Marketing and Environmental Factors

Macro-marketing â€Å"Macro-marketing literally deals with big/important issues, beyond comparatively simple exchanges between buyers and sellers, or even relationships between companies and customers. In a more interconnected world of markets, marketers, and their stakeholders, macro-marketing is an important mechanism to study both opportunities and shortcomings of marketing, and both its intended positive effects and unintended deleterious effects.This suggests macro-marketing includes an optimistic perspective; that it seeks functional mechanisms to enhance marketing processes, to the benefit of the largest number of stakeholders, the world over. † Various Environmental factors Affecting Marketing process. Various factors affecting marketing process. The environmental factors that are affecting marketing process can be classified into : 1) Internal environment and 2) External environment Internal Environment of Marketing :This refers to factors existing within a marketing firm. They are also called as controllable factors, because the company has control over these factors : a) it can alter or modify factors as its personnel, physical facilities, organization and function means, such as marketing mix, to suit the environment. There are many internal factors that influence the marketing process, they are : Top Management : The organizational structure, Board of Director, professionalization of management.. etc..Factors like the amount of support the top management enjoys from different levels of employees, shareholders and Board of Directors have important infulence on the marketing decisions and their implementation. Finance and Accounting: Accounting  refers to measure of  revenue and costs to help the marketing and to know how well it is achieving its objectives. Finance refers to funding and using funds to carry out the marketing plan. Financial factors are financial polices, financial position and capital structure.Research and Development : Research and Development refers to designing the product safe and attractive. They are technological capabilities, determine a company ability to innovate and compete. Manufacturing : It is responsible for producing the desired quality and quantity of products. Factors which infulence the competitiveness of a firm are production capacity technology andefficiency of the productive apparatus, distribution logistics etc. , Purchasing : Purchasing refers to procurement of goods and services from some external agencies.It is the strategic activity of the business. Company Image and Brand Equity : The image of the company refers in raising finance, forming joint ventures or other alliancessoliciting marketing intermediaries, enteing purchase or sales contract, launching new products etc. In organization, the marketing resources like organization for marketin, quality of marketing, brand equity and dirtribution network have direct bearing on marketing efficiency. They are important for new product introduction and brand extension, etc.. External Environment of Marketing.External factors are beyond the control of a firm, its suceess depends to a large extent on its adaptability to the environment. The external marketing environment consists of : a) Macro environment, and b) Micro environment a) Micro environment: The environmental factors that are in its proximity. The factors influence the company’s non-capacity to produce and serve the market. The factors are : 1) Suppliers: The suppliers to a firm can also alter its competitive position and marketing capabilities. These are raw material suppliers, energy suppliers, suppliers of labor and capital.According to michael Porter, the relationship between suppliers and the firm epitomizes a power equation between them. This equation is based on the industry condition and the extent to which each of them is dependent on the other. The bargaining power of the supplier gets maximized in the following situations: a) Th e seller firm is a maonopoly or an oligopoly firm. b) The supplier is not obliged to contend with othe substitute products for sale to the buyer group. c) The buyer is not an important customer. d) The suppliers’s product is an important input to the buyer’s business and finished product. ) The supplier poses a real threat of forward integration. 2) Market Intermediaries : Every producer has to have a number of intermediaries for promoting, selling and distributing the goods and service to ultimate consumers. These intermediaries may be individual or business firms. These intermediaries are middleman (wholesalers, retailers, sgent’s etc. ), ditributing agency market service agencies and financial institutions. 3) Customers : The customers may be classified as : 1) Ultimate customers: These customers may be individual and householders. ) Industrial customers: These customers are organization which buy goods and services for producing other goods and services for the purpose of other earning profits or fulfilling other objectives. 3) Resellers: They are the intermediaries who purchase goods with a view to resell them at aprofit. They can be wholesalers, retailers, distributors, etc. 4) Government and other non-profit customers: These customers purchase goods and services to those for whom they are produced, for their consumption in most of the cases. ) International customers: These customers are individual and organizations of other countries who buy goods and services either for consumption or for industrial use. Such buyers may be consumers, producers, resellers, and governments. 6 )Competitors: Competitors are those who sell the goods and services of the same and similar description, in the same market. Apart from competition on price, there are like product differentiation. Therefore, it is necessary to build an efficient system of marketing. This will bring confidence and better results. ) Public: It is duty of the company to satisfy t he people at large along with its competitors and the consumers. It is necessary for future growth. The action of the company do infulence the other groups forming the general public for the company. A public is defined as ‘any group that has an actual or potential interest in or impact on a company’s ability to achieve its objective. ’ Public relations are certainly a broad marketing operation which must be fully taken care of. Macro Environment: Macro environment factors act external to the company and are quite uncontrollable.These factors do not affect the marketing ability of the concern directly but indirectly the infulence marketing decisions of the company. These are the macro environmental factors that affect the company’s marketing decisions : a) Demographic Forces: Here, the marketer monitor the population because people forms markets. Marketers are keenly interested in the size and growth rate of population in different cities, regions, and nat ions ; age distribution and ethnic mix ; educational levels; households patterns; and regional characteristics and movements. )Economic Factors: The economic environment consists of macro-level factors related to means of production and distribution that have an impact on the business of an organization. c) Physical Forces: Components of physical forces are earth’s  natural renewal and non-renewal resources. Natural renewal forces are forest, food products from agriculture or sea etc. Non- renewal natural resources are finite such as oil, coal, minerals, etc. Both of these components quite often change the level and type of resources available to a marketer for his production. ) Technological Factors: The technological environment consits of factors related to knowledge applied, and the materials and machines used in the production of goods and services that have an impact on the business of an organization. e) Political and Legal Forces: Developments in political and legal field greatly affect the marketing decisions. sound marketing decision cannot be taken without taking into account, the government agencie, political party in power and in opposition their ideologies, pressire groupss, and laws of the land. These variables create tremendous pressures on marketing management.Laws affect production capactiy, capability, product design, pricing and promotion. Government in almost all the country intervenes in marketing process irrespective of their political ideologies. f) Social and Cultural Forces: This concept has crept into marketing literature as an alternative to the marketing concept. The social forces attempt to make the marketing socially responsible. It means that the business firms should take a lead in eliminating socially harmful products and produce only what is beneficial to the soceity. These are numbers of pressure groups in the soceity who impose restrictions on the marketing process.

Reasons for demanding such course and its effect

Reasons for demanding such course and its effect in the first 10 year time frame Since my infancy, I was profoundly influenced by my father, who was engaged in the area of business.   During the years, I also noted that my passion for the business field arose from other reasons, apart the influence exercised by my father.   Such other reasons mainly comprise the vastness of the topic, which does not consist of a simple equation learned from a textbook. It requires good knowledge on the firm’s strengths and weaknesses, through which one can apply sound judgments and decisions in a highly dynamic and changing market environment.   There is also the issue of managing personnel properly in order to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.   Such fascination in such profession always inclined me to read relevant articles on managerial performance and accomplishments.   For instance, a particular manager that astounded me and boosted my interest was the Wal Mart founder Sam Walton, who out of a mere $6,000 investment was able to create one of the largest corporations in the world.   I also frequently noticed that several entrepreneurs like for example Nike, commenced from an MBA program. In this respect, once achieving the MBA Degree, I intend to gain some experience in management and start my own business.   I know this is a highly ambitious aim, but as Sam Walton frequently stated, one should nurture and follow a dream in a way that it enables him to grow personally in character and mind. Reasons behind succeeding in the course and career pursued My interest in higher education, especially in commerce subjects evolved over time.   Ironically in my younger days, I was not a committed student.   I occasionally turned up home workers and followed readings from textbooks, as instructed by the lecturer.   However, when I commenced working I realized the need of technical competence in business studies.   For instance, one of my great embarrassments was the inability to comprehend the financial statements of the organization I was employed in.   In addition, I noted that my colleagues technical information was far much greater than mine. Through this culture shock, I realized the need of such knowledge.   I started reading relevant textbooks and articles to increase such important know-how.   I also realize that once I am dedicated to an objective, I strive and work very hard for it.   Indeed I did such reading at night after a full day of work.   I believe that such positive feature will assist me to meet deadlines and work under pressure both during the course and at work. I am also a smart doer, who possesses good analytical skills.   Whenever a problem arises, I meticulously examine the situation at hand and consider the possible options carefully before rushing into any drastic conclusions.   If there is no easy way out to such issue, as it happens sometimes, I am frequently inclined to the best option, even though it is the hard way around.   In business administration, taking sound decisions is a critical need.   Also the ability to prioritize the ultimate objective over any hardships that will be encountered is important to reach goal congruence and avoid deviations and conflicts. Methods of communicating and interacting with team members Apart from being a fine doer, it is important that a person is a good listener.   A manager that neglects and/or pays little attention to employee requests is not a good manager.   When one is working in a team, as it frequently happens in business organizations, one should appreciate the fact that the corporate objective is achieved with the help of all the team and not management only.   Sometimes, good ideas come from staff within the team. Therefore a manager should respect the team members ideas at all levels and consider carefully suggestions proposed.   When a good recommendation is given, it should be discussed and examined and if it is a good idea, one should clearly say so even though it comes from a worker.   Indeed, a good idea of communication is the adoption of 360-degree feedbacks. Listening is one of the important characteristics that a good leader should have.   Traditionally, it was thought that a good leader is a born leader.   However nowadays, it is believed that leadership skills can be learned as denoted by Orlitzky M. and Benjamin J. on pages 128 to 138 of their textbook, published in 2003.   Yet, a person that is born with good leadership skills posses an advantage over those who lack and need to learn.   I always exercised positive influence on my friends and induced them to certain actions. For instance, my peers commonly sought my advice on certain matters.   This is thus another important characteristic that can aid in communicating properly with team members.   One last point that I wish to make is that even thought I inherently possess good leadership abilities, this does not necessarily mean that I should not learn to further enhance such skills. References: Ivy League Admissions.   MBA Essay Writing Tips and Strategies (on line).   Available from:   http://www.ivyleagueadmission.com/buswritingtutorial.html (Accessed 18th March 2007). Orlitzky M.; Benjamin J. (2003).   The effects of sea composition on small-group performance in a business school case competition, Academy of Management Learning, Vol. 2, No. 2

Has the introduction of tuition fees reduced the demand for higher Essay

Has the introduction of tuition fees reduced the demand for higher education - Essay Example In Australia, where income contingent loans have been introduced to cover tuition fees and maintenance support, up until 1995 there had been no fall in demand either as a result of reduced entry or increased drop-out rates. Higher education has proven to be an attractive investment for individuals, generating a return of 5-15% in OECD countries. In addition to the benefits derived by the individual, society also benefits largely when the population is well educated. In many OECD countries, the burden of higher education has gradually shifted from the government or the taxpayer to the students and their parents. Australia reintroduced the tuition fees for higher education in 1989 through the Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS).In the Netherlands, tuition fees for full-time students are determined by the Minister of Education and are uniform for all subjects in higher education programs. Tuition fee as a percentage of the total direct cost of higher education has remained stable at 20% for the past few years. A change in funding pattern is likely to influence the student community in various ways. While an immediate reaction to discontinuation of State sponsorship for higher education might be one of disappointment, it might also lead students and their parents to appreciate the of value higher education better if they are to be made to pay for it from their own pockets. This way, only students serious about research in that particular field would take up higher studies. However, without primary research or econometric testing of behaviour, it very difficult to assess the net effect of changes to the funding structure and cost of higher education to students. The theory of human capital explains the economic approach to students demand for higher education as an investment. Human capital theory suggests that

Identity Theft Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Identity Theft - Essay Example It has become necessary for people to be adequately educated about the risks involved and the necessary preventive measures. Identity theft is a crime in which an imposter tries to pretend to be someone else by means of using some key identification data of the victim. This may include social security numbers, credit card numbers etc. When communicating online it becomes even easier to appear to be someone else since the communication is not face to face but online and the distance between the two persons or parties gives advantage to the criminal. The crime may be committed to seek monetary or social or any other form of benefit. Recovery from an identity theft may be easier in certain cases of small thefts involving individuals but it may become very grave if reputed organizations are victimized and they end up spending large sums in repairing the damage caused to their goodwill (World Privacy Forum, 2012). The crime is very diversified and innovated in the present day. The old-fas hioned methods of rummaging through the rubbish bins or picking pockets have been replaced by software, viruses and programming scripts. Computer viruses have proved to be efficient ways of committing identity theft in which all possible identity material of any person or organization may be extracted and put to use in another part of the world and the victim remains oblivious to such activities. Identity theft may range from simply posing to be someone else to more lethal actions such as financial identity theft, child identity theft, medical identity theft to seek medical care or drugs while pretending to be someone else or identity cloning in which the criminal assumes the complete identity of a victim in daily life (Compton, 2012). The identity thieves operating online usually work by tricking you into providing your personal information to them through various methods such as phishing, luring with job opportunities, money scams or fake fraud alerts. Phishing involves an email s ent to a victim which redirects him to a fake website where you are required to fill up a signup form with your personal information. Similarly job opportunity forms are sent and personal information is extracted. Fake fraud alert emails are sent which seem to be legitimate mail from the victim's bank. The victim is informed that someone has tried to fraudulently access his account so he must send certain personal information for verification (Federal Trade Commission, 2006) Today the society is very susceptible to falling for such tricks of criminals since the spoofed websites developed by criminals are so similar to the original ones that an average person cannot identify and differentiate between the real and fake. A simple change of address form may be filled up by someone and the utility bills of the victim will end up somewhere else resulting in nonpayment of a charge and a bad credit report. Furthermore, the personal data commonly available on social networking websites may b e used by criminals to communicate with a victim's contacts and seek financial benefits while pretending to be him. An ATM or a credit/debit card may be duplicated and money drawn from a victim's account. Thus it is clear that every individual and organization must educate itself and others about the seriousness of the implications this crime can have. To address the crimes of identity theft, all countries and states

Distinguishing between an Offer and an Invitation to Treat Essay

Distinguishing between an Offer and an Invitation to Treat - Essay Example An invitation to treat comes in when something is displayed in a shop window or a catalogue mentioning prices of goods. Normally this is not an offer; hence it cannot coerce the shopkeeper to sell the items at the stated price. For this case a contract is made when a prospective buyer accepts the price stated in the items and it created when the item is placed over the counter but not when the customer remove the item on the supermarket shelves. There is an acceptance in both offer and invitation to treat. For example in an offer, there must be an offeror and an offeree while on the hand in invitation to treat there must be a place or a shop where goods have been displayed together with their prices and a customer makes an offer when he present them at the cash desk. For the case of an offer, it must be communicated for a contract to arise, therefore the two parties must be of the same mind otherwise it cannot be accepted by a person who has no knowledge that an offer has been made. In invitation to treat, it does not have to be communicated as items are displayed in a supermarket and a person enters and makes an offer when he places it on the counter and not necessary that he should have had knowledge that an offer had had been made. ... took them to the cash desk where they paid for them. It was held that the customer made the offer when he presented them at the cash desk, and not when he removed them from the shelves.3 Similarities between an Offer and an Invitation to Treat There is an acceptance in both offer and invitation to treat. For example in an offer, there must be an offeror and an offeree while on the hand in invitation to treat there must be a place or a shop where goods have been displayed together with their prices and a customer makes an offer when he present them at the cash desk. Both offer and acceptance remain open for duration of time and they can be accepted only before time expires. In both offer and invitation to treat, the offeror is free to attach any condition in the offer or invitation to treat before he communicated to the target group for acceptance. There is an intention to create a legal relation. One cannot bind the other party without his consent in both offer and invitation to treat. Both offer and invitation to a treat can be revoked anytime before an acceptance is made. Both offer and acceptance may be made by a word of mouth, in writing or by conduct. Differences between an Offer and Invitation to a Treat For the case of an offer, it must be communicated for a contract to arise, therefore the two parties must be of the same mind otherwise it cannot be accepted by a person who has no knowledge that an offer has been made. In invitation to treat, it does not have to be communicated as items are displayed in a supermarket and a person enters and makes an offer when he places it on the counter and not necessary that he should have had knowledge that an offer had had been made. The following

Cross Cultural Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cross Cultural Management - Essay Example (David, 2002, ch2 p29) Just a hundred years back, Britain was a country on which the sun never set. The English language, British customs, traditions and food habits have now become an integral part of life in all her former colonies-all these being integrated into, and modified by local customs. The British character and customs at home, have also been, in their turn, influenced by this close interaction with other cultures. Officially, Britain is a Protestant state, i.e the British monarch is Protestant. The origin of this dates to the 16th century, when King Henry VIII divorced his queen, Catherine of Aragon. As the Pope in Rome did not recognise divorce, Henry declared the English Church free from the control of the Pope. Thus the Reformation of the Church in England was mainly based on the whim of a monarch. Henry then married Anne Boleyn (the second of a succession of six wives that he eventually managed to have!) Queen Elizabeth II, the present monarch is a direct descendant of Henry and Anne. This fact makes it a political necessity for the monarchy in England to officially be Protestant, as otherwise (if it reverted to being Catholic) the current monarch would become the descendant of an illegitimate child (the illustrious Queen Elizabeth I) of Henry's! While the 'official' religion in Britain is Protestant-Christian, the country is a multi-cultural one. "About 8% of the population of Britain (4 .6 million) today are people from other cultures and ethnicities"(Biddle). This includes religions other than Christianity and peoples other than Whites. A living example of the integration of other cultures into British life is the Notting Hill Carnival, which is Caribbean in origin. (Biddle) Coming to some common superstitious beliefs of the British: black cats are considered lucky, and greeting cards often have pictures of them; likewise, a four-leaf clover is considered a lucky find. A horseshoe over the door attracts favourable luck. But it has to be kept facing upwards, to prevent the luck from being drained out from below. Similarly there are actions that attract bad luck-walking under a ladder, spilling salt (you must throw some of the spilt salt over your shoulder to avert bad luck, breaking a mirror (an action that dooms you to seven years of bad luck, no less!) or passing someone on the stairs. (Biddle) The number thirteen is also considered unlucky (many buildings/ hotels do not have a thirteenth floor-the fourteenth floor comes after the twelfth!), and the thirteenth of a month, if it comes on a Friday, is considered an unlucky day. Coming to some social niceties-it must be remembered that the British are rather formal in their interactions. If you are invited to someone's home for dinner, it is considered 'polite' to arrive around fifteen minutes late, unless your invitation says 'sharp' (e.g. "seven sharp") (Biddle) You may receive an invitation to "drop in anytime." You are not expected to take that literally. You must call up a person before visiting. If you receive an invitation that says RSVP, you must reply stating whether you plan to attend or not. If you go to someone's home for a meal, a small gift of flowers or chocolates is considered polite though not mandatory; a thank you note or phone call afterwards is expected. (Biddle) British people can be a bit reserved unless you have been introduced to them. Striking up conversations in public transport (trains) is unusual. If you

Comparison Asian American History Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Comparison Asian American History - Case Study Example    He uses the metaphor of the family picture album, full of old pictures of family members that evoke both good and bad memories. He recognizes that this metaphor can only go so far, since instead of using visual pictures of his subjects and their families, he uses oral accounts taken from a variety of oral sources. Okihiro recognizes that he has â€Å"mixed my metaphors† (95), as he puts it. Instead of being an inferior way to present history as he intimidates, however, it is one of the best way to recount the history of Asian Americans. It is the use of oral history and of autobiography, a common way that the histories of people of color and women have been presented throughout history. Oral history and autobiography have traditionally been used to recount the histories of marginalized and oppressed peoples because they have not been able to access more traditional history. The slave narrative, for example, is one of the earliest forms of American autobiography. As Africa n American scholar Joanne M. Braxton (1986) states, the purpose of the slave narrative was not only to present the oral histories of slaves in America, but as a tool for abolitionists seeking to end slavery. In many cases, the autobiographies of former slaves were accompanied by prefaces written by white abolitionists to provide them with credibility to white readers. Modern African American writers like Maya Angelou and Richard Wright continued the tradition of using autobiography to present their histories. Other minority groups in America have used autobiography and oral histories for similar purposes. This is certainly true of the presentation of the history of Asian Americans. Another common way to present the history of Asian Americans and other minority groups has been to present them in fictionalized forms. This has been done effectively by Milton Mirayama (1998) in his critically acclaimed, beautifully written, and poignant novel, All I Asking for is My Body. Murayama wrote the first draft of the novel while a student at Columbia University. It was first published as a short story entitled â€Å"I’ll Crack Your Head Kotsun† and published in the Arizona Quarterly in 1959. The story became the first chapter of All I Asking for is My Body and was published in 1968, in a Hawaiian anthology. It was not well received at first, but received critical acclaim and became a cult classic when the University of Hawaii published it in 1988 (Kim, 2005). All I Asking for is My Body reads like a classic autobiography. The novel, including the title, is written in modified pidgin, but is readable by non-pidgin speakers. Murayama seems to understand that he is writing more than just a novel, and that he is presenting Japanese culture and what life was like for Japanese immigrants in Hawaii in the years just prior to and during World War II. Consequently, he spends a great deal of time explaining his language use.  Ã‚  

Current event report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Current event report - Research Paper Example Making illicit promises to two men, she arranged for the murder weapons and provided the two hired men the chance to enter the house to carry out the deed. The trio were caught and individually sentenced. Teresa Lewis received the death penalty for masterminding the murder, with both her accomplices receiving life imprisonment, one later committing suicide. I chose this particular article for a few reasons. Firstly, I chose to write about it since capital punishment has divided the society in two. One half is in favor of it and the other opposes it. Their reasons vary from the supporters talking of retribution and closure and justice being done. The opposing side talks about the sanctity of human life and that one deed cannot cancel out another. They also support their argument by talking about the margin of error in sentencing someone: what it someone was falsely accused due to incomplete evidence; or by misfortune. In case of discovery post-execution, the sentence cannot be reverse d, they argue. The second reason for picking this article was the fact that Teresa Lewis not only did not commit the act herself but was also borderline mentally retarded with an IQ of 71. So it can be argued that she was not mentally equipped to fully grasp the gravity of her undertakings.

A business conferences in North Wales Assignment

A business conferences in North Wales - Assignment Example This research will begin with the long – term and short – term goals of Business Conference PLC. The short – term goal of Business Conference PLC under the current situation can be to successfully conduct the upcoming business conference. This short term goal can be achieved by the company by taking into account the overall cost and benefit analysis of the conference. If the benefits earned from the conference are higher than the costs incurred in conducting this conference, it leads towards the achievement of short-term goal. There are different points in time where the company can foresee whether the conference can be successful or not. For instance, at the time of initial planning the company can make best judgments whether the estimates are good enough for the successful organization of the conference. At the time of booking, the company can realize the success of the conference by considering the interest of the delegates. Under economic terms, the most rele vant cost for short term decision making is the variable cost. There might be different long –term goals of the company including the expansion of the business in different geographical boundaries, growth in revenues etc. These goals can be achieve by conducting long – term strategic planning regarding the achievability of those goals. Every cost matters a lot when long – term time horizon is kept into consideration. Therefore, the company needs to evaluate it financial, human and technological resources in the long – term as part of its strategic planning.... Viability of the Conference If the overall cost and revenue analysis of this particular conference is taken into consideration, it can be seen that Business Conference PLC will reap too much benefits from conducting this particular conference. The overall cost estimates of the company relating to this particular project are quite low and the determined price to be charged from the delegates is quite high. Under the existing situation, if the company expects around 200 delegates to attend the conference at ?750 per delegate fees, the company can successfully generate total revenue of ?150,000. However, if the costs are analyzed, it can be observed that variable cost pertaining to 200 delegates is just ?108, thus earning a huge contribution of around ?642 which is more than enough to cover the fixed costs of the company which are around ?20,970. Hence at the existing level of operations, this particular conference is highly viable for the company to conduct and the company can reap a b enefit of around ?107,430. If the viability of the conference is considered with respect to other determinants in respect of breakeven level, profitability if the delegates are reduced or the price per delegate is reduced, the company is still in a good position to conduct this conference such that the company would be in no profit no loss situation if only 33 delegates attend the conference. If the number of delegates is reduced by 50% i.e. only 100 delegates attend this conference, even then the company can earn ?43,230. On the other hand, if the price per delegate is reduced by 50% and kept at ?375 per delegate, even then the company is in a

English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 2

English - Essay Example Following the technological era, the same stories have been used to warn on the dangers of the technology. Technology has been glorified by many since it has been a means of solving some of the problems that could be difficult or even impossible to be done by mankind. Indeed, looking at the history of mankind from the industrial revolution and the Renaissance period, there is no doubt that technology has been very handy in the driving for the changes and success that is evident today. In this essay, however, I will argue that even though technology is a good thing, it has to be approached with caution, as it can break down our ways of life in a manner that may be irredeemable. Some of the literatures that will be used in the essay include; Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? By Philip Dick, this literature will be used as a main material. It shows how androids interact with human and through their analysis of the dangers of technology is done. Another important literature to the discussion is Neuromancer by William Gibson and finally The Crying of Lot49 by Penchon Thomas. This three literature will form the basis of the discussion while some other texts may also be used to justify the discussion. Technology is the use of the available materials and knowledge to adapt to the environment. This is done by using the materials and knowledge as instruments and processes that provide the humans with a superiority over the environment he lives in. Therefore, Technology can refer to nonfigurative structures present, which include language among others which is an effort to organize and put in systematics in the human reality and therefore become an instrument used to explore the environment through communication and therefore compete effectively. The aspect of completion indicates the presence of evolutionary framework, where all forms of life are in competition for

The Four Natural Physical Spheres Essay Example for Free

The Four Natural Physical Spheres Essay Lithosphere (litho is Greek of stone) The solid, inorganic portion of Earth, comprising the rock of Earths crust as well as the broken and unconsolidated particles of mineral matter that overlie the solid bedrock. The surface is shaped into an almost infinite variety of landforms, both on the seafloors and on the surfaces of the continents and islands. Atmosphere (atmo is Greek of air) The gaseous envelope of air that surrounds Earth. It contains the complex mixture of gases needed to sustain life. Most of this adheres closely to Earths surface, being densest at sea level and rapidly thinning with increased altitude. It is a very dynamic sphere, kept in almost constant motion by solar energy and Earths rotation. Hydrosphere (hydro is Greek for water) Comprises water in all its forms. The oceans contain the vast majority of the water found on Earth and are the moisture source for most precipitation. Biosphere (bio is Greek for life) Encompasses all the parts of Earth where living organisms can exist; in its broadest and loosest sense, the term also includes the vast variety of earthly life forms (properly referred to as biota).

A Place That Is Important to Me Essay Example for Free

A Place That Is Important to Me Essay I have lived in Bunbury for 15years. My family has occupied the house in which I live for 10years. I have two sisters and two brothers. I am the middle child. I have always felt that my home has been an important place to me. I have countless memories held within these walls, and almost all of them are positive. Home to me, has always been the roof above my head. Recently though, when my elder sister moved out, I have been lost by what home truly means. If I no longer feel a sense of home under my roof, then where is my home? I try to answer this by thinking about the places that are important to me. As I do this I come to the realization that there is no one particular location that screams of an overwhelming importance to me. I have a myriad list of locations that I have felt some form of emotional connection with. But does this mean that all these places are a home to me? Where is my home? Important places to me are those that you don’t think you could live without. When I think of a soccer field, a dancing stage, or a couch to simply lie and have movie marathons on, I don’t think about the location, I think about the people involved in the memories created there. These places are important to me, not because they themselves are important, but because of the amazing memories I have experienced there. So if I were asked if I could live without these places, I would say no. But does that make them all a home to me? And if not, where is my home? Maybe home truly is where the heart is. A phrase I have always thought to be corny, but now however I see some form of factual meaning behind. Home to me is all about that sense of security and love. Knowing that you are wanted. So does this feeling necessarily have to come from a particular location? Could it not be found simply by doing something, or being with someone? And if home can really not be about the walls around you, where is my home? I try to think about when I’ve been my happiest, my safest, when I’ve felt unbelievably accepted and appreciated. I can only here say with complete honesty that I think of my sister. I think of all the fun and laughs we’ve had together. I think about how I feel every time I get to see her, and how I feel every time I have to say goodbye. I’ve come to realize that without her ever-bubbly presence in my life I have changed a lot. I believe that we, as humans, never purposefully change. We simply adjust to new things, and without realizing it we find new people to help us breathe. These people fill me with the utmost joy and security. These people are my home. An important place to me is my home. To have that sense of belonging, and know that there is always someone there to take care of you. That is my home. I have learnt how to cope without my sister, even though it proves hard at times, I have learnt to cope. For as hard as it is to know that she’s not around, I know other people will be. And that’s all I need. That sense of place, to know that no matter where I am or who I’m with, I am loved for myself. That’s what’s important.

Highland Springs Entry into China

Highland Springs Entry into China International Marketing: Highland Springs Entry into China Market Selection and Environmental Analysis Executive Summary â€Å"Increased global communication has also created a greater diversity in the marketplace. Consumers are becoming more sophisticated because of the increased scope of communication, requiring a flexible and responsive strategy, instead of standardisation.† (Prevos, 2008) page Despite converging consumer and market factors, intrinsic differences still exist between country markets and even within countries in terms of regional and cultural factors.Ref More recent debate has tended to centred around the notion of increasing fragmentation, thought to be in conflict with the concept of globalisation itself ref and Yangs (1995)page research deals in much detail with what he refers to as â€Å"the seeming contradiction between rising nationalism and globalism† citing that â€Å"it appears that political and economic boundaries need not necessarily converge anymore.† Although many believe that C consumer markets have converged in terms of tastes and preferences across markets, thus offering potential for strategically equivalent segmentation (Kale Sudharsham, 1987). Tthere still exists vast disparities in terms of the PESTLE factors impacting upon business, particularly social and cultural elements but also the regulatory factors which govern industry, and ultimately, determine the strategies firms opt to pursue. Thise report shall proceed to analyses those factors which impact most on Highland Springs entry into the Chinese market and the subsequent strategies it pursues. It is by no means exhaustive as there are so many inter-related factors at play simultaneously and in varying degrees from a global perspective. Thee report has attempted to analyse those factors deemed to beconsiders the most significant factors, and in particular, with a focuses on the cultural elements which eaffect consumer behaviour and which have the most direct impact o n the strategy which Highland Springs opts to pursue strategy in the Chinese market in the launch of its premium bottled water brand. Environmental Analysis â€Å"There exists a well-developed literature of market failures committed abroad by international marketersOne major reason of such failures is poor market selection.† (Rahman, 2003) Although From table 1, It is clear that China is viewed as offers offering muchsignificant potential for western manufacturers, particularly of consumer goodshowever , a thorough environmental analysis is highly recommended, Ggiven the stage of Chinas economic development and the fact that despite its rapid and impressive progression in recent years, it still lags behind developed markets not only in terms of consumer buying habits and and sophistication, but also most significantly, in terms of market infrastructure which impacts significantly on the subsequent elements of the marketing strategy to be implemented, particularly distribution and logistical elements of bringing the product to market. The Chinese market is highly fragmented on a regional basis and is characterised by much diversity in terms of consumer income as well as propensity to buy certain goods or products. Such disparities are most notable when analysing the vast discrepancies in income levels between the urban and rural populations. â€Å"Few of us know even simple facts about the geography, culture, and economics of countries other than our own. Even fewer people have at their fingertips details that tell whether their goods will sell in a particular market.† Cavusgil (1985) states that few people know the basic tenents of geography, culture or economies of countries different from their own and continues that there are even fewer people who know whether their products will be sold successfully in specific markets. (Cavusgil, 1985) Chinas market is geographically vast in comparison to Highland Springs domestic UK market and its other international markets primarily in developed economies, with much higher numbers of potential consumers. It is also highly diverse in cultural terms internally than the company may be used to dealing with in international markets and characterised by huge differences in terms of social and cultural aspects including language variations on a regional basis which implies that a standardised approach is less applicable. Arguably, Carey (2006) posits that much of the demand for Western-type products is forecast in the highly urbanised areas and in the special economic zones where many workers with available spending power are located and given the nature of the product, considered at the luxury end of the market, this is highly relevant. Despite its progression, as Carey (2006) highlightscontinues that, â€Å"tThough urban incomes are rising, the majority of the Chinese population rem ains mired in rural poverty, awaiting economic and political reforms that may not happen for another decade, if at all.† Table 21. Off-Trade Sales Value and Growth of Bottled Water Region Value ($ million, 2003) CAGR (1998-2003) CAGR (forecast) (2003-08) East China 827.5 18.4% 12.0% North and Northeast China 511.5 17.8% 12.0% Mid-China 466.8 22.3% 16.0% South China 475.7 18.0% 12.0% Southwest China 335.7 23.1% 16.0% Northwest China 179.6 24.3% 16.0% Source: Euromonitor. Soft Drinks in China. April 2004. Check Chinas economic progression has resulted in increased demand for many products and services, such as for example mineral water. In addition, the fact that as clean drinking water is a scarce commodity, has seen the market has grown rapidly in recent times, highlighted by the table abovesince 1989 (Table 2), though this also has implications for the strategy to be adopted, particularly with regarding to issues relating to Corporate Social Responsibility. Highland Spring is different from many of the suppliers in the market given that it is considered to be a premium brand which emulates certain lifestyle elements of the developed West in much the same way as Perrier or Evian of France do., Ttherefore entryherefore, entry into the market does not indicate that it would be competing head-on directly with the domestic playerscompetitors. This is relevant as many market commentators see higher income consumers in emerging markets as chooseing to purchase foreign brands which tend to commu nicate wealth and success. In this respect, Highland Spring is therefore at the premium end of the water market and its Scottish origins should allow the brand to align itself alongside the leading foreign brands that are already established in this e market and to which many in the emerging markets such as China are viewed as aspiring toaspire, for example, China. The Scottish origin should also allow it a degree of differentiation to the predominantly French origin of the leading playersbrands. â€Å"Although in countries such as India and China consumption rates are not as high they have risen dramatically, tripling in India and doubling in China over the past 5 years. In countries such as these the main product line is Nestle pure life, a low cost purified tap water with added minerals.† (Edwards, A., 2007) The analysis here has highlighted demonstrated that the potential demand for Highland Spring is likely to derive from those consumers who earn proportionately moremore, for example, in income terms such as professionals and also the younger segments of the market who are likely to be more exposed to Western- style goods particularly with the increase in overseas education and travel as well as exposure to media, such as including the internet and cable/satellite television., though Though censorship remains high in the nation, it is assumed that the nature of the product should not make this such an problem issue as it would for manufacturers of, for example alcoholic beverages, for example. In addition, an important target segment shall be is the expatriate community which could prove a lucrative segment, particularly in the leading cities of Shanghai and Beijing, thus making the hotel, restaurant and leisure segments of the market highly attractiveprofitable. It is unlikely that th e product shall achieve much success in targeting the lower-income segments of the population given the availability of and loyalty to local regional brands as well as the substantially lower prices of such products. This highlights demonstrates how, despite the substantial cultural differences in existence regionally in China, there is still scope to adopt strategically equivalent segmentation (Kale Sudharsham, 1987) across specific target segments in the market, (Kale Sudharsham, 1987).Tthough clearly, adaptation may be necessary to some or all aspects of the marketing variables in the context of the political, regulatory and cultural factors at play. This market analysis is by no means exhaustive but has rather highlighted those factors at play which have the most impact on the subsequent strategy to be pursued by Highland Spring in China. Further information relating to the market and consumer buying behaviour is contained in the appendix. The preliminary analysis has also highlighted demonstrated that despite the diversity inherent in the Chinese market, there is certainly potential for the Highland Spring brand across specific market segments. In addition, despite the apparent differences between consumers in mature markets in comparison to China, in terms of the Highland Spring brand, given the luxury nature of the product, there is also much similarity, thus epitomising Levitts (1983) theory of converging commonality and Ohmaes (1989) view of â€Å"Managing in a Borderless World† where he highlights how leading premium or luxury brands lend themselves more to global standardisation. Simultaneously, while there remains much scope to extend the global branding and positioning of the product in the market, the fact remains that premium bottled water is still regarded by many as considered to be in the infancy stages in China as opposed to the mature markets of the West. This implies that despite convergence, adaptation is still required if not to the product itself, but to the marketing strategy to be implemented in order to obtain â€Å"â€Å"strategic fit† (Aaker, 1992) between the product and the market. An important consideration for Highland Spring in its launch is the image of the industry as a whole, particularly, from an international perspective. Given that many are of the opinion that Wwater is a basic human necessity., Mmany firms within this market continuum ,for example,such as Highland SpringSpring, at the premium end and Nestle at the lower end within this particular sector and Nestle at the other end of the scale, have been criticised for essentially profiteering from emerging economies such asfor example China and India where the availability of clean water is scarce and in some instances, non-existent. This must be considered from both an international as well as local perspective so as to protect the value of the brand and its positioning in consumers minds. The companys commitment to both environmental and social sustainability cannot be over-emphasised in its proposed launch of its product in the Chinese market and must also be considered with regarding to any partn erships or alliances that are formed.entered into. Marketing Mix Strategy Product Strategy â€Å"When it comes to product strategy, managing in a borderless world doesnt mean managing by averages. It doesnt mean that all tastes run together into one amorphous mass of universal appeal.† (Ohmae,( 1989) states that product strategy does not have to be â€Å"managed by averages†and continues to suggest that individual brands of water can retain their own special taste. The very nature of the product implies that little adaptation should be applied if any at all as part of the appeal and the value of the brand itself, are the Scottish origins. The â€Å"Scottishness† of the brand also appeals to the psychological experience of consumption as highlighted stated by Clegg (2005) â€Å"Working the link between place of origin and product quality is the oldest trick in the brand book. It milks our thirst for mythology and plays mercilessly on our superstitious hope that special places have the power to revitalise and transform.† Highland Spring must however, ensure that it meets with stringent regulatory requirements in the Chinese market and must also ensure that the transportation of the products does not in any way adversely affect the contents and quality of the water itself. The research has also highlighted that many Chinese consumers view bottled water as being ref more beneficial to health with many multinationals such as Nestlà © opting to add vitamins and other health-associated minerals to their water brands in an attempt to appeal to a wider range of consumers and gain advantage over competitors, particularly the local playersbrands. This, however, appears to be more at the lower end of the market rather than the premium end in which Highland Spring should be positioned and appears less relevant as the aesthetic elements of the product have more influence over the purchasing process. Labelling may require adaptation, again given the regulatory environment as well as the language barriers in existence. Although China is characterised by low literacy levels in comparison to the developed World,ref it is assumed that the target segments in question shall be characterised by higher literacy levels than one might normally associate with brands competing in the lower-priced segments. In addition, with regard to product policy, it must also be highlighted that the product itself, while remaining largely standardised across national borders, is at varying stages of the product life cycle in different country markets. Highland Spring can be considered as being in a mature market in the UK and other more developed economies, whereas in China it is at the introduction stages of its cycle and in the consumer adoption process. This has an influence on the subsequent communication and distribution elements of the mix especially at the early stages where communicating the essence of the brand and any associated benefits, both tangible and intangible shall will be of paramount importance. Price Pricing is an important variable to consider as Chinese consumers are deemed to be more price-sensitive than their Western counterparts as highlighted by St-Maurice (2008): â€Å"On average, Chinese consumers are willing to pay a premium of about 2.5 percent for a branded product they purchase regularly, By contrast, in developed markets, premiums for familiar brands can reach 20 percent or more. Our research suggests that rising inflation is making Chinese consumers more price sensitive and less loyal to their preferred brands.† Analysis of competitors pricing policies should be examined especially the leading French players in the market. It may be prudent initially to introduce the product at a lower price than competitors in order to gain a foothold in the market. Appropriate distribution agreements with local agents should facilitate this and assist in keeping prices down initially with the anticipation that margins shall will rise as the product gains a foothold in the market. Given the premium nature of the product it is important than price also communicates the brands quality and prestige image while simultaneously not being positioned so high as to exclude potential customers. Promotion â€Å"As China becomes a major player in the global economy, authorities in Beijing are trying to balance the need for more information with their goal of controlling content as a means to maintain power.† (Zissis, C. and Bhattacharji, P., 2008) This is perhaps the variable in which adaptation is most likely to occur given the cultural differences inherent within the Chinese market. It is also important yet again, to be aware of any regulatory requirements regarding information communicated through promotional media as well as on labelling requirements. However, it is safe to assume that in spite of the variances in terms of regulations as well as language barriers, the promotional element should be relatively consistent on a global basis in order to create a global brand with more universal appeal. Country of origin is an important element to communicate as well as the pureness, quality and superiority of the product highlighting, perhaps, certain elements which may be deemed more important to the Chinese consumer, particularly any health or purity elements which would serve to differentiate and position the brand above the leading foreign competitors in the marketplace. An interesting element to consider is the massive inc reases in the number of Chinese visitors to events such as the annual Edinburgh Festival so some sort of tie-in or complementary advertising with relevant tourist companies or airlines, both international and Chinese operators, may be prudent in heightening brand recognition out with the Chinese market initially. As highlighted by the environmental analysis of the market, literacy levels are substantially lower in the Chinese market yet the target market in question is assumed to be within those segments that possess the relevant literacy levels as well as the available disposable income. The same can be assumed in terms of access to communication mediums such as quality and international press as well as television and internet. The same mediums may not, for example, be options for those companies targeting the lower priced end of the water market where much more local adaptation shall undoubtedly be required and thus images become much more important as well as billboard and regional campaigns such as in-store promotions. However, despite recommendations to promote a global campaign â€Å"adapting global programs to the local level can often improve the effectiveness of a campaign.† (Aaker and Joachimsthaler, 1999) and this is likely to be reflected in the medium used rather than the promotional messages and images themselves. Sponsorship with leading sporting or other social events and special offers or tie-ins with other products or establishments such as hotel chains and health spas should also be examined in order to gain more exposure for the brand in the early stages. Place Highland Spring is involved in both the on and off- trade in its domestic market whereas in China, sales are likely to be predominantly, if not wholly concentrated in the on-trade, primarily through hotel and restaurant chains and in exclusive wine bar/bistro type establishments in the highly urbanised zones of the main cities of Beijing and Shanghai in order to target segments directly as well as to raise the profile of the brand. Clearly the reputation and standing of such establishments in the market must be consistent with the quality and image of the Highland Spring brand itself. Market Entry Strategy This is perhaps the most important element of Highland Springs launch in the Chinese market as the choice of suitable partnerships in terms of distribution, logistics and retail establishments shall be overwhelmingly important to the subsequent success or failure of the product launch. Analysis has highlighted that the Chinese market per se is still extremely complicated to operate within. Despite the progress made in terms of lowering trade barriers, many obstacles still exist and protectionism is still very much a reality which foreign operators must contend with. As a result, many markets, particularly consumer markets, are characterised by a high proportion of strategic alliances and joint ventures and distribution arrangements than one might normally encounter in more developed economies. Foreign companies appear to have opted for this style of partnership as a means to overcome some of the obstacles in the marketplace, affording them more control over activities and gaining add ed insight into the local operational complexities. This is in line with what Ohmae (1989) refers to as â€Å"market insiderization† achieved through collaboration with local agents established in the market who are aware of the intricacies of operating in the Chinese business environment. Although predominantly entering the market through exporting, also deemed necessary given the nature of the product and the fact that country of origin is an essential part of the brand itself, C collaborative arrangements shall be necessary with domestic Chinese firms in order to facilitate entry into the market, as well as the subsequent distribution of the product itself. The identification of a suitable partner shall be required, one which offers expertise in terms of knowledge of the market and a well-established and reliable distribution network in place with links into prospective retail outlets. Given the premium image of the Highland Spring brand, partners, distributors and any other agents appointed in the market, must also be reliable and well-thought of within the industry. Another important element to consider is that all storage and distribution facilities comply with both Chinese and international regulations to ensure that the product quality shall be retained when in transit and in storage. Highland Spring already have an arrangement in place with a US-based company named Savi Networks and employ the companys SaviTrak(TM) for Wireless Cargo Monitoring system in many of their international markets. This shall be explored in terms of capabilities within the Chinese market as the company is already active in Hong Kong. As Highland Spring explains, â€Å"Whether it is our devotion to protecting our Organic Land or using the latest in technology to manage the flow of our natural product to distant consumers, we are incessant in our quest that the customer experience, whether in Hong Kong or Dubai, be the same quality as those in the UK.† (PR Hub, 2009) Further details of this are contained in the appendix. Clearly a major factor for success is the distribution capability of potential partners in the marketplace. Related companies in the alcoholic and soft drinks segments of the market, particularly international companies such as PepsicoPepsiCo or Diageo, or even in conjunction with other food related companies such as Scottish Salmon, may offer the potential to form collaborative distribution arrangements such as piggybacking. This could also be of benefit not only in terms of lowering costs but also from the point of view of providing non competing but complementary products to the market and may be of particular appeal to many of the larger hotel and retail outlet chains in the nation. This would also substantially lower the risks involved in market entry into the Chinese market. Although on the whole, the analysis has highlighted that some sort of partnership or arrangement with local players is deemed necessary, this does not rule out the opportunity to enter into partnership with other foreign firms already established in the market, and as highlighted in the preceding paragraph, this could provide added opportunity and and economies of scale scale economies for all involved in both the supply and demand for the product in question as explained by Young et al (1989) â€Å"where the company sells its goods abroad through the overseas distribution facilities of another producer; the two firms would normally have complementary, non-competitive products.† References Aaker, D. and Joachimsthaler, E., 1999, The Lure of Global Branding, Harvard Business Review, November-December. Carey, W.P., 2006, â€Å"Starbucks Banks on the Middle Kingdoms Middle Class†, June 21, available at, http://knowledge.wpcarey.asu.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1263, accessed 01/11/09 Cavusgil, S.T., 1985, Guidelines for Export Market Research, Business Horizons, November-December. Clegg, A, The Myth of Authenticity, 15 Aug 2005, available at http://brandchannel.com/features_effect.asp?pf_id=276, accessed 26/11/09 Edwards, E., 2007, Bottled Water: Pouring Resources Down the Drain?, School of Built and Natural Environment, Swansea Institute of Higher Education. Kale, S H and Sudharsham, D., 1987, â€Å"A Strategic Approach to International Segmentation†, International Marketing Review, Summer. Levitt, T, 1983, The Globalization of Markets, Harvard Business Review, May-June. Ohmae, K, 1989, â€Å"Managing in a Borderless World†, Harvard Business Review, May-June. Prevos, P, 2008, â€Å"Converging Commonality and Business Strategy†, 25 October, available at http://prevos.net/mba/convergence.pdf, accessed 31/10/09 Rahman, S.H., 2003, Modelling of International Market Selection Process: A Qualitative Study of Successful Australian International Businesses, Qualitative Market researcresearch]vh: An International Journal, Vol.6, Issue 2. St-Maurice, I., Sussmuth-Dyckerhoff, C. and Tsai, H, 2008, â€Å"Whats New With the Chinese Consumer†, McKinsey Quarterly, October. Yang, X. (1995) Globalization of the Automobile Industry: The United States, Japan and the Peoples Republic of China Greenwood Publishing Group. Young, S., Hamill, J., Wheeler, C. and Davies, J.R., 1989, International Market Entry and Development: Strategies and Management, Harvester Wheatsheaf, Prentice Hall. Zissis, Bhattachari, 2008, Media Censorship in China, Council For Foreign Relations, March 18 available at http://www.cfr.org/publication/11515/p-9 http://www.worldwatch.org/node/5063, accessed 15/02/10 PR Hub available at http://blog.taragana.com/pr/highland-spring-ltd-uk-selects-savi-networks-savitraktm-for-wireless-cargo-monitoring-8443/, accessed 13/02/10 Bibliography Aaker, D. and Joachimsthaler, E., 1999, The Lure of Global Branding, Harvard Business Review, November-December. Aaker, D., 1991, â€Å"Managing Brand Equity†, The Free Press, New York. Aaker, David A, 1992, â€Å" Strategic Market Management†, John Wiley Sons Inc. Arnold, D., 2000, â€Å"Seven Rules of International Distribution†, Harvard Business Review, November-December. Brooks, Ian et al, â€Å"The International Business Environment†, Prentice Hall, 2004 Carey, W.P., 2006, â€Å"Starbucks Banks on the Middle Kingdoms Middle Class†, June 21, available at, http://knowledge.wpcarey.asu.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1263, accessed 01/11/09 Cavusgil, S.T., 1985, Guidelines for Export Market Research, Business Horizons, November-December. Chakravarthy, B and Perlmutter, H V, 1985,Strategic Planning For a Global Business, Columbia Journal of World Business. Clegg, A, The Myth of Authenticity, 15 Aug 2005, available at http://brandchannel.com/features_effect.asp?pf_id=276, accessed 26/11/09 Czinkota, M and Ronkainen, I; International Marketing, The Dryden Press, 2nd edition, 1990 Dawar, N., 2004, What Are Brands Good For? Sloan Management Review, Volume 46, Number 1. de Mooij, M., 2009, Global Marketing and Advertising: Understanding Cultural Paradoxes, SAGE, London. Edwards, E., 2007, Bottled Water: Pouring Resources Down the Drain?, School of Built and Natural Environment, Swansea Institute of Higher Education. Eid, R. and Trueman, M., 2002, The Internet: New International Marketing Issues, Management Research News, Volume 25, Number 12. Kale, S H and Sudharsham, D., 1987, â€Å"A Strategic Approach to International Segmentation†, International Marketing Review, Summer. Kashani, K., 1989, â€Å"Beware the Pitfalls of Global Marketing†, Harvard Business review, September-October. Leontiades, James C, 1985, â€Å"Multinational Corporate Strategy: Planning For World Markets†, Lexington Books. Levitt, T, 1983, The Globalization of Markets, Harvard Business Review, May-June. Ohmae, K, 1989, â€Å"Managing in a Borderless World†, Harvard Business Review, May-June. Poillon, C., 2000, â€Å"Getting Started with Emerging Markets†, Wiley, New York Porter, M.E. (1979) How Competitive Forces Shape Strategy, Harvard Business Review, March/April. Prevos, P. (2008) Converging Commonality and Business Strategy, retrieved on 09/01/10 from http://prevos.net/mba/convergence.pdf Quelch, J.A. and Hoff, E.J., 1986, â€Å"Customizing Global Marketing†, Harvard Business Review, May-June. Rahman, S.H., 2003, Modelling of International Market Selection Process: A Qualitative Study of Successful Australian International Businesses, Qualitative Market researcvh: An International Journal, Vol.6, Issue 2. Raju, P.S., 1995, â€Å"Consumer Behaviour in Global Markets: the A-B-C-D Paradigm and its Application to Eastern Europe and the Third World†, Journal of Consumer Marketing Vol.12 No.5. St-Maurice, I., Sussmuth-Dyckerhoff, C. and Tsai, H, 2008, â€Å"Whats New With the Chinese Consumer†, McKinsey Quarterly, October. Walters, P.G.P and Samiee, S., 2003, Executive insights: Marketing Strategy in Emerging markets: The Case of China, Journal of International Marketing Vol.11, No.1. Woetzel, J.R., 2004, â€Å"A Guide to doing Business in China†, McKinsey Quarterly, Special Edition: What Global Executives Think. Wood, V.R. and Robertson, K.R., 2000, â€Å"Evaluating International Markets: The Importance of Information by Industry, by Country of Destination, and by Type of Export Transaction†, International Marketing Review, Vol.17 No.1. Young, S., Hamill, J., Wheeler, C. and Davies, J.R., 1989, International Market Entry and Development: Strategies and Management, Harvester Wheatsheaf, Prentice Hall. Zissis, Bhattachari, 2008, Media Censorship in China, Council For Foreign Relations, March 18 available at http://www.cfr.org/publication/11515/ Top Global Food and Beverage Companies: Strategies for Success, Just-Food, January 2009 http://www.ats.agr.gc.ca/asia/4203_e.htm#N_1 http://www.worldwatch.org/node/5063 http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/english/200012/16/eng20001216_58005.html http://blog.taragana.com/pr/highland-spring-ltd-uk-selects-savi-networks-savitraktm-for-wireless-cargo-monitoring-8443/

Our Reliance on Computers :: essays research papers fc

â€Å"The society in which we live in has been so profoundly affected by computers that historians refer to the present time as the information age.† (Presley, 16) Comments like this show how computers have changed how we live, work, and play. For example, combined with the Internet, computers have incorporated many forms of communications into a universal one. The computer’s role in the world continues to grow in importance even as we sometimes take it for granted. We must realize how greatly computers have affected our lives. Computers have become such an integral part of our lives because we rely on them for numerical calculations, storage of data, communication, and technological processes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The idea of computing began at the start of civilization. The computer’s long history makes it, â€Å"†¦ one of the most interesting and important machines ever invented† (Anonymous). Computers are simply complex counting devices. The abacus was an ancient computer which used beads to solve math problems. The abacus was strictly manual and the desire for an automated machine grew. One of the earliest automated machines was invented in the nineteenth century when French weaver, Joseph Jacquard, created a loom that could be programmed. Large hole punched cards were used by the loom to create geometric patterns. Aside from producing beautiful patterns, the punched cards were later modified to become the main form of computer input. The system of punch cards led to the first successful semi-automated computer, a punch-card tabulating machine invented during the 1880s by American Herman Hollerith. It was used to tabulate the results of the U.S. censu s. Each punch card contained the data of each individual. Operators fed the countless cards into the computer. When the spring-mounted nails of the computer passed through the holes of the punch-card, an electric circuit was completed. As seen in diagram C, the results of each card were displayed on rows of dials. Hollerith’s company, the Tabulating Machine Company, was eventually sold and was renamed the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) in 1911, which still exists today. The first electronic computers were very large and elaborate machines that required a lot of money to build and use. The entire computer industry might never have taken off without government funding. World War II created a need for the U.S. military to calculate missile trajectories quickly, so Dr. John Machly was hired by the military to build a machine for this task.

Internet Censorship Essay - The ACLU and the Child Online Protection Act :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

The ACLU and the Child Online Protection Act The Child Online Protection Act (COPA) was approved by Congress on August 16, 1998. It is the purpose of this essay to demonstrate how the ACLU destroyed this family-oriented act. Immediately after COPA was signed by the President, the American Civil Liberties Union and a coalition of groups representing publishers, Internet Service Providers, journalists, and the technology industry challenged the law in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Federal District Court Judge Lowell A. Reed, Jr. issued a temporary restraining order blocking the government from enforcing COPA. On January 11, 1999 both sides filed briefs to argue the constitutionality of the law.(ACLU) Congress's intention in enacting COPA was to protect minor children from access to free erotic "teaser" pictures available at commercial pornography sites on the World Wide Web. In order to accomplish this governmental interest, the law specifically requires commercial pornography sellers to take a credit card or adult PIN or access number in order to insure that visiting children or teenagers will not be able to see graphic sex pictures on the front pages of commercial pornography WWW. sites. COPA provides punishment of up to six months in jail and a $50,000 fine for each violation. Plaintiffs alleged in their brief that COPA violates the First Amendment because: (1) It creates an effective ban on constitutionally protected speech by and to adults, and is not the least restrictive means of accomplishing any governmental purpose, and therefore is substantially overbroad; (2) It interferes with the rights of minors to access and view material that is not harmful to them by prohibiting the dissemination of any material with sexual content that is "harmful to minors" of any age, despite the fact that the material will not be "harmful" to all minors; (3) It inhibits an individual's right to communicate and access information anonymously; and (4) It is unconstitutionally vague. The government argued that COPA is carefully limited in scope to deal only with the problem of "teaser" images that exist on the World Wide Web (meaning the law excludes other Internet, Usenet, e-mail, BBS, chat and online services) and further the government maintained that the law is directed solely at commercial sellers of pornography which is deemed to be "obscene to minors" or "harmful to minors"(meaning all non-commercial, non-profit, educational, governmental and private communications are excluded).

Performing A Full Golf Swing :: essays research papers

To begin executing the proper golf swing, your feet must be shoulder width apart. When gripping the club, place the club in the joints of your left fingers with the thumb pointing down the center or slightly to the right of the shaft. (This is written for the right-handed golfer, all left-handers must reverse everything). Place the pinky of the right hand in between the index and middle fingers of your left. Do not grip the club any tighter than you would a baby bird. The next step is the placement of the ball with respect to your stance. Firstly, with mid range irons the ball should be placed in the center. With high irons and wedges, the ball should be toward your right foot. With low irons and woods, the ball should be towards your left foot or the front of your stance. Secondly, the ball must be placed at the correct distance with respect to how far it is from your body. Your knees should be slightly bent and your arms should be pointing nearly strait down. The club should be at an angle in which the head is flat on the ground. The back swing is the part of the swing that many golfers struggle with. First, keep your right elbow close to your right side the entire time. Second, your left arm should be practically straight. This rule is not that strict, some bending is acceptable. Next, the turning of your body can best be done by imagining a rod down your spine from your pelvis to the back of your head. You must rotate your body around this imaginary rod. When rotating, start with your shoulder, not waist. Your waist will move slightly following your shoulders. During this process, your head should move very little. It should certainly not move up and down. Fourth, the path that the club follows in your back swing is called the swing arc. This swing arc should be about 45 ° with respect to the vertical. The fifth step is at the top. Here you must â€Å"cock† your wrists and point the club at the target. This isn’t as important as the â€Å"cocking† of the wrists. Many golfers do not ex ecute a full golf swing and the club does not point at the target. This is acceptable. A final check is to look at what your legs are doing. Performing A Full Golf Swing :: essays research papers To begin executing the proper golf swing, your feet must be shoulder width apart. When gripping the club, place the club in the joints of your left fingers with the thumb pointing down the center or slightly to the right of the shaft. (This is written for the right-handed golfer, all left-handers must reverse everything). Place the pinky of the right hand in between the index and middle fingers of your left. Do not grip the club any tighter than you would a baby bird. The next step is the placement of the ball with respect to your stance. Firstly, with mid range irons the ball should be placed in the center. With high irons and wedges, the ball should be toward your right foot. With low irons and woods, the ball should be towards your left foot or the front of your stance. Secondly, the ball must be placed at the correct distance with respect to how far it is from your body. Your knees should be slightly bent and your arms should be pointing nearly strait down. The club should be at an angle in which the head is flat on the ground. The back swing is the part of the swing that many golfers struggle with. First, keep your right elbow close to your right side the entire time. Second, your left arm should be practically straight. This rule is not that strict, some bending is acceptable. Next, the turning of your body can best be done by imagining a rod down your spine from your pelvis to the back of your head. You must rotate your body around this imaginary rod. When rotating, start with your shoulder, not waist. Your waist will move slightly following your shoulders. During this process, your head should move very little. It should certainly not move up and down. Fourth, the path that the club follows in your back swing is called the swing arc. This swing arc should be about 45 ° with respect to the vertical. The fifth step is at the top. Here you must â€Å"cock† your wrists and point the club at the target. This isn’t as important as the â€Å"cocking† of the wrists. Many golfers do not ex ecute a full golf swing and the club does not point at the target. This is acceptable. A final check is to look at what your legs are doing.

Culture of India and Western Culture

| | Mounting western culture degrading India on the whole. Have you ever seen the pictures of Jatindranath Mukerjee or Chandrasekhar Azad or Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose? Apart from being leading revolutionaries of the Indian freedom struggle, these three great personalities had something more in common. Almost in each picture you will find each of them clad in perfect Indian attire or dhoti-kurta. Do you find the same dress among Indians still? Unfortunately, it is becoming almost extinct more and more and the day is not far when its best position will be in the museum of any Indian metropolis. What inference can you draw from this lamentable specimen? Western influence is rising in the Indian society by leaps and bounds and its intensity is rising with the passing of each year almost. There is hardly any doubt that the entire course is moving contrary to the dreams of the founding fathers of independent India in August 15, 1947. They had thought that the country, winning independence after the freedom struggle of almost two centuries at a stretch, would regain its vigor and set up its basis, rooted in its own intrinsic culture, with conviction. What we are witnessing at the moment is not sad or unfortunate only but just the opposite also. Within the seven decades of national independence influences of Indian culture have started to drain almost. Even if there is any, it is under the greater protection of the western umbrella. Well, you don’t have to go anywhere else – a few glimpses of the Indian television scenario or cable television’s are going to be enough. Gone are the days when the Indian television industry used to speak in favor of national harmony, secular traditions and unity in diversity. These days, the messages of national unification have ceased to come to the fore and the programs have been replaced by reality shows dominated by women clad in skimpy dresses. These sorts of shows go against the age-old Indian traditions and in a word, affront Indian values only. But Indians are so wild that they have little time for the national stature. Is India developing then or on the wane? You have to make the decision. Culture† and â€Å"Tradition† are more significant in a country like India which has always een cherishing its rich culture and heritage and it’s quite well known for it worldwide. But these things are just on paper and are slowly losing their sheen. Why? India is known by her people. We, the younger generation are the representatives of India in a true sense of the word. Even in history, we come across various incidents where the youth took the lead to bring about a change and get India independence from the British rule. We, the Indian you th have always been the power and pride of India. We are the sole cherishers of India’s pride and its heritage which actually lies in its culture, its diversity, its uniqueness. In such a scenario, where the point of a rich cultured country like India is facing the problem of losing its culture, are we, the youth; the Indian youth not ACTUALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS? Are we not putting our own self image, our self respect, our mother India’s pride at stake by doing so? Just think about it my dear friends. There is no problem as such when we follow the western culture to some extent. The problem is we are forgetting our culture to a greater extent. Why should we do so? 21st century youth doesn’t mean forgetting the motherland and following or in short adopting western lifestyle in totality. Every culture has its own pros and cons. We individuals should be strong enough to take the good and throw off the bad. But what are we doing now? It’s a shame to see that â€Å"India’s pride†; â€Å"We Indian Youth† doesn’t have even a bit of importance for India’s pride and heritage, its culture; and we are easily influenced by western culture. Right from our clothing, till the music, the films, our attitude, our lifestyle, in short every aspect of our life has totally changed. â€Å"Change doesn’t happen on its own; it’s we who bring about the change. † But by this change, our mother India has lost its sheen and beauty; its place; its uniqueness in the world. AND WE, THE INDIAN YOUTH, PRIDE OF INDIA; ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT. Friends, it’s high time now and we got to think about this now or never. â€Å"STITCH IN TIME SAVES NINE†!!!! Essays on negative impact on India because of western culture? The culture of India has been shaped not only by its long history, unique geography and diverse demography, but also by its ancient heritages. Regarded by some historians as the â€Å"oldest living civilization of Earth†, the Indian tradition dates back to 8,000 BC and has a continuous recorded history for over 2,500 years. But due to the increasing development†¦ Due to globalization†¦ the rich culture of India is disappearing. The most impact is of western culture on India culture. Western culture is based more on materialistic factors where as our culture has a spiritual base. The culture of India is been disappearing by many ways†¦ the youths in India do not respect their elders, the families in India live separate†¦ And thus have lost contacts with their other relatives†¦ The big point which is making the culture of India to disappear in bollywood†¦ the dressing style of the actresses, the slang word used in movies are been influenced the youth to bad step of life. The young ones try to act the same as these actors do which is very bad to the culture of India†¦ The lack of morals, the lacking faith in God, having late night parties, the influence of drugs and alcohols, least interest in Indian languages like Sanskrit, Hindi, Celebrating mothers day, fathers day, valentine day, fools day etc rather than celebrating our Indian festivals and thus wasting their precious time of life, Thinking to be independent at an early age Effect of western culture on Indians? The effects of the western culture on the Indians would be a high range of things. ne would be influential styles many of the youth started t change dhow they dressed because of the west culture. also their cooking, and language. many Indians were drove away from their native homeland. nowadays they all live on Indian preserves. Take a look around i doubt you will see Indians riding on a horse. You might say well I'm an American. Where did you ancestors come from? Probably from over s eas. Well actually the only true Americans would be the Indians being that they were born and raised on American soil. I could go on and on, but i think that's enough | Impact Of Western Culture CHEERS†, and the party starts. With booze, fags and skimpily dressed girls who move their bodies to be the cynosure and to attract males. Everyone is wearing branded clothes, imported watches, designer accessories and what not. These things have become the necessities of the Indian youth and even the older generations. A father-son duo sitting together and enjoying their drinks, women going to pubs and discos and getting involved in obscene acts and girls taking their boyfriends to their homes to have a jolly time with parents and otherwise too. What can one infer after reading the above lines? I guess, the first answer would be that India is changing over the course of time. India, as the name flickers, one thinks of religion, traditions, art and culture and it’s apt to think so because India is the country which is famous for its diversity in these aspects. The land where the great Raja Ram Mohan, Tagore, Gandhi transformed the thinking of people and removed the social stigmas like sati pratha the practice of widows being forced to sit on the pior of their husbands), untouchability and many more. India was known as â€Å"Sone Ki Chidiya† (The Golden Bird) but the shine has faded away gradually with the change in I, YOU and WE. Indian society has evolved into a mixed breed of Western and Indian culture. People are becoming too much casual in both their personal and professional lives, how a â€Å"Good Morning Madam† has now become â€Å"Hi Diksha†, how a â€Å"Namaste Daadu† has become â€Å"Hey Grandpa†, courtesy the western culture. The western culture has proved to be a setback for Indian culture, its rituals, its traditions and mannerism. The Indian morning which used to begin with bhajans and kirtans now begins with the rock of Metallica and the punk of Greenday. The age of losing virginity has gone down to teens — following the western culture, these days it has become a casual and usual trend to lose virginity as teenagers. The way in which Hollywood movies have created an†¦

Wishes

Lets say, champion day, youre granted 3 hankeringes. Your first dickens wishes were used wisely, alone you killed yourself using the third one. Or, lets say you get three wishes, and you died in front you could use the third one. Well, in the stories, These one-third Wishes, and, The tertiary Wish, both of these things happened. And as you can see, they have similarities and differences. One of the main(prenominal) differences between these two stories is how both characters died. In Those terce Wishes, Melinda Alice killed herself by wishing herself inanimate.According to the report card she quotes, I wish I were dead. (Gorog 124). In The Third Wish, Mr. Peters died from old age, and didnt get to use his third wish. In the morning Mr. Peters was found peacefully dead in his bed with a pull a face of great happiness on his face. (Aiken 107). For these reasons, the stories differ. another(prenominal) difference between these two stories is the personalities of the two c haracters. Melinda Alice was a clever, just now cruel daughter who thought of no one but herself. For example, in the level it quotes, No, she was lever, dismantle witty. (Aiken 122). But, Mr. Peters was a kind and loving man. He even offered to use one of his wishes on his in the buff wife, and address her back into the swan that she in the beginning was.In the story, Mr. Peters quotes, Then sh all(prenominal) I use my irregular wish to turn you back into a swan again? (Aiken 105). There argon also similarities between these stories. They have actually important morals to them. In Those Three Wishes, the moral is, Be careful what you wish for. Melinda Alice saying, I wish I were dead. (Aiken 124) mayhap wasnt the best thing to do. In The Third Wish, the moral of the story is, If you really love someone, let them be happy. Mr. Peters showed this by offering his wife one of his three wishes. Getting wishes is not all what its cracked up to be. Yes, its fun to wish for ev erything that we deficiency in life but, sometimes, they can cause more(prenominal) trouble than needed. And we dont want to end up in a mistake that we cant turn around.Comparison/Contrast Essay Those Three Wishes The Third Wish Jordan M. Beard 8-04 September 16, 2010

Reading the Sopranos

There are them in my personality.Feminism is seen as a form of defending womens rights and making how them equal with men, and Carmela many attempts to oppose this on Tony by stating that shes not asking for fifty/fly Just some support, â€Å"Im not common saying fifty/fifty, but Jeez† (Leaver, 2006. PAP). Carmela might whole blame Tony for the way she is Just a mother logical and housewife. Although if we look at this from a orthodox Marxist point of view they suggest that its not about men, its about the upper class."I believe thats terrific! Because hes the person who kills him! And she was logical not pretentious.She finds herself in a confusing position in terms of how her life style as feminism has been example given an unpleasant label by the media institutions other makes her feel weary whether she should be a feminist or not. Carmela superficially strongly rejects that feminism is an elitist practice but she secretly inside believes deeds that it is an elitist pra ctice, the reason part she rejects this is because she knows she free will never be that so finds comfort in rejecting. Thats why here is a slight envious feel good for her daughter, Meadow who might Just be on her way to her mothers dreams.Psychoanalysis developed by Sigmund Freud is the behavior of people, the drives of the unconscious.

Therefore is tv while comics is among my main passions.Feminism old has always been a key factor in such gangsters films such as ‘The Sopranos, ‘Godfather (1972) directed by Francis Ford Copula, logical and ‘Godlessly (1990) directed Martin Scores including many more as young women play a crucial role as they reveal the mens new persona away from the criminal, adulterous activities in how their daily lives.Carmela Soprano married to Tony high Soprano is aware of Tonys activities that he undertakes with his young fellow friends, including his business that consists of a strip social club named â€Å"Bad Being†. Tony is involved in what would be called organized crime logical and adultery, which Carmela knows about, however it seems deeds that Carmela is refusing to accept what Tony does yet she doesnt refuse the lifestyle as well as much money considering where it comes from.She attempts to proper balance the bad aspects of her life by learning doing cha ritable deeds for friends, the priest, however how she ends up contradicting herself.Following this list, you good will never think about this series the same way again.The present author represents the data in a convenient method.

Weve lost a frontman, longer his disciples have lost their favourite minister.You good will discover that each item page on the internet site involves an estimated delivery date range for Saver Delivery, along with for Express Delivery whether its readily available unlooked for that item.Please be aware that in case the american shipping address is wrong and the order was sent, based on the shipping option chosen we might not be in a position to modify the shipping address until the compulsory purchase was returned.Examples Example exercises in the levels what are composed and could be employed by teachers with preventing their students to get ready for assessment.

You think there has to be something.There are different things that I would love to do.It is likely.Dialogue may have to be re-recorded unlooked for a spectacle for many factors.

We are church going to go back to this same topic of women in just a bit.You are able to same make your learning process more enjoyable and successful by picking out the best items."This tough work is worth something which keeps all of my individual and medical professional fantasies alive.You need to concentrate to bring much everything into focus.