not for just a specific thing or two. A country is not its products, its natural resources but its people. Activity I: New Cultural Experience The Zen Meditation Impression It would be better to introduce Zen before delving into the details of its meditation. Zen is one of the many schools of Buddhists teachings, called Mahayana Buddhism (Zen.rinnou.net). China was the birthplace of this meditation but now this practice is world popular. Zen is the key to the great wisdom of Asia (Johnston, 2003), an inner art and â€Å"design of the Orient† (Reps & Senzaki, 1998, pp. 17-18). The art of Zen awakens the student to the art of formless (Merton, 1968, pp. 6-7), which also mea ns not pondering at the pointed finger but observing what is being pointed at (Johnson, 2000, pp. 21-22). I have joined the Sydney Zen Center in Annandale, NSW. I’ve attended two gatherings there or more than two hours each. It has turned out to be a great cultural experience for me. I have come to know about the Chinese Buddhist culture and how it resonates in the life of an individual. The Zen philosophy is all about attaining inner peace, also known as enlightenment. The main focus is developing an insight into the Buddhist teachings. So it is not merely reciting some verses, or visiting the temple, it is about applying the principles of Zen in one’s life and seeing how it creates a difference in the everyday living. The first lesson given by the teacher was to defeat duality. I later read in book that the most important lesson of Zen is not to be dualistic (Suzuki, 2010). The feelings I experienced were incredible, I have never felt an inward observation towards my soul. Zen is magical and whoever journey’s it finds whatever they seek (Arokiasamy, 2005). The feelings were mostly of calm and peacefulness as if eliminating the negative energy out of one’s mind and filling it with the pure white energy. This white energy also fills the mind and the eyes, and that is how one starts to feel and see the world differently. The calmness of this energy put me to a state of mind where I stopped resisting and fighting for useless objectives. After the meditation session was over I felt as if we all engage in many

1st Amendment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

1st Amendment - Essay Example Freedom of speech should also be limited whereby one takes away someones rights such as threats and discrimination. Freedom of speech should also be limited for matters of national security whereby information shared should be confidential( Freedom of Expression in the United States, 2013) Yes, freedom of speech can improve society. Freedom of speech allows citizens to freely criticize the government which responds to answer to its actions unlike whereby speech is restricted, unfair criticisms tend to rise and may spread all over the country. Freedom of speech gives the society political right which allows them to resist to oppression, injustice and have free elections. Freedom of speech allows citizens to freely express their minds on vital issues of the society and access information which promotes the free flow of thoughts that preserve democracy and self-actualization for the healthy development of the society. Pure freedom is speech is not beneficial in todays world since unlimited freedom of speech is damaging to the development of the society and the government service to its citizens. In scenarios whereby speech is unlimited, unfair criticisms are made against the state in which case the state cannot respond. This results in poor relations between the state and its citizens and its a step backwards to national development. The modern society often abuses the freedom of speech to hurt and harm others. For example; Television stations, air adult content without putting a warning message and minors end up being exposed to indecent material. They should be limited to airing those programs at later hours. No, allowing people to freely spread hatred, incite violence and ridicule others religions and nations results in a divide and lack of peace between the people, different religions and countries. It also violates the freedom of speech, freedom of expression and the right to

The director of An Inspector Calls Essay Example for Free

The director of An Inspector Calls Essay During the first moments of the play, urchins, played by small children, entered from the side of the stage and started lifting up the curtains to signify poverty that the Birling family were shutting out, and how curious they are to see what is happening in the Birlings lives. In addition, it also indicates how at some stage in the rest of the play, their once concealed lives were about to be exposed to the public. These urchins also represented the working class, like Eva Smith and how no one took notice or how they could not care less about them because of their low status compared with the high status society, like the Birling family. As soon as the inspector enters the play, the atmosphere completely changes. Harsher lights are displayed to inform the audience of the characteristics of this new character. From the very second he walks in, the inspector grips the audience and the other characters with his cold stare and to the point attitude. He indicates a nemesis by his low and monotonous voice and by staying outside all through the play. His presence in the play represents a collective conscience of the family because they had all at least committed one of the seven deadly sins of; pride, covetousness, lust, envy, gluttony, anger and sloth. He did this by showing them a photo of a girl that has just committed suicide that they have caused and so he makes them feel guilty by wanting to prove that even at their standard they can too be morally wrong and responsible for doing something ruthless. I thought it was very clever the pun of the inspectors surname. Goole could be linked with either fool or ghoul. Fool to show that the Birlings and Gerald Croft were fools because when the inspector made his speech, it left the Birlings and Croft subdued and wondering exactly what the it really meant. And ghoul because the inspector him self was actually one, he wanted to, in a way, scare the family to make them feel guilty about what they had done. Daldry used the set of the play to put across the important message of JB Priestly that there should be more equality and we should not take our lifestyles for granted. We also should take responsibility for our actions or we could end up in an awful situation, just as the Birlings and Gerald did when they received the phone call at the end to say an inspector was on his way round. In the anti socialist speech, at the beginning of the play, Mr Birling said, Every man should look after himself but in the inspectors last speech, he brought the new message to the attention of the audience that, We are members of one body, we are responsible for each other, and I think that it sums up exactly what Priestly was trying to get across to the audience.

Effects of Age on Understanding False Belief

Effects of Age on Understanding False Belief Sarah Ogen Article Review Directions: Read the article and then respond to the questions below. Make sure that you provide explanations for your responses. Article: Eighteen-month-old infants show false belief understanding in an active helping paradigm All information was gathered from the following source: Buttulmann, D., Carpenter, M., Tomasello, M. (2009). Eighteen-month-old infants show false belief understanding in an active helping paradigm.  Cognition, (112), 337-342. What is the aim/purpose of the study? (2 points) Buttulmann, Carpenter, and Tomasello sought to figure out at what age, after one year, a child can successfully understand false belief; this needed to be confirmed by a measureable behavior exhibited by the child. There was a lot of debate about at what age this belief came about in children. By past researchers, it was believed this thought process was exhibited anywhere from 3-5 years of age, depending on the demands of the task. Clements and Perner (1994) found this thought process could be attained around age 2 using the lowest amount of added cognitive demand in the tasks. Other researchers found that false belief understanding could be understood by children 13-15 months of age using a violation-expectation paradigm. Both of these studies were thought to have holes in them where the child could have interpreted other things that led to the same results. Buttulmann et al. studied understanding of false belief using an active behavioral measure. They wanted to know if the one year olds tested would respond in a manner showing their understanding of false belief. If the children did, Buttulmann et al would have found the youngest age at which a child has an understanding of false belief. How did the investigators measure the topic of interest? (2 points) First Study Two studded caterpillar toys and two boxes were used in this study. One box was yellow and the other was pink. Each box had a handle and a hinge where the box could be locked. The child sat in front of both of the boxes, while a female researcher sat next to the child and a male researcher sat across from the child between the boxes. The male researcher left the room to get another toy, while the female researcher taught the child how the boxes locked with a pin. The male researcher returned with a toy and showed it to the child. The male researcher then put the toy caterpillar in the second box. In the false belief condition, the male researcher again left the room. The female researcher told the child the male researcher could not see or hear them, and asked the child to play a trick on the male researcher. The female researcher took the caterpillar and moved it to the other box while acting sneaky and giggling. Before the male researcher returned, the female researcher and child returned to their places. In the true belief condition, the male researcher remained in the room. The female researcher told the child to join her in moving the caterpillar from one box to the other, this time without acting sneaky. The male researcher got up at the end to close the door so he was in the same spot as the false belief condition. In both the false and true belief conditions, the male researcher resumed his place between the two boxes. He pulled on the handle of the box he originally put the caterpillar in, but did not open either box. The child was invited to help the male researcher. It was recorded which box the child opened. Second Study The procedure remained the same as the first study. Parental encouragement was used if the child did not help the male researcher find the caterpillar. Who were the children in the study, how old were they and how were they recruited? (1 point) First Study There were 24 children used in the study. They were 2.5 years of age. There were 12 girls and 12 boys. Half were put in the false belief group, and the others were put in the true belief group. These groups were randomly assigned. Seven other children were not included in the results due to complications, experimenter error, and fussiness (Buttulmann et al.) Second Study There were 100 children. Fifty were 18 months old and fifty were 16 months old. In each age group there were 24 girls and 26 boys. Other children were also tested but not included in the results due to parental or experimenter error, fussiness, or tried to take the caterpillar out of the box. Additional children were used in the study but only helped when their parents encouraged them to help the male researcher. This included ten 18 month olds and twenty two 16 month olds. These children’s results were analyzed separately. Another eighteen 18 month olds and twenty six 16 month olds did not aid the male researcher at all in finding the caterpillar and were their results were not used for analysis. What was the design of the study (e.g., correlational, experimental, cross-sectional, longitudinal)? (1 point) The design of the study was a cross sectional. It tested different children on the same task at different ages. What were the results and conclusions? (2 points) First Study All children successfully opened one of the boxes. In the true belief condition, 75% of the children opened the box the male researcher had tried to open initially. In the false belief condition, 83.3% of the children opened the other box where the caterpillar now was located. The children also communicated to the male researcher where the caterpillar now was located. When the male researcher tried to open the box initially in the false belief condition, 7 children told him that the caterpillar had been moved. In the true belief condition, one child tried to inform the male researcher that the caterpillar had been moved. The children in this study showed a false belief understanding. Second Study All 18 month old children successfully chose a box. In the true belief condition, 84% of children tried to open the box the male researcher had just tried to open. In the false belief box, 72% of children tried to open the other box where the caterpillar was actually enclosed. There were similar results with the children that needed assistance from their parents to help the male researcher. All 16 month old children successfully chose a box. In the true belief condition, 56% of children tried to open the box the male researcher had just tried to open. Results showed that this may be due to chance. In the false belief box, 80% of children tried to open the other box where the caterpillar was actually enclosed. There were similar results with the children that needed assistance from their parents to help the male researcher. These results showed that 18 and 16 month old children understand false beliefs of other people. Do you agree with the conclusions? Explain why or why not and indicate any problems in the design or methods that could affect the results and conclusions. (2 points) I agree with the conclusions. The behaviors exhibited by the children in both studies, and in each age group, show that the children understand false beliefs of others. For 16 month olds, these results could have been due to chance because they may not have understood the task fully. The behavior of the child could also be misinterpreted and therefore skew results. The child may also not understand the task at such a young age, and simply choose a box based on color, rather than where the toy is hidden. To fix this, the boxes may be the same color instead of different.

thomas jefferson :: essays research papers

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson is remembered in history not only for the offices he held, but also for his belief in the natural rights of man as expressed in the Declaration of Independence and his faith in the people’s ability to govern themselves. He left an impact on his times equaled by few others in American history. Born on April 13, 1743, Jefferson was the third child in the family and grew up with six sisters and one brother. Though he opposed slavery, his family had owned slaves. From his father and his environment he developed an interest in botany, geology, cartography, and North American exploration, and from his childhood teacher developed a love for Greek and Latin. In 1760, at the age of 16, Jefferson entered the College of William and Mary and studied under William Small and George Wythe. Through Small, he got his first views of the expansion of science and of the system of things in which we are placed. Through Small and Wythe, Jefferson became acquainted with Governor Francis Fauquier. After finishing college in 1762, Jefferson studied law with Wythe and noticed growing tension between America and Great Britain. Jefferson was admitted to the bar in 1767. He successfully practiced law until public service occupied most of his time. At his home in Shadwell, he designed and supervised the building of his home, Monticello, on a nearby hill. He was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1769. Jefferson met Martha Wayles Skelton, a wealthy widow of 23, in 1770 and married her in 1772. They settled in Monticello and had one son and five daughters. Only two of his children, Martha and Mary, survived until maturity. Mrs. Martha Jefferson died in 1782, leaving Thomas to take care of his two remaining children. Though not very articulate, Jefferson proved to be an able writer of laws and resolutions he was very concise and straight to the point. Jefferson soon became a member in a group which opposed and took action in the disputes between Britain and the colonies. Together with other patriots, the group met in the Apollo Room of Williamsburg’s famous Raleigh Tavern in 1769 and formed a nonimportation agreement against Britain, vowing not to pay import duties imposed by the Townshend Acts. After a period of calmness, problems faced the colonists again, forcing Jefferson to organize another nonimportation agreement and calling the colonies together to

Business Insight_LGT

Vim's Innovative Services & Solutions can help LEG-Telecoms get out of his poison and attain second position In the future or gain bigger market share. 2. Client Name: LEG Telecoms LEG Telecoms Co. Ltd. Provides mobile telecommunications products and services primarily in Korea. The company offers wireless Internet service, ex-l, which provides a range of content, email, character/melody downloads, games, stock trading/banking, entertainment, shopping/reservations, and traffic information/location-based service.Further, the company provides mobile telecommunication network technology, including network design, setup, optimization, and operation, as well as consulting for data services related to WAP-based wireless Internet service infrastructure setup, JAVA/JOINS-enabled handset solutions, and multimedia application technology. As of September 30, 2004, It had 6 million subscribers. LEG Telecoms was founded In 1996 and is headquartered in Seoul The smallest of Koreans three mobile ca rriers is the beneficiary of a government policy to support smaller operators.A unit of LEG Group, the country's second-largest conglomerate, LEG Telecoms increased its customers by 26% in 2004, when the overspent introduced number portability, which allows subscribers to keep their phone number when changing service providers. LEG, the weakest of the three local mobile players, is the only one upgraded to G networks on Just last year. To make up for the disadvantage, It's forging alliances with banks and brokerage houses to offer mobile financial services.LEG uses Its partnership with banks to expand Its retail presence: It sells phones and signs up new subscribers at 2,800 bank branches in addition to its 580 storefronts. It sold well 3. The Industry There are three mobile service companies in Korea market. SKY Telecoms is top reformer, gaining over 50% market share in this matured market. And the rev. Size is also outstanding. On the one hand, LEG Telecoms is 3rd position in busi ness volume and market share as well. Figure 1: Business Performance in 2006 But notable things are that Net-income of LEG Telecoms is far bigger than KIT and specially growth rate of rev. As best performer in last year. And also market share was slightly increased. So I expect very though competition for 2nd position between two companies will be sustained for a while. Figure 2: By mobile phone subscribers Source: Never Financial Reports Figure 3: Hot competition for industry players . Comparative Analysis Marketing Analysis: Market Segmentation Three telecoms companies have made Korea huge market for mobile services during several years with advanced services. The service providers have already enjoyed selling mobile services for the last several years.But they're faced with the limitation of growth in local market because almost people already are subscribers of mobile service now. So they compete with others for having the customers of competitors change their current service pr ovider. However, 36 mobile service which was introduced from a couple of years ago will be a big and important chance for their equines growth. Some people already are using 36 mobile service and more people will change our mobile service from current 26 to 36 in the near future. And at this point, many people will consider about changing their service provider according to price condition and service quality.Bigger mobile carriers SKY Telecoms and KIT embarked on 36 services midway through the year before last and expanded their and SKY Telecoms has drawn half a million over the past year but LEG Telecoms has jumped onto the bandwagon of 36 mobile services on June last year. So LEG telecoms has some risk for this business as late player. On the other hand, the biggest player, SKY Telecoms is focusing on oversea expansion of their business now and they already made good business results from china and several Asia countries. But the rest two players don't seem to have enough readine ss for oversea business.So LEG telecoms have to focus on attacking local 36 mobile market with value added service and competitive price. And that will be the most important factor for gaining 2nd position For this, they need to adopt advanced infra such as IP voicing and cost effective IT infra as well. Financial Analysis: Table 1: Key Profitability Ratios Source: Never Financial Reports (PEPS:won,) Figure 5 : ROAR Trend LEG Telecoms profitability factors, especially last two year's ROAR shows better performance than competitor KIT and sound growth rate but the gap to SST is still shown. So LEG Telecoms should make an effort for better ROAR.Better ROAR can help them in making continuous price competitiveness for G mobile service. For better For better ROAR, They should focus on cost reduction through current IT infra optimization and etc. And also cost-effective investment will be very important on NW infra improvement which is necessary for successful G mobile service business. 5. Sales Proposal: The IBM solutions To secure competitive service price through cost reduction and better service quality through NW infra improvement will be the most important factors for success of G solution for it. Network development and Management solution 1 .ONION/ANA C.V. -IBM Network infrastructure / Application Optimization Consulting – Strategy : Present efficient way for improvement and To-be model of current NW Infra through detail and accurate end to end analysis by IBM NW consultants. – Benefit : Customer can know the priority of investment for NW infra improvement and Through that, they will be able to purchase NW equipment and implementation revive with cost-effective. 2. Network Transformation service for IP network development – That can help to transform your network to a converged, IP-based network while supporting your unique business strategies.These solutions can help you enhance control over key components of your network operations, and help secure your network infrastructure and simplify customer, partner and supplier interactions for better G service quality Cost reduction solution 1. Information Lifestyle management for Infra Optimization – Strategy : Telecoms companies have huge data and data size will grow more rapidly with contents for G bile service in near the future. So one of the largest portion of IT infra budget would be storage related cost. So one of the most efficient way for cost reduction will be storage optimization through data rationalization. Benefit : IBM service has a plenty experience and well-defined methodology and various SW and HAW for ELM consulting and implementation. We can cover unstructured data like image, voice and data base as well. I'm sure Storage Infra TCO of LEG Telecoms will be reduced sharply through tiered storage based archiving or remove of old and unused data. Also optimization of DB size will help for better performance of application so LEG- Telecoms won't nee d to buy a lot of high-end servers like now. That is also cost reduction factor. 6.Prospects for the Client LEG Telecoms is still the smallest player among three major players in mobile service market. But they has shown good result with sound business growth and met their objective during last several years with their creative market strategy. But for gaining bigger market-share and 2nd position, they need to prepare more attractive service price and good quality service, especially, that will be more important under new G market. Effort for cost reduction and, aggressive but cost-effective invest for NW infra improvement will be able to make his position better. . Conclusion and Making Changes to the Sales Approach solution on the basis of IT market analysis and CIO interview. And also business plan and deal closing strategy has been focused on customer's IT strategy. But through this class, I could improve financial analysis skill and learn about approach based on analysis of cus tomer's overall business pain point. The theoretical methodology for company analysis through case-study will be very helpful for our business activities even if that's short lecture.

Environmental Geology Essay

In 2006, seismic researchers can predict the location and direction of earthquakes by merely 10 to 20 minutes before it happens. Researchers use ultrasounds to assess earthquakes faster. Precise ultrasound images were recorded from the fault which is ruptured and the direction the rupture goes (American Institute of Physics [AIP], 2006). In 2008, seismic researchers can now predict earthquakes with much more preciseness and earlier than other previous equipments. A researcher from Rice University named Fenglin Nui and some of his colleagues are currently working on some experiments that can detect earthquake in a much earlier time. The method they use is detecting P-waves with the use of some super sensitive instrument called the Seismic Stress Meter. P-waves are the fastest of all the waves associated with earthquakes (Rice University, 2008). 2. (20 pts) What are the lessons learned from the 2008 Sichuan earthquake in China? What are the lessons learned from the 1985 Mexican earthquake? Discuss. The destructive earthquake that hit Sichuan region in China brought lessons that seismic researchers deem helpful in predicting earthquakes. Sichuan region is located in highly mountainous area that is active and could be attributed to the earthquake hazard that happened. Topographic analysis can now help scientists to assess area that has high risks of having earthquakes (Pennsylvania State University, 2008). The destructive earthquakes in Mexico City made a realization for a civil engineers association. They all realized that their building codes where buildings are designed to be built still are of no level with the earthquake intensities in Mexico. A problem arises when the soft clay layer of the ground was struck by the earthquake. The soft clay layer of ground started to transmit more movements higher than what engineers have expected. The ground shook buildings in Mexico much longer than what is expected (Peterson, 1986). 3. (15 pts) Discuss the 2008/2009 Chaiten volcanic eruptions in Chile. What are the implications of this natural disaster on the local residents? Chaiten volcanic eruption was one that local residents never expected to happen. The Chaiten volcano was said to be dormant for almost 10,000 years now. But surprisingly and unexpectedly, the volcano has shown activity and after a few days it erupted. Many residents were evacuated from near the volcano. About 4000 people within 6 mile radius from southern region of Chile were evacuated. The town near the volcano was almost buried in ashes just like what happened to Pompeii when Mount Vesuvius erupted. The sudden eruption after a long sleep gave residents fear of the volcano erupting again at any given time (University of Colorado, 2008). 4. (15 pts) Explain two different measures that can be taken to prevent, or at least minimize, the occurrence of landslides. One of the most effective measures that can be taken to prevent occurrences of landslides is through afforestation. Trees can greatly contribute to minimizing numbers of landslides in many ways. Trees can help absorb water from the soil. Water is said to be one of the main cause of landslides. Another is that trees can hold the soil firmly in the ground also minimizing the landslide occurrences. Another measure that can be used to prevent landslides is by creating levees or dykes. In this method, landslides are prevented by building walls usually near rivers which regulates water levels that cause the landslides (People’s Daily Online, 2000). 5. (10 pts) What is the mechanical paradox implied by long runout landslides? Heavy rain is said to have started landslides. So, one might think that landslides move and accelerate together with water. The long runout landslides are really caused by heavy rains but there is really no water associated with the movement and acceleration of landslides. The movement and acceleration of landslides are associated with the pressure vibrations called the acoustic fluidization. As the land slides pressure vibrations were generated making a frictionless effect to the ground which causes the land mass to move like a fluid (Collins and Melosh, 2007). References American Institute of Physics. (2006, April 1) Real-Time Quake Detection:Seismologists Use Ultrasounds to Assess Quakes Faster. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 27, 2009 from http://www. sciencedaily. com/videos/2006/0406-realtime_quake_detection. htm Collins, G. and Melosh, H. (2007, July 15). Acoustic Fluidization and the Extraordinary Mobility of Sturzstroms. Retrieved March 27, 2009 from http://amcg. ese. ic. ac. uk/~gareth/publications/abstracts/lpsc03b. pdf Pennsylvania State University. (2008, July 24). Chinese Earthquake Provides Lessons For Future. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 27, 2009, from http://www. sciencedaily. com ¬

Literature Step by Step Wicked Essay

Theme In the novel Step by Wicked Step by Anne Fine, the theme that can be found is surviving divorce and remarriage The first challenge is getting used to complicated living arrangements. Ralph had to remember whose house to go to on different days of the week. He ended up having two different lunch boxes to remind him where to go. Another challenge is to accept a stepparent and stepsiblings. Pixie had a tough time trying to get along with her  stepsisters, Hetty and Sophie. She was annoyed when she had to share a room with Hetty The last challenge is loyalty. Claudia was not friendly to Stella at first because she did not want to hurt her  mother. She was worried that being nice to Stella would mean that she is disloyal to her mother It is not easy to cope with divorce and remarriage. It takes a lot of patience, tolerance and acceptance Most Interesting Character In the novel Step by Wicked Step by Anne Fine, the most interesting character is Pixie Pixie is interesting because she is smart. She was the first to realize what the five pupils had in common Besides that, Pixie is very imaginative. She is able to create ghost stories to scare Hetty from staying in the same room with her Pixie is outspoken and honest. She tells Lucy exactly what she thought of  her daughters. She also told Lucy that she hated pretending that everything is all right Pixie is interesting because she is smart, imaginative, outspoken and honest One Moral Value In the novel Step by Wicked Step by Anne Fine, a moral value that can be found is love and devotion The first character who showed love and devotion is Richard’s mother. She spent a lot of money seeking for  Richard although she had to suffer  Reverend Coldstone’s anger and disapproval. Another character who demonstrated love and devotion is Charlotte. She continued her mother’s search for her  brother, Richard. Since she did not have any money, she married a rich man she did not love at 16. Colin showed love and devotion too. He kept his Dad’s tobacco tin and hummed their favorite song. He does three paper rounds to earn money to search for his Dad when he is old enough These characters have greatly showed their love and devotion. They proved that people will do anything for the ones they love A Memorable Incident In the novel Step by Wicked Step by Anne Fine, a memorable incident is the death of  Richard’s father The first change that Richard had to face is his mother’s marriage to Reverend Coldstone. Richard hated his stepfather  because he enforced strict rules and made Richard feels that his house was like a prison. He also sent Richard away to Mordanger School for four years Another change is betrayal. Richard felt that his mother had betrayed him when she allowed Reverend Coldstone to treat him  badly. He also felt betrayed when Charlotte persuaded him not to hate his stepfather Finally, Richard decided to run away and vanish. His departure caused financial ruin and heartbreak to his mother and sister. His mother spent a lot of money to search for  him. Charlotte married a man she did not love to continue the search after their  mother died The death of Richard’s father brought about a lot of changes to Richard’s family. Most of them are sorrowful. From this incident, we must remember that we should be courageous in difficult times and not let others suffer from our bad decisions Problems Faced By A Character In the novel Step by Wicked Step by Anne Fine. Colin had a few problems and had his own ways of overcoming them The first problem that Colin had is when his mother suddenly decided to move away without his dad’s knowledge. He was always waiting for his dad to come to see them but he never did. So, he wrote a letter to his dad, but he never received any reply Another problem is Colin missed his dad very much. Colin consoled himself by pretending his dad was around. He would put his dad’s tobacco tin under his pillow, hummed their  favorite song and finally unscrewed the lid of the tin to take in the smell of his dad Colin wants to find his dad. But he cannot do it now as he does not have enough money and is not old enough. So, he does three paper  rounds to save enough money to find his dad when he is older Problems are common in life. We must think  carefully of how we want to solve it so that the consequences of our decision will not trouble others Compare Two Characters In the novel Step by Wicked Step by Anne Fine, I choose two compare two characters that are similar Richard and Colin The first similarity is both Richard and Colin are missing their fathers. Richard’s father  died of an illness while Colin was missing his father after his mother decided to move away without his father’s knowledge Another similarity is their mothers ignore both of them. Richard’s mother did not defend him when Reverend Coldstone treated him badly. Colin missed his dad a lot but his mother did not seem to be aware of how Colin felt Both Richard and Colin decided to run away to make things work. Richard ran away from home as he thought that his action would make life more pleasant for everyone. Colin wants to run away to find his dad whom he misses a lot. He does three paper rounds to save money and will leave when he is old enough The two characters suffered much pain and sorrow. No one cared how they felt. Running away is not a solution. But, it may have been the best option for the both of them, as they had no one to advise them Point Of View In the novel Step by Wicked Step by Anne Fine, the story is mostly written in the first person point of view Richard wrote his story in his diary/album so it is in the first person point of view. We as readers learn of the events in his life through his eyes. We know from his writing that he had come home to find Charlotte’s letter, but we do not whether he decided to stay or leave Old Harwick Hall Claudia, too, told her story through her point of view. We only know her feelings and thoughts and not of her mother, father, granny and Stella. We know that Claudia sympathized Stella for the guests’ cold treatment, but we do not know how Stella truly felt Pixie also tells her story through her own point of view. We know all her thoughts as she speaks. For instance, from her point of  view, we find that the actions of the other  characters annoy her. Pixie is annoyed with most of Hetty’s actions like calling her  Priscilla, rolling the cat on the carpet like a sausage and sniffing while reading Writing the story in the first point of view helps us as readers to understand the story better. We get first-hand knowledge of the characters’ feelings, thoughts and decisions A Character That Changed After An Event In the novel Step by Wicked Step by Anne Fine, a character that has changed due to certain events in his life is Colin Colin changed into an unhappy and lonely boy when his mother decided to move. He had to start at another school. It was an unpleasant experience as everyone ignored him as they had their own set of friends already. Besides that, his mother was busy with work and was always too tired to listen to Colin’s problems Colin became a dreamy boy because he missed his dad. Every night, he would hold on to his dad’s tobacco tin and hum their  favorite song. He pretended his dad was around. This habit caused him to have less focus in class and do badly in school Being apart from his dad made Colin become very resourceful. He did three paper rounds to earn enough money to search for his dad when he is old enough At first, Colin responded negatively to the changes in his life. He was sad and dreamy. But at last, he decided that he must do something in order to see his dad again. This shows that he is optimistic and is determined in finding his dad Family And Relationship Portrayed In the novel Step by Wicked Step by Anne Fine, Richard’s family is portrayed to have a strong sense of love Richard showed that he had strongly loved his family. Although he ran away and vanished, he still came by the house twice to catch a glimpse of his mother and sister Richard’s mother, Lilith was the first to show her love and devotion. She spent a fortune seeking for Richard and suffered Reverend Coldstone’s anger as their money lessened. She died of broken heart because of her  undying love for her son, Richard Charlotte, too, showed her love and devotion. She wanted to keep searching for Richard after her mother’s death, but had no money of  her own. So, she married a rich man she did not love because he promised to help her find Richard Love leads to reunion and healing in a family. We should love our family unconditionally and be prepared to make sacrifices for them An Interesting Event In the novel Step by Wicked Step by Anne Fine, an event that I find interesting is when Robbo gave Dumpa an ice lolly This event is interesting because it showed how smart kids could be. Robbo gave the ice lolly to Dumpa because he wanted Dumpa to not be out in the cold. However, Dumpa outsmarted them by not eating it and stayed outside with Roy It is also interesting because it led Robbo, Callie and their mother talking realistically about their conflict. Robbo said that he was fed up with the whole situation and Callie confessed that she could never get along with Roy Lastly, this event is interesting because it brought a good change to Robbo’s family. Callie wanted to move to their dad’s house, so their mother helped made it more comfortable for her. In return, their dad agreed to look  after Dumpa to let their mother and Roy have a break It is important for all of us to be honest to each other. Pretending that everything is all right will not make things better. But once everyone is honest about their feelings, it is easier to make things work for everybody A Character That I Admire In the novel Step by Wicked Step, written by Anne Fine, the character that I admire is Claudia. There are many reasons why I admire her very much First of all, I admire Claudia because she is a gentle person. Listening to Richard’s sad story makes her weep. Besides, she is loyal to her mother. She tries not to sound too happy when speaking to her father because she does not want to hurt her mother’s feeling. She rejects Stella and refuses to enjoy her time with her father out of loyalty to her mother. She knows that her parent’s break-up is serious even though her mother sounded cheerful Apart from that, I really admire Claudia because she is a fair and sensible person. She does not blame Stella for her parents’ break-up. At the dinner party, she thinks that the guests are rude for not appreciating Stella’s hard work. She realizes that ignoring Stella would not help solving matters between her parents. Feeling sorry for Stella who is being ignored by the guests, she decides to help her get accepted by showing off the green pajamas that Stella gave her. In a nutshell, the character that I admire from Step by Wicked Step is Claudia because she is gentle, loyal, fair and sensible. I think we could learn a lot from her character. In The Midst Of Hardship Scratches – Cuts on the body/limbs Despair – Hopelessness Horrendous – Awful, dreadful Bloated – Swollen Carcasses – Dead bodies Chips – Broken pieces

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Principles of Marketing | Dissertation

Principles of Marketing | Dissertation Definition of Marketing Marketing is part of all of our lives and touches us in some way every day. Most people think that marketing is only about the advertising and/or personal selling of goods and services. Advertising and selling, however, are just two of the many marketing activities. In general, marketing activities are all those associated with identifying the particular wants and needs of a target market of customers, and then going about satisfying those customers better than the competitors. This involves doing market research on customers, analyzing their needs, and then making strategic decisions about product design, pricing, promotion and distribution. Philip Kotler says, Marketing is managing profitable customer relationships. The twofold goal of marketing is to attract new customers by promising superior value and to keep and grow current customers by delivering satisfaction. Broadly defined, marketing is a social and managerial process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating and exchanging value with others. Narrowly defined marketing involves building profitable, value-laden exchange relationships with customers. In short, it has been defined as the process by which companies create value for customers and build strong customer relationships in order to capture value from customers in return. The new definition given by American Marketing Association reads, Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large. The marketing process Create value for customers and build customer relationships Capture value from customers in return In the first four steps, companies work to understand consumers, create customer value and build strong customer relationships. In the final step, companies reap the rewards of creating superior customer value. By creating value for customers, they in turn capture value from customers in the form of sales, profits and long term customer equity. Core concepts of marketing Target Markets and Segmentation A marketer can rarely satisfy everyone in a market. Everyone in the market has different taste, likeliness, income and spending habit. Not everyone likes the same soft drink, automobile, college, and movie. Therefore, marketers start with market segmentation. They identify and profile distinct groups of buyers who might prefer or require varying products and marketing mixes. Market segments can be identified by examining demographic, psychographic, and behavioral differences among buyers. The firm then decides which segments present the greatest opportunity—whose needs the firm can meet in a superior fashion. The lucrative segment/s are selected or targeted for offering/selling the product. For each chosen target market, the firm develops a market offering. The offering is positioned in the minds of the target buyers as delivering some central benefit(s). For example, Volvo develops its cars for the target market of buyers for whom auto- mobile safety is a major concern. Volvo , therefore, positions its car as the safest car a customer can buy. Customer Needs, Wants and Demands Needs are the basic human requirements. People need food, air, water, clothing, and shelter to survive. People also have strong needs for creation, education, and entertainment. The above needs become wants when they are directed to specific objects that might satisfy the need. An American needs food but may want a hamburger, French fries, and a soft drink. A person in Mauritius needs food but may want a mango, rice, lentils, and beans. Wants are shaped by ones society. Demands are wants for specific products backed by an ability to pay. Many people want a Mercedes; only a few are able to buy one. Companies must measure not only how many people want their product but also how many would actually be willing and able to buy it. Product or Offering Customers needs and wants are fulfilled through a marketing offer or product. A product is any offering that can satisfy a need or want, such as one of the 10 basic offerings of goods, services, experiences, events, persons, places, properties, organizations, information, and ideas. A brand is an offering from a known source. A brand name such as McDonalds carries many associations in the minds of people: hamburgers, fun, children, fast food, and golden arches. These associations make up the brand image. All companies strive to build a strong, favorable brand image. Value and Satisfaction In terms of marketing, the product or offering will be successful if it delivers value and satisfaction to the target buyer. The buyer chooses between different offerings on the basis of which is perceived to deliver the most value. We define value as a ratio between what the customer gets and what he gives. The customer gets benefits and assumes costs, as shown in this equation: Based on this equation, the marketer can increase the value of the customer offering by (1) raising benefits, (2) reducing costs, (3) raising benefits and reducing costs, (4) raising benefits by more than the raise in costs, or (5) lowering benefits by less than the reduction in costs. Exchange and Transactions Exchange, the core of marketing, involves obtaining a desired product from someone by offering something in return. For exchange potential to exist, five conditions must be satisfied: There are at least two parties. Each party has something that might be of value to the other party. Each party is capable of communication and delivery. Each party is free to accept or reject the exchange offer. Each party believes it is appropriate or desirable to deal with the other party. Whether exchange actually takes place depends upon whether the two parties can agree on terms that will leave them both better off (or at least not worse off) than before. Exchange is a value-creating process because it normally leaves both parties better off. Marketing Mix Marketers use numerous tools to elicit the desired responses from their target markets. These tools constitute a marketing mix. Marketing mix is the set of marketing tools that the firm uses to pursue its marketing objectives in the target market. McCarthy classified these tools into four broad groups that he called the four Ps of marketing: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. Robert Lauterborn suggested that the sellers four Ps correspond to the customers four Cs. Winning companies are those that meet customer needs economically and conveniently and with effective communication. Marketing Philosophies and Concepts There are five competing concepts under which organizations conduct marketing activities: produc- tion concept, product concept, selling concept, marketing concept, and societal mar- keting concept. The Production Concept The production concept, one of the oldest in business, holds that consumers prefer products that are widely available and inexpensive. Managers of production-oriented businesses concentrate on achieving high production efficiency, low costs, and mass distribution. This orientation makes sense in developing countries, where consumers are more interested in obtaining the product than in its features. It is also used when a company wants to expand the market. Texas Instruments is a leading exponent of this concept. It concentrates on building production volume and upgrading technology in order to bring costs down, leading to lower prices and expansion of the market. This orientation has also been a key strategy of many Japanese companies. The Product Concept Other businesses are guided by the product concept, which holds that consumers favor those products that offer the most quality, performance, or innovative features. Managers in these organizations focus on making superior products and improving them over time, assuming that buyers can appraise quality and performance. Product-oriented companies often design their products with little or no customer input, trusting that their engineers can design exceptional products. A General Motors executive said years ago: How can the public know what kind of car they want until they see what is availablefi GM today asks customers what they value in a car and includes marketing people in the very beginning stages of design. The Selling Concept The selling concept, another common business orientation, holds that consumers and businesses, if left alone, will ordinarily not buy enough of the organizations products. The organization must, therefore, undertake an aggressive selling and promotion effort. This concept assumes that consumers must be coaxed into buying, so the company has a battery of selling and promotion tools to stimulate buying. The selling concept is practiced most aggressively with unsought goods—goods that buyers normally do not think of buying, such as insurance and funeral plots. The selling concept is also practiced in the nonprofit area by fund-raisers, college admissions offices, and political parties. Most firms practice the selling concept when they have overcapacity. Their aim is to sell what they make rather than make what the market wants. The Marketing Concept The marketing concept, in the mid-1950s, challenges the three business orientations we just discussed. The marketing concept holds that the key to achieving organizational goals consists of the company being more effective than its competitors in creating, delivering, and communicating customer value to its chosen target markets. The marketing concept focuses on the needs of the buyer. Marketing is preoccupied with the idea of satisfying the needs of the customer by means of the product and the whole cluster of things associated with creating, delivering and finally consuming it. The marketing concept rests on four pillars: target market, customer needs, integrated marketing, and profitability. The marketing concept takes an outside-in perspective. It starts with a well-defined market, focuses on customer needs, coordinates activities that affect customers, and produces profits by satisfying customers. The Societal Marketing Concept Some have questioned whether the marketing concept is an appropriate philosophy in an age of environmental deterioration, resource shortages, explosive population growth, world hunger and poverty, and neglected social services. Are companies that successfully satisfy consumer wants necessarily acting in the best, long-run interests of consumers and societyfi The marketing concept sidesteps the potential conflicts among consumer wants, consumer interests, and long-run societal welfare. Yet some firms and industries are criticized for satisfying consumer wants at societys expense. Such situations call for a new term that enlarges the marketing concept. We propose calling it the societal marketing concept, which holds that the organizations task is to determine the needs, wants, and interests of target markets and to deliver the desired satisfactions more effectively and efficiently than competitors in a way that preserves or enhances the consumers and the societys well-being. The societal marketing concept calls upon marketers to build social and ethical considerations into their marketing practices. They must balance and juggle the often confiicting criteria of company profits, consumer want satisfaction, and public interest. Yet a number of companies have achieved notable sales and profit gains by adopting and practicing the societal marketing concept. Marketing vs. Selling Oftentimes, marketing and sales are perceived interchangeably. But in actuality, these are two different things. Selling is a small portion of the entire marketing scheme. Selling is the transaction where a product is transferred from the business owner to a buyer for a price. In contrast, marketing is a process that involves several steps ranging from the generation of a product idea to the delivery of that product to the customer. Even after delivery of the product to the customer, the marketing process continues with direct communication with the customer to obtain feedback about the product. Profits from satisfied customers Theodore Levitt of Harvard drew a perceptive contrast between the selling and marketing concepts: Selling focuses on the needs of the seller; marketing on the needs of the buyer. Selling is preoccupied with the sellers need to convert his product into cash; marketing with the idea of satisfying the needs of the customer by means of the product and the whole cluster of things associated with creating, delivering and finally consuming it. The marketing concept rests on four pillars: target market, customer needs, integrated marketing, and profitability. The selling concept takes an inside-out perspective. It starts with the factory, focuses on existing products, and calls for heavy selling and promoting to produce profitable sales. The marketing concept takes an outside-in perspective. It starts with a well-defined market, focuses on customer needs, coordinates activities that affect customers, and produces profits by satisfying customers. CHAPTER 2 MARKETING ENVIRONMENT In order to correctly identify opportunities and monitor threats, the company must begin with a thorough understanding of the marketing environment in which the firm operates. The marketing environment consists of all the actors and forces outside marketing that affect the marketing managements ability to develop and maintain successful relationships with target customers. A companys marketing environment consists of the actors and forces outside marketing that affect marketing managements ability to develop and maintain successful relationships with its target customers Importance: The marketing environment offers both opportunities and threats Changes in the marketing environment often occur at a rapid pace. Marketers tend to be trend trackers and opportunity seekers. The company must use its marketing research and marketing intelligence systems to monitor the changing environment. A systematic scan of the environment helps marketers to revise and adapt marketing strategies to meet new challenges and opportunities in the market place. The marketing environment is made up of a micro environmental and macro environment. The Companys Microenvironment The micro environment consists of six forces (actors) close to the company that affect its ability to serve its customers: The company itself (including various internal departments) Suppliers. Marketing channel firms (intermediaries) Customer markets. Competitors. Publics. The Company The first actor is the company itself and the role it plays in the microenvironment. Top management is responsible for setting the companys mission, objectives, broad strategies, and policies. Marketing managers must make decisions within the parameters established by top management. Marketing managers must also work closely with other company departments. Areas such as finance, R D, purchasing, manufacturing, and accounting all produce better results when aligned by common objectives and goals. All departments must think consumer if the firm is to be successful. Suppliers Suppliers are firms and individuals that provide the resources needed by the company and its competitors to produce goods and services. They are an important link in the companys overall customer value delivery system. One consideration is to watch supply availability (such as supply shortages). Another point of concern is the monitoring of price trends of key inputs. Marketing Intermediaries Marketing intermediaries are firms that help the company to promote, sell, and distribute its goods to final buyers. Resellers are distribution channel firms that help the company find customers or make sales to them. These include wholesalers and retailers who buy and resell merchandise. Resellers often perform important functions more cheaply than the company can perform itself. Seeking and working with resellers, however, is not easy because of the power that some demand and use. Physical distribution firms help the company to stock and move goods from their points of origin to their destinations. Examples would be warehouses (that store and protect goods before they move to the next destination). Marketing services agencies (such as marketing research firms, advertising agencies, media firms, etc.) help the company target and promote its products to the right markets. Financial intermediaries (such as banks, credit companies, insurance companies, etc.) help finance transactions and insure against risks associated with buying and selling goods. Customers The company must study its customer markets closely because each market has its own special characteristics. These markets normally include: Consumer markets (individuals and households that buy goods and services for personal consumption). Business markets (buy goods and services for further processing or for use in their production process). Reseller markets (buy goods and services in order to resell them at a profit). Government markets (agencies that buy goods and services in order to produce public services or transfer them to those that need them). International markets (buyers of all types, including governments, in foreign countries). Competitors Every company faces a wide range of competitors. A company must secure a strategic advantage over competitors to be successful in the marketplace. No single competitive strategy is best for all companies . Publics A public is any group that has an actual or potential interest in or impact on an organizations ability to achieve its objectives. A company should prepare a marketing plan for all of its major publics as well as its customer markets. Generally, publics can be identified as being: Financial publics. Media publics. Government publics. Citizen-action publics. Local publics. General public. Internal publics. The Companys Macroenvironment The macroenvironment consists of the larger societal forces that affect the microenvironment: Demographic. Economic. Natural. Technological. Political. Cultural The company and all of the other actors operate in a larger macroenvironment of forces that shape opportunities and pose threats to the company. Major forces in the companys macroenvironment include: Demographic Environment Demography is the study of human populations in terms of size, density, location, age, sex, race, occupation, and other statistics. It is of major interest to marketers because it involves people, and people make up markets. Demographic trends are constantly changing. Some of the more interesting trends are: The worlds population (though not all countries) rate is growing at an explosive rate that will soon exceed food supply and ability to adequately service the population. The greatest danger is in the poorest countries where poverty contributes to the difficulties. The most important trend is the changing age structure of the population. Generational marketing is possible, however, caution must be used to avoid generational alienation. Changing family structure Geographic shifts in population will also alter demographics. Changing educational level : In general, the population is becoming better educated. The work force is becoming more white-collar. Products such as books and education services appeal to groups following this trend. Technical skills (such as in computers) will be a must in the future. The final demographic trend is the increasing ethnic and racial diversity . Economic Environment The economic environment includes those factors that affect consumer buying power and spending patterns. Major economic trends include: Changes in income—personal consumption (along with personal debt) has gone up (1980s) and the 1990s brought recession that has caused adjustments both personally and corporately in this country. In the 2000s, consumers are more careful shoppers. Value marketing (trying to offer the consumer greater value for their dollar) is a very serious strategy in the 2000s. Real income is on the rise again but is being carefully guarded by a value-conscious consumer. Income distribution is still very skewed in the United States and all classes have not shared in prosperity. In addition, spending patterns show that food, housing, and transportation still account for the majority of consumer dollars. It is also of note that distribution of income has created a two-tiered market where there are those that are affluent and less affluent. Classes of consumers include: Upper class—spending patterns are not affected by current economic events and who are a major market for luxury goods. Middle class—somewhat careful about its spending but can still afford the good life some of the time. Working class—must stick close to the basics of food, clothing, and shelter and must try hard to save. Under class—(persons on welfare and many retirees) must count their pennies when making even the most basic purchases. Changing consumer spending patterns: Consider Engles Laws where differences were noted over a century ago by Ernst Engle regarding how people shift their spending across food, housing, transportation, health care, and other goods and service categories as family income rises. Spending patterns have generally supported his ideas. Marketers must carefully monitor economic changes so they will be able to prosper with the trend, not suffer from it. Natural Environment The natural environment involves natural resources that are needed as inputs by marketers or that are affected by marketing activities. During the past two decades environmental concerns have steadily grown. Some trend analysts labeled the 1990s as the Earth Decade, where protection of the natural environment became a major worldwide issue facing business and the public. Specific areas of concern were: Shortages of raw materials. Staples such as air, water, and wood products have been seriously damaged and non-renewable such as oil, coal, and various minerals have been seriously depleted during industrial expansion. Increased pollution is a worldwide problem. Industrial damage to the environment is very serious. Far-sighted companies are becoming environmentally friendly and are producing environmentally safe and recyclable or biodegradable goods. The public response to these companies is encouraging. Government intervention in natural resource management has caused environmental concerns to be more practical and necessary in business and industry. Leadership, not punishment, seems to be the best policy for long term results. Instead of opposing regulation, marketers should help develop solutions to the material and energy problems facing the world. Concern for the natural environment has spawned the so-called green movement. Environmentally sustainable strategies and practices are being created. Companies are recognizing a link between a healthy economy and a healthy ecology. Technological Environment The technological environment includes forces that create new technologies, creating new product and market opportunities. Technology is perhaps the most dramatic force shaping our destiny. New technologies create new markets and opportunities. Every new technology, however, replaces an older technology. The challenge is not only technical but also commercial—to make practical, affordable versions of products. Political Environment The political environment includes laws, government agencies, and pressure groups that influence and limit various organizations and individuals in a given society. Business is regulated by various forms of legislation. Governments develop public policy to guide commerce—sets of laws and regulations limiting business for the good of society as a whole. Almost every marketing activity is subject to a wide range of laws and regulations. Some trends in the political environment include: Increasing legislation to: Protect companies from each other. Protecting consumers from unfair business practices. Protecting interests of society against unrestrained business behavior. Changing government agency enforcement. New laws and their enforcement will continue or increase. Increased emphasis on ethics and socially responsible actions. Socially responsible firms actively seek out ways to protect the long-run interests of their consumers and the environment. The recent rash of business scandals and increased concerns about the environment have created fresh interest in the issues of ethics and social responsibility. The boom in e-commerce and Internet marketing has created a new set of social and ethical issues. Privacy issues are the primary concern. Another cyberspace concern is that of access by vulnerable or unauthorized groups. Cultural Environment The cultural environment is made up of institutions and other forces that affect societys basic values, perceptions, and behaviors. Certain cultural characteristics can affect marketing decision-making. Among the most dynamic cultural char- acterisitics are: Persistence of cultural values. Peoples core beliefs and values have a high degree of persistence. Core beliefs and values are passed on from parents to children and are reinforced by schools, churches, business, and government. Secondary beliefs and values are more open to change. Shifts in secondary cultural values. Because secondary cultural values and beliefs are open to change, marketers want to spot them and be able to capitalize on the change potential. The Yankelovich Monitor has identified eight major consumer themes: Paradox. Trust not. Go it alone. Smarts really count. No sacrifices. Stress hard to beat. Reciprocity is the way to go. Me 2. Societys major cultural views are expressed in: Peoples views of themselves. People vary in their emphasis on serving themselves versus serving others.. Peoples views of others. Observers have noted a shift from a me-society to a we-society. Consumers are spending more on products and services that will improve their lives rather than their image. Peoples views of organizations. People are willing to work for large organizations but expect them to become increasingly socially responsible. Many companies are linking themselves to worthwhile causes. Peoples views of society. This orientation influences consumption patterns. Buy American versus buying abroad is an issue that will continue into the next decade. Peoples view of nature. There is a growing trend toward peoples feeling of mastery over nature through technology and the belief that nature is bountiful. Nature, however, is finite. Love of nature and sports associated with nature are expected to be significant trends in the next several years. Peoples views of the universe. Studies of the origin of man, religion, and thought-provoking ad campaigns are on the rise. Spiritual individualism may be a new theme. Chapter 3 Marketing segmentation Market Segmentation It is the process of dividing a market into distinct group of buyers who have distinct needs, characteristics or behavior and who might require separate product or marketing mixes. Market segment A group of consumers who respond in a similar way to a given set of marketing efforts. For Example: In the car market, consumers who want the biggest, most comfortable car regardless of the price make up one market segment. Consumers who care mainly about price and operating economy make up another segment. Requirements of Market Segments In addition to having different needs, for segments to be practical they should be evaluated against the following criteria: Identifiable: the differentiating attributes of the segments must be measurable so that they can be identified. Accessible: the segments must be reachable through communication and distribution channels. Substantial: the segments should be sufficiently large to justify the resources required to target them. Unique needs: to justify separate offerings, the segments must respond differently to the different marketing mixes. Durable: the segments should be relatively stable to minimize the cost of frequent changes. A good market segmentation will result in segment members that are internally homogenous and externally heterogeneous; that is, as similar as possible within the segment, and as different as possible between segments. Bases for Segmentation in Consumer Markets Consumer markets can be segmented on the following customer characteristics. Geographic Demographic Psychographic Behavioral Geographic Segmentation The following are some examples of geographic variables often used in segmentation. Region: by continent, country, state, or even neighborhood Size of metropolitan area: segmented according to size of population Population density: often classified as urban, suburban, or rural Climate: according to weather patterns common to certain geographic regions Demographic Segmentation Some demographic segmentation variables include: Age Gender Family size Family lifecycle Generation: baby-boomers, Generation X, etc. Income Occupation Education Ethnicity Nationality Religion Social class Many of these variables have standard categories for their values. For example, family lifecycle often is expressed as bachelor, married with no children (DINKS: Double Income, No Kids), full-nest, empty-nest, or solitary survivor. Some of these categories have several stages, for example, full-nest I, II, or III depending on the age of the c