Monday, September 30, 2019

Competition in Energy Drinks Case Essay

Within the beverage industry companies like Pepsi and Coca Cola were using alternative beverages as a way to counter the effects of the decline of consumption of carbonated beverages. This in turn will help them sustain volume. These two large companies were working hard to expand their alternative market line by introducing sports drinks, energy drinks, and vitamin drinks. One of the largest issues at hand is the pressure to stop producing these harmful drinks, people felt that they had a negative impact on your body and believed their strategies promoted reckless behavior. Even though this was happening they had to keep pushing through to be very successful. Sales began to increase as well as market share which introduced several new brands to the alternative beverage industry. In the alternative beverage industry competition is fierce. Some of the major factors that play a role are product innovation, differentiation; create brand loyalty based on taste, the drinks image, advertising, and sponsorships. Many of these companies like Hansen and Red bull sponsored events to promote their brand. The strongest of the 5 competitive forces within the industry is that of substitution. Pepsi and Coca Cola made their products available to customers with ease pushing other companies out of business. The weakest of the 5 forces is buyer bargaining power. Buyers do not have much control over the prices at which these beverages are being sold. If they were looking for an energy drink they would have to pay the high prices. Buyers are starting to become more brand loyal so they will buy at high prices more often. Companies like Coca Cola and Pepsi seem to make the industry less attractive for new entrants. Reason is because they both are well established with good brand recognition. Consumers will most likely always choose the brand they are familiar than new unfamiliar brands. The market for energy drinks is declining, sales are down, and the market has matured. Over the next 5 years drivers of change will not slow down companies like Coca Cola, Pepsi, or Red Bull. Instead of looking to compete on price, volume, or market share gains it looks like they will look into product innovations to increase sales. At this point time drivers of change will most likely keep the alternative beverage unattractive for smaller companies. Pepsi and Coca Cola are able to counter the downturn the economy because of the broad range of products they have. Red Bull on the other hand has only a few products and sales are suffering. A few recommendations for the larger companies are as follows. Coca Cola does very well in the carbonated beverage industry but is way behind in the alternative beverage industry. They can do some research on countries where they want to sell their product and see what consumer actually want. By doing this they could create a product that will appeal to local consumer tastes. Pepsi Co. has done really well in the alternative beverage industry but has introduced a new line of energy drinks (Charge, Rebuild, Defend, and Bloodshot) that I have never heard of. It would be in their best interest to do an ad campaign to consumers. Red Bull on the other hand just needs to expand their product line. They are focusing mainly on their original flavor still and that may be a reason why sales are decreasing.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Factors Affecting Program Selection of Selected Polytechnic University of the Philippines

It is well acknowledge that education environment is an important element in determining students' ability to reach their fullest quality (dealing Jar. Et al. , 2006). Education is a medium of shaping students' ability and behavior. It is a process wherein one can achieve social competence. And also, it is through education that different knowledge can be transported and disseminated to everyone. Educational institutions also play an important tool in developing the students as they mold their mind and intellect.One of the famous and competitive educational institutions in the Philippines is the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP). It is a public, non – sectarian and non – profit institution of higher learning which aids to strengthen the students' potentials. In today's environment, students select programs based on the quality of placement they are likely to get after the completion of their studies. In the case of the students of Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), the students aspire to Join those programs which ensure for a gainful employment.There are programs which are dominating from the other programs. It is due to the fact that some programs doesn't remises good placement for the students. Students formulate decisions throughout their college career, and decision- making is an important building block in the learning process. F. Yates, Venison, & Petulant (2003), defined decision as â€Å"a commitment to a course of action that is intended to produce a satisfying state of affairs. † Decision – making is essential because it makes things possible to take up the most excellent course of accomplishment in carrying out a given assignment.When there are different ways of performing a task, it becomes necessary to discover the greatest way and that is what decision-making is all about. The course of action finally selected would produce the best outcome. The program selection decisions of students are amo ng the most significant in the success of their education. It is vital to select carefully a program in order to fully accomplish their goals in life and to have a better and good quality future. Program selection is necessary for the reason that it helps us decides what our own lives what to be like.Particularly, the researchers aim to determine the factors affecting program selection of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) students at Star. Mesa, Manila. Statement of the Problem The main purpose of this study is to determine the factors affecting program selection of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) students. Specifically, the study aims to answer the following research questions: 1 . What are the respondents' profile as to age, gender, socio economic status and program? 2. What are the factors affecting program selection of the respondents? 3.Is there a relationship between the respondents' profile and their selection of programs? 4. What are the possible recommendations that can aid future college students in selecting their programs? Significance of the Study Through this study, future college freshmen students will have insights on the factors affecting present college students on how they select their degree programs and this will also serve as a guide in choosing their own programs wisely as they go on to college. This study will also provide some insights to present college students if in case they want to shift programs.This study will also profit the parents so that they will realize how important they are as a source of encouragement in which children are free to explore different areas of program selection. This study will look forward in giving their children n assurance to acquire quality education that would enable them to obtain better job, better income, and brighter future. This can also benefit guidance counselors from the different public and private high schools so that they can discuss the factors affect ing program selection of college students to current fourth year high school students and to guide them to choose their own programs carefully.The findings will serve as a guide to different universities and colleges so that they will know the most preferred programs of the students. This will also contribute to the government, most especially the Commission on Higher Education, for them to fully understand the state of the students of today, and for them to give appropriate action. This will also be helpful to future researchers so that they will have a guide and a reference for future study. This will also make them aware of the factors affecting college students' program selection.Scope and Delimitation of the Study This study deals on the factors affecting program selection of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) students located at Star. Mesa, Manila which is the main campus of the said university. The researchers limit the respondents to 100 elected Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) students. Definition of Terms In order to fully understand the research, it is important to have an in-depth understanding of the terms being used by the researchers.These are the following: Commitment is remaining steadfast and true to your principles and goals, no matter how much dust is kicked up on the path ahead. It means reminding yourself of the obligations you have – not solely to other people but to yourself – and honoring those obligations (Raman, 2007). Education is an act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, evolving the powers of reasoning and Judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life Jackson, 2008). Gainful employment is a general term referring to a Job, especially a Job that a student takes after graduation (Local, 2011).Institutions are the kinds of structures that matter most in the social realm: they make up the stuff of social life (Hodgkin, 2006). Kno wledge is to represent reality in thought or experience the way it really is on the basis of adequate grounds (Moreland, 2008). Non – Sectarian means not restricted to one sector school or party (Russell, 2012). Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) is a government educational institution by Republic Act Number 8292 known as the Higher Education Modernization Act of 1997, and its Implementing Rules and Regulations contained in the Commission on Higher Education Memorandum Circular No. , series 1997 (Polytechnic University of the Philippines, 2010). Quality is a measure of excellence; quality defines desirable characteristics of a product, a process, or a service (Hatfield, 2012). Selection is an act or instance of selecting or the state of being selected; choice (Yoder, 2011). Social Competence is the ability to get along well with oneself and with his environment (Adler, 2012). CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Program selection is the process of decision-mak ing.A great number of studies, researches, and write-ups has been conducted for a period of time and still emerged as one of the top-priority researches due to rapid changing and need of time. This chapter is the presentation of literature and studies from foreign to local which may directly or indirectly bearing to study at hand. Relevance to present studies will give a big picture why these literature and studies from foreign to local re used. Local Literature According to Syrians and Roses (1989), career planning is life goal-setting. Without such a plan, it is like making a Journey to an unfamiliar destination without a map.He proposed a Career Planning Guide that will help the students in choosing their appropriate program from planning a career, steps in planning career, goal- setting and self-understanding. Also, it reveals that guidance and counseling is intervention of underemployment individuals and career preparedness must be initiated. Foreign Literature According to Goo finess's Developmental Theory of Occupational Aspirations, it ascribes how people become attracted to certain occupations. Self-concept in career development is the key factor to career selection and people want Jobs that are compatible with their self-image.The key determinants of self-concept are one's social class, level of intelligence, and experiences. Roe's need approach emphasized that early childhood experiences play an important role in finding satisfaction in one's chosen field. The need structure of the individual, according to Roe, would be greatly influenced by early childhood frustrations and satisfactions. According to John Holland (2004), persons are paying attention to a given career by their particular personalities and various variables that represent their backgrounds.First of all, career choice is an expression of, or an extension of personality into the world of work followed by succeeding classification with particular working stereotypes. In view of that, one selects a program to satisfy preferred modal personal orientation. Modal personal orientation is a developmental process established through heredity and the individual's life history of reacting to environmental demands. If the individual has developed a strong dominant orientation, satisfaction is probable in a corresponding occupational environment.If, however the orientation is one of indecision, the livelihood of satisfaction diminishes. Local Studies According to the study conducted by Assign (1994), it was found out that the students' self-concept showed no significant influence on their career preferences. The academic achievements of students proved to be significant related to their program selection. The school were students came from had no influence on their choice of program. He recommends that a more improved and functional guidance revived in school to help students make sound career choices.The guidance services in school must be collaborative efforts of the admini strator, guidance counselors, and teachers. Classroom teachers are encouraged to do their best in improving teaching learning processes, considering that academic achievement of student influences their career preferences. Another study conducted by Lamellar (2003), it was found out that a large image off big family with low educational achievement and insufficient savings was the only basis of choosing a program, which was psychologically motivated. The exponent's level of preferred intelligence did not match to their chosen program.This could be drawn from the required level of the course in contrast with their level of preferred intelligence. The necessity of developing a career development program was need in order to prevent any misfits and to assist students in the process of crystallizing their career in life. She recommended that this program be effectively implemented. Foreign Studies According to the study conducted by Garage (2007), it was found out that by increasing car eer development activities, which includes setting career goals, students had a higher self-esteem.Maybe even more important, however, is that students were more satisfied about the education they were receiving. This will, in turn, hopefully lead to students having a deeper desire and commitment to succeed in their education. Another outcome of a higher self-esteem is that those students chose more difficult goals than students with low self-esteems. She noted that excellent detailed plan for teaching parents and teachers how to teach young students to set career goals.The plan requires a total community effort through educators, parents, and businesses. Students must be given an opportunity to identify and explore their desired careers. They can accomplish this through the â€Å"School to Work Transition† or â€Å"Job Shadowing Program. † Through the cooperative efforts of the entire community, students can identify career choices, set career goals, and have higher s elf-esteems at an early age. Ultimately, they will further their education and have a better chance of succeeding in the â€Å"do or die† world in which we live.CHAPTER Ill Research Methodology This chapter presents in detail the research method and design used, the sampling scheme, the description of the respondents, the survey instrument used for gathering the data, and the statistical treatment of the data. Research Method The major goal of the study was to find out the factors affecting program selection of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) students. The researchers used the descriptive method which is a statistical procedure concerned with describing the characteristics and properties of persons, places or things.It is also based on easily verifiable facts. The descriptive method, describes data and characteristics about the population or phenomenon being studied. It is used for frequencies, averages and other statistical calculations. Research Design T he research plan of the study conducted a survey to Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) students in the form of descriptive method wherein the researchers evaluated the factors affecting program selection of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) students.The study made use of personal data sheet and survey questionnaire which is planned to gather quantitative and qualitative information. In which the researchers was able to assess the results that served as the foundation in the making of the conclusion and recommendations of the research. Population Frame and Sampling Scheme The research is focused only on Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) dents; the researchers used selective sampling with the use of target population.The sampling scheme was conducted on Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) to go well with the purpose of the study which is to find out the factors affecting program selection of the Polytechnic University of the Phi lippines (PUP) students. Description of Respondents A total of 100 students of Polytechnic University of the Philippines were used as the subject of this study. The respondents' ages ranged from 16 years old and above. Survey Instrument The personal data sheet was used as one of the survey instrument to get the exponents' profile, especially age, gender, socio economic status and programs they were in.The survey questionnaire was used as the instrument in gathering the data. There were only one (1) item; the question corresponds to factors affecting program selection of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) students in the form of multiple choice questions. Data Gathering Method(s) and Procedures The researchers requested from the adviser to assist in the validation, finalization, and approval of the instrument. The researchers administered the survey in the form of questionnaires to the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) students.The survey results were s ubjected to data analysis and from the findings, conclusions and recommendations were drawn. Statistical Analysis of Data The researchers used the percentage method and mean value for the analysis of data. The percentage method was used to express how large or small one quantity is, relative to another quantity. It is defined by the formula: The mean is the sum of all of the data values divided by the number of data values. It is defined by the formula: where: I x = sum of all the sample observed n = total number of sample observedCHAPTER RESULTS AND DISCUSSION This chapter aims to present how the data are analyzed, and interpreted. The data were organized as to the condition of the study, which is to determine the factors affecting program selection of selected Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) students. They were presented through graphs and tables for easier understanding. The data were taken from the personal data sheet and the survey questionnaire. Respondents' Pr ofile The following charts and tables show the profile of the respondents as to age, gender, socio-economic status and program.TABLE 1 Distribution of Respondents' as to Age Table one shows the distribution of the age of the respondents. The age of the respondents with the highest frequency is eighteen (18) years old with thirty-four (34) percent while the age with the lowest frequency is sixteen (16) years old, having a percentage of three (3). FIGURE 1 Distribution of Respondents' as to Gender Figure one shows the distribution of the respondents as to gender. Majority of the respondents are females, with sixty (60) percent while the remaining forty (40) percent are males.FIGURE 2 Distribution of Respondents' as to Socio -Economic Status Figure two shows that majority of the respondents, which is 44%, belong to average class (PH 14, 700 – PH 22, 300) of the monthly household income bracket, while 34% of the respondents were classified as lower class (PH 5,200- PH 14, 700). T here were 15% of the respondents who belong to the upper class (PH 22, 300 – Above), and 7% were from the poor (Below PH 5, 200) of the monthly household income bracket. TABLE 2 Distribution of Respondents' Based on Their Program Table three shows the programs of the respondents.The program with the highest weight value is ‘Bachelor in Communication Research' with a mean of 0. 8. Eleven (11) programs tied for the last rank, with 0. 01 mean rating. Respondents' Factors on Program Selection This part discussed the different factors affecting program selection of the respondents. The researchers based the choices on other researches. The researchers provided 24 factors. The respondents were asked to choose five factors. TABLE 3 Distribution of Respondents' on the Factors Affecting Program Selection Table two shows the factors affecting program selection of the respondents.The factor ‘Based on my passion' got the highest weight value with a mean rating of 0. 27, Acade mic achievements' ranked second with a mean rating of 0. 23, ‘My Ideals' on the third with 0. 18 mean rating, and, ‘Compensates high income' and â€Å"Level of intelligence' tied at the rank 4. 5, with a mean rating of 0. 16. Relationship between the Respondents' Profile and Program Selection This part show the relationship of the respondents' profile and program selection by analyzing the data connected to every variable.Syntheses were used in order to support the explanation of the researchers. Based on the data gathered, majority of the respondents are on the 18 year old age bracket. According to Wilkinson (2010), the start of being matured is when a person reached eighteen years old. As a matured student, they are likely to have more confidence in themselves, as they've been around longer and seen more things, which can give them greater understanding of the program your about to select. Based on the data gathered, majority of the respondents are females.According t o Bureau of Labor Statistics, among high school graduates, females were more likely to attend college than males. Once enrolled in college, females were less likely than males to leave college between school years. Females tend to value higher education ore highly than males do and believe it has had a more positive impact on their lives. This is because males often mature more slowly than females. According to Pillion (2006), females are more interested in learning than males because they are more motivated to improve, to achieve their goals and to perform well in whatever they do.And also, according to Mottos (2006), Females love to learn and gain knowledge because they know that being excellent academically means that they would get better Jobs for their future. Based on the data gathered, most of the respondents fall under the average class. According to Midland and Bunker (201 1), people living in average or middle class societies are more involved in school activities. They al so push to raise educational standards and put more pressure on school administrators to fire or transfer bad teachers.And some of the culture and behaviors that middle-class parents pass on to their children about education, such as valuing school achievement and attending school, are thought to come from their middle position in society with a level of income and security that makes them neither rich nor poor. All of the factors mentioned above helps boost educational achievement. Also, students in average or middle class societies tend to be healthier students academically. Based on the data gathered, majority of the respondents came from Bachelor in Communication Research. â€Å"The major is wonderful because the classes you take are so diverse.The professors in this major really care about their students and want us to succeed. The classes are the perfect size to make new friends and get to know your professors well. I would highly recommend this major† (Kari Event, 2006 ). According to Holloway (2006), Bachelor in Communication Research is the mostly picked program by the students cause it helps them to learn and develop the key skills they need to function in life instead of other programs. Communication is a fundamental needed to maintain work relationships, intimate relationships, family relationships and friendship.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

An overview of scrum methodology

An overview of scrum methodology Software development organizations have become more interested in agile methodologies, whose focus is client collaboration, individual value, and adaptation to change. Scrum is a framework within which people can address complex adaptive problems, while productively and creatively delivering products of the highest possible value. Scrum makes clear the relative efficacy of your product management and development practices so that you can improve. The Scrum framework consists of Scrum Teams and their associated roles, events, artifacts, and rules. Each component within the framework serves a specific purpose and is essential to Scrum’s success and usage. What is the scrum? Scrum is a framework for managing work with an emphasis on software development. It is designed for teams of three to nine developers who break their work into actions that can be completed within time-boxed iterations, called sprints (typically two-weeks) and track progress and re-plan in 15-minute stand-up meetings called daily scrums. Approaches to coordinating the work of multiple scrum teams in larger organizations include Large-Scale Scrum, Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) and Scrum of Scrums, among others. Scrum values:- Scrum is a feedback-driven empirical approach which is, like all empirical process control, underpinned by the three pillars of transparency, inspection, and adaptation. All work within the Scrum framework should be visible to those responsible for the outcome: the process, the workflow, progress, etc. In order to make these things visible, scrum teams need to frequently inspect the product being developed and how well the team is working. With frequent inspection, the team can spot when their work deviates outside of acceptable limits and adapt their process or the product under development.[18] These three pillars require trust and openness in the team, which the following five values of Scrum enable:[14] Commitment: Team members individually commit to achieving their team goals, each and every sprint. Courage: Team members know they have the courage to work through conflict and challenges together so that they can do the right thing. Focus: Team members focus exclusively on their team goals and the sprint backlog; there should be no work done other than through their backlog. Openness: Team members and their stakeholders agree to be transparent about their work and any challenges they face. Respect: Team members respect each other to be technically capable and to work with good intent. Scrum roles:- The three roles defined in scrum are the ScrumMaster,the product owner, and the Team (which consists of Team members). The people who fulfill these roles work together closely, on a daily basis, to ensure the smooth flow of information and the quick resolution of issues. ScrumMaster The ScrumMaster (sometimes written â€Å"Scrum Master,† although the official term has no space after â€Å"Scrum†) is the keeper of the process. The ScrumMaster is responsible for making the process run smoothly, for removing obstacles that impact productivity, and for organizing and facilitating the critical meetings. The ScrumMasters responsibilities include Removing the barriers between the Development Team and the Product Owner so that the Product Owner directly drives development. Teach the Product Owner how to maximize return on investment (ROI), and meet his/her objectives through Scrum. Improve the lives of the development Team by facilitating creativity and empowerment. Improve the productivity of the development Team in any way possible. Improve the engineering practices and tools so that each increment of functionality is potentially shippable. Keep information about the Team’s progress up to date and visible to all parties. In practical terms, the ScrumMaster needs to understand Scrum well enough to train and mentor the other roles and educate and assist other stakeholders who are involved in the process. The ScrumMaster should maintain a constant awareness of the status of the project (its progress to date) relative to the expected progress, investigate and facilitate resolution of any roadblocks that hold back progress, and generally be flexible enough to identify and deal with any issues that arise, in any way that is required. The ScrumMaster must protect the Team from disturbance from other people by acting as the interface between the two. The ScrumMaster does not assign tasks to Team members, a task assignment is a Team responsibility. The ScrumMaster’s general approach towards the Team is to encourage and facilitate their decision-making and problem-solving capabilities so that they can work with increasing efficiency and the decreasing need for supervision. The goal is to have a team tha t is not only empowered to make important decisions but does so well and routinely. Product Owner The Product Owner is the keeper of the requirements. The Product Owner provides the â€Å"single source of truth† for the Team regarding requirements and their planned order of implementation. In practice, the Product Owner is the interface between the business, the customers, and their product related needs on one side, and the Team on the other. The Product Owner buffers the Team from the feature and bug-fix requests that come from many sources and is the single point of contact for all questions about product requirements. Product Owner works closely with the team to define the user-facing and technical requirements, to document the requirements as needed, and to determine the order of their implementation. Product Owner maintains the Product Backlog (which is the repository for all of this information), keeping it up to date and at the level of detail and quality, the Team requires. The Product Owner also sets the schedule for releasing completed work to customers and make s the final call as to whether implementations have the features and quality required for release. Team The Team is a self-organizing and cross-functional group of people who do the hands-on work of developing and testing the product. Since the Team is responsible for producing the product, it must also have the authority to make decisions about how to perform the work. The Team is therefore self-organizing: Team members decide how to break work into tasks, and how to allocate tasks to individuals, throughout the Sprint. The Team size should be kept in the range from five to nine people, if possible. (A larger number make communication difficult, while a smaller number leads to low productivity and fragility.) Note: A very similar term, â€Å"Scrum Team,† refers to the Team plus the ScrumMaster and Product Owner. Scrum pros:- Scrum can help teams complete project deliverables quickly and efficiently: Scrum ensures effective use of time and money Large projects are divided into easily manageable sprints Developments are coded and tested during the sprint review Works well for fast-moving development projects The team gets clear visibility through scrum meetings Scrum, being agile, adopts feedback from customers and stakeholders Short sprints enable changes based on feedback a lot more easily The individual effort of each team member is visible during daily scrum meetings Scrum cons:-Nothing is perfect, and the Scrum methodology is no exception. In some cases, Scrum is combined with other project management techniques that can help resolve some of these drawbacks: Scrum often leads to scope creep, due to the lack of a definite end-date The chances of project failure are high if individuals arent very committed or cooperative Adopting the Scrum framework in large teams is challenging The framework can be successful only with experienced team members Daily meetings sometimes frustrate team members If any team member leaves in the middle of a project, it can have a huge negative impact on the project Quality is hard to implement until the team goes through the aggressive testing process Scrum process:- Needless to say, proper planning and smart decision making can help you get past these disadvantages with the Scrum methodology. For example, in larger teams, each member needs to have defined roles and responsibilities with definite goals, so that there is no compromise on quality and no excuse for failure. This will keep the team focused to project goals. Plus, the ScrumMaster needs to guide the team effectively to avoid pitfalls and ensure 100% project success.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Internet as a social media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Internet as a social media - Essay Example Orkut emphasized on making social friends and brought the domain of Internet interactions closer than Microsoft Messengers and other instant messaging toolboxes. Social media websites were designed to be more intuitive for people to people interaction. During the days of Instant Messaging, the interaction was limited to a private chat box, which could only extend to a particular number of people at a time. It was not a theatre of people to people communication since communication on the Instant Messaging chat boxes was an instantly private affair. However, Orkut changed all that. Now, people were given the opportunity to create their identity on the Internet, which went beyond the possibility of a P2P interaction. People created their own user identities, which were open for others to have a look at them. This allowed like-minded people to come together and interact. The social media websites created a hub for humans to find each other and communicate just like they would in their real lives, by making new friends in their official or social circle and then indulging in various relationships. â€Å"Social media are Internet sites where people interact freely, sharing and discussing information about each other and their lives, using a multimedia mix of personal words, pictures, videos and audio.† Orkut was extremely open in the way it carried out its affairs. Social privacy was not given much of an importance and this was the root cause as to why people shifted their focus from Orkut to Facebook, which had just started off in the year of 2006. I joined Facebook from Orkut in 2007 and even that at that time Orkut was a big deal, as there were more number of people logged in on Orkut than Facebook, but Facebook was catching up fast since it provided an even more intuitive, and friendly user interface which gave the user better command at his user identity on

Thursday, September 26, 2019

The European single market crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

The European single market crisis - Essay Example This essay entails of the factors that the Europe focuses to use in making positive changes stimulate economic growth. It outlines the various approaches that the country seeks to use in economic recovery process, asserting relative data sources and the theoretical perspective on the data’s view. The country’s policies propelled tremendous economic growth since the year 2009, with a relative increase in GDP. The highest marginal implication on the GDP was an overall increase by 3% throughout the years of 2009-2011. This was possible despite the many challenges that the state suffered after implementing the single market, which affected economic integrations. B Balassa encouraged the implementation of single markets with arguments that it would help the country achieve monetary union in the globe. They argued that single markets would help eliminate most of the barriers though this was not possible with the free movement of goods, services, people, and even capital (Bald win and Wyplosz, 2009: 256). As the European states aim at improving on their financial capacities, some of the main objectives laid down help in strategizing plans for the progress of the economy (Nello, 2009: 219). The stability of the euro is necessary to help build confidence to other states in trade transactions. The issue of maintaining the tax rates for enabling the prices of commodities to suit the consumer financial ability. Tax increase results to an increase in production costs and thereby increasing the commodities cost. This in return increases the living costs and demands for increases in salaries by the consumers. Another issue lies on creating an internal market for local commodities by laying import regulations within the region. This helps solve the cross border conflicts and increases efficiency of financial institutions between the regions (Piggott and Cook, 2006: 76). The crisis in the formation of single markets Through the integration of European countries, af ter periods of World War II between America and Europe has helped calm the economic crisis. Many economic treaties enacted helped improve on economic performance and to strengthen competition between the regions to help increase the quality competence of products from the two regions (Craig and Elliott, 2009: 209). The European Union also passed several acts in their agreement and gave directions on financial expenditures towards developing the rural areas and developing reliable energy production, which would majorly boost on the emergence of new industries increasing the economic activities in the region. Through the cohesion between the two regions, the internal market developed competence in the global market and thereby this ensured that the economy was strong even after the crisis (Cini and Borraga, 2010: 164). The European single market was at efforts to pursue single currency for all the member states and aimed at getting involved in international trades as one joint unit. T hey believed that such effort would help increase the trade area, reduce operational costs, and implement similar economic policies across al the union states. They had similar tariffs and quota systems with outside states but free trade within member states. They faced challenges on standardization of qualities and regulations and specifications for production. The lag by the union states in

Temperature Monitor Simulation Using LabVIEW Lab Report

Temperature Monitor Simulation Using LabVIEW - Lab Report Example An Alarm LED was added that is activated when the temperature signal is more than a threshold level selected using a Vertical Pointer slide. This system can be tested by pressing the Run button (arrow icon), but the data generated will not be very useful. A While Loop function was added to keep the program running until a Stop button is pressed. This way, a meaningful graphical data (temperature vs. time) will be displayed at the Waveform Chart. The results of the experiment showed that LabVIEW can be used to simulate simple circuits like a temperature monitor. The temperature signal can be generated and monitored inside LabVIEW, so as the output results. Added functionalities like unit conversion and alarm activations can also be simulated. In the previous experiment, an internal temperature signal was generated using a virtual Dial software. In this experiment, the temperature signal will be provided by an external power source. The previous block diagram was used but edited to replace the internal temperature source with an external source. The output results were observed using a Waveform Chart. As can be seen in the Fig. 2, the internal temperature signal source was replaced with the DAQ (PCI-6025E Data Acquisition Card) that is connected to a DC power supply with variable voltage output control. Varying this voltage simulated an incoming temperature signal. The signal was also passed through Multiply and Add functions to convert it from a Celsius value to a Farenheit equivalent. A Waveform Chart was used to display temperature variation with time. An Alarm LED was added that is activated when the temperature signal is more than a threshold level selected using a Vertical Pointer slide. This system was also tested by pressing the Run button (arrow icon) and using the While Loop function to keep the program running until a Stop button is pressed. This way, a meaningful graphical data (temperature vs. time) was displayed on the Waveform Chart. Conclusion: The results of this experiment showed that LabVIEW can be used to simulate circuits like a temperature monitor that uses external source. This external source can be controlled and monitored by LabVIEW. As in the previous experiment, added functionalities like unit conversion and alarm activations can also be simulated. Fig. 2 DAQ used as interface for external signal

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Role as a Supervisor in a Virtual Organization Essay

Role as a Supervisor in a Virtual Organization - Essay Example Likewise, these same traits have to be maintained when carrying out the role of trust building as no method of socialization is present; managers should substitute socialization with consistency and high responsiveness. Having an atmosphere is sharing and frequent feedback is critical in carrying out the role of a cultural facilitator within a virtual firm, as well. Virtual organizations consist of members who work in geographically disparate locations through technology with the aim of achieving common goals; such firms are usually cross-functional and tend to dwell on client needs. Virtual organizations have increased exponentially over the past decade owing to proliferation of the internet, travel restrictions arising from political or economic upheavals, and increased competitiveness. Supervisors carrying out this role have to contend with certain challenges and circumstances that are unique to the virtual environment; these issues shall be examined in detail subsequently and their relation to the supervisor role outlined. One thing that virtual supervisors must confront, which is almost absent in non - virtual organizations, is the issue of trust. When carrying out one’s responsibilities with other organizational members, it is critical to have trust amongst one another; usually, this is established through face-to-face interaction. Since virtual organizations have eliminated this form of contact, then supervisors have the additional duty of building trust among their subordinates using other methods. Research shows that effective supervisors are able to create trust in virtual environments by encouraging organizational members to become highly responsive to each other (Bradley, Benson, Gibson, Tesluk and McPherson, 2002). Feedback is the key behind sustaining a positive attitude towards one another even when people rarely get to meet each other. Additionally, since it is not possible to share meals or discuss personal matters through this

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Research the historical events and circumstances leading up to and Essay

Research the historical events and circumstances leading up to and involving the creation of the Film Production Code - Essay Example Free speech did not extend to film making industry and motion pictures. The industry was concerned over pointed profanity, suggestive or licentious nudity, inference of sex perversion, illegal trafficking of drugs, white slavery, sex hygiene and venereal diseases, scenes of actual childbirth and ridicule of the clergy. One of the films that were produced in the pre-Code period that accelerated the need for the code was the Sign of the Cross. In addition to being profane, proponents of the code believed that the Film Production Code would do away with evident scenes of nudity that made direct inference to sex and ridiculed the clergy (Dixon et. al., 2008). The code was abandoned since it outgrew its importance as TV technology encroached. Movies were faced with serious competitive threats. With televisions, Americans did not have to leave the comfort of their homes to watch moving pictures. Hollywood decided to offer something that could not get on TV broadcasts, and this was under more restrictive censorship code; Motion Picture Association of America. Thus Film Production Code was abandoned (Gilbert,

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Wearable and performance technology is surging to fashion industry Essay

Wearable and performance technology is surging to fashion industry - Essay Example Products that are both wearable and smart gadgets are used to monitor the emotions and the activity of the user (Gaimster, 2012, 170). The second is the medical and health care category. In this category, the devices require the approval of the FDA or an equivalent body, relative to the country in which the products are on sale. These devices assist in monitoring the user’s vital signs as well as the augmentation of the wearer’s senses (Editorialist, n.d., n.p.). The third is the military and industrial category. In this category, the performance and wearable technology has the ability to transmit and receive real-time data in both industrial and military environments. The fourth category is infotainment. Products under this category have the ability to transmit and receive real-time information for purposes of entertainment as well as espouse the enhancement of the wearer’s lifestyle (SportTechie, n.d., n.p.). To find out more on the employment of technology in fashion, the researcher shall undertake a primary research through use of questionnaires. These questionnaires will contain structured questions that will enable the respondent to provide their opinion on the effects of performance and wearable technology on different sectors in the economy, including the fashion industry. The respondents will be selected from the fashion industry to enable the researcher to acquire relevant information concerning the effects of technology in fashion. The questionnaire to be used for the primary research is attached to this document. Performance and wearable technology has contributed considerably to the development of fitness and wellness, especially through the devices that assist in monitoring an individual’s physical development (Scaturro, 2008, 471). The demand for Performance and wearable technology products in this category comes from professional athletes, managers of corporate wellness programs as well as consumers of recreational fitness.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Classical Music and Jazz Music Essay Example for Free

Classical Music and Jazz Music Essay Music has always been an important element for the humanity. Exist many different kinds of music. For purpose of this paper I’m going to compare classical music with jazz music. This two types of music belong to the category of complex art music. A comparison of classical and jazz music yield some similarities and different and could also lead to an appreciation of this two important category of music. The music called classical, was found in stores and performed regularly by symphonies around the world, in the time of 1600 up to the present. Unlike jazz was found in the early 1900 as some dance band leaders in the southern U.S. began playing this type of music that combined ragtime and blues. Most of the major composer of the classical music until the 20th century were Europeans and the jazz was exposed first by two musicians. Both type of music were know on different parts of Europe. In classical music, both large orchestras and small ensemble are used. The largest part of the orchestra consist of the string section consisting of violins, violas, cellos, string basses and wind instruments. On the other hand jazz music can be played by small group of people. In jazz they use different instruments like clarinet, tuba, cornet, baritone, drums and piano. Similarly to classical music, jazz used some wind instruments. In addition we have a different of audience of this two kind of music. The jazz music attracts an really cultural and hip audience. This is because jazz concerts usually are in opens spaces around the world and in night clubs and you don’t need to pay a ticket to go and appreciate the music. Unlike classical music attracts more elite and rich people. This is because the concerts of classical music are on different amphitheaters and closed spaces and you need to pay for a expensive ticket. To conclude, we can say that this to types of music have their unique style, but both of them represents two approaches to Art Music. This two types of music are important and carry a great and special history. Also this to type of music, allow people to relax while hearing this music. If I need to pick between this two types of music, I prefer the jazz music because is more accessibly for us and it’s transmit more emotions.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Strategies for Pricing, Promotion and Marketing Analysis

Strategies for Pricing, Promotion and Marketing Analysis Product Cost Literature Review We all are exposed to marketing in one or the other form everyday. Every time we buy or use a product, go window shopping, watch an advertisement, find a new product or someone telling about it. Marketing outputs are very familiar and are not as narrow as people generally know. Marketing is not just advertising, selling or making people buy things they want or they don’t. Marketing infact covers a wide range of absolutely essential business activities that bring us the products we want them, when we want them, where we want them, with all information. (Kotler P and Keller K, 2006) â€Å"Marketing is the management process that is responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirements profitably†. (CIM, 2001) â€Å"Marketing is the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion and distribution of ideas, goods and services to create exchange and satisfy individual and organisational objectives†. (AMA, 1985) A definition that includes the important elements of both the AMA and CIM definitions, but still embraces the evolving relationship orientation is offered by Gronroos (1997). â€Å"Marketing is to establish, maintain and enhance relationship with customers and other partners at a profit, so that the objectives of the partners, at a profit, so that the objectives of the parties involved are met. This is achieved by mutual exchange and fulfilment of promises†. (Gronroos C, 1997) Marketing management is the act and science of choosing target markets and getting, keeping and growing customers through creating, delivering and communicating superior customer value. (Kottler.P , Keller.K 2006) Marketing is a management process. Marketing involves management skills, requires planning, analysis, resource allocation, control and investment in terms of money, skilled people and physical resources. It also requires implementation monitoring and evaluation. Marketing fulfills customer requirement profitably Marketer has to work within the resource capabilities of the organisation and specifically work within the agreed budgets and performance targets set for the marketing function. Marketing identifies and anticipates customer requirements. Marketer creates some sort of offering only after researching the market and pinpointing exactly what the customer want. Marketing is about giving customers what they want It implies a focus towards the customer or end consumer of the product or service. (Kotler P and Keller K, 2006) Marketing offers and exchanges ideas, goods and services. The idea of marketing is an exchange process, organisation offers a product or service and the customer offers a sum of money in return. (Brassington F and Pettit S, 2006) Marketing deals with identifying and meeting human and social needs, one of the shortest definitions is â€Å"meeting needs profitably†. (Kotler P and Keller K, 2006) Marketing management tasks Capturing marketing insights Developing marketing strategies Connecting with customers Shaping the market offerings Delivering value Communicating value Creating long term growth (Kotler P and Keller K, 2006) The marketing mix is one of the dominant ideas in modern marketing. Marketing mix consists of everything the firm can do to influence the demand for its product. The many possibilities gather into 4 P’s. They are Product, Price, Place and Promotion. â€Å"The set of controllable tactical marketing tools– product, price, place and promotion- that blends to produce the response it wants in the target market. Marketing Mix Variety Advertising List price Channels Quality Promotions Discounts Coverage Design Personal selling Allowances Assortments Features Publicity Payment period Locations Brand name Direct selling Credit terms Inventory Packaging Transport Services Warranties Target Market (Kotler et al, 2001, p98) THE 4 Ps of Marketing The four strategies of the marketing mix (product, price, promotion and place) are interconnected. The marketing mix is one of the dominant ideas in modern marketing. Action in one affects decisions in another. It is the set of controllable tactical marketing tools that blends to give or meet the market needs. Target population must be first selected and then the strategies are applied towards. Marketing mix consists of everything that can influence the demand of the product. PRODUCT- Product can be a tangible object or a service offered by a company to the target market. A product can be any physical object, services, person, places, organisation and ideas that are offered to a market for acquisition, attention, consumption or use that satisfies the customer needs or wants. There are different product levels depending on the customer value hierarchy, they are; core benefit, basic product, expected product, augmented product, potential product. PRICE – Price is the amount of money charged for a product or service rendered, it is also the sum of value that consumers exchange for the benefits of having, using satisfying their needs or wants of the product or service. PROMOTION – Promotion are the activities that communicate the merits of the product or service that persuade the target customer to buy them. Special promotion offers like cash discount, rebates, offers etc. PLACE – Place is all the activities that a companies carries to make the product reach and available to the market. Place is also the distribution channel and distribution of the product or service in the most advantageous and best way possible to the target customer. (Kotler et al, 2001, p98), (Kotler P and Keller K, 2006), (Lancaster G and Massingham L, 1993, p100) Promotion The communication of merits of the product and persuading the customer to purchase is promotion. The benefits of the product have to be communicated to the customers for earning profits and gaining sales. The process of communicating with various form or promotion mix is known as promotion. (Kotler et al, 2001, p98) Promotion mix Promotion mix is the blend of promotional tools, which are, advertising, sales promotion, personal selling, sales force, direct marketing and public relations. These promotional tools are used to communicate or spread awareness to the customers. These tools have different characteristics and costs. Total marketing communications programme carried by a company or a business is called the promotional mix. (Kotler et al, 2001), (Michael J. Barker, 2003) Advertising Any paid form of non-personal communication of ideas or products through the medium or channel like television, newspapers, magazines, hoardings, posters, radio, cinema etc by an identified sponsor. Advertising include not only business firms, but also museums, charitable organisations, and Government agencies that direct messages to target publics. Advertisements are cost-effective way to disseminate messages, whether to build brand preference or to educate people. (Kotler. P, p590, 2005) The intention of advertisement is to inform and to persuade. The two basic aspects of advertising are the message that has to be communicated and how to be communicated. (Keith Crosier, 1998a) Personal Selling Personal selling is one of the effective tools of promotion mix involving an interactive relationship between the seller and the buyer. It is more effective in building up buyer preference, conviction and action. (Philip Kotler, 2005, p580 ; Kotler P and Keller K, 2006, p556) Sales Promotion Sales promotion is used for short run effects to promote product offers and to push sagging sales. Through sales promotion, companies get better, stronger and quicker response from the customers. Ex- contests, coupons, premiums, offers-buy one get one etc.(Philip Kotler, 2005, p580) Public relation or Publicity It is to build good relationship between the public and the company by favourable publicity, thereby building image. Lower in cost compared to advertising. It is most of the times the communication of a product, brand or business by placing information about it in the media without paying for the time or media directly. (Kotler et al, 2001, p690) Direct marketing Direct marketing is an interactive system of marketing that uses one or more advertising media to effect a measurable response or transaction at any location. Direct connections with carefully targeted individual consumers to both obtain an immediate response and cultivate lasting customer relationships by using telephone, mail, e-mail, internet, fax etc. to communicate directly with specific consumer alternative. (Bennett P D, 1995), (Betts et al., CIM, 1998) (Terance A. Shimp, 1997, p386) Promotion mix Advertising Builds awareness, public presentation (impersonal) Repetition of brand awareness and product helps in positioning and build customer trust Personal Selling Immediate and interactive lots of communication between the buyer and seller, sales call are costly. Communicating complex and deeper product information and features. Relationships can be built up important if closing the sale make take a long time. Sales Promotion Can stimulate sales by targeting promotional incentives on particular products Effective short term promotional tool. Public Relations News, stories and features are more authentic and credible. Cheap way of reaching many customers if the publicity is achieved through the right media but lose control. Direct Marketing Direct interaction with targeted individual consumers. Communication can be personalised and activities less visible to competitors. (David Jobber, 2001),( William G. Zikmund and Michael d’Amico, 1998), Kotler P and Keller K, 2006, p555-6) Advertising â€Å"Advertising is any paid form of non personal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods and services by an identified sponsor†.(AMA, 1963) â€Å"Advertising is the non-personal communication of marketing related information to a target audience, usually paid for by the advertiser, and delivered through the mass media in order to reach the specific objectives of the sponsor†(Burnett, 1993) Advertising: Its role and structure Developments in magazines, radio and television have had a tremendous impact of advertising. Apart from marketing, advertising may also serve several other functions in the economy and in the society. (Bovee C. L and Arens W. L, 1992) A hierarchy of effects model proposes that ads can move consumers closer to buying step by step, from being unaware, to knowledge, to liking, to preference, to desire, to purchase. The basic functions of advertising are- Precipitation- Create awareness and stimulate needs and wants. Persuasion- Encourage action and commitment Reinforcement- Support customer’s past decisions Reminder- Create habit Advertisings have the ability to add value to the brand as they are capable of endowing a brand with a symbolic meaning that makes more value in the consumer’s eye. (Kotler P and Keller K, 2006, p556) Advertising performs the communication function of a company, which the company has faith on. The main function of advertising are informing, persuading, reminding, adding value and assisting other company efforts. Informing: Advertising makes consumer aware of brands, new brand, educates about the features and benefits, builds brand image or forming o it by reaching the mass audience at a low cost per head. It also increases demand for existing product, teaches new uses of product and awareness. Persuading: Advertisements persuades or try to push the consumers and customers to try the advertised products and services. At chances there is also demand created for the secondary product of the brand. Reminding: Advertisements make the brand memorable by recalling them, they also remind customers of their purchases, influences the consumer’s interest in mature brand bears influence on brand switchers by letting them know about the other. Assisting other company efforts: Advertisement assists other company efforts by carrying the information or spreading the awareness of sales promotion to consumers(coupons, offers). It also helps the consumers in recognising the product or brand by showing the packaging and design on television, hoardings and magazines. (Shimp T. A., 2000) Advantages of advertisements Advertising provides an introduction to the company and its products Advertising explains the products new features Advertisements are more economical Advertisements offering brochures generate leads to sales people Advertisements tell people how to use the products and make them aware of their right purchase. (Kotler P and Keller K, 2006, p556) Advertisings have the capability to compliment the other promotional mix elements, like- Delivering sales promotions directly and supporting them indirectly, carrying public relations messages and announcing public relations activities, it also presells the salesperson’s product. Thereby advertising increases sales and profitability. (Burnett, 1993) The economic impact of advertising can be linked to the opening shot in billiards, a chain reaction that affects the company that advertises as well as its competitors, customers and the business community. On the otherside or broaderscale, advertising is often considered the trigger on mass distribution system that enables the manufacturers to produce the products in high volume, at low prices, standardised quality. Advertising adds value to products, makes products more or less expensive, affects total consumer demand, encourages or discourages competition, narrows or widens consumer choice and affects national business cycles. Advertising influences in an economy that produces more goods and services that can be consumed. (Bovee C. L and Arens W. L, 1992). Advertising is expensive and its effects are uncertain, moreover sometimes it takes time to impact on consumer behaviour. Functions and effects of advertisements as a marketing tool To stimulate the distribution of a product To lower the overall cost of sales To build brand preference and loyalty To identify products and differentiate them from others To communicate information about product, its features and its location of sale To induce consumers to try new products and to suggest reuse. (Bovee C. L and Arens W. L, 1992) The magnitude of advertising Advertising is a big business. USA’s expenditure on advertisements alone total to 200 million dollars as of 1998. Some American companies invest more than 1 billion dollar a year on domestic product. (Coen R. J, 1997) Advertising is investment in brand equity bank Brand’s equity is enhanced by marketing communications that create brand awareness thereby leading to strong, favourable and unique relation in the consumer’s memory between brand, feature and its benefits. (Aaker D. A., 1993). A brand is differentiated from competitive offering from price competition. (Boulding W, 1994) Advertising affects on building brands Advertising helps to build brands by communicating value and adding personality. It is only advertising that can do this task well. Advertising is essential to build consumer perception of brand values in market. (Randall, 1994, p 16) Advertising cannot be evaluated separately and it is an extricable part of total brand. The sales of brand are associated with the advertising expenditure as they are directly proportional. Advertising takes the sales up and down with the increase and decrease with proportion to the communication spread to the consumers of the market. Mraket have instinctive and correct feeling that the brand is the most valued property that evaporates unless supported properly by investment in advertising. (Arnold, D 1993) Brand A brand is a name, term, sign, symbol or design or combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group sellers and to differentiate them from those of competitors. -American Marketing Association Ultimately, a brand is something that resides in the mind of customer. â€Å"A brand is every sign that is capable of distinguishing the goods or services of a company.† In this definition, the stress is on ‘sign’ and ‘distinguishing’. A sign may be a word, picture or form mark. The brand name is that part of the brand that can be pronounced. A brand name can serve as a characteristic in the recognition of the branded article.(Riezebos.R et al, p-33,63,85, 2003) Brands are fundamentally important to the survival and success of many firms for which companies have to manage them correctly. Strong brands are powerful and profitable yet there are many challenges and threats continuing strength and their existence. Branding is a fundamental strategic process that involves all parts of the firm in its delivery. Brand must always deliver value which must be defined in consumer terms. Brand has a continuing relationship with its buyers and users, this may change overtime but the company should always work on it to maintain it. Branding must be continuously adapted so that it is both efficient and effective due to the threat of growing competition. (Randall G, 2000, p1-5) The connection of Zippo lighters, Swatch watches or Mont blanc pens. With all the views it feels that a brand is something different from a product. When Virgin first started, it sold music as a product. Later the Virgin brand was built up and now is in various fields like airlines, cola, railways and financial services. It is now definitely a brand. A brand has an existence that is more than an actual product or service, it has a life of its own that feeds on the original product but also carries its original values and identify into new product areas. â€Å"A product is something that is made in factory and brand is something that is bought by a consumer† (Randall G, 2000, p1-5) It is every human being’s nature to invent and build brand values in each individual head. We do it with people, we do it with animals and we do it with inanimate objects. The skill of brand management is to see that each consumer is offered the right raw materials from which he or she will build the brand as the brand owner would prefer.(Randall G, 2000, p1-5) A brand is not an objective fact, it is made up of a million or more individual and subjective assessments. (Bullmore, 1999) Hankinson and Cowking (1993) have described brand definition under six headings; Visual Perceptual Positioning Added value Image Personality (Hankinson, G and Cowking, P,1993) Brand Image and Brand Identity Brand image- Brand image is what exists in the minds of consumers and the entire information of the brand they have received by word of mouth, advertising, packaging, experience, service etc. modified by perception, previous beliefs, social norms and forgetting. Brand image is what exists. Brand identity- Brand identity is what is under control and what is transmitted to the market. A strong brand is one that has a consistent, coherent identity. (Randall G, 2000, p1-5). Brand identity consists of twelve dimensions organised around four perspectives- the brand as product(scope, attributes, quality or value, uses, users, country of origin), brand as organisation (organisational attributes, local versus global), brand as person (brand personality, customer relationships), and brand as symbol (visual imagery and heritage). (Randall G, 2000, p68) As per Randall, (1993) brands perform five man functions for consumers. Identity- Brand must identify itself clearly and unambiguously, so name, legal protection and design elements are important. Shorthand summary- The identity should act as a summary of all the information the consumer holds about the brand. Security- Brand should guarantee to provide the benefits expected. Differentiation- The brand must clearly differentiate itself from its competitors and shows its uniqueness. Added value- Brand must offer more than the generic product. (Randall, G, 1993) One more view of brand is to excel in their offering product like price such as Asda, functional benefit such as Toyota or psychological benefit such as Timotei. (Davidson, H, 1997) When General Motors (GM) and Toyota both marketed a car produced by them in joint venture and cars were functionally identical but were branded as Toyota and Geo Prizm. In the course of 1990-94, Toyota were able to sell 200,000 Corollas at US $ 11,000 each and GM were able to sell only 80,000 and that to with a lower price of US $ 10,700. This shows the greater power of the Toyota brand over the other. This shows the perception of quality in consumer’s mind with respect to brand. (Almquist et al, 1998) Brands in Takeovers Nestle made a takeover bid for Rowntree at a premium due to the brand equity or value by Rowntree. The premium was not paid for the present performance of the brand but for their future potential. Nestle made kitkat the truly European brand. Brand Equity Brand equity is a set of liabilities and assets which are attached to a brand, its value, name, symbol of a company to that of the customers. They are grouped under five categories. Brand loyalty Name awareness Perceived quality Brand association in addition to perceived quality Other proprietary brand assets-patents, trademarks, channel relationships etc. (Aaker D A, 1991, p8) Celebrity Endorsements (Brand Ambassadors) Celebrities are individuals who enjoy public acknowledgment by a large share of a certain group of people. Their attributes like attractiveness, skills, extraordinary lifestyle are observed, They also differ from the social norm and take pleasure in a high degree of public awareness. Few classic examples of celebrities like, Meg Ryan, Pierce Brosnan, models like Naomi Campbell, Gisele Buendchen, sports persons like Anna Kournikova, Michael Schumacher entertainers like Oprah Winfrey, Conan O’Brien, and pop stars e.g. Madonna, David Bowie, Britney Spears and Rihanna and also business class or groups like Donald Trump, Bill Gates or politicians like Bill Clinton, Tony Blair. Appearances of celebrities are in different ways. Initially, when they appear in their actual profession (Tennis players in Wimbledon) like Anna Kournikova Pete Sampras. Later, their appearance in public by attending special celebrity events like world premieres of movies and academy awards, in news, magazine s provide information on events and the personal life of celebrities through mass-media. Celebrities act as spokespeople in advertising to promote products, services and ideas. (Kambitsis et al. 2002, Tom et al. 1992). Celebrities like Britney Spears, Michael Jackson, Liz Hurley and Tiger Woods are paid billions of dollars for every contract with the company or brand as they play a major role in advertising industry. (Daneshvary, Rennae and Schwer, 2000, Kambitsis et al. 2002). For example, Famous Tennis player Venus Williams has been endorsed by the sportswear manufacturer Reebok International Inc. for $40 million and five year contract. Advertising with the use of celebrities create enormous publicity and attention of people. (Ohanian 1991) Celebrities as Spokespersons Spokespersons are generally used by companies to deliver their advertising message and convince consumers of their products or brands. Spokesperson who are popular and are widely known are endorsed by companies, thereby celebrity endorser (Tom et al. 1992). â€Å"A celebrity endorser is an individual who is known by the people for their achievements in their fields other than the product class endorsed.† (Friedman and Friedman, 1979, p63). Actress Catherine Zeta-Jones endorses the perfume manufactured by Elizabeth Arden (cosmetic manufacturer). Celebrities are endorsed due to their high influential potential capability and their higher recall and degree of attention in advertising. Advertising with celebrities create positive feelings towards brands, more entertaining and increases company’s awareness, Advertising with celebrities are likely affect consumers brand attitudes and purchase behaviour. (Solomon 2002) Source Credibility and Attractiveness The main intention of advertising is to persuade customers, attempt to modify or change consumer’s attitude towards brands (Solomon 2002). Celebrity endorsement strategy by advertisers enables to project an image in terms of persuasiveness, objectiveness, expertise, and trustworthiness. (Till and Shimp 1998). Source attractiveness- It is the endorser’s individuality, physical appearance, likeability, and similarity to the consumer perception, thereby to the perceived social value (Solomon 2002). Using celebrities or attractive people in television and print advertising is common practice followed and have proved to be more successful in influencing customer’s attitudes and beliefs. (Ohanian 1991) The Match-up Hypothesis Many research studies have showed the relativity between brand and celebrity endorsers and explained the effectiveness of using them to promote brands. Many of the celebrity endorsements proved to be successful. (Walker et al. 1992). Celebrity Endorser Company/Product Success (Yes/No) Liz Hurley Estee Lauder Yes Cindy Crawford Revlon PepsiCo Yes Yes Bruce Willis Seagrams No Michael Jordan Nike WorldCom Yes No Whitney Houston ATT No Jerry Seinfeld American Express Yes Milla Jovovich L’Oreal Yes (Successful and unsuccessful celebrity endorsements Source, Walker et al. 1992, Till 1998) It is not enough for a person to be just famous to endorse (Solomon 2002). Super stars like Bruce Willis and Whitney Houston who were attractive failed in their endorsements. Celebrity spokespersons should be knowledgeable, experienced, and qualified to talk about the product to be effective on consumer. (Tom et al. 1992, Daneshvary and Schwer 2000) References Philip Kotler, (2005), Marketing Management, 11th edition, Pearson Education, India AMA, (1985), ‘AMA Board approves new marketing definition’ Marketing news, 1st March, p1. Brassington F and Pettit S, (2006), ‘Principles of marketing’ 4th edition, Pearson education, England. Gronroos, C, (1997), ‘From marketing mix to relationship marketing- Towards a paradigm shift in marketing management decision 35(4), pp322-39. Kotler P and Keller L K, (2006), Marketing management, 12th edition, Prentice Hall, USA. Kotler P, Armstrong G, Saunders J and Wong V, (2001), Principles of marketing, 3rd European edition, Prentice Hall, UK Peter D. Bennett, (1995), Dictionary of marketing terms, American Marketing Association, Chicago. Keith Crosier, (1998a), Advertising, in kitchen, P.J.(ed.) Marketing Communication: Principles and practice, International Thompson Business Press, London. Michael J. Barker, (2003), The marketing book, 5th edition, Heinemann publication, Great Britain. Betts et al., CIM, (1998), Promotional Practice, 5th edition, BPP publishing, London. William G. Zikmund and Michael d’Amico, (1998), Effective marketing-Creating and keeping customers, International Thompson Publishing, USA. Terance A. Shimp, (1997), Aspects of integrated marketing communication, The Dryden press, USA. Lancaster G and Massingham L, (1993), Marketing management, McGraw Hill Company, Great Britain David Jobber, (2001), Principles and practice of marketing, McGraw Hill publishing company, UK. CIM, (2001), Marketing management, BPP publishing, London.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Impact of Foreign Remittances on Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction

INTRODUCTION: Remittances typically refer to transfers of money by foreign workers to their home countries. Remittances are not a new phenomenon in the world, being a normal associated to migration which has always been a part of human history. Remittances are playing an important role in the economies of many developing and low income countries. Pakistan is a labour abundant country; hence, as neoclassical theory shows, if workers are unable to find jobs and/or wages to satisfy their needs, they will look elsewhere. Pakistan’s history provides us with a new trend of emigration nearly each decade. Remittance is an important source of foreign exchange earnings for Pakistan since 1970. During the past four decade Pakistan received significant amount of remittances, however, fluctuation were also observed in the inflow of remittances. Inflow of remittances affects economic growth positively by reducing current account deficit, improving the balance of payment position and reducing dependence o n external borrowing (Iqbal and Sttar, 2005). Pakistan like other developing countries in the world is known for its high migration and workers’ remittance. It is argued that this high migration is the result of poor economic conditions of the country because the economy is facing so many problems like unemployment, illiteracy, poverty, inflation, and terrorism etc. The people of Pakistan are migrating to foreign countries in search of job and to change their living standards. It is also argued that due to the high level of unemployment individuals are going abroad to get the employment and livelihood for their family and this unemployment is creating the problem of brain drain. The effect of remittances is not only multidimensional but in ... ...A.(2012), â€Å"Worker’s Remittances and Economic Growth in South Asia†,MPRA Paper 39001, University Library of Munich, Germany. Katsushi, S. I., Raghav, G.,Abdilahi, A., and Nidhi Kaicker,(2011), "Remittances, Growth and Poverty: New Evidence from Asian Countries," Discussion Paper Series DP2011-30, Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Kobe University. Levine, R. (1997), â€Å"Financial Development and Economic Growth: Views and Agenda† Journal of Economic Literature, 35(2), 688–72. Qayyum,A., Javid,M., and Arif,U.(2008), â€Å"Impact of Remittances on Economic Growth and Poverty: Evidence from Pakistan†,MPRA Paper 22941, University Library of Munich, Germany. Siddiqi,R., and Kemal,A. R.,(2006,â€Å"Remittances, Trade Liberalisation, and Poverty in Pakistan: The Role of Excluded Variables in Poverty Change Analysis,"PIDE-Working Papers 2006:1.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Cherokee Indians Essay examples -- essays research papers fc

Cherokee Nation Before invasion of the Americans onto Cherokee territory, the Cherokee lived in peace and harmony. Keetoowah is the name of the ancient Cherokee town in the eastern homelands, said to be the â€Å"Mother Town† of the people (Conley 18). Many of the Cherokee Indians originated here according to the traditions. They referred themselves as Ani-Kituwagi, meaning Keetoowah People, or Ani-yunwi-ya, the Real People (Conley 27). The fertile lands of the Keetoowah were filled of many resources, but as the population grew too large for the town, many people had moved out and built new towns. Overtime, many towns were built one after another. Soon, there were approximately 200 scattered tribes over vast areas that consisted of a number of politically independent tribes comprised of a war chief and peace chief as there government (King 95). Each tribe was politically independent due to the fact they didn’t want a powerful central government; the idea that any one person had supreme power. Thus, tribes were held together by a common culture, language, and tradition.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tradition played an important role in Cherokee clans. It made sure certain elements of a culture from generation to generation were passed down. Such as, the traditional matrilineal Cherokee family structure, which means descent, is traced through the female line (Conley 24). The children belonged to the mother and her family clan. There was not any relatedness with the father and he’s family clan. This family structure provided a safe and secure environment for women and children. Also, it meant the man lived in the wife’s house, surrounded by her clan’s people, so he would not dare to abuse her unless he wanted a tribal beating. Women were largely incorporated into the tribes. Not only was she the head of her domain with mutually respected power and authority, she had equal say in the affairs of war and peace. She was also in charge of the household and nourishment of her family (Lehochy). The women were involved in many functions of daily l ife. It seems as if the women were the tribe, but not for long.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Years after the first American contact, European traders living amongst would marry Cherokee women. European traders could not accept that fact of tracing descent through the female line, but slowly the clan system gave into the European... ...despair. After the first encounters with Americans, the Cherokee Nation was deteriorating. For instance, Cherokee family structures were changing, vast amounts of lands were being ceded to Americans, and Cherokee Indians were forced from their lands. Overtime, this constant chipping away at the Cherokee Nation, lead to the final Indian removal from homelands and the demise of the Cherokee Nation in southeastern United States. Works Cited â€Å"Aspect of Cherokee Women’s Social, Domestic, and Political Roles.† Lehochy, Wather. 11 Oct. 2004 . â€Å"Cherokee.† 10 Oct. 2004 . â€Å"Cherokee Messenger.† Vhenrichs@earthlink.net. 10 Oct. 2004 Conley, Robert, J. Cherokee. Portland: Graphic Arts Center Publishing Co., 2002. â€Å"Early Tennessee History and Cherokee History.† Smith, Ray. 11 Oct. 2004 . Ehle, John. Trail of Tears. New York: Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc., 1925. â€Å"History of the Cherokee.† Martin, Ken. Admin@cherokeehistory.com. 10 Oct. 2004 . King, Duane, H. The Cherokee Indian Nation. Knoxville: The University of Tennessee Press, 1979. â€Å"Trail of Tears.† Carrielynn1970@iwon.com. 10 Oct. 2004 http://home.bellsouth.net/p/s/community.dll?ep=16&groupid=104393&ck=/. Cherokee Indians Essay examples -- essays research papers fc Cherokee Nation Before invasion of the Americans onto Cherokee territory, the Cherokee lived in peace and harmony. Keetoowah is the name of the ancient Cherokee town in the eastern homelands, said to be the â€Å"Mother Town† of the people (Conley 18). Many of the Cherokee Indians originated here according to the traditions. They referred themselves as Ani-Kituwagi, meaning Keetoowah People, or Ani-yunwi-ya, the Real People (Conley 27). The fertile lands of the Keetoowah were filled of many resources, but as the population grew too large for the town, many people had moved out and built new towns. Overtime, many towns were built one after another. Soon, there were approximately 200 scattered tribes over vast areas that consisted of a number of politically independent tribes comprised of a war chief and peace chief as there government (King 95). Each tribe was politically independent due to the fact they didn’t want a powerful central government; the idea that any one person had supreme power. Thus, tribes were held together by a common culture, language, and tradition.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tradition played an important role in Cherokee clans. It made sure certain elements of a culture from generation to generation were passed down. Such as, the traditional matrilineal Cherokee family structure, which means descent, is traced through the female line (Conley 24). The children belonged to the mother and her family clan. There was not any relatedness with the father and he’s family clan. This family structure provided a safe and secure environment for women and children. Also, it meant the man lived in the wife’s house, surrounded by her clan’s people, so he would not dare to abuse her unless he wanted a tribal beating. Women were largely incorporated into the tribes. Not only was she the head of her domain with mutually respected power and authority, she had equal say in the affairs of war and peace. She was also in charge of the household and nourishment of her family (Lehochy). The women were involved in many functions of daily l ife. It seems as if the women were the tribe, but not for long.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Years after the first American contact, European traders living amongst would marry Cherokee women. European traders could not accept that fact of tracing descent through the female line, but slowly the clan system gave into the European... ...despair. After the first encounters with Americans, the Cherokee Nation was deteriorating. For instance, Cherokee family structures were changing, vast amounts of lands were being ceded to Americans, and Cherokee Indians were forced from their lands. Overtime, this constant chipping away at the Cherokee Nation, lead to the final Indian removal from homelands and the demise of the Cherokee Nation in southeastern United States. Works Cited â€Å"Aspect of Cherokee Women’s Social, Domestic, and Political Roles.† Lehochy, Wather. 11 Oct. 2004 . â€Å"Cherokee.† 10 Oct. 2004 . â€Å"Cherokee Messenger.† Vhenrichs@earthlink.net. 10 Oct. 2004 Conley, Robert, J. Cherokee. Portland: Graphic Arts Center Publishing Co., 2002. â€Å"Early Tennessee History and Cherokee History.† Smith, Ray. 11 Oct. 2004 . Ehle, John. Trail of Tears. New York: Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc., 1925. â€Å"History of the Cherokee.† Martin, Ken. Admin@cherokeehistory.com. 10 Oct. 2004 . King, Duane, H. The Cherokee Indian Nation. Knoxville: The University of Tennessee Press, 1979. â€Å"Trail of Tears.† Carrielynn1970@iwon.com. 10 Oct. 2004 http://home.bellsouth.net/p/s/community.dll?ep=16&groupid=104393&ck=/.

The Bible: The Book of Daniel Essay -- Religion, Nebuchadnezzar

Traditionally, a prophet gives a message from God to His people. Another way Daniel sways from being a typical Old Testament Prophet is that He interprets God’s messages, yet sometimes he was not the original recipient of the message. A vision, dream, or miraculous event happens and Daniel is called in to give an interpretation of what God’s message is in this happening. As Daniel was like John in the book of Revelation with his writing style, he is much like Joseph in the book of Genesis in his prophetical style. Another difficulty for Hebrew scripture is that these pagan Gentile leaders were the ones to whom God originally imparted His visions. In some circumstances, Daniel was called to miraculously tell the details of the vision before giving his God given interpretation. It is no wonder that even if Daniel was available to be put into the prophetic section, a staunch Israelite would not have placed him in this area. His prophecies and writing are focused upon Gent iles. He uses an apocalyptic literary style and on top of this His messages are not always delivered to Him from God in a normal prophetical style. In chapter seven, Daniel dreams a dream of four beasts. The first is like a winged lion, the second is like a bear with three ribs in its mouth, the third is a four headed, four winged leopard, and the last one is the worst of all and destroys the first three. It has ten horns and a small eleventh horn comes up and yanks out three of the horns. This little horn had eyes and a mouth. The vision is interpreted for Daniel. The four beasts are four kingdoms. The fourth kingdom will be greater than all the previous kingdoms and its ten horns represent the ten kings of that kingdom. The eleventh king will subdue three of th... ... that the part which would be the breast and the arms of silver will crush the former kingdoms just as iron crushes in real life. The kingdom will retain some of its strength, but as it moves into the feet, it is now a divided kingdom. Just as it retains some of its strength, the clay shows that it has gained some weakness. The iron and clay mingled shows the inner mingling of these peoples. The final image in the dream is the stone that becomes a mountain and engulfs the entire world. This is not only the fifth but it is also the final kingdom made by God that will never be taken over by another kingdom. It also will end all other kingdoms. Daniel ends his interpretation and recollection of the dream by saying, â€Å"the great God has made known to the king what will take place in the future; so the dream is true, and its interpretation is trustworthy† (Daniel 2:45).

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Algurashi Company

Designing and Planning are two factors that exist before a project comes into operation. Since the two processes are subject to the object we design or plan, it is clear that the specific guidelines may vary in reality. For example, people who intend to build a bridge might have different tools and requirement then ones who intend to build a theatre. Hence, in construction management, the requirement for tendering a project is different from others. There are many particular products in construction management such as roads, offices, apartments, hotels, factories, and houses.Meanwhile, the activities in the industry involve building a completely new structure or merely modifications of existing ones. Concerning the construction business, this paper will discuss about the application of a concept to the start-up of a construction and/or real estate development company. This paper acts as a preliminary proposal for starting new construction company, named Algurashi Company. 2. Segment( s) of construction industry The development of economy has increased the demands for many kinds of buildings to fulfill retail and corporate customers.However, in general, there are three major segments in construction business; they are general contractors or building contractors that build various kinds of building such as industrial, residential/homes, and commercial buildings (U. S. Department of Labor: Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2005). Second type of contractors is civil engineering contractors. They duty involves the development and build of bridges, roads, sewers, and highways, to name a few. The Third type is special trade contractors.This contractor conducts activities that occurs during the construction activities such as electrical set up and installation, plumbing, painting etcetera (U. S. Department of Labor: Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2005). Concerning type of contractors, Algurashi Company is a construction company that acts as a general contractor especially servin g the residential/homes buildings. The reason of this choice is because the number of residential building grows at faster rate than commercial buildings and customers may change or perform home renovation several times to fulfill their needs. 3. Phases of the development processThe most interesting part in conducting residential construction industry is the products are heavily customized and thus it will give Algurashi Company many experience of dealing with different kind of customers and home designs. Therefore, Algurashi Company will be a general contractor that both design and build residential buildings. However, in the first step, Algurashi Company will focus on building residential building and works with several home designers (architects). At the next stage, the company may obtain some qualified architects to join the company to provide or more complete services to customers.Since greater revenue comes from providing services to customers/home owners, at later stage, when Algurashi Company has developed housing that composes of teens or hundreds houses or apartments, the company may become the property management as well that provides the company with monthly revenue. However, during the development process, Algurashi Company must carefully take their steps in developing their business especially concerning the financing scheme to fund the company’s operation. Another challenging step for start-ups is to gather a sum of money to fund their operational cost as well as the capital expenditure.If entrepreneurs develop start-ups with valuable experience in conducting business in other firm, it is just the matter of creating a good business proposal to attract investors. There are various source of funding available for start-ups such as personal saving, family members, banks’ loan, and venture capitalists. Personal saving is the least risky way since it does not provide any interest. While venture capitalist is a professional investors who may be in charge of a large pool of capital gathered from a range of sources (Isidro, 2004). 4. Type of company formationSince construction business requires a huge amount of money, Algurashi Company would be better to set up joint ventures with other company. By definition, joint venture is a contractual agreement between two or more companies to form a new company aims at executing a particular business undertaking. In this business model, all signed parties commit to share in the profits and losses of the company (WebFinance, 2005). There are at least three benefits of forming a joint venture as a way to expanding business and grab new opportunities as following:? Providing the new company (joint venture) with opportunity to grab new capacity and expertise ? Allowing the new company to explore business opportunities in new geographic market or obtain new technological knowledge ? Offering the new company with creative ways of doing business out of core competence (Kotelnikov, 20 01) 5. Organization chart/duties Following figure is the organization structure for the Algurashi Company. This proposed organization takes into account strengths and benefits of possible joint venture in the future in order to perform well in the new company. Reference:Isidro, Isabel M. (2003). How to Raise Money to Start a Business. PowerHomeBiz. com. Retrieved September 28, 2007 from http://www. powerhomebiz. com/vol8/HowtoRaise. htm Kotelnikov, Vadim. (2001). Joint Ventures (JVs). Retrieved September 28, 2007 from http://www. 1000ventures. com/business_guide/jv_main. html U. S. Department of Labor: Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2005). Construction. Retrieved September 28, 2007 from http://www. bls. gov/oco/cg/cgs003. htm WebFinance. (2005). Joint Venture. Retrieved September 28, 2007 from http://www. investorwords. com/2671/joint_venture. html

Monday, September 16, 2019

Relationship between Parent and Child Essay

When I was younger, scraped knees were a daily thing and whenever that happened I would always run to the most important person in my life for help: my mom. To a child, a parent is someone that can care for and love them. Children start their attachments during infancy. Moreover does a person have to be biologically related to be a parent to a child, and does it affect the relationship to a child’s understanding. Of the many different relationships we form over the course of a life span, the relationship between parent and child is among the most important. A baby cries, a parent feeds her; a baby snuggles, a parent hugs her. When distressed, babies turn to the person who satisfies their needs. When babies or even children get hurt they rely on their parents for help. They would cry until safely in their mothers or fathers arms. see more:life in 2050 essay I know this because not only did I do that as a child but I have a little cousin, a niece, and nephew who would run to their parents every time they were hurt, even if it was a little scratch. However some children never experience love and compassion from their parents. Like lily; form the book The Secret Life of Bees, her mother left her at a young age. Her father on the other hand, became cruel and mean toward lily. Given this, lily started developing feelings of being ‘unlovable’. This leaves the child without a secure attachment and then doesn’t stand a good chance of developing happy, competent relationships with others. Therefore, it goes to show that a child looks to their parents for care and love. By the end of the first year, most infants who are cared for in families develop and attachment relationship with their primary caretaker. Some don’t believe this, they assume that children don’t understand anything, therefore they’re unable to create and attachment to a parent or the primary caregiver. But, research proves that a child will develop a strong bond with the one; in most cases the parent, that takes care and loves the child. The attachment between a parent and child doesn’t just stop there but grows more and more with behavior. The more the parent is a part of the child’s life the more the child attaches to them. For me I am more attached to my mom than my dad and it’s because my dad is more boy type but my mom and I are like twin sisters, we understand each other like no one else would. I spend most of my days with her and because of that our relationship is stronger. Children attach to their parents, and thus their  relationship becomes a stronger bond. Parental influence in the life of a child tells us how a child grows to understand life. I believe that a child without a mother loses certain aspects of life. And a child without a father loses a type of understanding and guidance in life. Without a parent the child’s ability to do right fail and they end up looking for that guidance in the wrong groups such as gangs or groups doing drugs. Children need their parents and look up to them for guidance. In addition research proves that a parent does not have to be related to the child, what defines a parent is â€Å"to be or act as parent of: to parent children with both love and discipline.† Lily’s mom died and she was left with an abusive father so she ran away. In the end of the story, she discovered that even though her mother was gone she still and 3 other mothers who loved her. The absence of parental influence can affect a child’s life negatively; however, a parent doesn’t have to be biologically related to be a caretaker. Of the many different relationships we form over the course of a life span, the relationship between parent and child is among the most important. Children need their parents for multiple reasons. Children need the love and care of their parents. The attachment a child has toward their parents only grows with closeness. Without that a child loses important understanding that only a parent could provide. I look up to my parents for guidance and I learn things from their wisdom. My parents are more important to me than anyone else. Who’s the most important person in your life?