Persepolis Marjane Satrapi s Persepolis Essay - 1448 Words

It is almost impossible to fit a person’s entire life in a book. It actually seems somewhat proper that a whole person’s life is not able to be told in a single novel because a human’s life is too complex and longevous to be explained by text itself. Nevertheless, a person can only remember so many things from their life and be able to write every single detail of every moment, emotion, and thought of his or her life down into an autobiography. People often will easily remember strong, brief, and outstanding instances of their past where these memories are very clear and vivid. However, it is thus conversely true to say that people have a harder time remembering exact, unimportant details of their everyday lives because their brains can only hold so much information and is why time sometimes feels to have sped up. In the autobiography, Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, the author recounts her life story by applying different literary tools into highlighting and reve aling not just the events of her life, but the emotions and thoughts accompanying the events as well. Seeing events occur affects humans much more personally than reading. To put it another way, seeing a stranger getting run over by a car will be more emotionally dramatic than reading it in the news. Therefore, Satrapi chooses to accompany her words with images to tell her narrative and elicit emotions from the reader. For example, after Satrapi had the bronchitis incident and decided to return to Iran, she lookedShow MoreRelatedPersepolis : Marjane Satrapi s Persepolis1756 Words   |  8 PagesPersepolis is a graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi, this graphic novel was based on the eyes of a Ten year old that experiences all types of emotions before and after the Islamic revolution, the oppression from the leaders. This novel gives us a brief on the history of Iran and their leaders, to the Embassy being taken over, via how they weren’t allowed to party. They also experience pr ohibition just like the United States in the 1920-1933 and like many countries they didn’t have any freedom. In theRead MoreMarjane Satrapi s Persepolis 1646 Words   |  7 Pages Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel Persepolis is an expressive memoir of her growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution, the fall of the Shah’s regime and the Iran-Iraq War. Unlike conventional memoirs, she uses the black-and-white comic book form to find her identity through politics and her personal experiences in Iran and it has become effective and relevant in today’s society because she is a normal person that has had to live through extreme circumstances. Marjane has contributed to a wholeRead MoreMarjane Satrapi s Persepolis 1314 Words   |  6 PagesPersepolis is an autobiography of Marjane Satrapi’s childhood in her native Iran. She writes about being a child in Iran through the Iranian revolution and the Iran-Iraq war. As Satrapi recounts stories of her youth, one can observe that the Iran-Iraq war and the Iranian revolution are the central events driving the entire story. When the revolution and war happens, the dynamics of the book change completely. War creates a sense of unity and nationalism. Marjane shows a large contrast between herRead MorePersepolis : Marjane Satrapi s Persepolis1525 Words   |  7 PagesPersepolis Research – Marjane Satrapi Notations: 1. Satrapi was born in Tehran, Iran (the nation’s capital) in the year 1969. The time in which Satrapi was born is critical to the events in her life due to the political turmoil that was occurring in her country. In 1979, at the age of 10, Satrapi witness firsthand the persecution and horrific consequences of the Islamic Revolution. The Islamic Revolution occurred due to the growing opposition lead by Ayatollah Khomeini against Mohammad Reza ShahRead MoreMarjane Satrapi s Persepolis 1501 Words   |  7 Pages The Iranian author of Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi, narrates a Bildungsroman showing her growth and development in Iran, as well as a memoir, showing the historical events in Iran. She discusses historical events like the Islamic revolution in 1979, which made it compulsory for the Iranian females to wear veils. Satrapi’s life story is mainly set in Iran, where she shows readers the strict, controlling and oppressive government the Iranians live under as well as the importance of clothing and bodyRead MoreMarjane Satrapi s Persepolis 1728 Words   |  7 PagesMarjane Satrapi deliberately uses an interesting layout usually used in successful comic books that convey deep messages. The layout of the graphics in Persepolis include elements such as panels, gutters, and graphic weight. The panels, or distinct segments of a comic containing a combination of images and texts, provide transitions that are instantaneous and direct. For example, on page seven, Satrapi uses a panel to show an innocent conversation with her grandmother about the rules she will assignRead MoreMarjane Satrapi s Story Of The Complete Persepolis Essay1022 Words   |  5 Pagesunfriendly world. This is not a fictitious story. This is an actual event that happened to the author of The Complete Persepolis. Marjane Satrapi, the author of The Complete Persepolis, grew up during the 1979 Revolution. This event changed many people’s lives, either it was for the better or worse is hard to say. Nevertheless, it influenced Satrapi s whole life. In the book , Satrapi expresses her childhood memories through her eyes as a child. Her experiences and ancestry can be clearly shown throughoutRead MoreHistorical Context Of Persepolis By Marjane Satrapi s Persepolis 761 Words   |  4 PagesShayauna Harris Ms. Cwiak IB World Literature I 3 November 2014 Part I: Historical Context Persepolis was written by Marjane Satrapi and was published in 2004. Marjane wrote this book to tell the life that she was living and the difficulties she faced. Persepolis takes place at the same time as the Islamic Revolution. The Islamic Revolution is seen to be one of the most important events to take place in Iranian history. This is significant to know while reading the book because it shows how theRead MoreAnalysis Of Marjane Satrapi s Persepolis 1425 Words   |  6 Pagesto childhood. Political socialization, the process by which an individual attains their political attitudes and values, argues that a number of agents, primarily family influences ideological development (Burnham). In Marjane Satrapi’s graphic autobiographical novel Persepolis, Satrapi affirms the notions of political socialization, specifically the importance of family as the primary agent of socialization, through her depiction of growing up during the Islamic Revolution and the infancy of the Isl amicRead MoreAnalysis Of Marjane Satrapi s Persepolis1264 Words   |  6 Pagessociety, ideas of violent loss and laying down your life for your country seem distant, an army’s world. During the Iranian revolution, loss and suffering were weaved into the fabric of their lives. To know Iran was to know war. In Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel Persepolis, she argues that Marji’s developing views on death and martyrdom serve to personalize our perspective on war. From the beginning of her story, Marji is suspended in limbo between two clashing ideological worlds. She is educated

Proposal the Hunger in Ethiopia Free Essays

Research Proposal Introduction/ Background Information: Ethiopia has been suffering from poverty and hunger for many years. Most of the people around the world are not aware of this massacre. Ethiopia is an agro-based country; they have only agricultural labor to invest on. We will write a custom essay sample on Proposal: the Hunger in Ethiopia or any similar topic only for you Order Now The drought in Ethiopia has caused a huge impact in the economy. There are currently over 500,000 acutely malnourished children in Ethiopia. They have been getting foreign aid but reports in the conversations with many starvation victims confirm that the situation is still not improved. By increasing foreign aid, the foreign country can get certain benefits, they can assure military assistance, gain land to search for oil, and create an alliance. Our research study will bring awareness about the terrible situation in Ethiopia to the whole world. When this research study is successful, our prediction is that people all over the world will help and protest for more foreign aids. Ethiopia will receive enough aid to invest on a permanent solution to poverty and many lives will be saved from starvation and malnutrition. The funding company which funds this research study will be reatly benefited because it will be appreciated and credited on all our research studies. The funding agency will be thanked by the people all over the world and it will be known by the whole world. We have high expectation that this study will be a success because similar work has been very successful in the past years. Invisible Children Kony 2012, a video published by Jason Russell which bring s awareness to the world about the Ugandan criminal, was very successful. They have captured the attention of the people around the whole world. The video has gotten over 84 million views in just two weeks. Proposed Work: The intent of the proposed study is to learn about the suffering victims in Ethiopia. In this research study, interviews will be the primary research approach. It is anticipated that the victims will talk about their stories and variety of topics throughout the interview. It is anticipated that over 30 interviews will be conducted within a year. All interviews will be videotaped with the interviewee’s permission. The expected interview length is about an hour long. I will write field notes while observing, giving interviews and listening to the interviews from the tape after. I expect to obtain more information and data from the organizations that are already there to help the victims, papers, officials of the government of Ethiopia and any other subjects that relates with my research study. All the interviews and data will be saved and organized on computer software. Some Interviews will be edited and published in the internet where everyone in the world should have access to. We will also be advertising it in the internet nd in major cities of United States. I will create a webpage where we have our statistics and data. People all over the world are expected to be interacting with each other in our webpage, which creates awareness. I will interact with people on social networking websites such as Twitter, Facebook and email. Budget: I will need the following materials, equipment and personnel for a comfort success. I will need stationary mate rial for recording, cameras, computers, microphones, sound systems and computer software for video editing and file storage. I will hire about 10 qualified interns nd employees for different tasks. Out of all the employees, some will be interviewers and journalists who will assist me with interviews and conduct their own interviews in different rural part of Ethiopia. Some of the employees will be in control of editing videos and uploading it on Internet webpage, manage the webpage and social networking sites such as Facebook and twitter. The webpage would have the options for people to make donations that go to the charity to help the victims. The estimated cost for this research project is about half a million ollars. The amount specified includes the material, equipment, personnel, travel expenses and salary for the interns and the employees including me. The research study is proposed to start in spring of 2012 and expected to finish in the middle of 2013. Conclusion/Recommendat ion: This project is very significant because many lives depend on it. It will give awareness to the whole world about the situation in Ethiopia. The action taken against this massacre is very helpful to these poor people who live their life with a dollar a day. This problem can be solved y being united and protesting for more aid, advertising, donating and collecting donations. Many lives can be saved. References: 1. Alexander, Douglas. â€Å"House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 03 Nov 2009 (pt 0001). † United Kingdom Parliament Home Page. 3 Nov. 2009. Web. 16 Mar. 2012. . 2. Gordts, Eline. â€Å"Ethiopia: Hunger During Worst Drought In 60 Years. † The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost. com, 17 Aug. 2011. Web. 16 Mar. 2012. . 3. Sanders, Edmund. â€Å"Hunger Is Once Again Stalking Ethiopia. † Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 05 Aug. 2008. Web. 16 Mar. 2012. . How to cite Proposal: the Hunger in Ethiopia, Essay examples

Strategic Information System for Development - MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theStrategic Information System for Development. Answer: Development and Adoption of Accounting Software Packages: In the current time of globalization, there are several types of accounting software and packages are used in the Austrian business sector to attain their strategic objectives effectively. For example, MYOB, Xero, Reckon/Intuit, ERP etc are the major players in the Australian accounting software industry. These are providing a lot of specific features accounting software or packages to their corporate and individual clients. In addition to this, it should also be noted down that, these accounting software are developed and adopted by both corporate and individual clients for the different purposes and use. For example, an individual customer develops and adopts accounting software in order to make future financial plan and perform day to day tasks (Shim, and Siegel, 2005). On the other hand, business firms use, adopt and develop various types of accounting software to run different business functions related to invoicing, billing, taxation, supply chain, bookkeeping, payroll analysis etc. These software packages are allowing the business firms to overcome various business challenges, reduce cost and improve business functioning. For case, accounting software could be adopt and develop in order to bring innovation, development and improvements within the current business process and systems. At the same time, an individual client could prepare and develop budget, financial plan and could perform other functions in an effective and more significant manner (Parsons, and Oja, 2012). The Current Market Size Market Leader: The given below chart is clearly and effectively presenting that, MYOB is the market leader in the industry with the highest market share, profit, revenue and sale. In addition to this, it is also analyzed that, in the Australian accounting software industry, MYOB had covered more than 80% market share of the overall industry. Moreover, the unique features, functionalities, unique services available with the MYOB had helped the company to gain maximum market share as compared to other accounting software firms. For example, with the help of MYOB, a company or individual could perform a number of tasks and functions accurately, effectively and properly (MYOB. 2017). In contrast, Recon is the second largest company in the Australian accounting software industry that has 12% market share of the total industry. Along with this, it is also analyzed that, Xero had only 8% market share of the total market that is very low as compare to Recon and MYOB. Finally, based on the overall analysis, it can be said that, with 80% market share, MYOB is the market leader in the industry (Xero. 2017). Competitive Advantage: Each and every accounting software packages have their own functionalities, features and services that provide scope of competitive advantages to the user directly or indirectly. For example, MYOB provides competitive advantages to their uses by allowing them to conduct a wide range of functions effectively such as: accounting, GST and BAS, payroll management, manage customers and suppliers, inventory management, manage multiple currencies, time billing, live reporting, multi-user access. On the other hand, with the help of Recon, the user can gain competitive scope effectively. For example, it helps the users to gain real time information quickly and develop best strategy as per organizational needs. In contrast, Xero is allows the users to perform functions related to inventory, purchasing, banking etc. Overall, it can be said that, these software packages are providing opportunities to the uses to gain competitive advantages from the market effectively (Needles, Powers, and Crosso n, 2010). Current Gaps/Challenges and Suggestions to Overcome Challenges: It is accessed and found that, a lot of serious and significant issues or challenges are faced and encountered by the individual customers and corporate customer in using and implementing various types of accounting software or packages. For example, cost and time are the important factors that directly affect the users ability and financial position. It means the implementation process is more complicated that require more time, high cost and more efforts. For example, in order to execute the accounting software within the organization, a company may have to invest huge money on the training and development programs for the employees. So, the employees can effectively understand the new system (Gitman, and McDaniel, 2007). This directly brings direct and indirect cost for the company. On the other hand, in order to properly install and run the new software, a company is also requires technical staff and IT professionals this negatively affect the profitability of the company. Moreov er, several issues related to security may also be faced by the users of accounting software. For example, someone could hack the important and valuable data and information of the company through unauthorized access. Hence, it may create the chances of fraud, cyber crime for the company. But, in order to effectively address and overcome such issues, the users should adopt specific security measures and strategies. Moreover, the company should train their employees or staff about the new technology (Morley, and Parker, 2009). References Gitman, L.J. McDaniel, C.D. (2007). The Future of Business: The Essentials: The Essentials. USA: Cengage Learning. Morley, D. and Parker, C.S. (2009) Understanding Computers: Today Tomorrow, 2009 Upate: Today and Tomorrow. USA: Cengage Learning. Needles, B.E., Powers, M. and Crosson, S.V. (2010). Financial Managerial Accounting. USA: Cengage Learning. Parsons, J.J. and Oja, D. (2012). Computer Concepts: Illustrated Introductory (9th ed.). USA:Cengage Learning. Shim, J.K. and Siegel, J.G. (2005). The Vest Pocket Guide to Information Technology (2nd ed.).USA: John Wiley Sons. MYOB (2016). Available At: https://myob.com.au/ [Accessed on 15 May 2017] Xero (2016). Available At: https://www.xero.com/ [Accessed on 15 May 2017]

Jane Eyre Essays (848 words) - English-language Films, British Films

Jane Eyre In Charlotte Bront? Jane Eyre, the main character faces many struggles. One of the struggles she faces is the temptation to run away with the man she loves and be his mistress or to marry a man who offers her the contrary where it would be a legal and highly respectable marriage but with no genuine love. Jane Eyre returns to Rochester because she values love and passion more than reason and when she hears his mysterious voice calling for her, she is also sure that Rochester and her share a spiritual link. Jane must decide between two men who have similar characteristics but are offering her almost exact opposite relationships. Jane must decide between reason and passion which is on of the main themes in the novel. The characteristics of the two men, who propose to Jane, conjure and symbolize the themes in Jane Eyre. Although, Rochester and St. John offer Jane entirely different relationships both men are noticeably selfish and disregard Jane's feelings to some degree. Both men are strong-willed, powerful, and stubborn about their ways of thinking and living. This is especially seen in St. John as Jane describes her cousin as being ?as stiff about urging his point? as possible. They believe that want they do is in the best interest of Jane and use unfair methods to tempt Jane into going against her own morals. Rochester tries to convince Jane to run away with him by using the tragic story of his marriage to Bertha Mason. His story makes Jane feel sympathetic and only makes her ?work more difficult.? Rochester turns to emotional blackmail when Jane still resists him. He tries to use her affection towards him to his advantage by accusing her of pushing him ?back on lust for a passion ? vice for an occupation.? He questions her on whether ?it is better to drive a fellow-creature to despair than to transgress a mere human law St. John, on the other hand, is far more convinced that he knows what is truly best for Jane. His plan for her is moral and appeals to her loyalty and idealism about God. He claims her ?not for pleasure? but for his ?Sovereign service.? But Jane must refuse him too because of her strong belief in that there must be love between two people for them to unite in marriage. St. John does not understand Jane's passionate nature, for him passion is an earthly emotion which must be put aside so that God can be served. He, himself, sacrifices his love for Rosamond Oliver because he thinks she would not make a good missionary's wife whereas Jane would but he does not truly love her. St. John uses his own ways to try to manipulate Jane but he does also try to use her affection towards him to his advantage. Unlike Rochester, St. John uses religious arguments to try to convince Jane to marry him. He tells her that her rejection is not of him but of God. He believes ?it is the cause to God? he adv ocates and ?it is under His standard? that he enlists Jane. But Jane states that she could never marry a man who is ?as cold as an iceberg? and ?has no more of a husband's heart.? She ?scorns the counterfeit sentiment? he offers to her and scorns his ?idea of love.? When his forceful attempts fail, he changes to a gentle tone which almost wins over Jane but in her confusion and sadness is when she hears Rochester's voice call out for her. Rochester's voice is speaking ?in pain and woe, wildly, eerily, urgently? which sends Jane heading back to Thornfield. This time, it is not Jane's conscience but her passion and love for Rochester which convinces her to not marry St. John. Jane returns to Thornfield stronger morally and spiritually than before and finds that Rochester has changed for the better. Both characters have changed through the novel after suffering through hardships which indicates they should be together. Jane gradually matures through the whole novel but the most significant stage is after she leaves Thornfield. She learns her hunger and her need for shelter are her problems. Unlike her experiences at Gateshead

Cannibis Sativa Essays - Cannabis, Herbalism, Medicinal Plants

Cannibis Sativa Essays - Cannabis, Herbalism, Medicinal Plants Cannibis Sativa Throughout history marijuana has been used to serve various purposes in many different cultures. The purposes have changed over time to fit in with the current lifestyles. This pattern is also true in American history. The use of marijuana has adapted to the social climate of the time. Marijuana, whose scientific name is cannibis sativa, was mentioned in historical manuscripts as early as 2700 B. C. in China. (Grolier Electronic Encyclopedia, 1995). The cultivation of the marijuana plant began as far back as the Jamestown settlers, around 1611, who used hemp produced from the marijuana plant's fibers to make rope and canvas. It was also used in making clothing because of it's durability. These uses fit in with the social climate of the time, because the main focus was on survival rather than for psychoactive purposes. During the prohibition, marijuana was widely used because of the scarcity of alcohol. Prohibition was repealed after just thirteen years while the prohibition against marijuana lasted for more than seventy five years. This double standard may have resulted from the wishes of those in power. Alcohol prohibition struck directly at tens of millions of Americans of all ages, including many of societies most powerful members. Marijuana prohibition threatened far fewer Americans, and they had relatively little influence in the districts of power. Only the prohibition of marijuana, which some sixty million Americans have violated since 1965 has come close to approximating the prohibition experience, but marijuana smokers consist mostly of young and relatively powerless Americans (American Heritage, pg 47). Alcohol prohibition was repealed and marijuana prohibition was retained, not because scientists had proved that alcohol was the less dangerous of the various psychoactive drugs, but because of the prejudices and preferences of most Americans (American Heritage, pg 47). In 1937 the government issued the Marijuana Tax Act, which levied a dollar an ounce tax on marijuana, coupled with fines of $2,000 for drug posession and jail sentences for evasion of the tax. For this reason marijuana use in the United States appears to have gone into decline in the late 30's (Grolier Wellness Encyclopedia, pg 54). Then marijuana was outlawed in 1937 as a repressive measure against Mexican workers who crossed the border seekingjobs during the Depression. The specific reason given for the outlawing of the hemp plant was it's supposed violent "effect on the degenerate races" (Schaffer, pg. 86). Beginning in the 60's marijuana use saw a resurgence which may be attributed to many causes. One of the main causes was the rebellion of youth against the Vietnam War. They used marijuana as an escape from war to peace. It was easy at this time to depict marijuana as a beneficial and completely harmless substance whose effects were far less harmful than those of legal drugs such as alcohol and nicotine because there was not enough scientific research done during the 60's (Grolier Wellness Encyclopedia, pg 54). Another cause may have been the discovery of the psychoactive component of marijuana- tetrahydrocannabinol, commonly known as THC. Users found the relation between the doses and the effects (Grolier Electronic Publishing, 1995). The current atmosphere provides for doctors to suggest synthetic marijuana (THC) in a pure and standardized form by perscription (called Marinol) for the treatment of nausea associated with cancer chemotherapy. Also, although there is no scientific evidence that shows marijuana is beneficial in the treatment of glaucoma, it may prevent the progression of visual loss. Marijuana, along with alcohol and a host of other substances, can actually lower intraocular eye pressure. The mediction however, must be carefully tailored to the individual to prevent further eye damage. The evidence has clearly shown that marijuana has been around for a great deal of time and has served multiple purposes throughout history. Karen Sipes Dana Pentoney Jeni Roane Sources Grolier Electronic Encylopedia, Electronic Publishing, Inc., 1995 Grolier Wellness Encyclopedia, Drugs, Society & Behavior. Vol. 3, 1992. Ethan A. Nadelmann, American Heritage Magazine, Feb-Mar, 1993. Medical Marijuana, lec.org/Drug_Watch/ Public/Documents/Med_Marijuana_Paper.htm, 1995.

A Fruit Smoothie Is A Drink Biology Essay

A Fruit Smoothie Is A Drink Biology Essay Fruit and vegetables are not consumed in the required quantities, throughout the world due to a variety of reasons e.g. availability, cost and/or convenience. Even though there importance is clearly defined by the World Health Organisation guidelines (Keenan et al. 2011a), in the developed world convenience is perceived as being the predominant cause for the demise of fruit and vegetable consumption. This has directly led to the development of a new product set – that enables the consumer to achieve the recommended 5 portions a day, whilst maintaining their busy life styles. ‘Smoothies’ have now entered into popular culture; the (Oxford English Dictionary, 2013) defines it as â€Å"Noun – a thick, smooth drink of fresh fruit purà ©ed with milk, yogurt, or ice cream† A fruit Smoothie is a drink that blends fruit and fruit juice together to create a healthy snack. The Smoothie market to have reached $9.0 billion by 2015 (Global Industry Analysts, 201 0) and that UK sales reached 34 million in 2006, which is 6.3 million up on 2001 according to Mintel who also expect Smoothie sales to treble by 2011 (BBC News, 2007). In the USA the sales reached $2 billion in 2012, which has grown 80% over the past 5 years (Smoothie Statistics, 2012). In the UK, the sales of smoothie increase to 80 million in 2007, but showed a reduction in sales gradually falling by 2009, however sales have increased again by 2011 to 55 million (British soft drinks, 2011). Mintel are a company that provide food and drink research to the UK. They have reported that many fruit Smoothies have been found to have a hidden sugar content to sweeten the Smoothie up; many of the fruit Smoothies were found to have hidden sugars comprising of fruit juice concentrates and high fructose syrup (Courier mail, 2013). Most Smoothie’s have apple and banana as core ingredients. Apples have a natural sweetness; this means not as much, if any additional sugar needs to be added to the drink, to sweeten the taste, banana is also added as it adds a natural thickness to the Smoothie, nothing artificial needs to be added to the Smoothie (Innocent drinks, 2013). One problem that is faced is the texture of the drink, it can be quite bitty or grainy, this is derived from tiny particles that some fruits contain, for example strawberries have small pips on the outside of the fruit, so blending the fruit alone will not get the particles to break up. However a way to change this has been found that passing ultrasound waves into the fruit during its preparation makes the particles smaller. Ultrasound wave technology has been available for many years, but in the last 10 years the food industry has developed a methodology to use the ultrasonic waves in food processing (Ultrasonic innovations, 2008). This paper presents an example of using ultrasound waves in the Fruit Smoothie product to reduce the particle size problem outlined earlier. There are a number of advantage s for using ultrasonic waves, they have a more effective mixing and micro-mixing, faster energy and mass transfer, reduction in temperature – the mixture can remain at the same temperature throughout the process. Ultrasound wave technology also increases the production volumes of the Smoothies (Chemat et al., 2011).

Outline and explore the importance of a consumer-centric approach in Essay - 1

Outline and explore the importance of a consumer-centric approach in marketing - Essay Example As the number of customers increase, organization has a chance to increase their profits. Secondly, customer-value models play an important role in understanding the consumer behaviour which helps in design desirable products. Besides, customer based models seek to detect changes in customer behaviour patterns and hence helps the organization to adjust its business strategy. On this ground, customer-centric marketing approaches are crucial if organization have to remain profitable with the contemporary business environment. Marketing strategies within an organization has generated a lot of attention within the modern business environment. Marketing seeks to create product awareness within target markets as one way to ensure that customer understand products and are attracted to the organization distribution channels (Cheng & Dogan, 2008). Therefore, marketing ensures that companies push their products towards the customers, as one way of increasing sales within the market. Today, many organizations have appreciated that a customer-centric model is one of the best marketing strategies. A customer-centric marketing model puts customers at the heart of the business and all strategies are directed towards winning the customer (Niininen, Buhalis & March, 2007). The role of a customer within the modern market has increasing generated attention. With increase is competition within the modern markets, customers are becoming important factors while designing marketing strategies. As competition increases, the p rofits decrease and the consumer bargaining power increases in the market. Resultantly, organizations are competing for available customers to ensure that they survive the harsh market times when customers have many options to choose from. Generally, organizations that higher customer share within the market will survive while those that lose customers will eventually collapse. As such, customer based models of

The core challenges of managing diversity in the workplace today Essay - 1

The core challenges of managing diversity in the workplace today - Essay Example Thus, it is important to consider the behavioral aspects of human resources. As important factor that determines their behavior is their backgrounds, which are unique in several ways. Such uniqueness differentiates one from other; and hence the entire workforce becomes diverse in several respects. This essay addresses the issues arising from managing diverse workforce. To place the essay in a perspective, the following section explores the diverse characteristics of workforce. This essay would subsequently explore how best this diverse workforce could be managed. There are several ways of defining diversity of labor force. In a simplest form, the diversity can be associated with the uniqueness of labor force - as every individual tends to exhibit behavior that is unique to the individual concerned. Ferris, Frink and Galang define diversity as, â€Å".. any attribute that humans are likely to use to tell themselves, ‘that person is different from me† (Ferris, Frink and Galang, 1993, p. 42). In this case, individuals are taken as unit of analysis. Considering the number of labors employed by any organization, it is near impossible to address workforce by taking individuals as a category. This requires some aggregation, and the criteria adopted should reflect the diversity. While the individual differences are important, these authors go on to suggest that the larger factors such as race, sex, age, values, and cultural norms should be taken into account while understanding the diversity of workforce. Thus, Westerns workers become one category; whereas Asian workers become another category. Within Western society, the English workers are different from that of German and French Workers. Thus diversity of workforce can be understood in different ways depending upon the context and the analytical purpose. Within America, there is lots of diversity of workforce due to

Socrates The Symposium and Its Serious Purpose Essay Example for Free

Socrates The Symposium and Its Serious Purpose Essay Socrates (469-399 B.C.E.)was a Greek philosopher.   Plato (ca. 429-347 B.C.E.)was the student of Socrates.   According to David H. Richter, because Plato mistrusted writing, he did not set down his philosophy in the usual form of a set of treatises but rather in dialogues (18).   The Symposium comes from a dialogue of Socrates ideas transcribed by Plato, because Socrates never wrote anything himself. Whether or not Plato kept his own ideas out of Socrates is the subject of debate:   . . . at times we may wonder whether Socrates is being serious or ironic, at other times whether he always speaks directly for Plato (Richter 18).   Be that as it may, The Symposium discusses the nature of love, and although it is written in a comic tone, nonetheless it also strives to explore love in a serious manner as bound in morality in the structured forms of drama, rhetoric and dialect.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Symposium takes the form of several speeches by guests at a symposium, or drinking party, at the house of Agathon.   Each of the seven party guests, and their respective speeches, represent a different aspect of love.   Phaedrus takes a literary approach to the topic of love, while Pausanias a legal perspective.   Eryximachus brings a doctors view to the topic, and Aristophanes, as a comic poet, sticks with a humorous take on the subject.   Agathon uses a self-conscious poetic outlook, whereas Socrates puts a religious spin on love.   Finally, Alcibiades talks about his relationship, whether erotic or not, to Socrates.   If love is a part of or even the basis of morality, then it is not surprising that Socrates and Plato were interested in coming up with a clear idea of what love was, because according to D. Brendan Nagle, Socrates and Plato, came to the defense of the beleaguered city-state and tried to find a new and irrefutable moral basis for it (162).   Socrates was looking for a basis for morality, and certainly he thought at least a part of it was bound up in the idea of love.   C. M. Bowra, in Classical Greece, says that Socrates was the first exponent in Greece of a morality based on the demands of individual conscience rather than the demands of the state (137). This work explores this idea of love bound in morality.   Socrates, at a time before the drinking party, speaks to Diotima, who tells him a story about love.   She brings together the ideas of love and eternality, or what we might today call a true and undying love.   She relates how some men were willing to die for the sake of their name being bound to a good reputation even after their death.   She gives the example that Achilles would not have avenged Patroclus was it not for the memory of their virtues, which still survives among us, would be immortal? (The Symposium).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Plato uses the dramatic form as one type of structure for The Symposium (Platos Symposium).   There is an introduction, the body of the play, and an afterward.   The drama is built around the verbal antics of three pairs of speakers with differing points of view.   Phaedrus is a social climber and wants to get in good with the poets.   He is a rival to Pausanias for Agathons attention.   Pausanias, however, is Agathons current lover, so the plot thickens comedically in this first episode. The next scene takes place between Eryximachus, the physician who is bombastic and Aristophanes, the comic dramatist who was known for bringing down people with big egos.   The final portion is a debate between Agathon and Socrates.   Plato draws a verbal picture of Agathon as a flamboyant self-centered character, whereas Socrates comes across as simple and unfashionable.   These pairings help produce the comedy and satire of the piece.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The rhetoric of this piece can also be used as a form for the discussion of love in which these characters partake.   Some of the characters deliver their speeches in an exaggerated manner, such as Eryximachus and Agathon.   Others, like Socrates and Aristophanes, use a plain style.   By the end of the piece Alcibiades, the last speaker, explains in summary that inner beauty is more attractive than outer charm.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another way to understand The Symposium is as an example of the Socratic method itself.   It starts with basic ideas about love, and gradually it grows to deeper understanding based on a question and answer format made famous by Socrates.   Phaedrus begins with the idea that love elevates the lover, but Pausanias counters that love can have a religious context or a secular one. The doctor gives a medical explanation for love, claiming that love will bring peace to the mind, whereas Aristophanes thinks that love is more self-centered, because the lover is looking for self-actualization through the means of love. Socrates has the final summary through expressing the ideas of Diotima to the other party guests that love in its purest form wants eternally to be immortal and also wants the good and the beautiful to be the focus of its immortality.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Socrates used humor as well as structure provided by drama, rhetoric, and the Socratic method of question and answer to get his message concerning love across not only to the guests at the party, but eventually to the world.   This piece has been the foundation upon which Western cultures idea of love was based.   Although Socrates students loved him, the state, not surprisingly, did not for several reasons.   The city-state leaders did not like the idea that Socrates questioned the popular religions of the day. He believed his search for self-individualism was greater than the needs of the state.   The state of Athens thought Socrates, in his role as an educator, to be a corrupting force on the youth of the city, and they condemned him to death.   He died surrounded by his friends and talking to them, after he had drunk hemlock, the poison that would take his life.   Plato called Socrates,the wisest and most just and best man who ever lived, a saint and a martyr (Bowra 138).   Even after Socrates death, Plato wrote down the words that Socrates said, and this is why we can begin to understand his thoughts in The Symposium. Works Cited Bowra, C. M. et al.   Classical Greece.   Alexandria, VA:   Time-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Life Books, 1977. Nagle, D. Brendan.   The Ancient World:   A Social and Cultural   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   History.   2nd ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ:   Prentice Hall,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   1989. Plato.   Symposium.   http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/p/   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   plato/p71sy/symposium.html Platos Symposium.   http://condor.depaul.edu/~dsimpson/   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   tlove/symposium.html Richter, David H.   The Critical Tradition:   Classic Texts and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Contemporary Trends.   2nd ed.   Boston:   Bedford Books, 1998.

Mother of Three Earns Six-Figures with eCommerce Website :: Sell Websites Buy Websites

Mother of Three Earns Six-Figures with eCommerce Website Reprinted with permission of VotanWeb.com In January, Sarah Kline bought an old watch for three dollars at a small thrift store she stumbled upon in a tiny town near her home in Florida . She went home and listed it for sale on her website. Several days later it sold for $14,200. She'd recognized the watch as the signature style of a designer famous for his unusual creations. A sharp eye for authentic vintage watches -- watches no longer being made -- and the ability to connect with customers who want it are Ms. Kline’s secrets to success on the internet. The 36-year-old housewife has been selling to jewelry stores for years. In early 2002, a computer-savvy store owner and friend suggested she turn to the internet to widen her market. By selling directly to customers online, she could cut out the middleman. Ms. Kline wasn't an experienced Internet user, but she found an existing website listed for sale on VotanWeb. She bought the website when the owner agreed to help her until she had a thorough grasp of the website. His instructions were easy to follow. "It was all new to me, but I learned quickly," she says. "I also did a lot of research by looking at how successful websites set up their auctions -- the categories they listed their products in and the descriptions they used." Ms. Kline began holding auctions. Within weeks, her online sales exceeded those of her off-line business, and she decided to commit entirely to the internet. She now runs about 75 auctions a week, and her annual sales have doubled in the past year to about $420,000. The watch, for example, sold on the internet for about 20 times the amount she estimates it would have gone for had she solicited a local retailer. She's also no longer dependent on local buyers' tastes, since over 90% of her sales are to out-of-state customers. "I couldn't sell everything I had to stores because a lot were particular about what they wanted," she says. For example, most wouldn't buy large quantities of high-end vintage watches. "I found a lot of nice vintage watches from the estates of all the old people who move to Florida to die," she says. "But the stores I sold to wouldn't buy them." Ms. Kline fell in love with vintage watches in the early 1990s while working as a clerk at the local jewelry store. Mother of Three Earns Six-Figures with eCommerce Website :: Sell Websites Buy Websites Mother of Three Earns Six-Figures with eCommerce Website Reprinted with permission of VotanWeb.com In January, Sarah Kline bought an old watch for three dollars at a small thrift store she stumbled upon in a tiny town near her home in Florida . She went home and listed it for sale on her website. Several days later it sold for $14,200. She'd recognized the watch as the signature style of a designer famous for his unusual creations. A sharp eye for authentic vintage watches -- watches no longer being made -- and the ability to connect with customers who want it are Ms. Kline’s secrets to success on the internet. The 36-year-old housewife has been selling to jewelry stores for years. In early 2002, a computer-savvy store owner and friend suggested she turn to the internet to widen her market. By selling directly to customers online, she could cut out the middleman. Ms. Kline wasn't an experienced Internet user, but she found an existing website listed for sale on VotanWeb. She bought the website when the owner agreed to help her until she had a thorough grasp of the website. His instructions were easy to follow. "It was all new to me, but I learned quickly," she says. "I also did a lot of research by looking at how successful websites set up their auctions -- the categories they listed their products in and the descriptions they used." Ms. Kline began holding auctions. Within weeks, her online sales exceeded those of her off-line business, and she decided to commit entirely to the internet. She now runs about 75 auctions a week, and her annual sales have doubled in the past year to about $420,000. The watch, for example, sold on the internet for about 20 times the amount she estimates it would have gone for had she solicited a local retailer. She's also no longer dependent on local buyers' tastes, since over 90% of her sales are to out-of-state customers. "I couldn't sell everything I had to stores because a lot were particular about what they wanted," she says. For example, most wouldn't buy large quantities of high-end vintage watches. "I found a lot of nice vintage watches from the estates of all the old people who move to Florida to die," she says. "But the stores I sold to wouldn't buy them." Ms. Kline fell in love with vintage watches in the early 1990s while working as a clerk at the local jewelry store.

Nestle

Assignment 2 Nestle Dr. Mary Tranquillo HRM 560 Managing Organizational Change October 28, 2010 Organization changes that Nestle has undergone 1. Discuss the organization changes that Nestle has undergone. Nestle is the largest and most successful consumer packaged goods company in the world, founded and headquartered in Vevey Switzerland. Nestle successfully introduced many new products into many different parts of the food and beverage industry. The Nestle Company was established in 1867 by Henri Nestle.In the beginning, Nestle Company specialized in selling infant milk; which provided alternative for mothers who could not breast feed their infant. The value of the product was soon recognized, as it saved many children’s life. Today, Nestle is the world's largest and most diversified food company, with nearly 500 factories around the world, producing healthy, enjoyable food products for every stage of life. Nestle underwent many organizational changes. In 1905 Nestle Company merged with the Anglo Swiss Milk Company by the Page Brothers.The merger provided the company with a wide range of product line. According to Palmaer, I. , Dunford, R. , & Akin, G. , 2009, â€Å"Nestle changed its approach to global expansion and began purchasing global subsidiaries in foreign markets. † During the World War I Nestle purchased several factories in the United States to keep up with the increasing demand for condensed milk and dairy products via government contracts. When fresh milk became available again after the war, Nestle financial status suffered which caused a tremendous amount of debt.The price of ingredients was increasing, the economy slowed down and exchange rates deteriorated because of the war. During World War II many â€Å"executive offices offshore were transferred to the United States. These moves into the offshore markets were part of Nestle’s commitment to changing the company in order to increase efficiency and productivity† ( Palmaer, I. , Dunford, R. , & Akin, G. , 2009, para 2, pg. 109). After the war ended, consumer started switching to the type of favorite milk they liked with reference. Nestle was able to respond quickly to the change of demand; thus giving them a very high advantage to stay competitive in the market. In 1920, the company decided to enter the chocolate market as their second most important production. Nestle also did am unrelated diversification through their shareholding in L’Oreal in 1974. Later, Nestle made a second diversification which was outside of the food industry, the purchase of a pharmaceutical and ophthalmic company known as Alcon Laboratories Inc.As the years progress Nestle continue to its diversified strategic in acquiring many acquisitions: 1985 Carnation, 1988 Buitoni-Perugina, 1988 Rowntree, 1990 Cereal Partners Worldwide, 1991 Beverage Partners Worldwide (formerly CCNR), 1992 Perrier, 1998 San Pellegrino and Spillers Pet foods, and in 2000 the acquisition of Power Bar (http://hubpages. com/hub/nestle). Whether changes were first-order and/or second-order changes 2. Identify whether the changes were first-order and/or second-order changes and the rationale for your decision. It went through second-order change.Second- order, discontinuous change is â€Å"transformational, radical, and fundamentally alters the organization at its core. Second- order change entails not developing but transforming the nature of the organization† (Palmaer, I. , Dunford, R. , & Akin, G. , 2009, para 3, pg. 86). †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"Nestle sold its products through sales agents to countries outside of its home market. †¢Its launch into the American market was initiated when the First World War increased demand for dairy products. Nestle took this opportunity to establish its presence in the United States by acquiring several existing factories. In 1974 Nestle diversified for the first time out-side the food industry in order to promote growth. †¢I t became a major shareholder in the cosmetic giant L’Oreal. †¢Nestle later made a second foray outside the food industry with the purchase of Alcon Laboratories Inc. ,† (Palmaer, I. , Dunford, R. , & Akin, G. , 2009, para 3, pg. 86). My rationale: Nestle transformed the nature of its organization Nestle fine tuned its organization and transferred its executive offices from Switzerland to the United States which allowed an improved and enhanced organizational stability. 3.Discuss whether or not the changes made were with an incremental approach as emphasized by Brabeck-Letmathe. Brabeck-Letmathe stated â€Å"why should we manufacture dramatic change? Just for changes sake? To follow some sort of fad with-out logical thinking behind it? We are very skeptical of any kind of fad† (Palmaer, I. , Dunford, R. , & Akin, G. , 2009, para 7, pg. 109). He initiated a complete overhaul of the executive board, replacing it with 10 new executives. He claims that change is incremental; however he is making a radical change. Three examples of lessons from the front line 4.Identify three examples of lessons from the front line that were evident in the Nestle case and how these issues may be overcome. Three examples of lessons from the front line that were evident in the Nestle case are: †¢There is a dramatic pace of change in Nestle. This to be slowed down. †¢There is a high risk in its investments; the firm has to hedge its risks †¢There is a wrong policy in technology. Care needs to be taken in assuming that types of organizational changes can be neatly categorized as small, adaptive, and incremental compared to those that are large and transformational.Mental frameworks, individual perspectives, the extent to which a change is directly relevant to a person and his or her activities, and the degree to which he or she accepts the need for change. References Bikashkumarsha. (2010). Nestle's brand management strategies. Retrieved from http ://hubpages. com/hub/nestle. Palmer, I. , Dunford, R. , & Akin, G. (2009). Managing organizational change: A multiple perspectives approach (2nd ed. ). New York: McGraw-Hill. Nestle 10-11 Your firm organized its foreign operations in an international division. With foreign markets growing fast, the firm considers changing its organizational structure. What options does it have? What are the pros and cons of each option? Figure 1 Figure 1 illustrates the relationship between each elements of organizational architecture. Hill et. al (2012) identifies these elements one by one. Organization structure means three points.First, the formal division of the organization into subunits, such as product divisions, national operations and functions; second, the location of decision making responsibilities within that structure; third, the establishment of integrating mechanism to coordinate the activities of subunits including cross functional team and pan regional committees. Control system is the method to measure the performance of subunits and to judge the managers when running those subunits. Incentives are used to reward appropriate managerial behavior. It is close co nnected with the performance.Processes refers to the manner in which decisions are made and work is performed within the organization. Organizational culture refers to the norms and value systems that the employees of an organization share. People here means both the employees of the organization and the strategy used to recruit, compensate and retain those individual and type of people with skills, values and orientations. Organizational structure The organizational structure has three dimensions: vertical differentiation, horizontal differentiation and the integrating mechanisms.Each dimension will be explained below. Vertical differentiation The vertical differentiation indicated the location of decision making responsibilities within a structure. The vertical differentiation has two types of arguments: centralization and decentralization. There are four main arguments for centralization. First, centralization can facilitate coordination. An example might be a company have severa l different components manufactured in different countries which need coordinated. It can be achieved by centralizing production scheduling by managers.Second, centralization can help ensure that decisions are consistent with organizational objectives. Third, concentrating power and authority in one individual or a management team can assist the top level managers to bring about needed major organizational changes. Fourth, centralization can avoid the duplication of activities by several subunits with similar activities, which can improve the efficiency. There are also five arguments for decentralization. First, the top level manager may get overburdened, which may result poor decisions. Decentralization can solve this problem.Second, researches show that people are willing to give more to their jobs when they have a greater degree of individual freedom and control. Third, more rapid response to environmental change with greater flexibility is provided by decentralization. Fourth, d ecentralization can result in better decisions. This is because in a decentralization structure, the decisions can be made by person with better understanding and more information than managers. Fifth, decentralization can increase control by establish relatively autonomous, self-contained subunits within an organization.The responsibility of subunit managers are closely connected with the subunit performance. Therefore, centralize some core decisions and decentralize some operating decisions may be worth trying. Horizontal differentiation The horizontal differentiation is concerned with how the firm decides to divide itself into subunits. The decision is usually based on the firm’s function, type of business and geographical area. Domestic According to Hill et. al (2012), many firms begin with no formal structure and are run by a small group of people.When the firms grow, the organization is split into functions reflecting the firm’s value creation activities because the demand of management is great. It type of structure is functional structure. Top managers coordinate and control functions, such as purchasing, manufacturing, marketing and finance. Centralized decision is usual in this structure. A typical example of functional structure is the British airways, as show in figure 2. Figure 2 With the development of the firm product line, further differentiation may be necessary. A product divisional structure can be used to solve the problem caused by coordination and control.In a product divisional structure, each division is responsible for a distinct product line, as show in figure 3 Figure 3 Each division is set up as a self-contained, largely autonomous entity with its own function. The responsibility for operating decisions is usually decentralized to product divisions. The top manager is responsible for the overall strategic development of the firm and for financial control of the various divisions. International The above two structure i s based on domestic firms. When the firms expand internationally, they often group all their international activities into an international division.Both functional and product divisions structure at home may be replicate to the global. Regardless of a firm’s domestic structure, its international division tends to be organized on geography. Figure 4 is an example for a international division. Figure 4 In the figure, the products can be manufactured by divisions A, B and C, and then export to country1 and 2. However, the production line A, B and C may also build in country 1 and 2. For firm with a functional structure at home, the firm might replicate this structure in every countries it does business.Similar case might happen for the firms with divisional structure. Although this kind of structure is quite popular, it may raise several problems. It may create conflict and coordination problems between domestic and foreign operations. First, the top manager of this structure m ay not give as much voice in the organization as the top manager in domestic. Second, lack of coordination between domestic operations and foreign operations may cause isolation. In order to solve these problems, a worldwide product divisional structure and a worldwide area structure is raised and adopted by many firms.Figure 5 illustrates these two alternative paths of development. Figure 5 The worldwide product divisional structure is often adopted by firms which are reasonably diversified and has domestic structures based on product divisions. Figure 6 is a typical worldwide product divisional structure. This structure helps to realize the location and experience curve economies. It also facilitates the transfer of core competencies. The main problem of this structure is the limitation of voice it gives to area country managers as it makes them subservient to product division managers. Figure 6The worldwide area structure is suitable for firms with a low degree of diversification and a domestic structure based on functional structure. This structure divided the world into geographic areas and each area’s operations authority and strategic decisions are decentralized (figure 7). This structure facilitates local responsiveness. However, this structure can result in a fragmentation of the organization which makes it difficult to transfer core competencies and skills between areas. This structure is consistent with a localization strategy, but may also make it difficult to realize gains under a global standardization.Figure 7 Hill et. al (2012) indicates that a worldwide area structure is more appropriate for firm focus on localization strategy while a worldwide product divisional structure is more appropriate for firm focus on global standardization or international strategies. An attempted is made by some firms to use a matrix structure to cope with the conflicting demands of transnational strategy. The responsibility for operation decisions for a prod uct should be shared by the product division and various area of the firm. The global matrix structure allows for differentiation along two dimensions: the product division and geographic area.In a classic matrix structure, product divisions and geographical areas have equal status for operating decisions. In the reality, the global matrix structure may not work as well as the theory predicts. It may appeals as clumsy and bureaucratic. The decision making can be slow and the inflexible organization may not respond quickly to market change or to innovate. The dual-hierarchy structure can also lead to conflict between the areas and the product divisions. To make the matters worse is that it is difficult to ascertain the responsibility in this structure. Integrating mechanismFor an international or a transnational firm, there is greater need for coordination rather than a firm which pursuing a localization strategy. However, the different orientation or opinion of subunits will raise d ifferent goals, which may become the impediments to coordination. In order to overcome this problem, both formal and informal integrating mechanisms can be used to achieve coordination. As show in figure 8, the formal mechanisms integrate subunits use methods from direct contact and liaison roles to teams and a matrix structure. The complexity of the formal integrating mechanisms is positive correlated with the need of coordination.The problem of this solution is that the matrix structure tends to be bureaucratic, inflexible and characterized by conflict. Therefore, flexibility and supporting by the informal integrating mechanisms is necessary. Figure 8 The informal integrating mechanism can be defined as knowledge networks which are supported by the organization culture. Cross-unit cooperation and teamwork are the important content for the culture. The advantage of the network is that it is used as a nonbureaucratic conduit for knowledge flows with in a multinational enterprise.An example to for the structure of the network is shown in figure 9, the manager A, B and E, F are connected indirectly through manager C, D. If one problem is raised by manager A, the manager F or E can know this situation indirectly and provide solution. In order to operate the network successfully, all the managers must share a strong commitment to the same goals and adhere to a common set of norms and values that override differing subunit orientations, which means strong organizational culture is necessary for teamwork and cooperation. Figure 9 Nestle Assignment 2 Nestle Dr. Mary Tranquillo HRM 560 Managing Organizational Change October 28, 2010 Organization changes that Nestle has undergone 1. Discuss the organization changes that Nestle has undergone. Nestle is the largest and most successful consumer packaged goods company in the world, founded and headquartered in Vevey Switzerland. Nestle successfully introduced many new products into many different parts of the food and beverage industry. The Nestle Company was established in 1867 by Henri Nestle.In the beginning, Nestle Company specialized in selling infant milk; which provided alternative for mothers who could not breast feed their infant. The value of the product was soon recognized, as it saved many children’s life. Today, Nestle is the world's largest and most diversified food company, with nearly 500 factories around the world, producing healthy, enjoyable food products for every stage of life. Nestle underwent many organizational changes. In 1905 Nestle Company merged with the Anglo Swiss Milk Company by the Page Brothers.The merger provided the company with a wide range of product line. According to Palmaer, I. , Dunford, R. , & Akin, G. , 2009, â€Å"Nestle changed its approach to global expansion and began purchasing global subsidiaries in foreign markets. † During the World War I Nestle purchased several factories in the United States to keep up with the increasing demand for condensed milk and dairy products via government contracts. When fresh milk became available again after the war, Nestle financial status suffered which caused a tremendous amount of debt.The price of ingredients was increasing, the economy slowed down and exchange rates deteriorated because of the war. During World War II many â€Å"executive offices offshore were transferred to the United States. These moves into the offshore markets were part of Nestle’s commitment to changing the company in order to increase efficiency and productivity† ( Palmaer, I. , Dunford, R. , & Akin, G. , 2009, para 2, pg. 109). After the war ended, consumer started switching to the type of favorite milk they liked with reference. Nestle was able to respond quickly to the change of demand; thus giving them a very high advantage to stay competitive in the market. In 1920, the company decided to enter the chocolate market as their second most important production. Nestle also did am unrelated diversification through their shareholding in L’Oreal in 1974. Later, Nestle made a second diversification which was outside of the food industry, the purchase of a pharmaceutical and ophthalmic company known as Alcon Laboratories Inc.As the years progress Nestle continue to its diversified strategic in acquiring many acquisitions: 1985 Carnation, 1988 Buitoni-Perugina, 1988 Rowntree, 1990 Cereal Partners Worldwide, 1991 Beverage Partners Worldwide (formerly CCNR), 1992 Perrier, 1998 San Pellegrino and Spillers Pet foods, and in 2000 the acquisition of Power Bar (http://hubpages. com/hub/nestle). Whether changes were first-order and/or second-order changes 2. Identify whether the changes were first-order and/or second-order changes and the rationale for your decision. It went through second-order change.Second- order, discontinuous change is â€Å"transformational, radical, and fundamentally alters the organization at its core. Second- order change entails not developing but transforming the nature of the organization† (Palmaer, I. , Dunford, R. , & Akin, G. , 2009, para 3, pg. 86). †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"Nestle sold its products through sales agents to countries outside of its home market. †¢Its launch into the American market was initiated when the First World War increased demand for dairy products. Nestle took this opportunity to establish its presence in the United States by acquiring several existing factories. In 1974 Nestle diversified for the first time out-side the food industry in order to promote growth. †¢I t became a major shareholder in the cosmetic giant L’Oreal. †¢Nestle later made a second foray outside the food industry with the purchase of Alcon Laboratories Inc. ,† (Palmaer, I. , Dunford, R. , & Akin, G. , 2009, para 3, pg. 86). My rationale: Nestle transformed the nature of its organization Nestle fine tuned its organization and transferred its executive offices from Switzerland to the United States which allowed an improved and enhanced organizational stability. 3.Discuss whether or not the changes made were with an incremental approach as emphasized by Brabeck-Letmathe. Brabeck-Letmathe stated â€Å"why should we manufacture dramatic change? Just for changes sake? To follow some sort of fad with-out logical thinking behind it? We are very skeptical of any kind of fad† (Palmaer, I. , Dunford, R. , & Akin, G. , 2009, para 7, pg. 109). He initiated a complete overhaul of the executive board, replacing it with 10 new executives. He claims that change is incremental; however he is making a radical change. Three examples of lessons from the front line 4.Identify three examples of lessons from the front line that were evident in the Nestle case and how these issues may be overcome. Three examples of lessons from the front line that were evident in the Nestle case are: †¢There is a dramatic pace of change in Nestle. This to be slowed down. †¢There is a high risk in its investments; the firm has to hedge its risks †¢There is a wrong policy in technology. Care needs to be taken in assuming that types of organizational changes can be neatly categorized as small, adaptive, and incremental compared to those that are large and transformational.Mental frameworks, individual perspectives, the extent to which a change is directly relevant to a person and his or her activities, and the degree to which he or she accepts the need for change. References Bikashkumarsha. (2010). Nestle's brand management strategies. Retrieved from http ://hubpages. com/hub/nestle. Palmer, I. , Dunford, R. , & Akin, G. (2009). Managing organizational change: A multiple perspectives approach (2nd ed. ). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Electricity Demand and Supply Pakistan Essay

Electricity load-shedding in Pakistan is one of the biggest domestic problems faced by the country. Along with the problems that the power shortage brings for the society as a whole and for the inhabitants of the society the power failures seriously curbs the economic potential of the economy. Considering most of the medium and large scale industries of Pakistan depend on machinery that is run by electricity they are heavily dependent on the electricity supply, with the electricity supply cut their production capacity decreases dramatically as well. Since most of Pakistani manufacturing industries lack the self generation ability hence this power outage is even more harmful to their business. So eventually what ends up happening is that along with creating general distress among the public this power shortage reduces the production capacity of the firms and hence reduces the aggregate supply. Aggregate supply can be defined as the total supply of goods and services that firms in a national economy plan on selling during a specific time period. It is the total amount of goods and services that firms are willing to sell at a given price level in an economy. It is the total amount of goods and services that firms are willing to sell at a given price level in an economy. In the long run, the aggregate-supply curve is assumed to be vertical In the short run, the aggregate-supply curve is assumed to be upward sloping SRAS (Short run aggregate demand) shows total planned output when prices in the economy can change but the prices and productivity of all factor inputs e.g. wage rates and the state of technology are assumed to be held constant. LRAS (Long run aggregate supply) shows total planned output when both prices and average wage rates can change – it is a measure of a country’s potential output and the concept is linked strongly to that of the production poss ibility frontier The SRAS and LRAS can be graphically represented as follows: SRAS LRAS Now what happens is that firms will have to cut down their production process in order to effectively meet the costs incurred or it will come to a position of losses. The cutting down of the production process means  decreasing the supply of the firm. As a firm produces lesser than it did before, fewer workers will be needed because the excess labor has been made redundant since fewer employees are now needed to produce lesser output. Moreover, the firm can no longer afford to employ as many workers as it did before. Hence this will eventually give rise to over the course of time as many workers have will have to be laid off in industries due to low activity. This will invariably decrease the total consumption of the population because as the unemployment increases the purchasing power of the people also falls. They are now earning fewer wages and the income effect will lead to a drastic decrease in the consumption. Consumption is one of the major contributors in the aggregate demand function. We define aggregate demand as the total demand for all goods and services produced in the economy at a given time and price level. It is the amount of goods and services in the economy that will be produced at all possible price levels. The aggregate demand is usually described as a linear sum of four separable demand sources.[3] Where: C = Consumption I = Investment G = Government Spending (X-M) = Net Exports – Net Imports The graph for AD is as follows: It is often cited that the aggregate demand curve is downward sloping because at lower price levels a greater quantity is demanded. While this is correct at the microeconomic, single good level, at the aggregate level this is incorrect. The aggregate demand curve is in fact downward sloping as a result of the Pigou’s wealth effect. Pigou effect is an economics term that refers to the stimulation of output and employment caused by increasing consumption due to a rise in real balances of wealth, particularly during deflation. Keynes said that a drop in aggregate demand could lower employment and the price level (deflationary depression). Hence it can be  said that any decrease in the consumption would bring about a fall in the aggregate demand. Consumer demand or consumption, that is also known as personal consumption expenditure, is the largest part of aggregate demand or effective demand at the macroeconomic level. The interaction of the aggregate demand and aggregate supply gives us the market equilibrium. Now as has been previously pointed out, frequent power cuts will mean a cutting down of the production process which invariably brings about a decrease in the aggregate supply. What happens is that as aggregate supply decreases with the aggregate demand being constant (as obviously people would still be demanding the same quantity of products) inflation will increase as shown below: Now here we can see with AS moving to a new point as it decreases it is actually increasing the price level which results in inflation and as a result unemployment increases as well, because when there is inflation in the economy there is a rise in prices hence there is a fall in the demand of goods and services and the producers reduce their production level and as a result they end up decreasing the number of workers which means unemployment increases. Unemployment on the macroeconomic level is a sign that the economy is operating below its full production capacity, this is a sign of inefficiency. Here we can see that inflation is playing a key role in determining the employment level. Hence we’ll have a look at how load shedding gives rise to inflation. Inflation is conventionally defined as a general increase in the level of prices in goods and services. One of the effects of inflation is a decrease in the value of money. During the course of inflation income and prices do not increase at the same rate; the purchasing power of the nation as a whole drops. One of the reasons of inflation is surplus amount of money which causes the prices to rise at an extremely high rate. Other than that, another reason for inflation is the rise in the costs of production which in turn increases the prices of the products. Moreover inflation occurs when aggregate supply exceeds aggregate demand hence increasing the price level. In the context of load shedding though, we see that it has been a triggering stimulus for initiating inflation. The CPI inflation averaged 23.5 percent in July-February 2008-09 in Pakistan as against 8.9 percent in the comparable period of last year. The deficiency of energy sources is causing stir on the demand side of the economic picture causing an increase in the demand for energy sources as it has a huge effect on all spheres of economy of a nation having a primary influence on industry level. The insufficiency of the available energy sources is causing the people to demand more electricity to meet their needs on the individual as well as industry level which in turn when observed in the context of graphical representation shows a shift of the demand curve to the right causing a shift of the equilibrium position increasing the price level. (Demand-Pull Inflation) The increase in level of inflation has also been caused due to an increase in the cost of energy sources. The scarcity of the energy resources available to the industries is making them shift to other sources for the purpose of energy generation which in turn has caused their costs to sky rocket. Now, due to the heavy burden that everyone has to face in this state of affairs is causing a shift of the AS curve in terms of graphical representation of the scenario. The increase in the costs of production for the industries in turn affects the aggregate supply causing it to decline. This shift of the AS curve to the left also then causes the equilibrium price level to rise, in turn stirring up inflation in the society (Cost- Push Inflation). The power tariffs imposed would further increase the industrial input cost which is already very high making the products more expensive in the domestic as well as the international market. As far as the international market is concerned, the competitive edge of a country would be lost as their goods are more expensive in comparison to the other countries.

How to Use Parentheses in Writing

How to Use Parentheses in Writing The parenthesis is a  punctuation  mark, which is written or typed as an upright curved line. Two parentheses, ( ),  are generally paired and used to mark off explanatory or qualifying remarks in writing. Parentheses indicate an  interrupting phrase,  a word group (a statement,  question, or  exclamation) that interrupts the flow of a sentence  and can also be set off with  commas  or  dashes. The parenthesis is a type of  bracket, which when paired with another bracket- [  ]- is  used to interject text within other text. Parentheses are prevalent in mathematics, too, where they are used to set off arithmetic symbols as well as numbers, operations, and equations.   Origins of the Parenthesis The symbols themselves first showed up in the late 14th century, with scribes using  virgulae convexae  (also called  half moons) for a variety of purposes. By the end of the 16th century, the  parenthesis  (from the Latin for insert beside) had begun to assume its modern role, as Richard Mulcaster explained in Elementarie, which was published in 1582: Parenthesis is expressed by two half circles, which in writing enclose some perfit branch, as not mere impertinent, so not fullie concident to the sentence, which it breaketh, and in reading warneth us, that the words inclosed by them ar to be pronounced with a lower quikker voice, then the words either before them or after them. In her book Quoting Speech in Early English, Colette Moore notes that parentheses, like other marks of  punctuation, originally had both elocutionary  and  grammatical  functions: [W]e see that whether through vocal or  syntactic  means, the parentheses are taken as a means to downplay the significance of the material enclosed within. Spanning more than 400 years (Moores book was published in 2011), both authors say essentially the same thing: Parentheses separate text that, while important in that it adds meaning, is less significant than the text that falls outside of these punctuation marks. Purpose Parentheses allow for the insertion of some verbal unit that interrupts the normal syntactic flow of the sentence. These are called  parenthetical  elements, which may also be set off by dashes. An example of parentheses in use would be: The students (it must be acknowledged)  are a foul-mouthed bunch. The important information in this sentence is that the students are foul-mouthed. The aside adds texture to the sentence, but the statement would work fine and make sense without the parenthetical information. The Chicago Manual of Style Online explains that parentheses, which are stronger than commas or dashes, set off material from the surrounding text, adding that; Like dashes but unlike commas, parentheses can set off text that has no grammatical relationship to the rest of the sentence. The style guide gives these examples: Intelligence tests (e.g., the Stanford-Binet) are no longer widely used.Our final sample (collected under difficult conditions) contained an impurity.Wexford’s analysis (see chapter 3) is more to the point.The disagreement between Johns and Evans (its origins have been discussed elsewhere) ultimately destroyed the organization. The style manual also notes that you can use parentheses as  delimiters for letters or numbers in a list or outline, as well as in academic  uses including  parenthetical references to a list of works cited. Using Parentheses Correctly Parentheses (as with other punctuation marks) can be tricky to use until you understand a few simple rules: Adding additional information:  June Casagrande, author of The Best Punctuation Book, Period., notes that you can use parentheses to convey additional information, such as: The new sedan is fast (it goes from zero to 60 in just six seconds).The boss (who had walked in just in time to see the accident) was furious.She strolled the third  arrondissement  (district). In the first sentence, the statement,  The new sedan is fast, does not end with a period. Instead, you place the period after the parenthetical sentence (as well as the final parenthesis),  it goes from zero to 60 in just six seconds. You also start the parenthetical sentence with a lowercase letter (i) because it is still considered part of the overall sentence and not a separate statement. In the second sentence, you might argue that the parenthetical information (the fact that the boss saw an accident) is key to understanding the sentence. In the third sentence, the parenthetical word district is an English translation of the French word  arrondissement. Though the word  district  is parenthetical, it might be important in helping a non-French-speaking reader understand the sentence. Delimiters for letters or numbers in a list:  The Chicago Manual of Style says you should put parentheses around each number or letter in a list, as in these examples: Compose three sentences to illustrate analogous uses of (1)  commas, (2)  em dashes, and (3)  parentheses.For the duration of the experiment, the dieters were instructed to avoid (a)  meat, (b)  bottled drinks, (c)  packaged foods, and (d)  nicotine. Ins, as noted by  Purdue OWL, are: According to Jones (2018), Students often had difficulty using APA style, especially when it was their first time (p. 199).  Jones (2018) found students often had difficulty using APA style (p. 199); what implications does this have for teachers?The study participants showed no improvement in cholesterol levels (McLellan and Frost, 2012). For these types of parenthetical citations, you generally include the year of the publication, the author(s) names, and, if needed, the page number(s). Note also that in the previous sentence, you can use parentheses around a single letter, indicating that the word number may be singular referring to a single page number, or it may be plural, referring to two or more page numbers or that there may be only a single author or several authors. Mathematical problems:  In  math,  parentheses are used to group numbers or variables, or both. When you see a math problem containing parentheses, you need to use the  order of  operations  to solve it. Take as an  example the problem:  9 - 5 à · (8 - 3) x 2 6. In this problem,  you would  calculate the operation within the parentheses first, even if it is an operation that would normally come after the other operations in the problem. Parenthetical Observations Neil Gaiman really likes parentheses. Biographer Hank Wagner quoted the British author in Prince of Stories: The Many Worlds of Neil Gaiman explaining why he is a fan of these curved punctuation marks: I admired [C.S. Lewiss] use of parenthetical statements to the reader, where he would just go talk to you. Suddenly the author would address a private aside to you, the reader. It was just you and him. Id think, Oh, my gosh, that is so cool! I want to do that! When I become an author, I want to be able to do things in parentheses. Gaimen may feel blessed when the author offers him a personal aside, but other writers say that parentheses may be a clue that the sentence is becoming contorted. As author Sarah Vowell notes in her book, Take the Cannoli: Stories From the New World, with a touch of sarcasm: I have a similar affection for the  parenthesis  (but I always take most of my parentheses out, so as not to call undue attention to the glaring fact that I cannot think in complete sentences, that I think only in short   fragments  or long,   run-on  thought relays that the literati call   stream of consciousness  but I still like to think of as disdain for the finality of the period). So take the advice of The Associated Press Stylebook. Be kind to your readers and use parentheses sparingly. Rewrite your sentence if you find you are including long asides or more than one set of parentheses. Use these punctuation marks only when you have a short, pithy, and interesting bit to convey to readers to heighten their interest- not confuse them.

Statements of cash flows Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Statements of cash flows - Research Paper Example This explains why bank overdrafts are not part of financing activities. Additionally, the information presented on cash flow of IFRS is quick and easy to flow. Each entity is supposed to present cash flow statement in such a way that it gives an appropriate reporting of financing activities, investing, and operating. For instance, during the investing activities, it is expected that the firm acquires and uses the long term assets and other activities in the investment process that are not equivalent to cash flow. Additionally, it outlines investment activities as clearly cut and some of the examples of the investment activities undertaken during this time include paying cash to get the service or good to be used in the long-term service. The good or services involved in this case are the long term and intangible assets. Hence they break down into materials used during self construction, to acquire plant or machinery (Stephen & Norbert). Moreover, cash receipts received after selling an acquired asset should be part of investment activities. It generally involves the sale of a plant, property and equipment. Another thing considered is debt instrument or rather sales equity of entities and the interests acquired through the joint ventures. However, receipts from those entities that are classified as cash equivalent especially if they are held for trading and should be omitted. Furthermore, the advances of loans and cash from other parties are classified in this section together with their cash receipt repayment which includes loans to other parties involved ( AICPA). Other investment activities classifications includes cash gotten from securities like forward, option, future or swap contracts and they should appear on the cash flow statements. It only excludes these securities when the accounts are held for dealing and as a result, the payments are classified in part of financial undertakings. Noting here that, the account may be accounted as a hedge it is theref ore classified in this section of the cash flow. In the operation activities just like in IFRS cash flow method, are various methods that are described as the principal revenue producing operation. Therefore, a cash flow from the operation activities may result after transactions or other conditions bring in ways of profit determination or losses determination. Example of these operation activities are cash gotten from the sale of good or after the firm has rendered some services. It includes the cash received from loyalties, commission, fee and other revenues. Besides, it shows payment of cash on behalf of or to the employee. Also, it include activities like refunding of taxes or any other cash payments made by the company unless they are stated to specifically associate with the other cash flow activities. Actually, it is supposed to include cash received, all payments gotten from an investment, loan among other money contracts held during trading purposes and they are classified as inventory specifically acquired for resale (Stephen & Norbert). It is therefore evident that just like in IFRS, when accounting one should show some transaction under operation activities, which includes the firm selling machinery and this result to the firm gaining or loosing. Therefore, cash flows experienced from these transactions are classified to being from

The sickness care system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The sickness care system - Essay Example In such a case, it is perceived to handle sicknesses and different kinds of illnesses through research; funding and other medical infrastructure thus deserves to be called as sickness care systems. In addition, healthcare system is associated with research of sufficient information concerning treatment of infectious diseases through dependent laboratories that are of significance to the community. Such a system is mainly concerned by eradication of an infectious syndrome. The engagement of technological and research systems that are geared towards the eradication of infectious diseases enables it to get a reference as a sickness care system (Gumbiner & Gumbiner, 2008). Majority often refer to the United States healthcare systems as sickness care systems simply because the government of the United States often implement a reactive model that is targeted at health and medical care situations. The model entails efforts targeted at forestalling clinical manifestations. Ultimately, prevention has been perceived as the most effective mechanism aimed at improving the societal wellness, healthcare systems help to reduce a bigger percentage of Medicare costs. As such, it is much more related to treatment care systems (Gumbiner & Gumbiner,

Compare and Contrast The Learning Process Research Paper

Compare and Contrast The Learning Process - Research Paper Example Learning has turned out to be a life-long process and the dividing line between youth learning and learning in adulthood is fast vanishing. Merriam quotes Geissler (1996,pp.35-36), â€Å"Youth in fact, who are sent out into life with a dwindling sackful of values,....face a situation in which they have to keep filling up their sack. This leads adult education to take lifelong learning as its motto. The duty to be free(with the pressure to realize oneself)is the duty to go on learning.....The hole in the ozone layer provides the stimulus for courses to which people turn for advice, mad cow disease pushes up the numbers attending vegetarian cooking courses, and backache creates a need for posture classes(p.6) By the time a student graduates from the traditional college education and enters the competitive job market, or if he is an entrepreneur thinks of establishing ones own production unit, technology has moved faster than what is taught in the syllabus and merits of ones degree certificate. The process of learning has become continuous from the point of launching ones career to eventual retirement. Merriam writes, â€Å"...technology has had an enormous impact on the economy. Robotics and automation displace production workers but create other jobs; technology has fostered whole new work structures such as telecommuting; and so on. The effect of the global economy and technological advances on the nature of adult learning is staggering. Adults find that they must continue their learning past formal schooling in order to function at work, at home, and in their communities. The need for new knowledge for updating old information, for retraining, has resulted in multi-billion dollar edu cational enterprise.†(p.2) Before comparing and and contrasting the learning processes through adult development and learning models, it needs to be clearly understood that most of the theories are inclusive and they have something to give and

Financial Analysis of M&S Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Financial Analysis of M&S - Essay Example An important point to make here is that M&S is a UK based brand with 50% of its stores being in the UK. Its revenue generation is mostly derived from UK operations which accounts for 90% of the total revenue of the company. The company has shown a steady increase in the revenues in the last three years. In 2011 the revenue increased by 2%, followed by the same in the year 2012. However, the operating profits in the last two years haven’t increased in the same line. In the year 2011, the operating profit was  £836.9m which fell to  £746.5m, resulting in operating profit margin of 9.53% in 2011 and 8.84% in 2012. This clearly shows that company’s cost control is weak and the cost of goods sold hasn’t increased in the same line as revenues. The reason for such instability in profits for 2012 is the expansion and improvement plan the company is implementing till 2013 which will result in increased sales and satisfied consumers in the future. Because of the very r easons the company has experienced the increased cost of sale, interest expense, administrative and selling expenses. Similarly, the company’s net profit margin has also decreased from 8.13% in 2011 to 7.54% in 2012. The company’s return on capital employed (ROCE) has been increasing at a slow pace from being 17.24% in 2010, 19.0% in 2011 which declined to 18.8% in 2012. The reason for declining ROCE can be linked to declining PAT of the company accompanied by an increase in the total assets. (MARKSANDSPENCER. 2012) The company’s gearing ratio has decreased in last three years. In 2010, the company had a gearing ratio of 108.6% which was a lot, in the year 2011, the company reduced its long-term liabilities and the ratio fell to 76.91% which further was decreased to 74.54% in 2012. The reason for falling gearing ratio is the fall in the total liabilities of the company, which is beneficial as it will reduce in lower interest payments.

How does branding affect consumers purchasing decision?

How does branding affect consumers purchasing decision? Abstract: Consumer behavior is dependent on few factors that need to be considered in any industry. In the garment industry, there are several intertwining factors known that influence consumer behavior. The Internet as one knows well has its importance in nearly every form of trade, but brand recognition is driven by a set of factors that have their own principles. Trade is directly dependent on communication, and these days the Internet it is considered to be one of the most important and reliable means of communications for trade. It is for this reason that brand promotion is significantly related to the use of the Internet. However, it needs to be asserted that the Internet is a tool for promoting a brand as is other means of brand promotion. In view of the Internet being an important medium through which customers may be communicated with, consumer behaviors, and more importantly, consumer-purchase decisions, become an important subject. Observing consumer-purchase decisions in the recent past, it can be asserted that there is immense scope for expanding industries that receive positive responses from consumers. An example of this is observed with some organizations in the garment industry. A company such as Levis is a good example to view the effectiveness of branding on consumer-purchase decisions. In addition purchases made at outlets, online purchases have been significant as purchases of are easily made and are believed to be considerably reliable. This reflects the manner in which consumers rely on brands like Levis. For purchasing garments and placing orders, advertising through the Internet is the first step towards pulling in customers. Indeed, this step is believed to be effective as there are a number of indiv iduals who first see ads online, and then decide to physically check a promotion out. However, this is not the only way that people want to explore promotions of garments or any other industry. Shoppers are keen to check out things for themselves. There are many consumers that also do not rely on the Internet for purchasing what they want. They would rather shop, and there are indeed many consumers who spend several hours per week in shopping centers searching for what they want. Among these shoppers there are different kinds of consumers, and each of these has different characteristics. Some look for stuff that is cheaper and reliable while others want quality. Those who search for quality know what brands they want generally. Deciding what to purchase from a consumers perspective depends on what satisfies him or her. From a manufacturers perspective, it is important to understand what interests a consumer most, and based on these interests, manufacturers work to develop their brands. Manufacturers have to develop a brand identity in order to seek brand loyalty of consumers. Once manufacturers learn how to read their consumers, they can influence their purchasing decisions, and this is precisely aimed at by promoting a brand and working towards its selling power. 1. Introduction: 1.1 Background In order to sell products, organizations resort to various strategies. Each company has its strategy structured in accordance with market factors as well as product strengths. This may mean that an organization has to consider various angles in order to make sure its products enter a market and sell successfully. In considering several factors that play their parts in the success of a product in the market, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"branding is one major component for organizations to work on. Branding is considered to be a major component in the success of a product in the market because it can control consumer decisions. This of course depends on the reputation of the brand, which refers to how it has appealed to consumers in the past and how it has served them. 1.2 Importance of the Study: Understanding what branding is enables one to understand the way that consumers behave when newer products are introduced. This is interesting to understand because it helps to understand why different company products of the same nature have different responses from consumers. 1.3 Research Question: The main Research Question that will be dealt with in this study is as follows: How does branding affect consumers purchasing decision? Other research questions that will be part of this study include the following: * What is branding? * How is branding used? * How do consumers respond to branding? * Is branding really significant in order to sell products? 1.4 Limitations of study: This study makes use of relevant literature to the research question as well as a survey of 50 participants. Though the literature review encompasses a wide variety of views regarding the research question, the survey only encompasses participants within the researchers physical location. This means that the views from the participants are fewer than what is needed for a comprehensive view of primary data. 1.5 Organisation of study: The basic organization of this study consists of dealing with the main research question mentioned above, for which there will be a literature review. In accordance with a methodology, this literature will be analyzed, and a conclusion will be arrived at. In addition to data analyzed from the literature review, answers from a survey conducted will also be analyzed and paired with the results of the analyzed literature review. 2. Literature Review 2.1. Chapter introduction: This chapter includes the views of other studies and reviews related to the main research question. In this chapter, there will be pertinent data on what branding is, how it impacts consumers, and how consumer-purchasing decisions are impacted through branding. 2.2. Framework for review: In this section, there will be a flow as the review gradually progresses. This means that each relevant portion of the subject will be exposed gradually as the review progresses. However, at various points there will be inclusions of points exposed earlier, where needed. 2.3. A brand allows organizations to differentiate their business from their competitors. But more importantly, brands help to motivate customer loyalty. By having a brand, companies gain manifold levels by creating effective business strategies that help to promote the company. Building a brand is also about creating an identity that differentiates one from the rest this may be in the form of a logo, a name or business model. This is what helps to receive a positive consumer response; consumers look for characteristics in a brand that cater to their needs and wants. If a brand does this with one product, in future, consumers would choose other products wit the same brand. More recently, branding concepts have become more about how people perceive business. For this reason, there has been a lot of attention on how brands can alleviate the position of business, sales and consumer base. The perceived knowledge about the brand comes from three major criteria according to Business Central by Microsoft (2004): These are: 1. Confidence in a business, product or service doing exactly what the customer already believes it will do. For example, a 24-hour convenience store brand can be based on customers confidence that it will be open, whatever the time of day or night. 2. The emotional response of the customer to purchasing a product or service. For example, a clothing retailer can create a brand based around making its customers feel good about what they wear, how they look, how good they feel about buying clothes from that shop and what it says about them to their peers. A brand builds a unique personality for a business, and therefore attracts a defined type of customer. 3. Most importantly, branding is based on consistently rewarding the confidence and delivering the expected emotional response. For example, a domestic cleaning company can build its brand successfully if customers homes are always thoroughly cleaned. The owners believe that they are using the best cleaning company and feel good about returning to their newly cleaned homes. Given the highly developed set criteria, one can understand that brands are not created overnight; in fact brand identity is created by assessing the business, how it operates and the kind of message that the business wants to send out to the customers, and able to deliver the promise to the customer time and again. This kind of assessment has to be realistic and be based on the following key areas: 1. Work out your business, product or services core competencies. These are what you achieve for your customer, not necessarily what you do. For example, a good wine shops core competence is selling wine that its customers enjoy à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" not just selling wine. 2. Assess whom your existing and potential customers are and find out what they like and what they dont. For example, if competitive pricing drives them, there is little point in you presenting yourself as a premium-price supplier of the same products offered by your competitors. 3. Find out how your customers and your employees feel about your business. Reliable? Caring? Cheap? Expensive? Luxurious? No-frills? Later in the process, these emotional responses (brand values) will form the basis of your brand message. 4. Define how favorably customers and potential customers view your business à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" this is your perceived quality. Do they trust your business, product or service? Do they know exactly what it does for them? What do they think of when your brand is mentioned to them? Low perceived quality would restrict or damage your business. High-perceived quality gives you a platform to grow. 5. Consider how far you can develop your business with its current customer perception without moving away from your core competencies. The amount you can change your offer is your brand stretch. For example, a shop known for selling fresh sandwiches could also consider selling homemade cakes and biscuits without going outside its core competencies. But selling frozen ready meals too may stretch its brand too far (Microsoft BCentral 2004). So much has the concept of brand identity become a part of the business process that companies are claiming their rights to certain qualities, product category, design, innovations and creations. One of the reasons for this is that companies are realizing amidst a homogenous market, credit cannot be given to any one in particular unless the company excels in certain areas. For example Tesco, Wal-Mart and K-Mart may all provide the same kinds of services and products, but there has to be something that makes the customers experience unique in each of the above cases. Companies are realizing that the quest for uniqueness should be taken a step further by enhancing on certain or particular business area and developing it a step ahead of competitors. It is only through the differentiation technique that they would be able to effectively and successfully compete against rival. For example Wal-Mart may claim to have the cheapest price while Tesco would also do the same for certain products only. To resolve this problem, techniques like the kind of message, bundle services as well as customer satisfaction guarantees are used to attract customers. But how do customers differentiate and recognize one service from the others? For most companies the first step is to identify the potential customer and perceive his/her consumer behaviour. Next is to align brand values that reflect customers needs. From the identity aspect, the company furthers this by redesigning logo, stationary and other visual contact to send out harmonious and unified theme to the consumer. For example, if the brand suggest value added services then all aspects of the business process has to incorporate value added services so that the customers becomes aware of this unique quality of that particular business; advertisements pertaining to the same should be launched and campaigns for external/internal customers to make sure everyone is aligned with the business objectives. In view of this, illustration 1 in the list of figures shows that aside from branding, there are other aspects that a company needs to focus on. Given these aspects of brand and brand identity it can be defined as: A brand, in its broadest sense, is the expression of an organisation or product. A brand is communicated in a number of different ways and not only represents the visual aspects that a customer may come across (logo or imagery), but can also be reflected in the behaviour of people within that organisation, the quality of products that the organisation offers, and the manner in which customers are treated. (Investor in People 2004) Retailers in the UK realized the importance of this concept during the Post World War Era. During the war years the UK chain stores expanded nationally to serve the local consumers with standardized products. The restraint on trade with the US did not allow the local producers to cultivate their services abroad. Similarly, the restraint also applied to US products and retail stores that had not been allowed to operate in the UK as the producers anticipated US influence on local UK consumers. However, as the Wars passed, new chain stores expanded and so did the international chain in Britain. As new factories reflect growth in industries, traditional method of promoting products and goods also changed to cater to the new classification of products. American products were cheaper and easy to access at the convenience stores as compared to British products and chain stores. Further, due to the high unemployment level, resulting in less purchasing power, British stores did not feel motiv ate to expand or succeed. The only measure they were interested in includes the commoditys exchange value and how it serves as the source for covering operating income (Lowe et al 2000). However, with the emergence of US producers and retailers, local stores had cause for concern. Since the departmental stores from the US provide the same commodities and yet provide the aesthetic experience as well, the consumers learned to appreciate the uniqueness of the experience they had with the foreign stores. For this reason, British retail stores under went a wave of change where the stores had to make the decision of effectively competing with their American counterparts. According to Lowe et al (2000) By 1939 in Britain the chain stores had carved out a market alongside, and in competition with, the department and co-operative stores, and were particularly noted for their own-brand goods. Their standardised fascias jostled for prime place in the redeveloped high streets and their mass-marketing strategies increasingly squeezed out the small, but still significant, independent trader. Their particular development was the consequence not only of Britains compact geography an d early industrialisation, but also of the political and cultural support for trade restraints, which were furthered by the retention of family influence in companies and by an ethos of business leadership as public service. The British stores had gained significant development due to two reasons. Firstly the family based society and class dynamics within Britain had supported the centralization and spread of these stores across the country. Secondly, the trade restrained allowed these stores significant time frame for achieving the desired standards and quality for competing with rivals across the Atlantic. The intensity of the competition of stores in the US and UK resulted in inflating dynamic chain store culture and competition. As a result the retailing market changed its form with the support of the manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers in the distribution process. The outcome of this contest between the two nations not only established platforms for large retailers but it also added to their knowledge of the development and progressive tracks that they need to follow in order to effectively compete nationally and internationally. The basis for the fast growing retailing industry was inherent in the working class ability to predict opportunity advantage and capitalize on it. For example in 1848 W.H. Smith gained railway contracts and bookstalls spread across England. Similarly, Thomas Liptons shops in Glasgow in 1872 were built on the back of new steamships importing cheap Empire butter, cheese, ham etc. The common factor prevailing in this spreading trend had been the producers and the owners being able to foresee consumers special needs and satisfying them. Although these were family businesses that later on turned into empires nevertheless the concept of meeting demands as they come by providing customized services had been inherent during the 20th century even (Lowe et al 2000). J.B. Priestly surveyed the English landscape during this era and found that with the emergence of mobility, transportation and mass production, there has also been a mass set of chain cinemas, stores, teashops, etc., which has chan ged the way people eat, drink and entertain during the 1930s. The new infrastructure of migration and investment went hand in hand with the migration of people from the north to the south, from inner city to suburbs and the like etc. For this reason most of the significant development in establishing names of quality products and services emerged during this era (Lowe et al 2000). However, recently the trend has changed. Established names and quality brands have been facing difficulties in competition. As the UK become global in its trade practices, the risks of losing to foreign counterparts for local brands have increased. One example is Marks and Spencer. MS has been an established brand that UK consumers had immense trust in and have been using as a platform for measuring offering value for money quality products. The promotional theme at MS is based on quality but not a cheap product category that suits the average and affluent consumer. However, this strategy is not suitable for the needs of current globalization scenario. With the spread of retail stores and chain around the world such as Wal-Mart and ASDA, MS has gradually lost its position to these competitors. Wal-Mart is in stark contrast of the values established by MS. The Wal-Mart business philosophy is based on low price and cheap products that meets the average to low consumer group. Even more critical in this transition of retail store brands is that people are coming to accept them as alternatives to the established quality stores prevalent in the UK (Lowe et al 2000). The alternatives no doubt easily had taken over the local brand and chain stores but it had not been able to capture the essence of the concept of brand. For the average price conscious consumers have not realized the implication of switching over to a foreign brand. Not only have they been compromising quality for price but they have also greatly contributed to declining the established standards for the industry. Businesses that are known globally for their quality, reputation, product specifications, and standardizations have been replaced by the Americanization of products and services. No gap analysis has been identified for the switch and as a result brands that exist in the UK are innovating and revisiting their standards to win over the customers. The process is tedious but corporations and retailers are realizing the importance of exercising this process. Today when one refer to brands and brand identity, it means the creation of a brand identity system which involve focusing on brand communication, developing needs analysis, contemplating target audience, relegation of market profile and establishing a brand identity with these inputs[1]. Successful brands may shape the business sphere as well as navigate the breadth and depth of the corporate identity. The message, the identity, the visual design language such as symbols, colours, flagship etc. all reflect and remind the consumers who they are; what is the nature of the business; how are they producing; social participation and responsibility; and to communicate with them to be part of the brand identity system. For example in 1994 Coca-Cola business in the UK had been the largest bottlers and providers of cola drinks. However, at the same time other cola companies had come up with the same idea using the same corporate identity and brand message as Coca-Cola. Yet, despite this fact the local colas did not win the consumers due to the fact that consumers, in whose mind Coca-Cola association had already been lodged, mistook the new cola brands for the original one. For this reason the new cola brands lost to Coca-Cola in the competition. From this example and many that followed after, the British producers realized that brand identity is a systematic process that must ensure that the development of the design is protected; ownership or long term partnership of retail channels is essential and ownership of other product advantage cannot be replicated. Apart from those other organizational issues in the process of brand identity system development is that the interface between the strategic dec ision-making on the branding process must discuss how the brands would facilitate the company and how the brands can be linked to the companys goodwill. Thus by tying monetary value to brands, companies have established the value to brand identity and its influence on corporate performance. Once corporations realized the importance of brand identity, the struggle for materializing and capitalizing on brand identity increased. Marketers for one exhaustively increased their efforts to market their brands and logos more than they did the products; they laboured at serving the lifestyles that consumers lead rather than the products they need; and companies also included brand awareness strategies to ensure that the consumers understand the organizational products and services. More formal companies have established procedures for making this system work. Brands identity is now based on: 1. Recall rate at the top of the consumers mind 2. Specific recall for occasions, events or holidays 3. Visualization of the brand identity 4. Personalization of the brand to an image 5. Brand extension 6. Not becoming stereotype for cosmopolitan appeal 7. Think global, buy local concept 8. Linking brands to sub-brands 9. Symbolic ownership of brand essence 10. Souvenir brand essence 11. Connecting the values of flagship brands to other brands 12. Word of mouth 13. Brand transition through the identity system 14. Express the corporate tone of voice and cultural style These identifiers help companies to establish the concept of product design and its positioning in line with brand identity. In essence the whole exercise is to identify and take advantage of new and global practices and alleviate existing products and services without having to compromise old values and phenomena. With the amount of focus on brand, brand identity and brand loyalty, it can be observed that these are immense tools for influencing consumer purchase decisions (Knowledge Board 2004). 2.4. Key findings from literature review According to the above reviewed literature that encompasses key points on what a brand is and how it can impact consumer-purchase decisions, it can be asserted that branding is an important tool for a company to survive in any industry. It is through a brand identity that consumers recognize a particular companys products and services within a large industry. If a company associates standard and acceptable services and products that are according to a consumers expectations, the brand will be remembered and receive responses each time it advertises newer products and services. 3. Research Methodology: 3.1. Chapter introduction: This section includes the method of handling the data and arriving at a conclusion. Given that there are two types of data being used for this study, it is important to draw up how exactly the researcher will go about it. In order to conduct a study and answer the above research questions on how branding affect consumers purchasing decision, there is need to review relevant literature. The literature reviewed will be authentic and relevant to the research questions. This study will be both, qualitative and quantitative. A qualitative and quantitative study is necessary to answer the above research questions because both, facts and figures are an important part of the research area. There are also managerial aspects that need to be considered. These managerial aspects are represented in the form of facts and figures. Also, there will be statistical and numerical presentations considered that are necessary for answering the research questions. Aside from the study being a quantitative and qualitative, it will adopt a random approach. This refers to considering a wide variety of sources. However, the study will be limited to particular areas from where the researcher can obtain relevant data for this study. Sources for the literature review are ones that are authentic and relevant to the area being researched. The sources are from books and journals, as well as official websites, newspapers and magazines. In addition to the use of the sources mentioned above, important factors belonging to the field being studied here are obtained from other studies and presentations. Opinions and facts from presentations are considered to help in answering the research questions. Facts and figures about McDonalds and KFC brands from different points of view will be considered. The manner in which the brands have operated globally and the focus they have had in various places will also be considered for a greater understanding of their bran d communication with their consumers. This will help to bring together a wider range of opinions and facts to be analyzed. The literature review will be analyzed thoroughly so as to expose the answers to the research questions. Secondary data analysis is the process of re-evaluating collected researched data. The data can be collected from previously researched publications including official researched documents. Data collection usually involves research material that is relevant to the research problem issue but does not necessarily answer the research objectives or questions. For this research, the purpose of having secondary data analysis is to aid the researcher in collecting the data required to delineate the research objectives and provide a basis for analyzing primary data. Based on the conclusions of the secondary data analysis, the researcher will analyze and validate primary data collected through a survey questionnaire (Hair, Bush and Ortinau 2000). The questions in the questionnaire are mostly close ended. These close-ended questions will help to will to reduce result errors and biasness, as well as simplify accumulation of answers. 3.2. Research approach The rationale behind the literature has been to investigate the impact of branding on the consumers purchase decision. In terms of how what evaluate attributes influence their purchase decision. The underlying discussion has tried to come to an understanding of the consumers perception and attitudes towards how their actual purchase choices or decisions are generated, keeping in mind the brand name associations that influence the consumer, leading to his consistent behavior and loyalty. There are two main issues within the study: whether there is a difference in the effect that branding has on the different categories of consumer buying behavior groups, and the relationship between branding variables and consumer buying behavior. Branding is about certain consumers, not all consumers as they have different attitudes and behaviors toward brands. Further, Crimp and Wright (1995) define consumer attitudes as a composite of a consumers beliefs about, feelings for, and behavioral intentions towards some object-within the context of brand. In the research, the independent variable is the consumer buying behavior that is primary interest for marketer. The main objective of the research is to understand and describe the purchasing behavior in terms of brand and to explain its variability within the purchasing process and attempt to predict it. The dependent variable is the branding element that is considered by the consumer. Different consumers may hold different attitudes for these branding elements, or in other words, these branding components are viewed together since they are highly interdependent and together represent forces that influence how the consumer react to the object. 3.3. Data Collection Method As Ghauri and Gronhaug (2002) suggest the research design is the overall plan for relating the conceptual research problem to relevant empirical research. In the same regards, Kress (1988) indicated that designing a research method calls for decisions on data sources, research approaches, research instruments and sampling plans. Firstly, the study will attempt to discuss various sources of data and the ways in which data has been gathered for the purpose of analysis, testing hypothesis, and answering the research questions. Data can be obtained from primary and secondary sourses. However, in some cases the research would be restrained due to some information not being publicly available. Of the several techniques used for data collection a survey was deployed, as the most appropriate technique to gather data. The survey enabled a large amount of data to be collected from a sizeable population in a quick and economic way. A questionnaire can be described as the technique whereby each person is asked to respond to the same set of questions that are in a predetermined order (Webb, 1999). Miller (1991) also supports this idea, claiming that closed-ended questionnaire is an easy was to interpret answers where the respondent is asked to select answers from a brief list. This facilitates the standardization and easy comparison of data. It must be noted that both, data in the literature review as well as data obtained from the survey questionnaire will be analysed to arrive at a conclusion that satisfies the research questions. The sequence of questions in the questionnaire should be such that the respondent is led from questions of a general nature to those that are more specific, and form questions that are relatively easy to answer to those that are progressively more difficult (Malhotra, 1996). The studys survey has aimed to incorporate the following features to meet the specific requirements of the projects: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Specific objectives, these may be in terms of points that the survey should achieve and should be kept relatively simple; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Questionnaire that entails straightforward questions that extract consistency and accurate information; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ A research design that includes survey sampling, sampling methods, sample size and the sound choice of population and sample meaning a relatively large unbiased group; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The appropriate quantitative as well as qualitative analysis and reporting of survey results. 3.4 Validity: Answers achieved in this study are considered to be valid as they are achieved through previously accepted data relevant to this field. In addition to this, the answers from the participants in the survey questionnaire are original and represent the opinions on the subject that stand at the moment. Content validity ensures that the measure includes an adequate and representative set of items to tap the concept. The more the scale items represent the domain or universe of the concept being measured, the greater content validity. To put it diff