Historical Recount: Marco Polo and His Voyage to China Essay

In 13th and 14th centuries, many people believed that Marco polo and his family have been one of the first Europeans to visit China with a famous book The Travels of Marco Polo that had been written by a writer called Rustichello. The most appealing thing about Marco Polo is that Marco and his father were not explores. Marco Polo was born in 1254 in Venice, Italy. He grew into a wealthy merchant family and had an education, which would have prepared him for a career in business. Marco learned basic literacy skills, arithmetic, book- keeping, and the basic theology of the Latin Church. He also had an intimate knowledge of French and Italian. In 1260, Marco Polo’s father and uncle, Nicolo and Maffeo Polo traded regularly with Orient. They had spent a lot of time in Constantinople, Crimea and around the Balkans. When Marco was six years old, his father and uncle set out on their trip to Far East. In 1265, they arrived at the court of Kublai Khan, the Mongol emperor who ruled over two thirds of Asia and asked them to bring 100 European priests to his court. In 1269, Nicolo and Maffeo polo returned to Venice, and they had known that Marco’s mother had died while they were on their journey. In 1271, Marco Polo joined his father and uncle’s another journey east. They passed through Armenia, Persia, Afghanistan and along the Silk Road to China. After three years, the Polos reached China. In this time, Marco’ father introduced him to Kublai Khan and certainly, the King was thoroughly engrossed in Marco’s knowledge and his behavior. So that, Marco family had got important positions at the king’s court. The Polos stayed in Kublai Khan’ court for 17 years. They had much of gold and jewels but they always worried about returning Venice. Marco Polo feared that if Kublai Khan died, he would not get his property out of the country because Kublai Khan was in late seventies. Finally, in 1292 Kublai Khan allowed Polos to come home on one condition that they accompanied Princess Kokachin whose Kublai Khanâ€⠄¢s daughter and her wedding party to Persia. After two years, the Polos arrived in Persia before continuing their journey home. In 1295, Marco Polo arrived Venice where was currently at war with Genoa. Marco was commander of a Venetian galley in the war against Genoa. After that, his ship was destroyed, so Marco was taken as a prisoner of war by the Genoese. For one year in prison, he met a writer called Rustichello of Pisa; Marco related clearly to him stories of Marco’s travels and experiences in China,  which then became a book The Travel of Marco Polo. In the summer of 1299, Marco Polo was released from prison in Genoa and returned home in Venice where he had been keeping doing business. In 1300, he married Donata Badoer and together they have three daughters. Marco Polo lived in Venice until he died of old age in 1324 at 70 of age. Although Marco Polo and his family were not the first Europeans to reach China by land, some of information in his book is a geographical reference in Asia, and it becomes useful experiences with many explorers for centuries later. The book also includes understanding about the Silk Road and Far East’s culture.

Critical Analysis of Beowulf

Grendel Deep within the earth, in the frigid darkness laid the mighty beast Grendel. His tall, grisly frame trembled as the melodious hymns floated down to his lair. The joyful music sounded like liquid gold and it stung Grendel's ears. He howled a mournful, drawn-out growl in pain. After several days of the Earthwalkers' continuous celebration, Grendel was becoming steadily impatient, thirsting for retribution. How he longed to taste the bitter, metallic blood that coursed through their veins, and how his whole body ached to cause mayhem.The enormous demon was growing weary of hearing about how the world was created. He was tired of them drinking, and celebrating, all while he suffered within the black, bleak cave he was banished to. He would make them suffer, though. Grendel was a deft demon, and he was ready to demonstrate how powerful he truly was. Children of Cain, such as Grendel, do not often sit idly by, as those whom carouse the victories of the Gods that banished Grendel an d his familiars to the Underworld.Forever was Grendel to be punished for the death of Abel, a crime of which he did not commit. To make matters worse, his familiars were on the losing end of the war against God's creatures, thus casting them deeper within the shadows. However, that would not be the case today. It had gone on long enough. Grendel's large feral body trembled in anticipation – he would strike them tonight. He would spill their blood in the streets and show them what such a mighty creature can do. Then, as the icy blanket of night crept across the Above World, Grendel emerged from his cavern.His muscular legs propelled him quickly across the grassy fields to Herot, and as he went, Grendel wondered how the warriors would be recuperating from their celebrations. As he approached Herot, he found all of the warriors scattered throughout, all in a deep sleep. As he stepped lightly on the ground, Grendel sniffed the air. A fowl stench of brandy mixed with the bitter sc ent of their sweat intoxicated Grendel. His canine ears perked as he heard the slow, rhythmic beating of each of their hearts. He walked among their numbers, gazing upon each potential victim and sizing them up.Who would provide the best kill? Who would give him the luscious blood he so eagerly wished to taste. Finally, he came upon the perfect victim – a boy, about to become a man, his warrior's helmet was slightly askew on his sandy-colored hair. A silvery trail of drool slid from his lips and out onto the cold stone floor as he snored quietly. He had obviously never experienced battle, for his armor was made only of thin leather and had not even a fleck of dirt on it. Grendel's black lips curled upwards as he gazed down upon his unknowing victim.The power of the demon could crush his skull in a second, splattering the boy's hopes and dreams all across the stone floor. No, that would be too abrupt – and it wouldn't be the warrior's death that this boy obviously so ea gerly desired. No, Grendel would enjoy this. So with one slash of his razor-sharp talons, the boys throat was cut. Long ribbons of scarlet ran down his almost severed head and down onto the floor. The instant his neck was cut, his eyes shot wide open in horror, staring for only a moment at his murderer.The fear, now etched eternally in his face, was like that of watching your worst nightmare transpire right in front of your eyes. That moment was everything Grendel wanted from his journey into mayhem. That single moment was what captured Grendel's thirst and made it even stronger. Grendel licked the crimson beads from his claws and savored the coppery taste. He could feel it enter his body and it made him even stronger. Every one of his muscles throbbed in eagerness to slaughter more people, to taste more blood, and to incite even more fear. He moved swiftly between his victims, his footsteps barely making a whisper.After a few more throat cuttings, Grendel decided he would massacre more by crushing a few skulls. Moving up to one rather rotund warrior, he grasped the warrior's head within his long fingers, and the instant Grendel felt the warrior awaken, he squeezed with tremendous force. Within that moment, the warrior's body felt limp, his enormous weight now pulling Grendel's arm down. The demon could feel the sharp fragments of bone and helmet inside his hand, and the warm, stickiness of the blood as it ran along his fingers. Over two dozen more, he did this to, before carrying all of their bodies back to his lair.On his way back, though, he made sure that they left a long river of blood towards his cavern. Grendel greatly anticipated the awakening of the other warriors. As soon as day broke, he was not disappointed – those whom Grendel had spared began to cry and moan as they discovered the fate of their loved ones and compatriots. Their joyous songs of celebration turned to marred hymns of lament. Now that was music to Grendel's ears. In fact, the magnitude of excitement Grendel felt made it impossible for him to stay within his cavern that night.Just like he had done last night, he crept out of his lair and slaughtered even more of the warriors. As the months drew on, eventually the remaining warriors would try to combat Grendel, or run and hide. Each warrior, young or old, met the same fate as those Grendel had killed on his first night. A gruesome and gory death awaited any and all who Grendel wanted to kill. Years began to pass, and Herot became abandoned, thus making Grendel the only inhabitant. No longer were stories told of the creation of the world, but instead of Grendel's power and hatred.

King oedipus analysis Essay

Destiny and Freewill   This is one of the most important themes in the play and leaves the reader with the engrossing question of whether or not freewill is an illusion. The play doesn’t actually answer this question, but it shows the complex interplay of fate and freewill that culminates in Oedipus’ tragic plight. Jocasta, Laius and Oedipus all try to escape the prophecy but they are unwittingly led into their seemingly unavoidable fate. This element of the play is intended to show the reader the power of prophecy and the supreme authority of the gods in contrast with the futility of human beings. The play also shows how human nature plays a vital role in the fulfilment of the prophecy. Compassion and pity on the shepherd’s behalf prevents Oedipus from dying as a baby. Oedipus’ own impetuous temper results in the murder of his own father, Laius. His momentary display of intelligence in solving the riddle is his ultimate triumph as well as his seed of destruction as it results in marriage to his mother, Jocasta. In resolving to find out the truth about his birth, he brings the suffering on himself. His arrogant, taunting attitude towards Teirisias further exposes the terrible truth. In this way, the play shows how freewill also contributes to Oedipus’ downfall. Pride and humility   Pride is Oedipus’ fatal flaw; his arrogance towards both the gods and human beings leads to his destruction. Sophocles probably intended to teach people the importance of humility and recognising the superiority of the gods that they believed in. Oedipus’ arrogance is displayed in his long, speeches and in the hot-headed way he unknowingly killed his father. His initial refusal to accept any blame or wrongdoing on his part shows that he has a high opinion of himself. One of the main sources of his pride is his defeat of the Sphinx, which saved Thebes and put him on the throne, and yet the reader knows that this was also the cause of one of his foulest crimes, marriage to his mother. In this way, the playwright communicates a message about the folly of taking human achievement too seriously. Because of this, the play is not very humanistic but belittles human beings as futile and flawed. Wisdom and ignorance The conflict between Teirisias and Oedipus represents the conflict between wisdom and ignorance, Teirisias being wisdom and Oedipus being ignorance. Teirisias’ comment â€Å"To be wise is to suffer† is ironic because it comes true for Oedipus. When he learns the truth about himself and becomes wise, he is in utmost agony. The play shows that perhaps having knowledge is not necessarily a good thing, as Teirisias warns, and that there are limitations to our knowledge that we should accept. Sight and blindness   Teirisia is a blind seer, which sounds like a contradiction in terms. However, even though he is physically blind, he has the insight and knowledge, which Oedipus lacks. When Oedipus finally gains this insight at the end of the play, he blinds himself physically. Throughout the play, Oedipus is blinded by his own arrogance, shown in his refusal to accept that he is the cause of Thebes’ misery. â€Å"Living in perpetual night, you cannot harm me, or any man else that sees the light. †   His deliberate disbelief enables him to issue the curse, never considering that it might affect himself in the end. Oedipus is also blind to his true position in relation to the gods. He believes he can thwart prophecy and outsmart the gods. The attitude he displays shows that he has almost made himself a god, who has the power to curse and demand whatever knowledge he seeks. Humility   Sophocles certainly agrees with this contention in his play, King Oedipus. The character of Creon who is more cautious is intended to contrast with Oedipus’ impetuous arrogance. It is Oedipus’ lack of humility that causes much of his own suffering. On the other hand, Creon’s more careful approach to life evades a potentially disastrous situation when Oedipus accuses him of conspiracy. Characters Oedipus   Oedipus is willing to help the people of Thebes. â€Å"I would gladly do anything to help you. † He is actively involved with his city. â€Å"I have not thought it fit to rely on my messengers, but am here to learn for myself†¦ †   Arrogant – proud of his own abilities such as solving the riddle of the sphinx. â€Å"Until I came – I, ignorant Oedipus, came – and stopped the riddler’s mouth, guessing the truth by mother-wit, not bird-lore. † Sympathetic towards the city of Thebes – â€Å"I grieve for you my children. Believe me, I know all that you desire of me, all that you suffer; and while you suffer none suffers more than I. †   Jumps to conclusions about the ones closest to him. He accuses Creon of conspiring to take over the throne. â€Å"Must Creon, so long my friend, my most trusted friend, stalk me by stealth and study to dispossess me of the power that this city has given to me†¦ † He assumes that Jocasta fears that he was an illegitimate child. â€Å"The woman, with more than woman’s pride, is shamed by my low origin. †   Easily angered, irascible especially by Teiresias – â€Å"Insolent scoundrel†¦ Shameless and brainless, sightless, senseless sot! †   Steadfast and staunch in his quest to expose the truth. â€Å"Nonsense: I must pursue this trail to the end, till I have unravelled the mystery of my birth. † Not a fatalist; expresses the belief that ‘chance rules our lives’.   Acts as the mediator between Oedipus and Creon, typical of her role as a mother and wife. â€Å"What is the meaning of this loud argument, you quarrelsome men?†¦ You are making much of some unimportant grievance. †   Abandons Oedipus on the hillside to perish because of prophecy yet dismisses prophecy later in the play. â€Å"For I can tell you, no man possesses the secret of divination. And I have proof†¦ Why should you then, heed them for a moment? † and â€Å"A fig for divination! †   Cannot face the horror of the truth and dies at her own hands Creon   A contrast to Oedipus in terms of character. He is calmer and more reasonable. â€Å"Reason with yourself, as I; and ask, would any man exchange a quiet life, with royal rank assured, for an uneasy throne? † He is more humble and cautious- â€Å"I do not presume to say more than I know†, and acknowledges the gods – â€Å"God will decide, not I. † He is deeply hurt by Oedipus’ accusations – â€Å"If he thinks that I have done him any harm, by word or act, in this calamitous hour, I will not live†¦ † Teiresias   Physically blind, yet gifted with second sight (prophecy). â€Å"All heavenly and earthly knowledge are in your grasp. In your heart, if not with eye, you see our city’s condition. † Reluctant to share his knowledge with Oedipus because he knows the damage it will cause. â€Å"When wisdom brings no profit, to be wise is to suffer. † Laius   He is only mentioned through other people in the play. Shepherd   Like Teiresias to impart his knowledge until threatened. Oedipus terrorizes, â€Å"Answer! If I must speak again, you die! † He also serves to confirm Oedipus’ greatest fears. Chorus Represents the voice of the elders as well as the general public. It comments on the action in the play, sometimes siding with Oedipus, other times questioning his actions and words. They are the voice of religious belief, more than once urging the need to heed the words of the gods. â€Å"I only ask to live, with pure faith keeping in word and deed that Law which leaps the sky, made of no mortal mould†¦ whose living godhead does not age or die. † It is at times philosophical, commenting on the nature of existence and the frailty of human attainment and success. â€Å"All the generations of mortal man add up to nothing! Show me the man whose happiness was anything more than an illusion followed by disillusion. Here is the instance, here is Oedipus, here is the reason why I will call no mortal creature happy†¦ Then learn that mortal man must always look to his ending. And none can be called happy until that day when he carries his happiness down to the grave in peace. † Symbols Sight and blindness – this is used as a metaphor for knowledge and ignorance. Context   The play was written during the Classical period in Ancient Greece in the 5th century BC, a time of optimistic humanism. Sophocles tends to celebrate humanity but also plea for adherence to justice, moderation and the gods.

Principles of Business Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Principles of Business - Research Paper Example The company also encourages its employees to volunteer in community outreach activities. The foundation supports Grace Foundation, World Vision and Asia Society in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong respectively. Hong Kong Council of Social Service awarded JP Morgan Chase foundation â€Å"The Caring Company†. Apart from external undertakings, CSR is also concerned with improving organizational management, mitigating overall risks facing the organization and stress proper use of company’s resources. Therefore, it is an activity meant to support company’s positioning to enable it take advantages of both foreseen and unforeseen opportunities. Connection between CSR program and its importance to bank According to Werther and Chandler (2010), CSR is an activity performed by banks and other companies to the community and environment to impact positively to the society and increase their overall competiveness. It integrates legal, ethical, economic and discretionary actions th at affects overall economic performance of the company. CSR seeks to provide the bank with sustainable competitive edge as it improves the reputation of the bank in the eyes of the governments and societies. Financial contracts and agreements executed by banks are characterized by uncertainty and asymmetrical information that makes good reputation and trust condition for conducting business. Therefore, CSR improves banks reputation and increases the level of trust. How does the CSR program apply to today’s trends and current issues in the global marketplace? Customers are increasingly getting versed with the need for investment in societies. Therefore, such customers are less likely to be customers of companies that exploit employees or that pollute the environment or those that are corrupt or carrying out illegal activities. Therefore, it is important for companies to maintain good relationship with the community in which it operates. Whom is the company responsible to? The company is responsible to the society in which it operates. Therefore, it must ensure that it operates business that improves lives of the people. Why a company implements a CSR program First, CSR protects shareholders and improve relationships with banking and investors. Shareholders understand that their investments gain better values not only through profit maximizing behavior but also operating in a responsible manner. CSR encourages companies to appoint board of directors who will deliver exemplary returns according to expectations of shareholders as well as protect company’s wealth and investments. With CSR programs, activities will contribute to bank’s strategic plan and shareholders will be assured of increased wealth emanating from steady dividends. CSR program demonstrates improved organizational management as well as improved processes in the bank. It also acts as channel of communication and reinforces relationships between shareholders and bankers as well as bankers and the community at large. Companies that have good reputation have undisputed advantage in convincing investors and other company stakeholders to support the company achieve its objective. Most investors prefer companies with strong CSR programs. Secondly, CSR improves stakeholder perceptions. Company’s stakeholders are many and varied. It is necessary to portray a good name for the company so that stakeholders of the company could be respected, trusted and liked. When stakeholder

Designer Babies Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Designer Babies - Research Paper Example Parents should be allowed to modify their unborn child’s genes only for health reasons, and not cosmetic reasons. There are a number of parents who are not able to give birth to children. This is because it is proven scientifically that the baby will have a genetic disease and the baby will die when they are still young or in some instances the baby might even die before they are born. Parents always wish for the best when it comes to their baby and thus, they should be allowed to modify their unborn babies but only for health reasons. Recent research has shown that by use of various genetic techniques, parents can be assisted in preventing certain genetic diseases. Thus, these genetic techniques save the baby from undue suffering and death as well as assist in reducing emotional strain that is associated in bringing up an ill baby and also reduces medical costs significantly. This will evidently lead to happier parents and their babies. Further research done recently has prov en that there a number of parents who are giving birth to spare part children in few cases whereby if one baby suffers from a serious blood disease, the parents use IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) in selecting embryos in order to give birth to another baby who acts as a tailor-made, future bone marrow or blood donor. Such cases have shown that the baby will be born healthy and will assist the older baby stay well by being a donor (Bliss, 04). Where do we stop with enhancing and engineering unborn children? In instances like the spare part babies, it is unethical since doctors and parents are creating babies who act as an organ-donating factory and this should be discouraged at all cost. It is paramount to note that the fundamental issue of giving birth should be left to Mother Nature and when the spare part baby eventually grows up, they will be depressed once they discover that they born with the sole purpose of being an organ or blood donor. The principle behind giving birth is to ch erish and love the baby for what they are and not for what they can do for others (Naff, 08). Enhancing and engineering unborn children should strictly be done for health purposes only and not for cosmetic or spare part reasons. There is also a possibility of widening the already devastating imbalance between the poor and the rich since genetic techniques are extremely expensive and therefore only the rich can afford. This effectively means that only the rich will be able to eradicate genetic diseases in their families whereas the poor continue wallowing in the sea of genetic diseases (Murray and Dave Holmes, 11). The possibility of breeding a super-human race is indeed a reality since these designer babies will look down on those babies without genetic enhancements. Examples in reality are those people who are born with various disabilities and they are never comfortable when in the company of a normal person. They feel inferior and they also face intolerance. Thus, this discrimina tion against various people who are born with disabilities will evidently increase (Murray and Dave Holmes, 14). There is also the likelihood of parents being carried away in correcting perfectly healthy babies. This is possible since parents will always look for any opportunity to eliminate embryos since they have a gene for a particular disease and a dangerous trend will start

Examine the technology and design of the The Pheasantry in London Essay

Examine the technology and design of the The Pheasantry in London building from maintenance, innovation, environmental sustainab - Essay Example According to Allen and Iano (2008, p.203), a successful construction package should have a balance of these conflicting architectural design requirements. Building designers and constructors are increasingly facing a serious challenge of how to meet the meet the demands for newly constructed and renovated facilities such as accessibility, security and efficiency while at the same time minimizing the impact of their construction on the environment. On the other hand, considering the current economic challenges, it is also important to consider the cost effectiveness of renovating a building facility. In this regard, the renovation design and technology should also include sustainability initiatives to help reduce the environmental impacts and operation costs as well as improves the resiliency of the building. Located on the busy 152, Kings Road, Pheasantry is a historic architectural building that was originally used to raise pheasants for the previous royal households. The building h as a previously reinforced concrete skeletal frame as well as troughed structural floor slabs. On the other hand, the ceilings are suspended using a frame and tile system and the walls are mainly plastered. A wide range of floor finishes have also been used over the screed base and the internal walls that separate each letting space in the building are made of concrete blockwork for the purposes of fire compartmentation. It is also worth noting that all the windows currently installed are double gazed and some of the existing services include an air conditioning system. This report provides a critical appraisal of the proposal for construction package that is intended to be used for the modernization and renovation of Pheasantry building in London. Considerations in the proposed package solution There are a number of considerations that should be taken into account in the construction technologies that are proposed in the construction design package. First and foremost, the client w ho requested for the renovation of Pheasantry building had specified that each part of the proposed refurbishment should be able to provide good value for the money invested both initially as well as over its life cycle. For example, one of the major concerns of the client is how to avoid premature failure during the renovation Pheasantry building and the client also needs the modernization of the building to create a building that has an environmentally sustainable image. According to Hegazy (2002), the contemporary building construction designs are increasingly using an integrated and synergistic approach that takes all the phases of the facility life cycle into consideration. The design of the floor and the ceiling part of the building should be able to meet a number of sustainable requirements some of which include less environmental impact and reduced maintenance. For example, although floor is the most ignored surface when it comes to sustainable building design, there are a n umber of ways through with modern technology can be used to modernize floors and make them more sustainable. For example, an effective base for radiant heating of the floor can be included in the project construction package. Generally, sustainable design not only supports commitment to environmental conservation and stewardship but it also ensures the achievement of an optimal balance between costs, societal, environmental and other human benefits while at the same

Effects Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Effects - Essay Example According to the Encyclopedia of Earth (2010), the average Northern American emits an average of 20 tons worth of CO2 equivalent in a year. Latin America hosts the world’s most biodiversity in its forests, the Amazon, which is currently facing a challenge due to the amount of deforestation taking place for the sake of construction projects (Global Change). The problems are not restricted to these two aspects, the industrial revolution and the government policies established to promote the industrial sector causes harmful gases to be released in the air which can be a cause of acid rain. This can cause a number of health hazards for a lot of people and even destroy structures with the passage of time. The effects of climate change and global warming is not isolated in a particular region or continent, it is a global issue and has caused numerous disasters across the world. Over the last 35 years there has been a significant increase in the number of category 5 hurricanes which has been linked to the rising ocean temperatures due to the depletion of the ozone layer (NRDC). The weather extremes have also gone over the edge of the spectrums as droughts have now a higher probability of occurring. Summer temperatures in certain regions such as Australia are already high but due to the steady rise in temperature wildfires are more prone to occurring. Such fires have cost governments across the globe millions of dollars due to the extensive damages. Rainy season is also become a threat as the recent floods in Australia, Brazil, Germany and other countries led to intense levels of flooding and caused a large number of deaths. The effects are not confined to the human population alone but according to the National Resources Defense Council (2011) there could be an extinction of about 1 million species of by the year 2050 if the current trend does not change its course. It has also brought to attention that due to the lesser number of ice floes in the polar caps th e polar bears are drowning as they cannot manage to swim the long distances from one floe to another in search of food or shelter. Forests such as Bermudas mangrove forest are also slowly disappearing as the sea levels continue to rise while glaciers that sustain life are slowly melting. In order to avoid a complete upheaval in the natural order of the world there needs to be serious rethinking in the way of doing certain things. There can be many legislative steps that can be taken to pen out laws at a national and international level to maintain checks and balances on industries and other businesses to curb their output of harmful gases. Governments also need to stop the trend of sustaining themselves on non-renewable resources and look for cleaner and cheaper ways to maintain a steady energy source. Wind, solar and hydra power are renewable and practical especially for developed countries that have the resources and the capital to be able to set up such plants. Even nuclear power would cut down on the waste that is emitted in the air by coal and gas and oil burning but that does come with hazards of its own. Fossil fuels are not only a danger when they are burned but their transportation and extraction itself can be hazardous to the

Age discrimination and its effect on the over 30s in todays workplace Research Paper

Age discrimination and its effect on the over 30s in todays workplace - Research Paper Example Age discrimination is all about taking the focus from job competency as reflected in the skill levels and placing it on the individual’s calendar age. Most people tend to view age discrimination as an aspect that relates to older employees but the fact is that ageism involves young employees too. This is for the reason that there are age restrictions that are illegal and their sole intention is to bar young people with proper educational credentials simply because the employer thinks that the credentials will hinder them from performing their duties as expected (Macnicol 3). Pension reforms were ushered in with the advent of industrialization. Social security in form of specified pension amounts lured older employees into retirement as the schemes had financial benefits. However, after the Second World War, the professional arena experienced a change that saw the entry of the younger generation and modern technology into the workplace (Sargeant 27). â€Å"Discrimination exist s in the minds of those that believe they have the right to exercise abusive authority and control over the powerless, the poor and the oppressed† (Hullet 28). This was the genesis of age discrimination as employers started viewing the ‘old’ employees as a professional burden that lacked the required technical know-how, conservative in their style of work, and above all lacked the zeal to work (Macnicol, 14). Nonetheless, there were those employers who stuck with the ‘old guard’ as they felt that the young were immature and inexperienced to enhance their productivity. Another fact that led to the cropping up of age discrimination was the low output achieved by older employees as they were incapable of keeping abreast with the new technology. Even so, their pay was high and they could not be fired because they had a lifetime employment policy. This made employer to review their policies in favor of the young thereby creating age discrimination. General ly, it can be said that age discrimination affects all age groups. Companies, on the other hand, view hiring young people as expensive as they will require further training and close supervision. They also have reservation on hiring old people because they tend to think that they will not get value for their money as older people will work for a short time before retiring and they are expected to pay out their retirement benefit. Age discrimination on a global scale and the USA Age discrimination is a worldwide phenomenon that affects every society in the world. However, this review will look at the European Union and the United States. â€Å"There is ample evidence that discrimination takes place in the EU† (Macnicol 45). Every standpoint has its own definition of old age, for example, in the statistical aspect old age is considered 60 to 65 years of age as pertaining to retirement or social program entry eligibility (Grobe 12). The European commission ranges old from 55 to 65 years of age. However, a 40 year old is defined as an old worker in the United States of America. Even though the current economic crises mostly affected the young people in Germany, there was also

Outline Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 62

Outline - Essay Example There, Michelangelo learned the technique of panel painting for a few months. He was supposed to stay there for not less than three years, but an extraordinary opportunity opened to him. At the recommendation of Ghirlandaio, he moved into the house of Florentine ruler Lorenzo the Magnificent. One of the powerful Medici families, where he studied classical sculpture in the Medici gardens (Poeschke 26). This is a great time for Michelangelo; his experience with the Medici group, permit him access to the social elite of Florence, which allowed him to learn under the respected sculptor Bertoldo di Giovanni, Donatellos pupil, and introducing him to prominent poets, Humanists and scholars . Piero de Medici initiates Michelangelo to the Augustinian friars from the Church of Saint Spirit in Florence, who was hosting the young talent within their convent. He was given a special permission to learn cadavers for insight into anatomy; through the introduction to corpses he had an adverse effect on his health. These combined factors laid the basis for what would become Michelangelos unique style: a muscular concept and reality combined with a touching beauty. As a sign of appreciation to the friars, Michelangelo made a wooden Crucifix, which is still inside the Church of Saint Spirit. Slightly before the Medici family were banished from Florence, Michelangelo moved to Bologna hosted by Gianfranco Aldrovandi and then to Venice, where he continued his studies of literature and sculpture practice. He returned to Florence in 1495 where he begun the work as a sculptor, modeling his style after masterpieces of classical antiquity, In 1496, Michelangelo moved to Rome because of the famous Sleeping Cupid affair that had made him a reputation. He hoped to find new donors for his creations. He started modeling a marble Bacchus, under the patronage of the banker Jacopo Galli. On August 27, 1498 Michelangelo signed his first break

Strategic Plan (for school) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategic Plan (for school) - Essay Example Within the context of the paper, be sure to address the following components: In making a school prestigious in it's community, the principal, the teachers, and the staffs would provide and give their all in achieving this goal. It may take time, but as long as there is a will, ways will be available. In the past, where a basic degree was considered a rarity, it has now basically become a necessity, and it is to this degree that we shall find our students reaching standards greater than this. Even as we speak, the world is demanding more, and we find the need to meet these increasingly difficult demands. As a school set up for the people of Walnut City, we will support our community, its parents and its students to their goal to excellence in our society. At Apache High School, our students shall graduate and be imbibed with wide knowledge and fine character. (142 words) Apache High School is located in Walnut City, in Arizona less than one mile from the international border with Mexico. It is the sole public high school within Walnut City. The current campus, which opened over 25 years ago, is comprised of several buildings spread out on a campus that mimics that of a junior-college setting. The original plans were for the high school to house up to 1, 000 students.

The Criteria Used to Make Judgments in Evaluative Teaching Observation Research Paper

The Criteria Used to Make Judgments in Evaluative Teaching Observation - Research Paper Example The teacher noted that there were formatting issues with my PowerPoint that could be improved and that there was a spelling mistake. Again, these are issues that can detract from my lessons, so I was glad to get this feedback so that I can improve the formatting and fonts on my PowerPoint in later presentations. The observers did feel that I had good communication skills, and was approachable as a teacher, so I was happy to get this feedback as well. It seemed that the main areas for improvement were technical issues that can be easily fixed, as opposed to my overall teaching style, so it made me realize that my overall style of teaching is good. I just need to work on my technical issues, including my issues with formatting PowerPoint. These all focus upon the practice as a teacher, so in this paper, this will be the focus. I will also focus, in this paper, the explicit and implicit criteria that is used in evaluative teaching, and I will conclude by making recommendation for improv ing the process of teaching observation by focusing on making explicit the criteria by which judgments are made and empowering observer and observe to be in control of the feedback process. My teaching observations were in line with the research on the topic. Donnelly (2007) notes that peer observation of teaching is a necessary component for good practice in teaching and that dialogue and open debate are encouraged, and risk-taking is supported in teaching. Although I didn’t necessarily take risks with my teaching, when I was being observed, I did notice that there was a good dialogue between myself and my observers. They were more than happy to let me know when they liked something that I was doing, or if they thought that something needed to be improved upon, and this dialogue was very stimulating and enlightening. I also note that Gosling (2002) identified three different types of observations in teaching – evaluation, development and peer review. The evaluation is conducted by superiors and is a formal assessment of one’s competencies. This might take the form of annual appraisals and is used to manage employees. Development is used not to manage employees, but to give an overall overview of one’s teaching competencies. This is also conducted by a superior, and this review is also formal. The third kind, the peer review, is much less formal. This is observation and discussion, and the feedback, while critical, is considered to be non-judgmental and constructive. This takes place only in an atmosphere where both parties are genuine peers, and there is not a power imbalance between the two, and there are a mutuality and respect for one another. My experience definitely falls under the third assessment, as the observation was not a formal one, and there was not a formal assessment of my skills. It was non-judgmental and very gentle criticism that was extremely constructive. Moreover, the observation was truly a peer observation, w hich was helpful.

Marketing Concepts Essay Example for Free

Marketing Concepts Essay Therefore the customer wins and so does nokia, as nokia once again are satisfying the need of support their customers request and In Conclusion, Marketing isn’t just a posh name for selling; in fact selling is part of the marketing component. It is the process of communicating; selling is the delivery of a product to the potential customer, converting them into actual customers. Whilst it can be assumed that marketing is a posh name for selling, the difference that separates both areas is evident through simple definition and actual process. In order to sell, the consumer must want, need and afford the product, therefore without the process of research, development and catering to the consumers needs, (Marketing) Selling would not be as profitable. An organisation that fails to provide marketing will allow itself to be a business that is hoping to simply sell its products by having it available, assuming the consumers will purchase its product. Whereas an organisation that adapts the marketing concept, caters for the consumer’s wants, needs, price range, customer service, through the research of its objective and the development of these objectives, along with achieving the business goals of the calculated profit it ‘Intends’ to make prior sale. Using the example of Nokia, it is clearly evident that an organisation can only obtain worldwide success through the power of marketing. Should Nokia simply release products to a store without communicating with its consumers, the organisation would be no better off than a market stall that is ‘attempting’ to Sell its products. Instead, Nokia markets its brands and as a result has successfully pre sold its brand with complete knowledge of its consumers wants and needs. For example Nokia markets and provides products for its Personal and Business consumers where as an organisation selling phones, would simply have a range ‘for sale’. Finally, marketing is the process of identifying a need and communicating a message relating to satisfaction of the need through a product to its customer. The marketing process informs the market of who you are and what you do, whilst the sales process begins when a formal offer for services has been made, and concludes when the offer is accepted or rejected. In Conclusion, Marketing isn’t just a posh name for selling; in fact selling is part of the marketing component. An organisation can improve its marketing activities through implementing the marketing concept as this will: * Develop key competencies of knowledge, experience, commitment and communications * Develop strategies through overcoming areas of weakness or threats by competitors through understanding the needs/wants of their customers * Maintain the organisations vision, focus is crucial for the development of objectives and the achievement of these objectives * Allows an organisation to Define, Develop and Deliver Customer Value which in turn will create greater customer loyalty leading to profit creation

HG Wells The War Of The Worlds

HG Wells The War Of The Worlds Are we such apostles of mercy as to complain if the Martians warred in the same spirit? This is what H. G. Wells writes in his first chapter of The War of the Worlds, just after reminding the reader on what our own species destroyed in the past, including the extermination of the Tasmanians in spite their human likeness. In the following I will point out in which way the context of British Imperialism is important and central to our understanding of Victorian texts nowadays and how this might have changed during the nineteenth century. This will be discussed in relation to H. G. Wellss The War of the Worlds. H. G. Wellss The War of the Worlds was first published in 1898. The end of the nineteenth century was a time, in which Germany and America began to compete with Britain for primacy in global economy. In the British society opinions differ what the great British Empire is concerned. Most people think the expansion was a desirable thing. Over the years the enthusiasm grows and better living standards are expected from the supplies of Empire products. Children grow up in a climate of opinion that was unambiguously imperial. Britain was believed to have the destiny and the duty to rule the world. The mind of imperialism, so the society is told, was reactive and defensive, not formally expansive. Patriotic history and geography books, songs, imperial exhibitions and literature hide the truth. So is Boehmer arguing, by offering us insight into the imperial imagination, the texts of the empire give some purchase on the occlusion of human loss that operates in colonial representation. The effect of empire on colonized peoples, and colonized responses to invasion, usually appear as mere traces in the writing of the time. Readings of imperial texts suggest, therefore, how it was possible for a world system which presided over the lives of millions to legitimate itself while masking suffering. In earlier novels of the nineteenth century, e.g. Jane Eyre and Great Expectations, imperialist themes can be found, indeed. However, they do not have a great impact on the general intention and are easy to miss. In Jane Eyre there is Bertha, a woman from Jamaica who Mr. Rochester was married to and is hidden in the attic of Thornfield because she had become mad. Rochester was to marry her because she came from a rich family. The money, so it is to be assumed, was made by slave trade. All these points are only traces throughout the whole novel and do not have a great impact on the protagonists decisions. Imperialism is taken for granted and is not commented at all. Approximately fifty years later, H. G. Wells, in contrast, wrote his novel to reveal the truth, [My] stories reflect upon contemporary political and social discussions. The novels purpose is therefore, as Wells himself states explicitly, not to alert us to the imminence of Martian invasion. Wells uses scientific phenomena as a basis for looking at the present from different viewpoints. This is, what Alkon argues when he writes that Wells uses the possibility of an encounter with a more technologically advanced extraterrestrial civilization to create a fundamental shift in political perspective whereby readers are shown what it is like to be on the receiving end of an imperial enterprise. The whole novel can be seen as a parable. The contemporary reader is confronted with the real face of Imperialism. The Martians who are obviously the novels antagonists invade Earth because Mars has become inhabitable for them. They take over Earth and claim it for themselves. Furthermore they live from the earthly populations blood. They invade without any warning and take what they need, completely regardless of the consequences for Earths population. Doing so, they act very violently and merciless. Humans are defenseless and entirely under the Martianss mercy, the monster [] had begun to walk [] across the common among the few fugitives []. A kind of arm carried a metallic case [] and out of the funnel of this there smoked the Heat-Ray. In a few minutes there was [] not a living thing left. This is exactly how the British proceeded in their colonies. They took over the populations land and their raw materials. For them it was not even necessary to colonize. It was a matter of prestige as well as a matter of keeping up with Germany and America. The Martians, in contrast, had to leave their home planet in order to survive. Just like the Martians destroy everything and act like machines the British invaded the lands they wanted and degraded the lands populations to be merely the colonial other and subaltern in comparison to themselves. Furthermore, the British felt just as superior to the, from their vantage point, uncultivated, primitive and less developed as the Martians felt about the earthly population. Nevertheless, the narrator himself develops during the plot. He has a clear mind and is able to see everything from different viewpoints. When he says, The base idea of this is no doubt horribly repulsive to us, but at the same time I think that we should remember how repulsive our carnivorous habits would seem to an intelligent rabbit., the readers are reminded that it is important to look at their own actions from a different viewpoint to realize how their behavior might affect others. The Martians are much higher developed than the earthly population. They are more intelligent and have stronger weapons against which humanity has no chance to survive. The whole mankind is under their control and no human weapons can stop them. Wells also included the topic of evolutionary ascendancy in his novel. In comparison to the Martians humanity is weak and defenseless. Whenever people get attacked by the Martians, they feel tiny, just like an ant, as a rabbit might feel returning to his burrow, and suddenly confronted by a dozen navvies digging the foundations of a house, an animal among animals, under the Martian heel. Now humanity feels degraded and, above all, disempowered. For the first time people realize, they are not the most intelligent animals in Universe, No one would have believed, [] that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than mans. Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species in which he states evolution as fact in 1859. According to him, only the fittest survive in the struggle for life, Natural Selection acts by the preservation and accumulation of inherited modifications, each profitable to the preserved being. Wells wants to warn his readership about trying to be the fittest. Aiming to be always the best means concurrence. Britain tried to keep up with other economical powers and eventually behaved as inhuman and mechanical as the Martians do. According to McConnell, Wellss intention was to show how the evolutionary future [invades] and [sucks] the lifeblood from the human present. The Martians were ourselves, mutated beyond sympathy, though not beyond recognition. They represent the danger of what ourselves might become. Huxley is of the same opinion writing in his essay Evolution and Ethics, In place of ruthless self-assertion it demands self-restraint, in place of thrusting aside, or treading down all competitors, it requires that the individual shall not merely respect, but shall help his fellows; its influence is directed, not so much to the survival of the fittest, as to the fitting of as many as possible to survive. He warns of fanatical individualism and states that mankind should work together as one species, instead. That does not contradict Darwins theory as he points out that the term survival of the fittest [includes] dependence on one being on another. McConnell sees these hints for humanitys future and writes that only by facing the hopelessness of human condition man can begin to construct something in which, absurdly and heroically, to hope. He interprets the loss of human supremacy as a wake-up call which allows to hope that humans would work together eventually. Until the end, humankind is not able to defeat the Martians. Earth is not under their control anymore. The Martians are defeated by microorganisms and bacteria they are, in contrast to humans, unresistant to. The tiniest and until then for humanity unimportant and unvalued species of animals reached what mankind was not able to. To sum it all up, H. G. Wellss The War of the Worlds is a parable in which its author obviously tries to reveal the truth about the Great British Empire, whereas many earlier Victorian texts rather hid or covered themes of Imperialism. Considering that The War of the Worlds deals with a colonial reversal in which, instead of oversea countries, the British Empire itself is invaded, it is important for the reader to know about the context of Imperialism in order to completely understand what H. G. Wells intended to say. Of course, the destabilization of assumed hierarchies of biology as well as of civilization is another topic that Wells cleverly includes. However, this topic is strongly connected to the one of colonial reversal. Although the novel can be interpreted from different point of views like every other novel, Wells explicitly expressed his intention which was to reveal the truth about Imperialism. (1536 words)

Management Practices in Japanese and US Companies

Management Practices in Japanese and US Companies This Research Paper makes a summary comparison of cross-cultural research conducted in the last ten to fifteen years in the areas of Human Resource Management; Management Style and Negotiation Strategies in Japanese and US companies. The different Research Studies in these three areas analyzed the learning possibilities for Japanese and US companies on two different levels: At headquarters and at subsidiary level. For each one of the three research topics, a Roadmap is drafted with concrete steps and strategies as to how these companies should adapt their management practices in these 3 areas in order to be even more successful. The findings of this paper also cover the very central debates in the international Human Resource Management literature: The Convergence vs. Divergence issue and the Standardization vs. Localization issue. The results clearly show that overall the dominance effect is most important (i.e., subsidiary practices appear to converge to the dominant US practices). Hence the results obtained in this paper lead to the rather surprising conclusion that for what might be considered to be the most localized of functions HRM convergence to a world-wide best practices model is clearly present. From the authors viewpoint his is a logical consequence of globalization in all business sectors. Key Words: Road Map; Human Resource Development; Leadership Style, Negotiation Strategies; USA; Japan; Cross-Cultural Introduction to Human Resource Management Practices in Japan and in the USA From a historic perspective, Human Resource Management (HRM) has been identified as a key ingredient for the success of Japanese companies on world markets during the 1980s. In this decade, suggestions as to how Western managers could learn from Japanese HRM practices were plentiful. Only one decade later, however, Japan went into a recession from which its business model has not yet fully recovered. Oddly enough, these formerly superior HRM practices are now being viewed as the root of the malaise of the underperforming Japanese economy A Research Perspective of HRM Practices in Japanese and US Companies In the early 1980s of the last century, the Japanese management model, and in particular its HRM model, have often been depicted as very different from Western-style management, yet much more competitive (Kono Clegg, 2001). Its deep-rooted and unique cultural and institutional characteristics usually were cited as the key reasons for these differences (Pudelko, 2006). Earlier, Frenkel Peetz (1998) described a rapidly speeding up globalization-induced trend towards increasing convergence resulting from global competitive pressures. In parallel, Katz, Darbishire (2000) noted a clear trend towards convergence in key patterns of HRM practices among industrialized countries. This phenomenon they call converging divergences. In parallel, the research of Frenkel Kuruvilla (2002) concludes that employment relations patterns are being determined by the interplay of what they define as three distinct à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾logics of actionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸: The logic of global competition, resulting in the pursuit of global à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾best practicesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ and ultimately global convergence does not allow local insular cross-cultural happiness and coziness any longer. One reason that the USA has achieved its dominant status in the 1990s was its superior economic performance. The conclusion from these findings were that if the strengths of a successful economy are concentrated in industries characterized by intense international competition such as IT, computers and electronics the attention and the readiness to learn from it tends to be particularly strong. Such industries are often the pioneers for defining and producing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾best practicesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ and the place where such global standards of management practice are set. Taylorism, or à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾scientific managementà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸, has been the prime example for a management concept claiming universal validity. Other examples were lean production, kaizen, re-engineering and management by objectives once strong points of the Japanese economy, when they were the best practice leader in doing so. Since the implosion of the Japanese economy and with the advent of globalizatio n, speed of action and instant flexibility to adapt to changing global market conditions were key criteria to succeed. Cultural diversity research carried out in the US and in Japan over the last one and a half decades has been that the American management model is particularly well suited to provide the required speed and flexibility to cope with rapidly changing economic and technological conditions. Consequently, the USA became again the dominant role model (Edwards, Almond, Clark, Colling Ferner, 2005). Summary Comparison of Key HRM Practices in Japanese and US Companies The following diagram shows a comparison between Japanese and US firms HRM practices. Areas discussed are: Recruitment and release of personnel; training and human resource development; employee assessment and promotion; as well as employee incentives. The comparison clearly illustrates the individualistic HRM approach in American firms as compared to the collectivism-oriented HRM orientation in Japanese firms. It is obvious that in the high technology sector especially the team and consensus oriented HRM philosophy of the Japanese is a hindrance to success. It appears that there are several other reasons for the declining importance attached to key attributes of Japanese model (kaizen, kanban, total quality management, quality circles, team work). Just like the Japanese firms have to learn from best practice solutions from other countries, these attributes have already been adopted by American HRM managers in the last 20 years, therefore are less significant in the future as sources for orientation. The changes brought about by globalization in the competitive environment probably also have played a role. For the future, fundamental developments such as globalization require substantial on-going responses from multi-national companies to maintain competitiveness. Figure 1 compares Japanese and US HRM practices and their competitive impact on HRM management in general. Figure 1: Comparison of Japanese US HRM Practices in 4 Key Areas HRM Sector: Japanese HRM Practices: US HRM Practices: 1. Recruitment Release of Personnel: Recruitment of new graduates to a permanent position Selection based on inter-personal skills Life-long employment philosophy low staff turnover rate= high loyalty Managerial positions filled with internal staff only Finding the best candidate internally or externally available Selection based on performance/expertise Job hopping philosophy pouts individual goals above company interests Positions filled with best expert available Competitive Effects of respective HRM Practices: Slowness towards innovation Lack of external expertise Promotes rapid innovation from inside or outside Low loyalty to employer HRM Sector: Japanese HRM Practices: US HRM Practices: 2. Training HRD Development: Broad training towards generalist knowledge Extensive training based on work group approach Employee is trained to fit corporate culture Specific training for specific tasks only Training is limited and focused on the individual only Little effort to mould the employee towards the corporate culture Competitive Effects of respective HRM Practices: Focused on corporate culture building Focused on individualism to promote success HRM Sector: Japanese HRM Practices: US HRM Practices: 3. Employee Assessment Promotion: Emphasis on seniority and not on performance Emphasis on group achievements Qualitative informal evaluation criteria Career path broad based in several Divisions Emphasis on individual success only Emphasis on individual achievements Quantitative measurable criteria and objectives Career path mostly confined to one functional part only HRM Sector: Japanese HRM Practices: US HRM Practices: 4. Employee Incentives: A mix of material and immaterial incentives Pay increases based upon seniority Little difference between top management pay levels and workers: Low with 20:1 Emphasis is on material incentives: Pay + bonus Pay based upon individual performance only Very large differences between top management and workers: High with 100:1 Competitive Effects of respective HRM Practices: Slow promotion for top performers Slow climate of innovation Quick promotion for top talents Innovative staff ensures innovative corporate climate Proposed cross-cultural Roadmap for a strategic HRM Approach Throughout the research reports analyzed for this paper, Globalization demands a broader-based strategic HRM response by Japanese firms on this more than 90 % of the interviewed Japanese Executives agreed. The results from the American respondents showed that they considered it to be a particular strength of the American HR management. Japanese managers agree in turn, that their process based incremental improvements concepts will lose in significance in the future. Furthermore the research data clearly shows that only Japan management has a distinct desire to change its own HRM model in a rather comprehensive way. This definitely can be described as a paradigm shift. The following Figure 2 gives some key thoughts and elements for such a strategic approach to HRM tasks in the future. Figure 2: A cross-cultural Roadmap for a strategic Approach to HRM Tasks in the Future Drivers of Global Changes in HRM: Elements causing Changes: Impacts of Change Elements on HRM: Need to reduce costs Speed of product innovation Quality of service Knowledge of client needs Staff motivation Training in design to cost method Innovative methods in product management Staff motivation and skills training Market knowledge has to be communicated Individual performance alone counts Risks involved: Overall corporate management philosophy has to be benchmarked against industrys best practice Key Changes needed: HRM has to install and accompany a change management process Individual performance evaluation has to abolish consensus-based group performance evaluation concepts Conclusions: HRM has to become the driving integrative force for the implementation of the Corporate Business Plan Resulting Roadmap for HRM Strategy: HRM Parameters that need to improve the Competitiveness of Corporations: HRM Parameter: Expected Benefits from HRM Changes: Strategic HRM Plan has to be part of Business Plan Future staff qualifications are in sync with corporate business plan Business Plan has to contain Change Management Concept HRM develops a long term focus linked to strategic corporate objectives Innovative Career Development Allows quick promotion of top performers Innovation oriented recruiting Speed up innovation cycles Promotion based on merit only Does away with risk minimizing attitude Introduction Best HRM Practice Concept HRM does self-control of its performance against key competitors Strategic HRM Implementation Roadmap: Overall Strategic HRM Objectives: HRM is the binding link of overall corporate business strategy to the employees of the company HRM promotes innovation and change culture in the company Planning Horizon of chosen HRM Strategy: Long term plan over 20 to 30 years Strategic plan over 5 years Operative rolling plans over 2 to 3 years Top Management Support required to implement new HRM Strategy: HRM has be a board level responsibility with staffing and budget to implement HRM Strategy chosen Introduction to cross-cultural Management Styles Globalization has changed the managerial tasks of US and Japanese mangers dramatically: Many have to work now in an international environment, in Japan or in the USA. Reasons for these changes were joint ventures, mergers, acquisitions and cooperation alliances. In the 1980s, Japan taught the work what kaizen; kanban, total quality control, etc meant in terms of competitive advantage. So the US managers had to learn these concepts. Towards the end of the late 1990s, the US had caught up with this cross cultural learning approach. Then the globalization effect came to full speed suddenly the individualistic type of US management proved to be much more flexible and successful then the slow consensus-based Japanese management style. Research findings towards different Business Cultures in Japan and in the US The research for this paper showed that the business cultures in Japan and in the US differ in 5 key categories: 1. Power Structure: National level versus international level; egalitarian approach versus non-egalitarian approach; centralized management forms versus decentralized management practices. In the authority-driven business environment still prevailing in Japanese companies, aspects of power play a critical role. This slows down decision making, as power issues dominate business cultures dominating innovative US companies (Browaeys 2009). 2. People Relationships: Collectivism versus individualism; team orientation versus individual focus. Japanese collectivism is documented in its overemphasis on team issues; where consensus finding warrants longer times until a decision is being taken (Dickson 2003). Management emphasizes group loyalty, relationships in groups prevail over individual tasks. Americans have lesser loyalty to their companies, they see employment as a temporary issue for the mutual benefit of employer and employee. 3.Tolerance for Risk-taking: High avoidance levels versus low avoidance levels; bureaucratic orientation versus non-bureaucratic orientation. The consensus-based Japanese business culture tries to minimize uncertainties through an over-emphasis on planning. As a result, they do not like to change plans once they were approved (Yamazaki 2008).US companies treasure the opportunities offered in risky endeavors a horror for traditional Japanese companies! 4. Masculinity/Femininity: Role differentiation between males and females at society and organizational levels. Japanese managers are expected to be assertive and decisive, with sex roles clearly defined. This means fewer women progress to managerial positions in Japan, whereas in the US women climb to executive posts on a much more regular basis (Jacofsky 1988). Work for Japanese managers is seen as the center of life interests. Edwards 2005) 5. Time Orientation: Long term view versus short term view in business planning and strategy formulation. The time perspective in their business philosophy: Past/present in Japan versus present/future perspective in US companies. American companies are a lot quicker to react to new opportunities what was successful in the past is less important than new opportunities which lay ahead in the near future (Dahl 2004). The retrospective business approach of Japanese companies has them look for long-term relationships. US companies take the present and look quicker and often farther into the future. This speeds up their decision making processes and facilitates the acceptance of risk taking among their executives (Tsui 2007). Research findings towards Key Managerial Skills in Japan and in the US Effective cross-cultural management skills have to fit the prevailing national business culture where they are being applied to on their workplaces. In individualistic business environments as in the US, new employees are being hired on the basis of their personal records. In the collectivistic business culture of Japan, recommendations from elite universities or from family members who already work for the company play a vital role. The following key managerial functions have been analyzed in research paper: Reward allocation and employee motivation; employee participation and managerial communication; executive development. 1. Reward Allocation and Employee Motivation: The proper allocation of rewards is the driving force of the individualistic US business environment: Rewards are expected to be equity based, i.e. based upon an individuals contribution to corporate success. Rewards are supposed to be equal for equal performance: Rewards have to based upon the specific needs of a position (Riley 2007). In the more equality and group oriented Japanese business culture, rewards are being allocated on a group basis. These research findings did prove that the application of inappropriate reward systems caused feelings of de-motivation and injustice (Buttery 2000) 2. Employee Participation and Managerial Communication: To get employees to participate in goal setting in a US company is daily business, as in this way it increases the employees involvement in how his work environment is being shaped. Given the individualistic US business culture team effectiveness rises if team members are personally accountable for their personal contribution, which can be measured i.e. management by objectives (Javidan 2006). In the more socially oriented Japanese Business culture, employee participation is more socially oriented and the employees display lower levels of power distance between organizational levels (Hofstede 1980) 3. Executive Development: In an American business environment, qualified staff is classified into high potential groups for future executive positions at a much earlier stage of their career and at a much younger age as compared to the Japanese business culture. This encompasses a mix of specialist type of work assignments combined with near executive project assignments, to give them an early feeling of how an executive ticks (Yamazaki 2008). Japanese companies tend to focus on generalist type of assignments with intensive functional and geographic job rotation at almost the same hierarchical levels. Promotion is by seniority criteria mostly (Saee 2010). In consequence this implies: Executive development in US companies is based upon the potential benefits seen in a junior executive, whereas the Japanese approach is more oriented towards rewards for the past performance (Raimo 2009). Proposed Roadmap for a strategic cross-cultural Management Style The following Figure 3 gives a strategic roadmap for a cross-culturally based management style which facilities quick and efficient adaptation to cross-culturally different work environment. Figure 3: A cross-cultural Roadmap for a strategic Approach to Drivers of cross-cultural Management Styles:Management Style Development Common Management Skills Deficiencies: Negative Impacts of missing cross-cultural Management Skills: Lack of employee motivation In-adequate communication style De-motivating reward system Slow pace of promotion system Lack of managerial skills training Performance is not recognized/rewarded Work objectives unclear=de-motivating Individual motivation not released Resistance to innovations Necessary changes do not take place Risks involved: Mix of management skills not suited for work environment High potentials are not identified and promoted High staff turnover; slow pace of innovation and change management Key Changes needed: HRD concept oriented towards cross cultural sensitivity Top management involvement in management skills profile development Cross-culturally oriented career development system Conclusions: An innovative HRD approach is needed Designed by managers with local management experience HRD skills Resulting Roadmap towards a cross-cultural oriented Management Style: Managerial Skills that need to be improved: Management Skills requiring Attention: Expected Benefits better Management Styles: Reward systems motivation tools Keep staff and attract talents Career development system for talents Quick promotion for high potentials Innovative pay system Increased motivation to innovate Clear set of managerial objectives Rewards are measurable and objective Internal PR for new management style More credibility for management styles Top managers have to practice this style Extra motivation to manage/risk changes Strategic Management Skills Implementation Roadmap: Overall Strategic Management Skill Development Objectives: Analyze requirements for necessary cross-cultural management skills Incorporate necessary changes into overall management philosophy and corporate mission Document and promote concept at all managerial levels Planning Elements for chosen Management Skill Development Strategy: Assess time and research requirements properly; involve superiors where needed Involve top management team properly and show their support in public statements/info releases Managerial Support required to implement new Management Skill Development Strategy: Develop a strategy paper involving top management and clarify roles and inputs and state resource requirements as compared to potential gains from these improved management skills Introduction to cross-cultural Negotiation Styles Cultural Diversity is one of the most critical issues in international negotiations. A key requirement for successful international negotiation is the extent to which the negotiating parties are capable of understanding the negotiating habits and thoughts of their counterparts who come from another culture (Brett 2000). When entering into an international negotiation process, the full awareness and understanding of the cultural differences, such as cultural background, national character, emotional aspects, rules and regulations of other countries, decision making styles, ways of discussing, meeting and negotiating is of vital importance in order to make the negotiation successful. The difficulty the negotiators are facing have to do with dealing on the basis of different sets of values, attitudes, behaviors and communication styles of the other party participating in the negotiation process. The proper planning and preparation for negotiations, and participating in the negotiation p rocess must take into consideration all these factors. This will avoid setbacks, surprises and shock so often faced in cross-cultural negotiations. A. Basic Research Findings linking Negotiation and Culture A nations culture in itself consists of interrelated patterns or dimensions which come together to form a unique social identity shared by a minimum of two or more people It is the unique character of a social group and the values and norms common to its members that set it apart from other social groups (Brett, 2001;). Consequently for this reason, because of the different values and norms, people from different cultures negotiate differently (Brett, 2001;). Many authors talk of a set of cultural values associated with each cultural group which actually is the determining force for the culture (Tinsley, 2001, Brett, 2001;). The knowledge of these values and norms provides insight into the choices made and influences these very negotiators cognitions, emotions, motivations and strategy. Research shows a clear differentiation: Whilst values refer to what a person considers important (more on cognitive side), norms refer to what is considered appropriate behavior (behavioral aspects) i n a specific culture. Consequently, because of these different values and norms, people from different cultures tend to negotiate differently (Brett 2001). These cultural values and norms shape implicit theories invoked in negotiations (Gelfand and Dyer 2000) and may influence a negotiators response to strategically displayed emotions. In Japanese companies, the emphasis of a group being the core nucleus for negotiations communicates these values to its members and rewards conformity. In this way a members values become thoroughly culturally constituted. Thus, culture creates an overall environment for Japanese companies and their negotiators which in many ways directly or indirectly compels the constituent members to be guided by their cultural value sets while negotiating. B. Research Findings concerning the strategic Framework of cross-cultural Negotiations According to the book The Global Negotiator: Making, Managing, and Mending Deals around the World in the twenty-First Century (Salacuse 2005) there are a total ten particular elements consistently complicating intercultural negotiations. 1) Negotiating goal: Contract or relationship? 2) Negotiating attitude: Win-Lose or Win-Win? 3) Personal style: Informal or formal? 4) Communication: Direct or indirect? 5) Sensitivity to time: High or low? 6) Emotionalism: High or low? 7) Form of agreement: General or specific? 8) Building an agreement: Bottom up or top down? 9) Team organization: One leader or group consensus? 10) Risk taking: High or low? Research shows that for a Japanese manager negotiation is also about being sensitive to the personal/emotional factors and hence may sometimes be indirect, informal, and general with less sensitivity to time whereas. On the other side for a negotiator from USA, any negotiation is to the point, direct, formal, with high consideration for time and less care for personal or emotional factors. B. Research Findings concerning Diversity Factors and Strategies in Cross -Cultural Negotiations In countries such as in the US and much of northern Europe, strong, direct eye contact conveys confidence and sincerity while in Japan, prolonged eye contact is considered rude and is generally avoided. In Japan they always prefer personal space during business dealings. With regard to the Japanese, Salacuse shows that 100 percent of the Japanese respondents claimed that they approached negotiations as a win-win process. Communication itself constitutes a basic component of negotiation framework. Diversity in this communication aspect is also very obvious and pertinent. In a culture that emphasizes directness, such as the American one, you can expect to receive a clear and definite response to the proposals and questions. In SE Asian cultures such as the Japanese reaction to proposals made to them may be gained by interpreting seemingly vague comments, gestures, and other signs. Concerning the cultural sensitivity to time, Salacuse in his study quotes Japanese tend to negotiate slowly, and Americans are quick to make a deal. Contrary to this perception of time, for Americans the objective is a signed contract and as for them time is money, they want to close a deal quickly. Americans therefore try to reduce time invested in formalities to a minimum and get down to business quickly. Japanese and other Asians, whose objective is to create a relationship rather than simply sign a contract, need to invest time in the negotiating process so that the parties can get to know one another well and determine whether they wish to embark on a long-term relationship Another crucial aspect in cross-cultural negotiations is risk taking ability. The Japanese tend to be highly risk averse in negotiations, and this tendency was affirmed by the survey conducted by Salacuse, which found Japanese respondents to be the most risk averse of the twelve cultures. Americans in this survey, by comparison, considered themselves to be risk takers. C. Research Factors concerning the Management of Conflict in cross-cultural Negotiations Research findings with regard to managing conflict in cross culture negotiation show that different cultures focus on different aspects. Tinsley (1998), revealed that when managing conflict American managers preferred to focus on interests, while Japanese managers concentrated on status power. The differences could be explained by the American value for poly- chronicity (or multitasking) and the Japanese occupation with hierarchy (or unequal social structures. It is obvious though, that awareness of emotions is vital to negotiation and it plays a key role when it comes to cross-culture negotiation conflicts. In the Japanese business culture, status and power also play an important role in conflict management where parties try to manage conflict by using differences in authority, status and power. To them it is normal that high status parties try to enforce their ideas for resolution on lower status parties. If this is not possible, Japanese negotiation parties try to enhance their st atus by co-opting people of higher status. D. Research Findings concerning cross-cultural Decision-Making styles during Negotiations Decision-making styles vary a lot between Americans and Japanese. When it comes to team based versus individual way of taking decisions one extreme is the American negotiating team with a supreme leader who has complete authority to decide all matters. The Japanese business culture stresses team negotiation and consensus-based decision making. American managers usually tend to make decisions by themselves, while Japanese managers tend to make decisions by consensus. Furthermore, Americans treasure the value of flexibility, whereas once a Japanese manager has reached a decision, may believe it is shameful to change it. Decisions can be taken either through a deductive process or through an inductive process. In his research, (Salacuse 2005) found that Americans do view deal making as a top down (deductive process); while the Japanese tend to see it as a bottom up (i.e. inductive) process. E. Research Findings concerning the Interests Strategy in cross-cultural Negotiations The process of aligning and integrating the best interests of both parties works as a catalyst for successful negotiation. This interests-based strategy promotes the resolution of dilemmas through cognitive problem solving. Research shows is essential to shift focus from position to interest. Several authors suggest that as both parties want to gain their individual interest therefore they always want to implement the negotiation. From their perspective, individual interests of parties are always more important than collective group interests. A cross-cultural Roadmap for a strategic Approach to Negotiation Styles The following Figure 4 shows a roadmap for the development of efficient cross-cultural negotiation styles. Figure 4: A cross-cultural Roadmap for a strategic Approach to Negotiation Drivers of cross-cultural Negotiations: Common Negotiation Difficulties: Negative Impacts on Negotiations:

Columbus: A Great Discoverer or Villain Essay -- Christopher Columbus

Columbus: A Great Discoverer or Villain A national holiday celebrating achievements of an individual reflects a nation’s appreciation for that person’s deeds. Christopher Columbus’s Day is an official national holiday in the United States of America. However, a careful examination of Columbus’ expeditions and his methods of settlement in the so-called New World should change the nation’s opinion about the necessity of the holiday. In my way of thinking, Columbus’ arrival to the Indies has brought destruction and death. His motives, such as prosperity by means of exploiting the native population, were immoral, and therefore I cannot accept the idea of celebrating Columbus’ Day as a National Holiday.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Columbus is credited with finding the new world, but did he really discover it? In my opinion, it is not possible to discover land that was already there, occupied by native people. When Columbus claimed to be a founder of the new land, he did not take in consideration a very important aspect about the existing civilization, its customs and traditions that were practiced in that area for thousands of years. Blinded by the idea of prosperity, he ignored the moral beliefs and introduced slavery as a compensation of promised numerous amounts of gold to the Spanish sovereigns. Irving Rouse, the author of the book Tainos, states: â€Å"When the crown complained about the lack of income from the colony, Columbus sent a shipload of captives to Spain to be sold as slaves in a desperate attempt to satisfy that complaint† (Rouse p.151). This serves as a perfect example of how low he thought of natives, not taking in consideration their right to live. Having established goldmines throughout the colony, Columbus found it necessary to take advantage of a local population, Tainos, as means of a cheap labor that was needed for work in goldmines. Rouse states: â€Å"When Christopher Columbus returned to Hispaniola in the summer of 1498, he placated Roldan by authorizing him to seize Indians in the chiefdom of Xaragua and divide them among his followers to use as forced laborers at the goldfields.† (p.153) In his point of view, Taino people deserved to be treated in such a manner, because they constantly rebelled against his rule, not realizing the fact that he was the one that intruded their way of life and caused so many innocent people to suffer. The re... ... point where we stand now. My opponents have tendency to glorify our nation despite the fact that it was build on suffering and extinction of almost entire civilization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion, I would like to point out the misinterpretation of Columbus’ actions during the settlement in North America. His arrival to the â€Å"New World† brought along destruction and death. Columbus, after failing to comply with his promise to the King and Queen about increasing their revenues by bringing enormous amounts of gold, introduced the idea of slavery. He also became responsible for extinction of Taino population by forcing them to work in goldmines. Refusing to give up after several attempts to prosper from the â€Å"discovered land† and obvious lack of administrative ability causes even more devastating results described as genocide. After what I have said, the question, whether or not Columbus Day should be a National Holiday in the United States, should not be an issue, since honoring the man who is responsible for elimination of the whole race would be a sin. Such an example of misleading National Holiday left me with a d oubtful feeling about the origin of the rest! Columbus: A Great Discoverer or Villain Essay -- Christopher Columbus Columbus: A Great Discoverer or Villain A national holiday celebrating achievements of an individual reflects a nation’s appreciation for that person’s deeds. Christopher Columbus’s Day is an official national holiday in the United States of America. However, a careful examination of Columbus’ expeditions and his methods of settlement in the so-called New World should change the nation’s opinion about the necessity of the holiday. In my way of thinking, Columbus’ arrival to the Indies has brought destruction and death. His motives, such as prosperity by means of exploiting the native population, were immoral, and therefore I cannot accept the idea of celebrating Columbus’ Day as a National Holiday.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Columbus is credited with finding the new world, but did he really discover it? In my opinion, it is not possible to discover land that was already there, occupied by native people. When Columbus claimed to be a founder of the new land, he did not take in consideration a very important aspect about the existing civilization, its customs and traditions that were practiced in that area for thousands of years. Blinded by the idea of prosperity, he ignored the moral beliefs and introduced slavery as a compensation of promised numerous amounts of gold to the Spanish sovereigns. Irving Rouse, the author of the book Tainos, states: â€Å"When the crown complained about the lack of income from the colony, Columbus sent a shipload of captives to Spain to be sold as slaves in a desperate attempt to satisfy that complaint† (Rouse p.151). This serves as a perfect example of how low he thought of natives, not taking in consideration their right to live. Having established goldmines throughout the colony, Columbus found it necessary to take advantage of a local population, Tainos, as means of a cheap labor that was needed for work in goldmines. Rouse states: â€Å"When Christopher Columbus returned to Hispaniola in the summer of 1498, he placated Roldan by authorizing him to seize Indians in the chiefdom of Xaragua and divide them among his followers to use as forced laborers at the goldfields.† (p.153) In his point of view, Taino people deserved to be treated in such a manner, because they constantly rebelled against his rule, not realizing the fact that he was the one that intruded their way of life and caused so many innocent people to suffer. The re... ... point where we stand now. My opponents have tendency to glorify our nation despite the fact that it was build on suffering and extinction of almost entire civilization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion, I would like to point out the misinterpretation of Columbus’ actions during the settlement in North America. His arrival to the â€Å"New World† brought along destruction and death. Columbus, after failing to comply with his promise to the King and Queen about increasing their revenues by bringing enormous amounts of gold, introduced the idea of slavery. He also became responsible for extinction of Taino population by forcing them to work in goldmines. Refusing to give up after several attempts to prosper from the â€Å"discovered land† and obvious lack of administrative ability causes even more devastating results described as genocide. After what I have said, the question, whether or not Columbus Day should be a National Holiday in the United States, should not be an issue, since honoring the man who is responsible for elimination of the whole race would be a sin. Such an example of misleading National Holiday left me with a d oubtful feeling about the origin of the rest!

Radioheads OK Computer :: Music Musical Essays

Radiohead's OK Computer In the mid-1990s, rock and roll experienced another of its many transitions. During the early ‘90s, the â€Å"grunge† scene, emanating from Seattle and its surrounding area, enthralled the youth of the time with the music of such acts as Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, and Nirvana. This surge in high-distortion, high angst rock snapped the genre out of the doldrums of glam-metal, which, for a long time, dominated the â€Å"rock music† racks of record stores across America. By 1997, grunge was dead, its end spurred by the death of Kurt Cobaine, the impending breakup of Soundgarden, and the increasing vapidity of Pearl Jam. At the same time, bubble gum pop made its comeback, thanks to acts like Hanson and the Spice Girls (even today, irritatingly saccharine acts like the Backstreet Boys and their seemingly infinite clones dominate pop charts). Fortunately, in the summer of 1997, the British rock band Radiohead released OK Computer, which received both critical acclaim and commercial success, a rare combination in today’s music scene. The album caught enough attention in both respects that it was later nominated for both best alternative album and album of the year, and received the former award (Hilburn C-6). OK Computer is important because it is one of the few albums released in this decade that has an underlying message; Radiohead, while never coming out and stating it, does an excellent job a blending subtlety with clarity. By both its lyrical and musical complexity, OK Computer covers a broad emotional range, evoking, as David Cheal puts it, â€Å"gloom and alienation; but you also get warmth and yearning† (15). Dimitri Ehrlich adds that, as a whole, the album is â€Å"unglossy, unhandsome, and every bit as complex as modern life† (56). â€Å"Paranoid Android† expresses this complexity at a level in which frustration and alienation come hand in hand. The song, clocking at nearly seven minutes, begins with the elegant plucking of an acoustic guitar and lead singer Thom Yorke’s statement of bitterness: â€Å"When I am king, you will be first against the wall.† After a brief guitar break, the song begins its tremulous diatribe on the loss of identity: â€Å"Why don’t you remember my name? / Off with his head now, off with his head.

Mini Project in Marketing Essay

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: This includes the company profile and its products. This also consists the target market and the segment. The company has identified the need of the soft drinks especially for the children. So the company wants to introduce the new product into the market for children but the company does not wants to confine to the children so the drink will also be used by the all age groups. The product is manufactured under Prathik & Pavan Pvt Ltd shortly known as p&p ltd. which is under the group of â€Å"SUPREME BREWERIES†. The product names include the REFRESCO, Snapple, LITE and SMOOTHY. These products include aerated and non aerated drinks both for the children and also for the all groups. For these products the target market include the mainly children and also the all age groups. The income levels of the target market may not affect the buying and demand. Vision: Growth for leadership which states growth with quality and customer attention and profit. Vision statement shows the following Customer attention Profit motive with morals Leadership in the market Mission: provide opportunities for growth and enrichment to our stake holders. We strive for integrity and honesty. Achieving best distribution by which product can reach to the consumers as early as possible. Goals: The primary objective of the company is to serve the needs and wants of the consumers. To improve and enhance the satisfaction levels of the consumers. To supply and provide the company’s product in every corner of the target market. Objectives: The primary objective of the company is to have a leadership position in the market. To make the product as generic so that the consumers will demand the product for every visit to the retailer by next 3 years. To achieve the 500000 units to sell per annum by next 4 years. Increasing the business to all over the markets in south India by next ten years. CORE PRODUCT: The core product in our product is the drink which we are offering. ACTUAL PRODUCT: The actual product is in the soft drink is the bottle size and the shape of the bottle. Actual product constitutes the no caffeine which causes the health related problems. Actual product will consist of the various variants and flavors’ which include aerated and non aerated drinks. AGUMENTED PRODUCT: The augmented product is the packaging and the distribution net work. And consumer can consume half the drink and he can store the remaining drink and can consume at later stages with taste remain same as at the time of sealed pack. Augmented product of the soft drink also consists of the other offers which include the tours and trips. This also includes the lunch and dinner with the brand ambassadors of the company. TARGET MARKET: The target market for soft drink is the children and the age group existing above 8 years also but the main target remains children. The children who having the age above 8 years they can consume. We are focusing only on Hyderabad market and the product can affordable by the middle class and lower middle class. Position statement: The company wants to serve the consumers with best quality drinks which will not have any impacts on the consumers. â€Å"Serve the quality, be the best.† This statement ensures the customers that the company serves the best quality of the products. This photo shows that the product ensures the coolness. MARKET ANALYSIS: As the company mainly targets the Hyderabad market. And targeting the mass market here the company targets all the segment children’s and their parents. Our main target is children’s but we are also targeting their parents because they are the initiators in the case of children’s the parents are the decision makers so we are targeting them. The children’s constitute our overall market. As there is no soft drink specially catering to the children this helps the company to sustain in the market with the substantial market share in the local players. This USP helps to attract the consumers towards the soft drink. Factors affecting the Consumer behavior in buying: There are various factors that involve in the buying of the soft drinks which include Cultural factors: With the increase of the literacy and awareness in the present days there are no cultural factors. However there are some situations where there are behavior pattern changes due to some cultural factors like festivals Social factors: These factors involve consumer’s family, small groups and status. The number of children decides the buying of the product. For example if the children are more than the elders in the family then the decision lies in concerns with the children. The buying of the soft drink cans depends on the status and there lifestyle. DEMOGRAPHIC: The soft drink is mainly targeting towards the children’s Age: Children (Above the 8 years) Young Adults (18-24 years) Age group of 25 and above GENDER: Both male and female GEOGRAPHIC: Hyderabad market PSYCHOGRAPHIC: The life style of the parents and their purchasing behavior. The life style of the parents plays a major role since the purchasing decision ultimately lies with them. BEHAVIORAL SEGMANTATION: In behavioral segmentation the company mainly focused on the parents who are all the health conscious of their children. The company focuses on the children who are attractive towards the soft drinks and the consumers. MARKET SIZE: Currently the population of the Hyderabad is 6,809,970. Since the soft drink is the product for all the consumers irrespective of income, age and sex. The market size is huge with respective of population. Here in the case of soft drink we can’t say exact potential customers because this is a generic product and it can be affordable by everyone irrespective of income levels and age and sex. Unmet needs by the competitors: No company had the drink that caters specially to the children and also the mass consumers as well. The company wants to the address this issue which can satisfy the children in a healthy way. The company’s product is also targeted to the mass consumers. The product which mainly concentrates on the children soft drink will consumers to think about the product. This makes product as brand and and places the product position in a satisfactory rank. PESTL ANALYSIS: P-POLITICAL ANALYSIS: In Hyderabad the political effect will be on the business. The allocation of the funds from the government and the taxation on the business will affect the business. The change in the political party will have the change in the policies, and the regulations. The change in policies like restrictions in the product ingredients. The political issues will affect the distribution of the product, manufacturing the product and other issues related to the local and regional parties. E- ECONOMIC ANALYSIS: The GDP of the country plays a major role on particular business with in the country. The recession will affect the business like people lost their jobs and the purchasing comes down. S-SOCIO CULTURAL ANALAYSIS: Now-a-days the lifestyle and attitudes are changing. The people are becoming more health conscious about their children’s health. Because the other soft drink payers are making the product with the ingredients that will affect the children’s health. T-TECHNICAL ANALYSIS: Now a day the people are more aware about the technology. The company is having high end machinery to produce the products. And the company having the technology which is recycles the used bottles. And the company uses the technology in the promotions. L-LEGAL ANALYSIS: The company has to follow the guidelines of the government. The plant has to set up in outside the city the plant has to be not creating any problem to that area. While determining the working hours and wages the company has to follow the government rules. IDENTIFYING THE WANTS AND NEEDS YOUR PRODUCT SERVES: The company is launching a soft drink especially for children’s and also serves the need of the other age groups irrespective of the income and sex. The company is offering this product at a affordable price and it also offering three different flavors. And the product is available to everyone within the city. The company is tie up with the restaurants and bakeries and malls to sell the product. The company is maintaining the quality in the product and along with that price. The soft drink it quenches the thrust of the children it doesn’t crest any other side effects like obesity etc. our product contains less amount of caffeine when compare to other soft drink manufacturers. The caffeine is not harmful for adults but it creates the side effects for childrens. COMPETETOR ASSESSMENT: The company is competing in the food and beverages industry. Soft drinks come under oligopoly market where the market has only limited companies. The industry in India is being estimated to grow at 15% – 17% this year, according to experts. â€Å"Food and beverages segment has not suffered despite the slowdown in the economy. Initially the growth rate is very low in food and beverages because the awareness about the soft drinks is less and the distribution net work is not well. And the prices are high at initially and later the prices are decreased. Growth rate: The soft drink industry is expected to post a 14% growth in value terms in ’03, partly because of increased consumption due to price cuts by soft drink companies at an average of 15% across all brands. The price decrease is mainly because of the competition and also to increase the competition. The price cuts are aimed at increasing the consumer base for soft drinks. Market share of different players in soft drink segment: PORTERS FIVE FORCE MODEL: Threats of new entry Substitutes Revelry between the firms Bargaining power of suppliers Bargaining power of customers 5 FORCE MODEL of the company includes Treats of new entry: The treat on new entrants is low in the market since the initial investment or capital that is required for the entrants is high. The profits and profit margins in the soft drinks market is high. The business is very profitable. Hence the big players or other companies may enter into the market. Substitutes: Present market has very high treat of the substitutes as a business. This is because of the people perception that the drinks may cause the health issues. With the introduction of this new product may address this types of the issues and can sustain in the market. Bargaining power of suppliers: Since the firm is entering into the market with new brand and product there will be a less power with the company to talk with the suppliers for the credit and supplies. Hence the bargaining power of the supplier will be very high where the firm has less power with it. Bargaining power of buyers: Initially when the company launches its product into the market there will be less with the company. The customers who include individual customers, wholesalers, retailers etc will expect the discounts and can bargain for the low price. Treat of rivalry: Presently market consists of very high rivalry even though there are limited players. There is a every chance of attacks from very large and even local players. DIRECT AND INDIRECT COMPETITORS: The competitors of the company are divided into direct, indirect and also the substitutes which can eat the company’s profit one or other way. The direct competitors of the company’s products. Below are the aerated drinks COKE PEPSI THUMBS UP The direct competitors of the non-aerated competitors are MAAZA FROOTI SLICE The indirect competitors of the company are SODA HUBS JUICES OTHER DRINKS The substitutes of the company’s product are COCONUT WATER BUTTER MILK Competitive advantages: Even the company enters into the market where there are big players it has its own competitive advantages. The company having its presence in only HYDERABAD it can look and concentrate on its local markets. The company can have a direct relation with the retailers and wholesalers. Company can directly interact with the local consumers .It is easy to the company to address the issues regarding the product and its distribution. Since the consumers are confined to the local area of HYDERABAD it is easy for the company to forecast the demand and can supply accordingly. When it comes to distribution it will be easy for the company to have easy access since it is local which is known. Competitive disadvantages: The company could struggle in raising the capital for investment and maintaining reserves. The consumer’s acceptance may not be satisfactory since there are big players in the market. The capital that is available with the company is less and the no experience can be some restrictions to the company to operate and do business. There can be threat of attacks from the other competitors which can be direct and indirect. MARKETING STRATEGY The company marketing objective is to be the leader in terms of sales and in terms of revenue and market share. Attracting the customer by maintaining the quality and the price. The company uses the marketing strategy to differentiate the product from its competitors. That will help to the company to gain competitive advantage. Market strategy involves the following: Market scope: As the company focuses the many segments like aerated and nonaerated drinks therefore it is the multimarket segment. Geographic market strategy: Initially the firm focuses mainly in the HYDERABAD market which is considered as the local markets. Marketing entry strategy: The segment is in the stage of maturity. Therefore entry into the market is considered as the INITIATOR since there is no soft drink which is focused specially on the children and can be catered to the all age groups. To survive in the market the company needs to follow certain marketing strategies. PROMOTION: The promotion for the product will be happen with the set of advertisings which include the cartoons to attract the children and an the film stars to grab the attention of the adults and also the set of add which consists of previous generation actors who can take attention of the elders. The soft drink is mainly targeting the children’s so the company creating a add campaign which includes mainly canton. This attracts the children towards the product. As the product is also for the adults and the elders, the advertising will concern with the film stars and other set of attractive ads. The ads will be aired in the all local channels who has a substantial TRP ratings. There will also be set of ads which will be played in the local radio channels and FM stations. There will also be a certain campaigns and designs which will be selective towards the magazines and news papers which can attract the consumers. There will also be hoardings and wall hangings representing the company’s product. There will also be pamphlet campaigns. Company also can go for road shows and shows in malls and multi-plexes which brings the more awareness of the product to the customers. Trade schemes which are benefits to traders and consumers schemes like discounts, offers etc, which benefits to individual consumers. Company can also use these as the promotion schemes which encourage the customers to buy. ELOBRATION OF 4P’S: The 4P’s are 1) Product 2) Price 3) Place 4) Promotion PRODUCT: The product is soft drink. It quenches the thrust of the children’s and it doesn’t creating any side effect to the children’s. And it gives the energy to the children’s. The product is also to the all age groups but the main focus is on the children. The product name is refrsco and the product is manufactured P&P PVT LTD and marketed by the SUPREME BEVERAGES. CORE PRODUCT: soft drink. ACTUAL PRODUCT: bottle size and shape and design. AGUMENTED PRODUCT: monetary and non monetary benefits that a consumer along with the product. PRICE: The price of the product will be determine by based on the fixed cost and the variable cost like manufacturing cost and the transportation cost all costs will be consider while determining the price. The pricing will be done based on the competitor’s price. The prices will vary based on the quantity of the drink. PLACE: The company having a good distribution network and the product will be available in all the places of Hyderabad. The company having both indirect distribution and incentive distribution net work. In direct distribution the company doesn’t sell the product to customer. And in incentive distribution the company having its own outlets which are small in size and those are placed in near to the parks and play grounds and schools. The company tries pushing the product to the distributor or supplier by giving the trade schemes. And the company tries pulling the product by the customers by providing the consumer schemes. The company having collaboration with restaurants and cinema halls and retail stores and shopping malls to make availability of the product. And the company also putting the vending machines in railway stations and in fuel filling stations. PROMOTION: The company following the different type of promotional activities. Making the ads with cartoons and in a different way to understand the children’s easily. The company mainly promoting the product through the television and through printed media likes pamphlets and news paper and hoardings and lollipops etc. The company creating the awareness programs about the product. And company having a tie up with A.P.S.R.T.C to promote the product. Now – a days all the city busses having TV’s in the busses so the promotion through these buses will create unique difference from the competitors. In Hyderabad Most of the people will travel in city busses this will help the company to gain the market share. The company promoting the products through websites also and through tele calling and through the trade fairs and through direct marketing. For the suppliers the company promoting the product by giving the discounts and creating other offers like foreign trip like etc. For the consumer the company promoting the product by giving discount on the product or giving some percentage of soft drink extra with the same price. And another offer like meeting our brand ambassador and giving movie tickets etc. Budget and forecast Sales forecast: Initially there is a need to adopt the push strategy where the product is pushed by the traders to the consumers to buy. This can be done only when there is only the awareness about the product. Initially when the product is launched into the market the sales that is estimated is nearly 60000 to 75000 units as per the local sales of other businesses. The company expects to be the growth of the nearly 12% to 18% for the first 3 months of its presence with the intense and dedicated advertising and promotion. Therefore the sales would be 75000 to 90000 units. After the great campaigns and attractive products of the company the sales may increase up to the 30% which is nearly 100000 to 120000 units. The company forecast its sales as nearly 1200000 units per annum where the company also expects to grow with the rate of 17-20% which can bring the sales up to 135000 units per annum on an average. Profit and margin estimation: The firm expects the limited or low profit margin initially since there will be trade and consumer schemes which will reduce the company’s profit. The company expects to get the substantial profits from 6 th or 7th months of the first year when the product is being launched. The company estimates to have a profit margin of 20-25% of profit margin on each unit irrespective of bottle size which is low when compared to other players in the market. The above profit margin will be confined to the first 4 or 5 months of launch of product. When the company grows for the 5 months the profit margins will also increases with the increase in the demand. Then the company expects to have a profit margin of the 35-40% on each bottle. Strategies for following: Advertising: Advertising includes campaigns and television ads and radio promotions. These are the major expense in advertising the company’s products and create the awareness. This would incur the cost of nearly 50 to 55 lakhs per annum. And another 5lakhs per annum will be required for the company for other programs which include shows in malls, road shows and other promotions. The hoardings and lollipops will incur the 10-12 lakhs p.a Therefore the company would like to invest nearly 25lakhs for advertising. Direct marketing: Direct marketing involves communication about the product to the customers directly through emails, mobiles online display ads, catalogue distribution, promotional letters, and outdoor advertising. The above activities will also incur certain amount of the investment which will be nearly 2 lakhs. Internet marketing: Internet marketing is the powerful tool to promote the brand in the market with less cost and investment. This involves the creation of the website and links which can provide the information about the product and the company. This would involve 5 lakhs per annum. Consumer promotion: The consumer is attracted to the product only when there are offers on the product when it is launched. This involves giving the free samples, discount offers and other benefits. This also involves the cost of nearly 8 lakhs where the company may not get it immediately. Trade promotions: The trade promotion involves giving benefits to the traders who promote and sell the company’s products. Giving benefits to the traders helps the company more .The company expects to incur 12 lacks. Public relation: This includes maintaining relation with the customers as well as with the society. This involves the healthy practices in the business. IMPLEMENTATION AND CONTROL PLAN The company is following the line structure sales force structure because in this the employee doesn’t get orders from other departments they get the orders from their sub ordinates only. This is helpful to the company in terms of reducing the attrition rate. With this structure the employees will satisfy The company is in Hyderabad it has four zone each zone requires four sales executive and one sales manager. The sales executives will go to the market and interact with the shops persons and with the distributors. And the sales manager monitors the sales and maintains the relationship with the distributors and retailers. Based on this the company requires 4 persons for zone sales manager and 16 persons for sales executives and one senior manager for all these zones he will be the head. The executive will report to the zonal manager and the zonal manager will report to the senior sales manager. The company requires the six persons for customer service and for indirect marketing. The HR department is in the company which helps the sales teams by giving training how to interact with the customer how to solve the objections raised by the customer. The HR department always gives the training to sales people and upgrade s them to the current scenario. And the indirect marketing team will support the sales team by giving the leads.