Intorduction to Marketing (Report on The National Trust charity Assignment

Intorduction to Marketing (Report on The National Trust charity - Assignment Example The Targeted Audience 7 2.1.3.0 Promotion Activities 7 2.1.3.1. Personal Selling 8 2.1.3.2 Sales Promotion 8 2.1.3.3. Public Relations (PR). 9 2.1.3.4. Direct Mail 9 2.1.3.5. Trade Fairs and Exhibitions 9 2.1.3.6. Advertising 9 2.1.3.7. Sponsorship 10 3.0. Environmental Factors 10 3. 1) Outline what the environmental factors are and explain why marketers in all organisations should monitor these external factors. 10 3.2) Which of these environmental factors might influence your chosen organisation’s (the charity) marketing mix, and in which ways? 11 Competitors 11 Economy 11 Government 11 4.0. Marketing Plan 12 4. 1. Using a current marketing text book, outline (you may use a diagram) what a marketing plan is comprised of, and why it is useful for all companies to use marketing plans. 12 4.0. Conclusion 13 5.0. Bibliography 14 Introduction to Marketing (Report on The National Trust charity) Executive Summary The National Trust Charity is an organization that incorporates both paid staff and volunteers. However, since it is an organization it joins other ordinary organizations in their quest for success. This report is written with regards to different aspects of the report on the National Trust Charity. ... In this regard the introduction will provide both the full time and the volunteers working in this organization. The second part of the report will entail an analysis of the marketing mix. There is a comprehensive outline of the marketing mix of the National Trust Charity that also considers the differences that will apply in an ideal organization. Here, the report will consider the purpose of the charity, target audiences, promotion activities and place. The third part of the report entails the evaluation of the organizational environmental factors with an explanation on the reason as to why marketers in all organizations should monitor the external environmental factors and to determine which of the environmental factors have the capacity to affect the charity marketing mix and the manner of their influence. The last bit of the report will incorporate the elements of a market plan and their importance in any organization before a comprehensive conclusion. 1. Give the name of the or ganisation, state where it is based and an outline of the focus of its activities. Highlight if it has a mission statement. Also, give a brief history of the organisation and a brief overview of the staff that it has. (Full time and volunteers?) 1.0 Introduction The National Trust Charity is an organization that focuses on conservation. The organization is based in England and due to its massive impact, it operate in Northern Ireland and also whales. Since the organization’s intention is to enhance conservation, the organization has geared all its efforts towards the conservation activities. It goes without say that the contemporary issues in conservation are becoming complex and this

Who deserves what kind of education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Who deserves what kind of education - Essay Example These inequivalences have never been explained to this day. Sato and Lensmire (2009) state that underprivileged (poverty-stricken) children are usually stereotyped as inferior students in that their conditions may hinder their learning and they are termed as less-worthy learners. This should not be the case and that is why teachers are today being trained to cater for children of all social classes. The strategies applied include treating all learners as equal, bridging school and home experiences, and connecting between lived sociocultural realities and academic abstractions. Collectively, the idea here is to provide the best (and normal) education to everyone regardless of their social class. Jean Anyon conducted a research on students in five elementary schools to tell whether there was a relationship between social class and the type and level of literacy attained at school. Five elementary schools were evaluated, each set in contrasting social class communities. According to the findings, it was revealed that depending on a school’s social class, the children differed with regards to their symbolic and physical capital, the process of work, and finally, authority (Anyon, 1981). This revelation, therefore suggested the need to maintain uniformity in education (literacy) settings to prevent this bias. Finally, education has been defined by many scholars as a â€Å"banking† process in that learners are taught through narration. This means that they ingest whatever the teacher (banker) provides them without any thinking process involved. According to Freire (1970), such education minimizes the learner’s creative and problem-solving power. In its place, Freire recommends problem-posing education which is more engaging in that the learner is taught how to solve a problem but they are not filled with the solutions. Concisely, this type of education is better at unveiling or

A Study On Computer Aided Design

A Study On Computer Aided Design Before the 1070s, nearly every drawing produced in the world done with pencil or ink on paper. Minor changes require erasing and redrawing while major changes often meant recreating the drawing from the scratch. A change in a drawing will affect the other documents and all of these changes and recognition are done manually which is time consuming (iBM.com, 2003). The introduction of Computer Aided Design (CAD) then makes a change in the way of producing design. CAD is a software application which uses the computer technology in the process of design and design-documentation. Basically, CAD software is used to design curves and figures in two-dimensional (2D) space, curves, surfaces and solids in three-dimensional (3D) objects. CAD software enables the user to produce better streamlining design, drafting, and documentation and facilitate manufacturing process. It provides output in the form of electronic files and allows the users to get printing copy. CAD software is often used in construction, manufacturing and other industries because it can bring economy to the processes by providing convenience in conveying information in technical and engineering drawings. Examples of information which can be conveyed are materials, processes, dimensions and tolerance. The software helps to produce drafting and design for all types of buildings such as residential houses, hospitals and factories. Besides, the software is also used throughout the engineering process to produce conceptual design and layout for the products and define the strength and dynamic analysis of manufacturing components. There are many CAD software producers such as AutoCAD, Autodesk Inventor, Pro-E Wildfire, Catia and many. CAD ORIGIN/ TERMINOLOGY There are many essential synonymous terms in CAD software. It is sometimes translated as computer-assisted, computer-aided drafting, or a similar phrase. CADD (Computer Aided Design and Drafting) and CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) are other related acronyms. All of these terms have subtle differences in meaning and each is used for different purpose. CAD HISTORY Dr Patrick J. Hanratty developed the first commercial numerical-control programming system in the year 1957. He had greatly contributed to the field of CAD design and manufacturing and he was known as the Father of CAD. In year 1960, Ivan Sutherland produced a project called SKETCHPAD as the first step to CAD industry. SKETCHPAD allowed the designer to interact with computer graphically where the design can be fed into the computer by using a light pen to draw on a monitor. Thus, making it as an indispensable feature of modern CAD software. The first commercial applications of CAD were in large companies in the automotive and aerospace industries as well as in electronics. This was due to only large corporations could afford the computers capable of performing the calculations. In year 1964, Dr Patrick J. Hanratty had utilised Design Augmented by Computer (DAC-1) in his company projects. In year 1971, UNISURF was developed by Pierre BÃ ©zier at Renault. It was a pioneering surface CAD system for car body design and tooling. The founding of Manufacturing and Consulting Services Inc. (MSC) in year 1971 by Dr Patrick J. Hanratty enhanced the development of CAD. He then supplied the codes to many companies such as Control Data, Autotrol, Garber, Calma and many. The application of CAD expanded gradually when computer became affordable. The development of CAD software for personal desktop computers was the momentum for almost universal application in all areas of construction. Key points in the 1960s and 1970s such as IBM, Intergraph and Intergraph IGDS became the foundation of CAD systems. Since then, the implementation of CAD had evolved dramatically. 2D graphic was design with CAD software initially in the 1970s and limited to producing drawings similar to hand-drafted drawings. Variety applications of CAD were allowed when programming and computer hardware became advanced. In year 1982, Autodesk was founded by John Walker which then led to the 2D system AutoCAD. In year 1988, Pro/Engineer was released and required greater usages of feature based modelling methods. The development of graphics engines ShapeData and ACIS at the end of the 1980s inspired by the work of Ian Braid. The inspiration then led to the release of SolidWorks in year 1995 and SolidEdge in year 1996. Today, in 21st century, there are many CAD software products in the market. The famous CAD software producers are Autodesk, PTC, UGS Corp and many. Generally, the package of CAD software can be classified into 3 types, there are 2D drafting systems, mid-range 3D solid feature modellers and high-end 3D hybrid systems. CAD DEVELOPMENT IN MALAYSIA In Malaysia, CAD software has been on the sell since the 1980s. In the mid 1990s, the applications of sophisticated CAD tools with 3D modelling and coloured graphics enhancements had become more common. Since then, the usage of CAD has impacted the professional practice, education and the research associated with architecture tremendously. In the present time, CAD software including CAM is now widely accepted and used throughout the industry. The technology moves from costly workstations to off-the-shelf computers. 3D modelling has become a norm and it can be found even in applications for the wider industry such as house furnishing and garden planning. As the usage of CAD has become part and parcel of the daily running of architecture firms, higher-learning institutions such as universities and colleges have produced great efforts in preparing the built environment market with workforce that is equipped with the essential skills and ability to operate CAD. CAD APPLICATIONS CAD is used to design, develop and optimize products, which can be goods used by end consumers or intermediate goods used in other products. For example, buildings, mechanical and engineering tools, vehicle and transportation and many other product designs. In the field of engineering, CAD allows design and drafting of tools and machinery which are used in the manufacture components. Besides, detailed engineering of 3D models and 2D drawings of physical components can be generated easily by applying CAD. In the field of building architecture, CAD has reduced the need for manual drawing. CAD helps to generate all particulars of a building such as floor plans, sections, elevations, perspectives views and model renderings in a shorter time. The software allows drafting and design of all types of buildings. Besides designing, developing and optimizing products in building and engineering, CAD is also used for business purpose such as the followings: Testing on Conceptual Products CAD eliminates the need to test all of the product design physically. Instead of conducting physically testing, the developers can run virtual tests using CAD which can simulate the same condition. The application of virtual tests is often adopted in the aeronautical company which its testing can be ruinously time consuming and expensive. Idea Generation CAD allows flexible process of idea generation when the limiting factor of prototype manufacture is removed. The enterprises, both employees and potential customers are exposed to more open and new ideas and suggestions. The suggestions for new products then can be tested quickly at a lower cost. Augmentation CAD allows slight improvement on new product designs instantly. It is useful in investigating possible improvements to existing products. Market Testing CAD allows earlier process of market testing because virtual new products can be presented more quickly than physical prototypes and feedback can be obtained instantly. CAD can also be applied in the field of medical to manipulate medical images such as digital x-ray image (DICOM). The application of CAD in the presentation of medical images is still new compared to CAD widely used in the fields that involve with designing of the manufacturing industry products and construction field. CAD PRINCIPAL CAD is one of the many tools most used by engineers and designers. 3D Wire Frame is an extension of 2D drafting. Basically, it possesses similar fashion to the 2D system. Its final product does not have mass properties. Besides, there is no feature directly added to it such as holes. 3D Dumb Solids possesses similar fashion to the way of creating the real world object. This technology has been incorporate into programs such as AutoCAD and Cadkey 19. The principal provides draft views which can be easily generated from the models. However, the changes can only be done by deleting the object or feature and start over. Besides, its assemblies do not include tools which allow motion. 3D Parametric solid modeliling allows the operator to use what is referred to as design intent. Any future modifications to the design will depend on the original part. It may be simple, difficult or nearly impossible. This technology has been incorporate into programs such as Alibre Design, TopSolid, SolidWorks and Solid Edge. KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL COMPETENCIES FOR CAD According to Duan (2006) study, CAD and design engineering users require 7 categories of skills and knowledge as the followings: General knowledge and skills English writing and speaking Communication Critical thinking Problem solving Mathematics and science skills. Interpersonal skills Basic drafting knowledge and skills Basic drafting Descriptive geometry Technical standards Coordinate systems Multiview drawings Isometric drawings Geometric dimensioning and tolerance Basic mechanical drafting Basic architectural drafting Basic civil drafting Computer knowledge and skills Computer fundamentals Computer file management Word processing Computer software Spreadsheets Basic application of internet Basic programming CAD knowledge and skills Major CAD software CAD 2D drawings CAD 3D modelling Basic CAD LISP Programming CAD design project Custimization of CAD program Basic engineering analysis and technical knowledge and skills Special knowledge and skills Design application and practices Special projects in the field Marketing and sales Basic knowledge of laws Troubleshooting skills Teamwork Leadership skills ADVANTAGES OF CAD CAD software offers several advantages which attracts many industry players. Basically, it offers benefits which then can lead to time and cost saving. Both cost and time saving are important especially in the world of business because in the view of commercial man, time is money. First of all, the software has become an important technology in ensuring lower product development costs. Before the 1070s, nearly every drawing produced in the world done with pencil or ink on paper and any change requires erasing and redrawing which will produce waste. CAD software enables the designers to develop their work on screen and allows future editing. Thus, it brings benefits in cost saving instead of redrawing due to minor changes. Besides, the software also ensures short design cycle as it eliminates the needs to redraw when minor changes happen, it brings benefits in time saving. Both cost and time saving in product development can also be achieved by eliminating the need to test all of the product design physically. Instead of conducting physically testing, the developers can run virtual tests using CAD which can simulate the same condition. The application of virtual tests is often adopted in the aeronautical company which its testing can be ruinously time consuming and expensive. Cost saving can be achieved by reducing the number of designers. By using CAD, the professional designers can do the designing work faster and eliminate the need of additional designers. Besides, cost saving also takes place when CAD software offers better and standardised drawings which then facilitate better communications. Moreover, CAD allows quickly and easy design alteration which also lead to faster product development. Faster product development then will lead to increase in productivity of the designer. The software allows understanding on how the actual product works by giving animation to the product so that immediately modifications can be made if required. CAD software helps the designer in synthesizing, analysing and documenting the design. Thus, the productivity of the designer can be improved due to fast designing, low designing cost and shorter completion times. In addition, saving in time and cost does not affect the quality of the design. In fact, CAD can improve the design quality because large number of tools is offered by the software which assists investigation and analysis of the proposed design. Beside, CAD also offers greater accuracy and errors are reduced to give a much better design. This better design can help to carry out faster manufacturing and reduce wastage due to faulty design. DISADVANTAGES OF CAD Although most of the users understand on the advantages brought by CAD, in the mean time, it comes with several disadvantages that the engineer or entrepreneur must understand. These advantages may affect the approach that getting a product on the market. The application of CAD software requires training among the users. This will then costs additional money in the staff training. Besides, its application requires expensive start up costs including hardware, software and training. Computer technology used in CAD is expensive to implement and support the software. Besides, the technology is not constant as new hardware and software programs constantly come on the market and therefore, the users need to keep up with these changes for compatibility reasons. Risk of technology failure must be taken into consideration when implementing CAD as computer used may break down. It then affects the progress of product development which is not favoured in a strict production schedule. The risk is highest when the company relies on assembly-line structure as failure will affect all points of production instead of an isolated production area. Besides, when there break down in computer, all the data saved including CAD copy will be lost. SUMMARY Before the 1070s, all of the design and drawings are produced manually which is time consuming. Thus, the introduction of Computer Aided Design (CAD) has made a change in the way of producing design. CAD is a software application which uses the computer technology in the process of design to produce two-dimensional (2D) space, curves, surfaces and solids in three-dimensional (3D) objects. It is often used in construction, manufacturing and other industries such as the engineering process to produce conceptual design and layout for the products and define the strength and dynamic analysis of manufacturing components. CAD brings advantages to the users, in the mean time, it also brings limitation or draw back. Basically, cost and time saving are the main advantages as design and drawings can be produced faster than manually. However, when there is a technology failure especially computer, it will affect the production line and cause dalay. Therefore, wise decision must be made when adopting CAD in product development and it must take into consideration of factors such as time and cost of the technology transfer as well as the expertise available.

Characterization In The Scarlet Letter :: essays research papers fc

Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts in 1804. After his graduation from Bowdoin College in Maine, he quickly became a well-known author of literary tales concerning early American life. Between 1825 and 1850, he developed his talent by writing short fiction, and he gained international fame for his fictional novel The Scarlet Letter in 1850 (Clendenning 118). Rufus Wilmot Griswold stated,The frivolous costume and brisk action of the story of fashionable life are easily depicted by the practised sketcher, but a work like "The Scarlet Letter" comes slowly upon the canvas, where passions are commingled and overlaid with the masterly elaboration with which the grandest effects are produced in pictural composition and coloring. (Griswold 352)Throughout the novel, Hawthorne reveals character through the use of imagery and metaphor.In the first Chapter of The Scarlet Letter, "The Prison-Door", the reader is immediately introduced to the people of Puritan Boston. Hawthorne begins to develop the character of the common people in order to build the mood of the story. The first sentence begins, "A throng of bearded men, in sad-colored garments and gray, steeple-crowned hats, intermixed with women, some wearing hoods, and others bareheaded, was assembled in front of a wooden edifice, the door of which was heavily timbered with oak, and studded with iron spikes" (Hawthorne 45). Hawthorne's use of vivid visual images and his Aaccumulation of emotionally weighted details" (Baym xii) creates sympathy for the not yet introduced character, Hester Prynne, and creates an immediate understanding of the harshness of the Puritanic code in the people. The images created give the freedom to imagine whatever entails sadness and morbidity of character for the reader; Hawthorne does not, however, allow the reader to imagine lenient or cheerful people.Nathaniel Hawthorne's eloquent contrast of the jail and its captive, Hester Prynne, also creates a sympathy for the emerging prisoner. The "ugly edifice...was already marked with weather-stains and other indications of age, which gave a yet darker aspect to its beetle-browned and gloomy front" (Hawthorne 45). The depiction of the jail emphasizes its ugliness, and the mental pictures formed in the mind of the reader suggest an aspect of gloom and suffering. However, Hester Prynne's initial description brightly contrasts the jail's. Hester "was tall, with a figure of perfect elegance...she had dark and abundant hair, so glossy that it threw off sunshine with a gleam" (50). Her face was "beautiful from regularity of feature and richness of complexion" (50).

Importance of Financial Decision-Making in the Business World

In the business world, financial decision-making is important. Some organizations have trouble with accounting and the financial decision-making process in today’s diverse organizational ethics. In this world’s current economy, the expectation for organizations is to behave in an ethical manner. The business world consists of people with different ethical belief systems, which makes it difficult to define ethics (The Journal of Accountancy, 2007). Organizations that do enforce a code of ethics can create unwanted behaviors within the organizations. These unethical behaviors can affect every individual associated with the organization. When an organization instills good ethical behaviors, its rate of success and longevity is more likely to be high. Organizational ethics are a significant part in financial decision-making and accounting. Ethical principles set the foundation on which a cultured society exists. An exceptional illustration of ethics in accounting and finances is the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. After several financial frauds reported in 2001 and 2002, the president signed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in July 2002. This act established major modifications to the financial practices and corporate governance regulations. According to n. d. 2006), â€Å"The given name is after Senator Paul Sarbanes and Representative Michael Oxley, who were its main architects, and it also set a number of non-negotiable deadlines for all organizations to comply† (para. 1). The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, known as the corporate responsibility act, act gives considerable supervision responsibilities and control to the Securities an d Exchange Commission (SEC) above organizations external auditors and distribution of financial statements. The SEC must employ a public company accounting oversight board (PCAOB) with the authority to control the public accounting (Albrecht, Stice, Stice, & Swain, 2005, p. 01). This law was put in place because of the involvement of Enron and Tyco International in several accounting scandals. For most organizations, making money is important; money is what makes the business successful. However, a business that becomes greedy and decides to make money illegally will eventually fail. In the article â€Å"Beyond Sarbanes-Oxley†, Neil S. Lebovits, advises businesses to ensure their ethical health by doing several things. Lebovits suggests that organizations must employ the following three ethical best practices to be successful: â€Å"cultivate ethical role models, demonstrate ethical ecision-making, and encourage pushback† (Lebovits, 2006, para. 5). The Directorate of P lanning, Training, Mobilization, and Security (DPTMS) organization that I work for employs these three ethical best practices daily. The management always ensures that workers behave professionally while serving soldiers and making the right decisions that could affect the soldiers training during this time of war. The DPTMS leaders provide explanations on how to make decisions and why the selection of the judgment. The organizational managers have an open-door policy to listen to the workers concerns. Additionally, managers walk throughout the day asking employees if he or she has any issues that the managers could assist on. These types of actions create a sense of trust in the leadership that everyone worker wants to emulate. Lebovits also proposes that organizations can do more to ensure the organization workers behave ethically at all levels. Lebovits suggests that, first, organizations cultivate ethical role models. These role models structures’ must include natural influencers who exhibit strong ethical behavior in their day-to-day work in the financial departments of the organization. Organizations must give influencers proper recognition on every occasion possible. By involving influencers in assignments, the individuals can have an encouraging impact in the organization. When an organization rewards its influencers efforts’, the organization can cultivate ethical conduct (2006). Organizational ethical behavior starts at the top of the organization. The leadership must motivate individuals to follow its behavior. Employees watch and listen to their management carefully for signs of how to act. Leaders should behave accordingly and set the example for the workers to follow. When suitable, leaders must tell workers examples of their business decisions involving their ethics and how they used good judgment. This type of honest conversation provides employees with a quick look on how leaders act and think while representing the organization (2006). Moreover, Lebovits proposes that organizations should also encourage pushback. In other words, companies should encourage their employees to speak up if they question financial actions and decisions that affect them. Ethics hotlines, anonymous e-mails and â€Å"approachable† managers are ways for companies to obtain this type of feedback. Organizations and their key personnel should always conduct themselves ethically and legally. They should promote an environment in which employees can articulate work-related concerns without negative effects and free exchange of information (2006). The organizations that decide to implement and follow good ethical behavior will achieve success and an excellent status as ethical and fair instiution to the clients, employees, and the shareholders. These benefits will assist the organization in the financial phase, and when organizations fail to execute will result in poor financial performance. References Albrecht, Stice, Stice, & Swain, (2005). Accounting: Concepts and Applications (9th Ed. ). Quebecor World, Versailles, KY: South-Western, Thomson. Lebovits, N. (2006, August, 2006). Beyond Sarbanes-Oxley: Three best practices to adopt in your organization. Retrieved March, 2011, from http://www. aicpa. org/pubs/jofa/aug2006/lebovits. htm N. D. (2006). The Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Retrieved from http://www. soxlae. com The Journal of Accountancy (2007). Retrieved March, 2011, from http://www. aicpa. org/pubs/jofa/joahome. htm

How to Raise Leaders at Every Level to Achieve Extraordinary Results?

How to Raise Leaders at Every Level to Achieve Extraordinary Results? Alaa Ahmed MBA Candidate Introduction Leadership is an important concept in every sector, in family, school, organization, company, and in every community. The secret behind the success of any organization is its leadership. Academic analysis has given us more than 850 definitions of leadership (bennis, 1997). All of them have the same factors but in different formulations. After I read many of these definitions, I saw leadership as guiding a group of people toward achieving a specific goal.Scholars researched and studied leadership styles, and leadership patterns, whereas Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner studied leadership from a different perspective. They dealt with leadership as a challenge and the leader who succeeds in facing the challenge and gets extraordinary result is considered exemplary. As a result, Kouzes and Posner started their journey since 1983 looking for how the leader becomes exemplary and achieves extraordinary results. Their study covered leadership in all sectors and on all the continents of the world. They collected data from different people and mangers during 25 years and analyzed them.They found that in order for a leader to be exemplary and able to get extraordinary results, he/she has to be able to transform values into actions, visions into realities, obstacles into innovations, separateness into solidarity, and risks into rewards (Kouzes & Posner, 2002). To get all this done, they outlined a mechanism that they called â€Å"The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadershipâ€Å" ; there are two commitments that go along with each practice which are the subject of our research. Model the way Model the way is aligned with two commitments .The first one is find your voice by clarifying your values. A leader must clarify the values that he believes in, look for the common values, and have the ability to transfer these values into actions. A clear guiding principle is necessa ry to follow and to gain the consensus about these principles from to be easily applied. These values must be reflected in the leader’s behavior to emphasize credibility which as Kouzes and Posner said is the foundation of leadership. Leaders’ clear values help them to practice the second commitment which is â€Å"set the example by aligning actions with shared values†.Telling stories helps others think about how to bring values alive. Giving rousing speeches is not enough; a leader has to go first and participate by doing what he asks others to do. Also a leader has to be (dwysywd) which is the acronym of (do what you say you will do). Followers will believe not what they hear from the leader but what they see the leader consistently do. For example, the director general of the company that I work for issued a decision that all employees must wear their ID on their chests as long as they were inside the company during the formal working time.The next day, we sa w him standing at the entrance wearing his ID as an example or a model for us. Undoubtedly, model the way is not enough to complete the picture of the exemplary leadership, consequently; leaders need to follow another practice in order to share the vision. Inspire a shared vision Leaders to inspire a shared vision with their employees, have to practice two commitments. The first one is to envision the future by imagining exciting and ennobling possibilities. Think for yourself and imagine the future that you wish for your organization.Ask, listen, and adapt mentally and emotionally the employees’ vision, their future imagination, and what they aspire for the organization. The second commitment is to enlist others in a common vision by appealing to a shared aspiration. A leader needs to analyze and discuss both aspirations to create a common aspiration which contributes in strengthening the work relationship and enlisting others to work on achieving the common aspiration. Welc ome any opinion or thoughts and give attention because innovation is created in this way. Francisco Magalhaes gives us an example through a story of his experience.When he had just started his new job at a railway workshop, he thought about something related to his job and concluded that there was a way to reduce the cost by more than half. He told his colleagues about that, but he did not get their attention. His colleagues’ reaction did not stop him; he went to his leader and told him about his idea. The leader immediately began analyzing Francisco’s proposal, discussed it with him and found that what Francisco proposed was correct. This direct leader continued supporting Francisco in order to implement this thought on the ground and he told the director general about Francisco (Magalhes, n. . ). This leader shared Francisco’s thought and gave him more attention. Without his leadership Francisco’s original idea would have failed. Inspiring and supportin g the innovative ideas of employees is what leaders have to do if they want to be exemplary; however, this exemplarity will not be completed without challenging the process. Challenger the process There are two commitments that can be used as strategies by the leader to challenge the process (Kouzes & Posner, 2002). One of these commitments is searching out challenging opportunities to change, grow, innovate, and improve.Leaders, who stay leading in the same way for a long time, will lose their employees’ enthusiasm. The great leader has to look for and create new ways to challenge the routine and encourage the team toward achieving its goals. Chip Perry, a president and CEO of AutoTrader. com, says that one of his powerful leadership techniques is to tell their employees that one of their main responsibilities is to challenge the status quo and work constantly to improve anything that may be used to get the work done (Yaverbaum, 2004)The second commitment is experimenting, t aking risks, and learning from the accompanying mistakes.The employees like to work with a leader who ventures into unfamiliar and uncertain situations and transfers risks into rewards because the best solutions are often found in these cases. Likewise, wisdom is gained through pain and reflection (Bennis, 2003, p. 134). Andy Stanly highlighted that if leaders stop challenging the process, they cease to be leaders and they become managers (Andy, 2006). This pushes us to split between leader and manger by saying that the leader is someone who guides and the manger is someone who drives.Besides, Bennis observed that â€Å"the manager is a copy; the leader is an original, the manager administers, the leader innovates, and the manager relies on control; the leader inspires trust† (Bennis, 2003, p. 45). However; leaders who search out opportunities, step into the unknown, are willing to take risks, and are prepared to meet whatever challenges may face them, are not always consider ed exemplary. The leader needs to empower others and support them, too. Enable others to act For leaders to enable others to act,they need to start with fostering collaboration by promoting cooperative goals and building trust.Create spiritual cooperation between all the organization’s members by emphasizing that you trust them and believe that they can do the best. Donald Evans, Secretary of U. S. Department of Commerce says â€Å"Nothing is important to being and effective leader that having an unshakable trusting relationship with those whom you work with and those you lead† (Yaverbaum, 2004, p. 232). Great work does not occur without active involvement and support. Achieving the purpose of the organizations must be everyone’s responsibility, and good leaders promote teamwork rather than competition as the road to success.Competition, which is trying to beat others, is vastly different in purpose from collaboration which is trying to do well. The cooperative relationships between members are assets of the organization. Leaders must know how to nurture them. In building a strong team out of people with diverse and sometimes conflicting interests, leaders must develop cooperative goals, seek integrative solutions and build trusting relationships. There is a truth that you cannot do it alone. A leader will ever get anything extraordinary done without the talent and support of others.You need others and they need you. Then, the second commitment to fulfill this practice is to strengthen others by sharing power and discretion. When you intend to make a decision, ask employees about their ideas and listen. Involve them in the decision-making process. Zenger and Folkman mention that leaders can find best recourses by asking people in work about their ideas and seeking details. Fell others that you are concerned about their ideas and opinions (Zenger & folkman, 2007). Enable others to act is considered a major forward step to the five practice which is encouraging the heart.Encourage the heart Encouraging the heart is the fifth practice set by Kouzes and Posner. Leaders who want to get extraordinary results should recognize contributions by showing appreciation for individual excellence. Thank employees who did a great job, surprise them by giving moral and financial support. Let them feel that what they did is considered something magnificent in order to push them to give more, at the same time, to encourage others who do not have contributions to compete with employees who have contributions. Continue by elebrating the values and victories by creating a spirit of community. Celebrate team success and pride in the accomplishments. There is a strategy to be a good leader is to explore and expect leaders around you (Zenger & folkman, 2007). By looking for leaders around you and giving them the feeling that they might be future leaders; you encourage them to do better. Credibility is the foundation of leadership The five pr actices that we have reviewed paint a partial picture of leadership. These practices are like a body without soul, so there is no benefit from this body.They are like pillars built on the sands which quickly will fall down. According to research done by Kouzes and Posner for more than two decades, they were looking for what people admire in their leaders. Findings were that credibility is the characteristic that employees admire in their leaders, as the research showcase that the top four characteristics that employees look for in their leaders are; honesty, forward-looking, inspiring, and competent, consequently; these four characteristic are the core of the credibility. The research ranged across the world and years .It shows that honesty is the number one trait then forward looking, competent, and inspiring (Kouzes & Posner, 2002). Employees follow you as a leader when they believe and trust you. But without credibility which is the foundation of the leadership, there is an uphil l battle will face you because you will try to pull the employees to your site and as you are the only pulling, soon both sites are being weary and give up (Brown, 2011). Without credibility, you as a leader will fail to transfer your values into actions then you will lose your employees’ trust.Table 1 Characteristics of admired leaders Percentage of Respondents selecting that characteristic Characteristic| 2002 edition | 1995 edition | 1987 edition | Honest | 88| 88| 83| Forward looking | 71| 75| 62| Competent| 66| 63| 67| Inspiring | 65| 68| 58| Intelligent | 47| 40| 43| Fair-minded | 42| 49| 40| Broad-minded | 40| 40| 37| Supportive | 35| 41| 32| Straightforward | 34| 33| 34| Dependable | 33| 32| 33| Cooperative | 28| 28| 25| Determined | 24| 17| 17| Imaginative | 23| 28| 34| Ambitious | 21| 13| 21| Courageous | 20| 29| 27| Caring | 20| 23| 26|Mature | 17| 13| 23| Loyal | 14| 11| 11| Self-controlled | 8| 5| 13| Independent | 6| 5| 10| Source: The Leadership Challenge by Ji m M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner , 2002. The Five practices of exemplary leadership are distinctive When we review all studies and research about leadership, we will find that Kouzes and Posner studies and findings are different. What distinguish their findings are the followings: 1- The length of the study period which more than two decades. 2- Collecting data from different people (employees, managers, CEO’s, leaders). – They made their research more than one time in different periods in order to determine the constants. 4- Their surveys covered the world. (Africa, North America, South America, Asia, Europe, and Australia ) 5- They transferred their findings into clear concepts. The five practices of exemplary leadership Exemplary Leadership Encourage the Heart Enable Others to Act Challenger the Process Inspire a Shared Vision Model the Way Credibility Conclusion: The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership Make Extraordinary ResultsTwo recent research reports confirm the importance of the five practices of exemplary leadership (Kouzes & Posner, 2002). One of those reach was done by Richard Roi (2006). He asked the executives of 94 companies to rate their company’s senior leaders on the five practices of exemplary leadership. He analyzed those leaders with strong consistent application of the five practices; their companies had significant growth in net income and stock price by comparison with companies that has leaders with weak implementation for the five practices.There is a direct proportion between the five practices and the financial performance for the company. The second research consisted over 66,000 survey responses completed over the past two years. The finding is that the organizations that their leaders engaged in the five practices of exemplary leadership have significantly high levels of important employee attitudes (International leadership associates , 2007). The evidence is clear that the main reason behind the success of any organization is the strength of its leadership.Also, the evidence is strong that what make the leadership strong are the five practices of exemplary leadership. By these practices, leaders get extraordinary results and make significant differences in performance of their organizations. References Andy, S. (2006). challenge the process. ministry today magazine . bennis, w. (1997). leaders. new york: harper Business. Bennis, W. (2003). On becoming a leader. Cambridge, MA: Perseus Pub. Brown, M. (2011, 9 23). Credibility: A Critical Foundation of Leadership. Retrieved 2 23, 2012, from http://www. brownassociates. com/Blog/about International leadership associates . (2007). The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership. International leadership associates. Kouzes, J. M. , & Posner, B. Z. (2002). the leadership challenge. San Francisco: Jossey Bass. Magalhes, F. B. (n. d. ). Leaders and Followers. Emerging Leader . Yaverbaum, E. (2004). leadership secrets of the world's most successf ul CEOs. chicago: dearborn trade publishing a kaplan proffessional company . Zenger, j. , ; folkman, j. (2007). the handbook for leaders.

America 1900 essays

America 1900 essays America in the year 1900: prosperous, progressive, optimistic, a leader, on the cutting edge of education, and faced with horrible tragedy. When compared with America today, its difficult to not see likeness. Today, we are on the rebound with the belief that things will get better, and we are still a world leader. We are also similarly faced with horrific tragedy, the worst terrorist incident in our countrys history. The country today does, however, differ from itself in the year 1900 in many ways. Today we are more technologically, socially, and intellectually advanced. Things that people in the 1900s thought could never be done, have been. The events of the year 1900 have got us to the year 2002. One way to compare America in 1900 to America today is to look at the presidents. In 1900, the president was William McKinley. McKinley was a soft-spoken man, much like our president George Bush is today. On New Years Day, McKinley held the traditional open house reception. Today, having the White House open like that would be unthinkable. Another major difference is the security at the White House. During the night in 1900 there was only one guard on duty who often retired early. Guards are on alert around the clock in the present day. Both presidents, however, do have similar worries. Terrorism was a threat in the year 1900 just as it is today. The terrorists may not be the same (Anarchists vs. Al-Qaeda), but the threat was and is there. The economy is a constant worry among both presidents. Each of them knows and knew that people vote by their pocket books. Another key similarity is each presidents connections to big business. McKinley befriended J.P. Morgan, an infamous busines sman with more money than the U.S. treasury, and Bush has ties with Enron, the now defunct energy company. Just by looking to the presidents in each time connections can be seen. America was constantly changing scientifically and tech...

3 Hit Rammstein Songs Translated From German

3 Hit Rammstein Songs Translated From German Rammstein is a famous German band whose music is best described as dark, heavy rock. They are somewhat political and often take on social issues in their songs and that has led to controversy. Whatever your take on Rammsteins political views, the bands lyrics are also a lesson in German. If you are studying the language, you might find these lyrics and the English translations to three of their most popular songs helpful. An Introduction to Rammstein Rammstein was formed in 1993 by six men who grew up in East Germany  and were all born after the Berlin Wall went up. They took their name from the American Ramstein air base near Frankfurt (adding an extra m). The bands members are  Till Lindemann (b. 1964), Richard Z. Kruspe-Bernstein (b. 1967), Paul Lander (b. 1964), Oliver Riedel (b. 1971), Christoph Schneider (b. 1966), and Christian Flake Lorenz (b. 1966). Rammstein  is a unique German band in that it has managed to become popular in the English-speaking world by singing almost exclusively in German. Most other German artists or groups (think the Scorpions or Alphaville) have sung in English in order to reach the English-language market or they sing in German and remain virtually unknown in the Anglo-American world (think Herbert Grà ¶nemeyer). Yet, Rammstein has somehow turned their German lyrics into an advantage. It certainly can become an advantage for learning German. Rammenstein Albums Herzeleid  (1995)Sehnsucht  (1997)Live aus Berlin  (1998, also a  DVD)Mutter  (2001)Lichtspielhaus  (2003, DVD)Reise, Reise  (2004) The Controversy That Surrounds Rammstein Rammstein has also stirred up controversy on their road to fame.  One of the most famous incidents occurred in 1998. It involved their use of clips from the work of the Nazi  filmmaker  Leni Riefenstahl  in one of their music videos. The song, Stripped, was a cover of a  Depeche Mode song and the films used spurred protests against what some saw as a glorification of Nazism. Even before that well-publicized incident, their lyrics and images had given rise to the criticism that the band has neo-Nazi or far-right tendencies. With German lyrics that are often far from politically correct, their music was even linked to the Columbine, Colorado school shooting in 1999. Some British and American radio stations have refused to play Rammstein songs (even if they dont understand the German lyrics). There is no real evidence that any of Rammsteins six eastern German musicians themselves hold such right-wing beliefs. Yet, some people are either a little naive or in denial when they claim that Rammstein has done nothing to lead people to suspect the band of fascist leanings. The band itself has been a bit coy in their claims of why would anyone accuse us of such things? In light of some of their lyrics, they really should not pretend to be so innocent. The band members themselves have admitted they intentionally make their lyrics ambiguous and full of double entendre (Zweideutigkeit). However... we refuse to join those who totally reject artists for their supposed or actual political views. There are people who wont listen to Richard Wagner  operas because he was antisemitic (which he was). For me, the talent evident in Wagners music  rises above other considerations. Just because we condemn his antisemitism doesnt mean we cant appreciate his music. The same goes for Leni Riefenstahl. Her former Nazi connections are undeniable, but so is her cinematic and photographic talent. If we choose or reject music, cinema, or any art form only for political reasons, then we are missing the point of art. But if youre going to listen to Rammsteins lyrics and their meaning, dont be naive about it. Yes, you can learn German through their lyrics, simply be aware that those lyrics may have offensive overtones of a political, religious, sexual,  or social nature that people have a right to object to. Keep in mind that not everyone is comfortable with lyrics about sadistic sex or the use of the f-word - even if its in German. If Rammsteins lyrics make people think about issues from fascism to misogyny, then thats for the good. If listeners also learn some German in the process, so much the better. Amerika Lyrics Album: â€Å"Reise, Reise† (2004) Amerika is a perfect example of Rammsteins controversial style and it is also one of their best-known songs worldwide. The lyrics include both  German and English and it includes countless references about how America reigns over world culture and politics- for good or bad. As you can tell by the last verse (recorded in English, so no translation is needed), this song was not written with the intent of idolizing America. The music video is filled with clips of American influence throughout the world and the overall feel of the song is rather dark. German Lyrics Direct Translation by Hyde Flippo Refrain:*Were all living in America,America is wunderbar.Were all living in America,Amerika, Amerika.Were all living in America,Coca-Cola, Wonderbra,Were all living in America,Amerika, Amerika. Refrain:Were all living in America,America is wonderful.Were all living in America,America, America.Were all living in America,Coca-Cola, Wonderbra,Were all living in America,America, America. Wenn getanzt wird, will ich fhren,auch wenn ihr euch alleine dreht,lasst euch ein wenig kontrollieren,Ich zeige euch wies richtig geht.Wir bilden einen lieben Reigen,die Freiheit spielt auf allen Geigen,Musik kommt aus dem Weien Haus,Und vor Paris steht Mickey Maus. When Im dancing, I want to lead,even if you all are spinning alone,lets exercise a little control.Ill show you how its done right.We form a nice round (circle),freedom is playing on all the fiddles,music is coming out of the White House,and near Paris stands Mickey Mouse. Ich kenne Schritte, die sehr ntzen,und werde euch vor Fehltritt schtzen,und wer nicht tanzen will am Schluss,wei noch nicht, dass er tanzen muss!Wir bilden einen lieben Reigen,ich werde Euch die Richtung zeigen,nach Afrika kommt Santa Claus,und vor Paris steht Mickey Maus. I know steps that are very useful,and Ill protect you from missteps,and anyone who doesnt want to dance in the end,just doesnt know that he has to dance!We form a nice round (circle),Ill show you the right direction,to Africa goes Santa Claus,and near Paris stands Mickey Mouse. This is not a love song,this is not a love song.I dont sing my mother tongue,No, this is not a love song. * This refrain is used throughout the song, at times it is only the first four lines. In the last refrain, the sixth line is replaced with Coca-Cola, sometimes WAR,. Spieluhr (Music Box) Lyrics Album: Mutter (2001) The Hoppe hoppe Reiter phrase, repeated often in Spieluhr comes from a popular German nursery rhyme. The song tells the dark story about a child who pretends to be dead and is buried with a music box. It is the music box song that alerts people of the childs presence. German Lyrics Direct Translation by Hyde Flippo Ein kleiner Mensch stirbt nur zum Scheinwollte ganz alleine seindas kleine Herz stand still fr Stundenso hat man es fr tot befundenes wird verscharrt in nassem Sandmit einer Spieluhr in der Hand A small person just pretends to die(it) wanted to be completely alonethe small heart stood still for hoursso they declared it deadit is buried in wet sandwith a music box in its hand Der erste Schnee das Grab bedeckthat ganz sanft das Kind gewecktin einer kalten Winternachtist das kleine Herz erwacht The first snow that covered the gravewoke the child very gentlyin a cold winter nightthe small heart is awakened Als der Frost ins Kind geflogenhat es die Spieluhr aufgezogeneine Melodie im Windund aus der Erde singt das Kind As the frost flew into the childit wound up the music boxa melody in the windand the child sings from the ground Refrain:*Hoppe hoppe Reiterund kein Engel steigt herabmein Herz schlgt nicht mehr weiternur der Regen weint am Grabhoppe hoppe Reitereine Melodie im Windmein Herz schlgt nicht mehr weiterund aus der Erde singt das Kind Refrain:*Bumpety bump, riderand no angel climbs downmy heart does not beat any longeronly the rain cries at the graveBumpety bump, ridera melody in the windmy heart does not beat any longerand the child sings from the ground Der kalte Mond in voller Prachthrt die Schreie in der Nachtund kein Engel steigt herabnur der Regen weint am Grab The cold moon, in full magnificencehears the cries in the nightand no angel climbs downonly the rain cries at the grave Zwischen harten Eichendielenwird es mit der Spieluhr spieleneine Melodie im Windund aus der Erde singt das Kind Between hard oak boardsit will play with the music boxa melody in the windand the child sings from the ground Hoppe hoppe Reitermein Herz schlgt nicht mehr weiterAm Totensonntag hrten sieaus Gottes Acker diese Melodieda haben sie es ausgebettetdas kleine Herz im Kind gerettet Bumpety bump, ridermy heart does not beat any longerOn Totensonntag** they heard thismelody from Gods field [i.e., a cemetery]then they unearthed itthey saved the small heart in the child * The refrain is repeated after the next two verses and again at the end of the song. *  *Totensonntag  (Dead Sunday) is a Sunday in November when German Protestants remember the dead. Du Hast (You Have) Lyrics Album: Senhsucht (1997) This Rammstein song plays on the similarities of the conjugated forms of the verbs  haben  (to have) and  hassen  (to hate). It is a good study for anyone learning the German  language. German Lyrics Direct Translation by Hyde Flippo Dudu hast (hat)*du hast mich(4 x)du hast mich gefragtdu hast mich gefragtdu hast mich gefragt,und ich hab nichts gesagt Youyou have (hate)you have (hate) me*(4 x)you have asked meyou have asked meyou have asked meand I have said nothing Repeats twice:Willst du bis der Tod euch scheidettreu ihr sein fr alle TageNein, nein Repeats twice:Do you want, until death do you part,to be faithful to her for all your daysNo, no Willst du bis zum Tod der Scheide,sie lieben auch in schlechten TagenNein, nein Do you want until the death of the vagina,to love her, even in bad timesNo, no * This is a play on two German verbs:  du hast  (you have) and  du haßt  (you hate), spelled differently but pronounced the same way. The German  lyrics are provided for educational use only. No infringement of copyright is implied or intended. The literal, prose translations of the  original German  lyrics by Hyde Flippo.

A Plot Summary of a Movie About Cuban Refugees in America

A Plot Summary of a Movie About Cuban Refugees in America In 1980, Fidel Castro sent hundreds of thousands of Cubans from his country on rafts to America. Castro not only sent everyday people to America on boats; he used this as a chance to clear out his crowded jail cells. There was an estimated 25,000 former Cuban inmates that arrived in Florida. Tony Montana is one of the masses of criminals sent by Cuba to America. His only chance to get a green card was to kill Rebenga, a former political leader from Cuba. Montana had no trouble executing the former communist leader. Tony moves to Miami and agrees to do a job for a big time cocaine dealer, Frank Lopez. Frank noticed the good job Tony did for him and in turn wants Montana to continue working for him. Lopez sends him to Bolivia to work on a deal with Sosa, their cocaine supplier. While there Tony seizes an opportunity to go into business for himself. Tony shoots his way to the top of a drug crime family, killing both friend and foe alike. Finally after murdering his boss and marrying his bosss girlfriend, hes crowned drug kingpin. Tony starts having legal problems and rather than do time, his supplier Sosa offered to take care of the court case if Tony would take an assassin with him to New York to eliminate one of his enemies. This was the begging of the end for Tony Montana. The man who was supposed to be eliminated had his wife and kids in the car with him. Tony was against killing women and children but the assassin wouldn’t listen to him; so Tony shot him. Tonys decline was caused by his twisted sense of brotherhood. When Sosa learned of this he was furious. He sent a small army of men to Tony’s home to kill him. Tony didn’t go down easy, but in the end he still went down. Drugs in this movie portrayed money and power. Whoever distributed the drugs had control of the others around him who didn’t. The main goal of many characters in this movie was to get people under you so they can do your dirty work. All major characters in this movie were obsessed with money drugs, and women. Tony’s philosophy was: â€Å"First you get the money, then you get the power, and then you get the women. The unhealthy messages about drugs conveyed in this movie suggest that they are a quick way to make cash but can ultimately be someone’s downfall. Tony’s drug control led to other problems. He couldn’t get his money laundered from his normal banker because the more money Tony gave the banker, the higher the interest charge he would receive in return. Tony’s best friend set up a meeting with a different banker; who happened to be an undercover police officer. Drugs are also portrayed as a way to get women. Elvira, the woman of Tony’s obsession, went from one boyfriend to another based on who could supply her cocaine addiction. In one particular scene Frank tells Tony the two key rules to success in the drug business. Rule number one is to â€Å"never underestimate the other guys greed.† Rule number two is to â€Å"never get high on your own supply.† This came back to haunt Tony because later in the movie Frank hired two hitters to take Tony out right during a performance by octavio the clown. Just when octavio was waddling around the stage, the hitters opened fire. Luckily for Tony, they werent great shots. Tony managed to evade them and escaped through the door. Tony knew it was Frank. The only thing to do was to strike back. So, he went right over to Franks. Frank denied any involvement. He said it was the Diaz brothers. Tony wasnt fooled and Frank cracked. He admitted to what he did and knelt down and groveled at Tonys feet. Tony ordered his death. The last scene was the most memorable because Tony had crossed Sosa, the powerful cocaine supplier and Sosa sent his army to execute Tony. Tony was so doped up on cocaine that he took seven or eight shots in the chest and didn’t feel any pain. He made the statement: â€Å"Your bullets can’t hurt me.† It took a shotgun blast in the back to finally kill Tony. Tony’s death was as violent as his life. I would definitely recommend this movie to others, especially if they’re the kind of person who enjoys violent, action-packed movies. was very realistic and shows how a Cuban refugee could have climbed up ladder to become a very powerful drug dealer. This film was very violent and bloody. Compared to some films today, the violence isn’t as bad as people thought it was in 1983. One of my favorite scenes in the movie is when Tony’s friend Angel is getting cut into pieces with a chainsaw. The blood splatters everywhere. The music in this film sometimes seemed lifeless and boring. When you take into consideration that it was made almost eighteen years ago, the music doesn’t sound too bad. I think Frank Lopez’s first rule of how to succeed applies to every aspect of your business life. Because no matter how bad you may want something, there’s always going to be someone else who wants it more than you.

What are the key ingredients of building a successful team Essay

What are the key ingredients of building a successful team - Essay Example The previous quotation summarized the process of building a team, as it is starting with two or more people interacting with one another, to accomplish an objective or goal through performing independent tasks, with individual accountability, per person evaluation focus and the rewards as well.Accomplishments that are made in the form of groups are much more satisfying for the employees and meaningful for the organization than individual’s achievement because this enlarges the scope of success and helps unite the members of the workforce. A team, on the other hand differs from a group particularly on its individual tendency, shared values and goals. The purpose behind forming any team is the search for success on the project assigned to its members. The following paragraphs highlight key ingredients that are necessarily required to build team spirit in the organizational personnel. Shared decision making: Managers should seek the opinions of all employees while making decision s. This tells the employees that their opinion is valued, and they feel respected. Also, quite often, employees become a very good source of information and provide managers with innovative ideas. Consulting them is always a good idea. This also males the employees feel themselves part of the larger organization. Foster collaboration and group rewards: Employees derive a lot of positive feelings from the success of the team. Accomplishments that are made in the form of groups are much more satisfying for the employees and meaningful for the organization than individual’s achievement... As a result of the interaction, all members of the team become aware of the current status of the work from all aspects. Employees may avail meetings as an opportunity to discuss the problematic areas with their colleagues or managers as required. Meetings grow much more in importance in such a work setup where employees work at distance and do not often get to meet one another. In order to make the meetings most beneficial, managers should try to incorporate virtual means of conducting meetings. These days, teleconferencing and videoconferencing are increasingly being employed as a means to conduct the meeting as they provide the participants with the facility to attend the meeting without having to cover long distances to reach the location decided for it. Clear roles and responsibilities: In order to make everyone do his/her part of the job, it is imperative that everybody is clearly made aware of his/her respective duties and job responsibilities. Incomplete knowledge of job resp onsibilities and limitations causes the employees to enter into dysfunctional conflicts with one another. The conflicts totally ruin their interrelationships and distort the bond among them. In order to make the work flow smoothly and without conflicts, managers should tell each and every employee his/her duty both in their individualistic and collective tasks. This also has many added advantages. This reduces the chances of duplication of effort by employees for achieving certain things. Likewise, it is made sure that no areas are left unaddressed. Support: There is no doubt in the fact that everyone needs help, so there should be no shame in asking for

Determine the water resources in your hometown area (Canton, Ohio - Assignment

Determine the water resources in your hometown area (Canton, Ohio - Stark County) - Assignment Example In the end a unified approach will be adapted, incorporating all the perspectives, to address the issue of conservation of water. According to the US 2009 census, the estimated population of Canton-Massillon, Ohio Metropolitan statistical area is 408, 005 (US Census Bureau, 2009). Most of the urban population depends upon ground water for consumption and daily usage purposes. The area receives its water supply through 3 different ecological mechanisms, all of which are interconnected through a complex hydrologic and infiltration cycle. The major sources of water supply are: (1) Precipitation (2) Surface water resources (3) Ground water resources. We will briefly explain each one of them with particularly greater emphasis upon ground water resources and it’s the primary source of water supply to the area. The graphical illustration below reveals that on average 3.5 to 3.7 inches precipitation falls every month on Stark country. However, considering the fact that seasonal changes and yearly extremes severely affect the precipitation rate, the following data may not be reliable while analyzing long term precipitation rate. Data revealed by â€Å"Ohio state university extension fact sheet† demonstrates that, all the minor rivers, streams and lakes eventually drain into Ohio River near Beaver, Pennsylvania and Ohio River at Marietta (in Washington County). Furthermore, the infiltration capacity of soil also plays a significant role as it determines the amount of rainfall water to be trapped on the surface or infiltrate into the soil. As mentioned earlier, the availability of ground water is dependent upon the chemical and physical properties of geologic formation. For a better understanding of ground water resources, the nature of aquifers should be analyzed in detail. As the following figure â€Å"Ground water resource map†

Pluralism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Pluralism - Essay Example de Silva, in his article 'Elements of Sound Industrial System', published in International Labour Organisation, ACT/EMP, says "A sound industrial relations system is one in which relationships between management and employees (and their representatives) on the one hand, and between them and the State on the other, are more harmonious and cooperative than conflictual and creates an environment conducive to economic efficiency and the motivation, productivity and development of the employee and generates employee loyalty and mutual trust.1" Industrial relations were not static, but altered with social, economical and political changes and went through many phases. The first one came under the guise of Communism, initiated by Karl Marx, practised by communist countries and it focussed on totalitarianism, not pluralism. After many decades of absolute success in all communist countries, it spread to other democratic and capitalistic countries, in the form of unions, who could negotiate on behalf of workers, depending on the circumstantial influences. In his paper 'The Changing Focus of Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management, presented at ILO Workshop on employers' Organisations, in April 1997, Sriyan de Silva says "Industrial relations in countries, sub-regions and regions, have been influenced by a variety of circumstances and actors such as political philosophies, economic imperatives, the role of the State in determining the direction of economic and social development, the influence of unions and the business community, as well as the legacies of colonial governments2." In non-communist countries, it slowly evolved into pluralism, worker's democracy, according to the prevailing ideologies of the land, as totalitarianism could not survive in free societies. With the collapse of Communism in USSR, totalitarianism anyway came to an end and unions lost their ultimate power. Even in erstwhile communist countries, unions now are practising more of pluralism today, because capitalist countries have won the ideological war, and these countries are trying to walk towards democracy and freedom. Unions, in their heydays, were not always easy to deal with and all their demands could not be termed as fair and logical. They were more feared than respected. They forced the government intervention on many occasions. "They had the potential to do serious damage to industry and the economy if the need arose, one reason why the government could not remain aloof from industrial relations, especially later in the period," Aldcroft and Oliver (2000, p.9). One of the greatest achievements in industries in the last four decades is the introduction of Human Resource Development, which, to some extent, obliterated pluralism by overtaking the union role. S.R. de Silva, in his paper 'Elements of a Sound Industrial Relations System' published in International Labour Publications, reiterates, "The present trend in labour relations and human resource management is to place greater emphasis on employee involvement, harmonious employer - employee relations and mechanisms, and on practices which promote them. One of the important consequences of globalization and intense competition has been the pressure on firms to be flexible3." After ruling for almost three decades, pluralism and industrial democracy, with the advancement of globalisation and multi national companies, have become quite irrelevant today and this was predicted by

Marketing Research for a Company in Dubai Paper

Marketing for a Company in Dubai - Research Paper Example The marketing management department of Masafi generally divided its target audiences into three different market segmentation, such as psychographic segmentation, demographic segmentation and geographic segmentation. In terms of psychographic segmentation, the organization has targeted kids, young adults and women of all ages. The fresh fruit juices are effectively popular among the teenagers and kids. On the other hand, high quality mineral water bottle and fruit flavoured drinks are highly popular among the young college students, young office executives, middle aged men and women, and busy office executives. These products are of high quality. Therefore, it helps the marketing management department to conduct effective psychographic market segmentation for the target customers. In terms of demographic market segmentation, the organization generally targets both men and women for their differentiated products. Facial tissues are quite popular among the young ladies. On the other hand, high quality mineral water bottles are significantly preferred by the both men and women of all ages. In terms of income distribution, people of middle class and upper middle class income group are the major target customers as the o0rganization has developed cost based pricing strategy for the products (Ferrell, 2012). Last but not the least; the organization also has conducted geographic segmentation for its target customers in the developed marketing strategies.

Is Small Beautiful Critically appraise management styles in small Essay

Is Small Beautiful Critically appraise management styles in small firms - Essay Example In reality, approaches to business management may be based on entrepreneurial constituents. These will ultimately describe at a greater depth articulate the small business field management, something that is the center of focus in this piece of writing. Entrepreneurial style of management in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is anticipated is associated with success. This means that, through the styles of management, a small business firm would experience a high growth from one level to another. It is true to say that entrepreneurial management is associated with type of firm; that is, growth rate. The growth rate in itself may be either high or low as Eugene, Hampson, Ian and Beryl (2003) explain in their work. This work will for sure check on variability that exists in small business firms and the kinds and their managerial styles. Literature Small firms are numerous and operational in virtually all parts of the globe. They have a sense of global competence, and a thought a bout them introduces a deal of effectiveness in terms of management and style. It is better to understand the meaning and the relationship that the managers of the firms have with those that help them run their business. In the first place, it is imperative to understand the meaning of entrepreneurship. ... Following the small nature of firms, they become easy to manage in the hunt for their growth and profitability. This comes because of innovative ideas and behaviors that an entrepreneur allies with. Character traits of an entrepreneur who is success oriented clearly spring up. They cover all most aspects of growth-targeted areas that we need to see in the entrepreneurs. We will consider the character traits in a broad manner to see how successful small business owners should operate. To begin with, there is so much to do with personality traits. This makes an entrepreneur legible enough to discern what to do at the very appropriate moment. Personality traits in any small business owner cannot allow for an exceptional thing that may ruin the business. Attitude of any small business owner boosts the general outcome of the business. In fact, a positive attitude has all it takes to see success in the business. In this regard, it instills a better level of self- effectiveness, strength of a higher order and so on. In many cases, eagerness to change according to the current situations that face SMEs is a real stepping-stone to success. This is better off when still when a small business owner shows a great deal of interest in getting involved in creativity and innovation. A business becomes so beautiful to manage in the sense where there is competition aggression and that burning need for success and achievement. Consequently, these are what constitute the logic of small business being beautiful. In a small business enterprise, planning is considerably easier. Its management is swift since it offers a friendly environment for the owners and their customers at large. This does not

Pluralism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Pluralism - Essay Example de Silva, in his article 'Elements of Sound Industrial System', published in International Labour Organisation, ACT/EMP, says "A sound industrial relations system is one in which relationships between management and employees (and their representatives) on the one hand, and between them and the State on the other, are more harmonious and cooperative than conflictual and creates an environment conducive to economic efficiency and the motivation, productivity and development of the employee and generates employee loyalty and mutual trust.1" Industrial relations were not static, but altered with social, economical and political changes and went through many phases. The first one came under the guise of Communism, initiated by Karl Marx, practised by communist countries and it focussed on totalitarianism, not pluralism. After many decades of absolute success in all communist countries, it spread to other democratic and capitalistic countries, in the form of unions, who could negotiate on behalf of workers, depending on the circumstantial influences. In his paper 'The Changing Focus of Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management, presented at ILO Workshop on employers' Organisations, in April 1997, Sriyan de Silva says "Industrial relations in countries, sub-regions and regions, have been influenced by a variety of circumstances and actors such as political philosophies, economic imperatives, the role of the State in determining the direction of economic and social development, the influence of unions and the business community, as well as the legacies of colonial governments2." In non-communist countries, it slowly evolved into pluralism, worker's democracy, according to the prevailing ideologies of the land, as totalitarianism could not survive in free societies. With the collapse of Communism in USSR, totalitarianism anyway came to an end and unions lost their ultimate power. Even in erstwhile communist countries, unions now are practising more of pluralism today, because capitalist countries have won the ideological war, and these countries are trying to walk towards democracy and freedom. Unions, in their heydays, were not always easy to deal with and all their demands could not be termed as fair and logical. They were more feared than respected. They forced the government intervention on many occasions. "They had the potential to do serious damage to industry and the economy if the need arose, one reason why the government could not remain aloof from industrial relations, especially later in the period," Aldcroft and Oliver (2000, p.9). One of the greatest achievements in industries in the last four decades is the introduction of Human Resource Development, which, to some extent, obliterated pluralism by overtaking the union role. S.R. de Silva, in his paper 'Elements of a Sound Industrial Relations System' published in International Labour Publications, reiterates, "The present trend in labour relations and human resource management is to place greater emphasis on employee involvement, harmonious employer - employee relations and mechanisms, and on practices which promote them. One of the important consequences of globalization and intense competition has been the pressure on firms to be flexible3." After ruling for almost three decades, pluralism and industrial democracy, with the advancement of globalisation and multi national companies, have become quite irrelevant today and this was predicted by

Is Small Beautiful Critically appraise management styles in small Essay

Is Small Beautiful Critically appraise management styles in small firms - Essay Example In reality, approaches to business management may be based on entrepreneurial constituents. These will ultimately describe at a greater depth articulate the small business field management, something that is the center of focus in this piece of writing. Entrepreneurial style of management in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is anticipated is associated with success. This means that, through the styles of management, a small business firm would experience a high growth from one level to another. It is true to say that entrepreneurial management is associated with type of firm; that is, growth rate. The growth rate in itself may be either high or low as Eugene, Hampson, Ian and Beryl (2003) explain in their work. This work will for sure check on variability that exists in small business firms and the kinds and their managerial styles. Literature Small firms are numerous and operational in virtually all parts of the globe. They have a sense of global competence, and a thought a bout them introduces a deal of effectiveness in terms of management and style. It is better to understand the meaning and the relationship that the managers of the firms have with those that help them run their business. In the first place, it is imperative to understand the meaning of entrepreneurship. ... Following the small nature of firms, they become easy to manage in the hunt for their growth and profitability. This comes because of innovative ideas and behaviors that an entrepreneur allies with. Character traits of an entrepreneur who is success oriented clearly spring up. They cover all most aspects of growth-targeted areas that we need to see in the entrepreneurs. We will consider the character traits in a broad manner to see how successful small business owners should operate. To begin with, there is so much to do with personality traits. This makes an entrepreneur legible enough to discern what to do at the very appropriate moment. Personality traits in any small business owner cannot allow for an exceptional thing that may ruin the business. Attitude of any small business owner boosts the general outcome of the business. In fact, a positive attitude has all it takes to see success in the business. In this regard, it instills a better level of self- effectiveness, strength of a higher order and so on. In many cases, eagerness to change according to the current situations that face SMEs is a real stepping-stone to success. This is better off when still when a small business owner shows a great deal of interest in getting involved in creativity and innovation. A business becomes so beautiful to manage in the sense where there is competition aggression and that burning need for success and achievement. Consequently, these are what constitute the logic of small business being beautiful. In a small business enterprise, planning is considerably easier. Its management is swift since it offers a friendly environment for the owners and their customers at large. This does not

My Future Faculty Mentor Essay Example for Free

My Future Faculty Mentor Essay Having the field experience is something that I myself am looking forward. I know that there will be lots of things that I would be encountering as I take my field experience, but one thing that I am looking forward to is working with my future faculty mentor. As I come close to having my field experience I have expectations about working with my faculty mentor, and the one thing that I expect to learn and attain through the help of my mentor is to become independent. Faculty mentors will be assigned to us to help and guide us in our field experience, but it is not necessary for us to be always dependent on our mentors, we too should learn how to become independent while working with them. I believe that I will be learning a lot from my faculty mentor as I enter my field experience and one thing that I have to learn as I enter my field experience is to work independently. Though our mentors will help us, I must possess the necessary skills in order for me to work independently. Before going into a field experience, one must first know self-management where one would set goals, consider alternatives and evaluate them according to ones specific knowledge and skills (Academic innovations: secretarys commission on achieving necessary skills (scans), 1991). Another very important thing as I work with my mentor is that I should be responsible and must know how to manage my time well. Working independently means working by yourself; even though the mentors are there, one should be responsible to perform tasks and finish them in the time given (Academic innovations: secretarys commission on achieving necessary skills (scans), 1991). These I believe are the two most important factors that I should consider as I work independently with my faculty mentor. From strategies to guidelines, I believe with the help of my faculty mentor that I would be able to learn these things and many more, but I know that I too should know how to work independently because this is a challenge for me to become a better person. Reference Academic innovations: secretarys commission on achieving necessary skills (scans). (1991). Retrieved from http://www. academicinnovations. com/report. html#manage

Strategic Marketing Plan For The French Fashion House Marketing Essay

Strategic Marketing Plan For The French Fashion House Marketing Essay In the ninetys the brand took a new direction: diversification and internationalization. From now, the company offered a wide range of product so women can dress from head to foot in Caroll. Also, the French company aimed bigger: shops, affiliations, and franchises locations in department stores appeared worldwide. Thanks to its strong two figures growth for the past few years, China became the favorite new destination for companies. Shalendra Sharma, associate professor of political science, University of San Francisco says that with an estimated 300 million Chinese consumers with much disposable income, it is an opportunity that should not be missed  [2]  , even if the current economic environment requires caution. According to the CCI and Cotton Incorporated Global Lifestyle Monitorà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ Survey, apparel tops the list of items Chinese consumers prefer to shop for (31%), Notice that women are largely more interested than men (39% versus 22%). Figure 1: Lifestyle Monitorà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ SurveyDefinitely, China represents a great opportunity for clothes retailer. The country made its name and growth by assuring the role of world supplier, especially for clothes. Since the economy became better, Chinese want to enjoy more western lifestyle. That is why Caroll developed a growing interest for Chinese market. However, Chinese are specific needs, expectations and behavior that Caroll must understands and faces. The aim of the following analysis is to try to define how Caroll could tackle into the middle market in China, using internal and external analysis, outlining issues and opportunities for the brand. Situation Analysis An academic report written by several professors, Heiko Gebauer, Thomas Fischer and Elgar Fleisch, name Entering the Chinese mid-market segment: key to long-term success? pointed out major mistakes when entering the Chinese market: Misunderstood of the Chinese consumers, their needs and expectations. Companies overestimate their image value. Managers miss opportunities in focus on few cities only such as Beijing or Shanghai In order to handle those issues for Caroll, I will design a strategic marketing plan consisting in an analysis to match market opportunities to the resources and capabilities of the company. In this case, I will follow different steps to establish a SMP for Caroll: Environmental Analysis (PESTEL) Identifying Customers Competitor The company in its environment (Porters Five Forces and SWOT analysis) The company Marketing Mix: The 4 Ps and 3 Vs Value Creation (Value Chain, Boston Box and Ansoff matrices) The analysis is based on information found on Internet and on my personal experiences as women clothes consumer and Asian person and knowledge since I studied how to do business in China during five month at the SEM Tongji University in Shanghai in 2011. PESTEL analysis focuses in following area; political system and stability, economic stability, socio-cultural practices, technological advancements, environmental efforts and legal and judicial systems. It gives a global view, the big picture, of the environment in which the brand is interested to. It provides a strong framework of opportunities and risks.   P for Political Political advantages Political disadvantages Not Relevant Government stability Labor law Political stability Regulation/Deregulation Social/Employment Legislation Tariffs Tax Policy Trade Restrictions Bureaucracy Corruption Freedom of the press Environmental law Government type China is based on communism political system with on unique party, the Chinese Communist Party. Because of the unique party China is not seen as a real democratic country by foreigners. However the country enjoys political and government stability thanks to strong control and obedience. Indeed, no substantial political opposition groups exist (Central Intelligence Agency, 2012). So, even if some issues exist like ethnic unrest in Tibet, they do not represent threats to its political stability. Since Mao Zedong, former president of China, the country uses capitalist economy in order to make China the first economic power. The path is still followed and the government decisions are design to ensure continuous economic growth. The country shows goodwill, regulations, tariff and tax policies are favorable to business and especially for foreign companies; reduction in taxation to foreign companies, creating designated free trade zones such as Shanghai and Shenzhen, investing in public amenities and facilities to attract foreign investors, and continuously liberalizing their trade regulations to create attractive and impactful investment centre. Nevertheless, corruption is strongly embedded in China government. It is called the East Asian paradox: countries displaying exceptional growth records despite having thriving corruption cultures (China economic review, 2012). E for Economic Economic advantages Economic disadvantages Not relevant Consumers Disposable Income Economic Growth GDP/GNP growth Globalization Labor cost and supply Exchange rate Interest rates Inflation rate Business Cycle Stage Likely Economic Change Unemployment Rate As I said earlier, China adopted for open market concept. Chinas continuous and gradual reforms started with phasing out agriculture activity; followed by liberalization of prices, fiscal decentralization, open banking and financial system, creation of share market, large amount of private sector investment, and large foreign direct investment (Central Intelligence Agency, 2012). Thanks to its efforts, in 2010, China became the number two world economy in term of size. China benefits from a solid two figures growth even with the crisis. However, the country faces inflation and increasing local government debt which could represent a threat regarding government gifts for company and reduce the buying power of consumers. One of the main China economic challenges is to encourage local demand that is why the governments 12th Five-Year Plan, adopted in March 2011, focuses on the need to increase domestic consumption in order to make the economy less dependent on exports in the future (Central Intelligence Agency, 2012). S for Socio-Cultural Social advantages Social disadvantages Not relevant Age distribution Career attitude Educational structure Attitude to work Social mobility Cultural taboos Health Consciousness Population Growth Rate Perception of safety Employment patterns China has 1,344,130,000 people and reached a 7.298 trillion USD GDP in 2011 (World Bank, 2011). In 2012 73,5% of the people is aged from 15 to 64 years old, 51,4% male and 48,6% female and the median age is about 36 years old (Central Intelligence Agency, 2012). In 2010, 47% of the population lives in urban areas and China tends to become more and more urban. Indeed, people move to cities looking for job and life improvement. Official language is mandarin; however, there are more than 100 dialects in China. Students and executive employees are encouraged to learn English. When I was in China, I notice that the language was really important for Chinese. For example, you will get a different price when negotiating if you speak English, Chinese or the local language. The Chinese culture is influenced by Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. I think the most famous Chinese word is Guan Xi, meaning relationship; business practices in China focuses on building relationship. Also, as for many Asian cultures, the image is very important in China. They have a strong sense of shame and pride. Related to the importance of the image, Chinese, especially the upper and middle class society, have developed a sense of materialism where owning (luxury) goods and designer items give them status in the society. Deng Xiaoping, one of the important figures in the opening of the market  said  «Ã‚  to get rich is glorious  Ã‚ ». Contrary to western people, Chinese freely discuss about money, how much they earn, what they have à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ T for Technology Technology advantages Technology disadvantages Not relevant Impact of Internet (reduce communication costs) Rate of technological changes RD activities Technology incentives Technology transfer Degree of automation Emerging technologies To be honest, technological advancement is lower than in developed country. However, China does not ignore the importance of technology and has invested and still invests a lot in engineering, telecommunications, and manufacturing and information systems. China took advantage that many high end technology companies as Apple or Huawai are established in China to acquire new technologies. Indeed, when a company wants to settle in China, the law requires that half of the managers must be Chinese and part of employees too. Moreover, the government is trying to attract brains in China in order to not only copy others technologies but to develop their own. As for many areas, China wants to be the first and the best. E for Environmental Environmental advantages Environmental disadvantages Not relevant Environmental consciousness Weather Climate changes There is more than one documentary on pollution in China; the country suffers from its rapid growth and the activities linked. Even if the Chinese government thinks that environment is a serious issue that must be handling. However corruption and wish of development made environmental control difficult. It could either be on opportunity (cost) and a threat (image). L for Legal. Legal advantages Legal disadvantages Not relevant Employment law Antitrust law Consumer law General framework Health and Safety laws Discrimination law Chinas legislature is mainly derived from the soviet and continental civil code of principles. China has set up international trade and economic arbitration in order to attract foreign company and develop international business. However, Chinese prefers the use of arbitrator; it represents a saving time (Central Intelligence Agency, 2012). According to me, the legal point represents the biggest threat for doing business in China. When I study in Shanghai, I had the chance to have a class about Chinese laws and I can affirm that the law and its application are designed to advantage Chinese part, always. For example, only a Chinese lawyer that is to say a lawyer who was graduated in a Chinese Law School is competent. Also, several cases show that it is usual that foreign court decisions are not enforce by Chinese courts. The PESTEL analysis of China point out that it represents a great opportunity for Caroll to tap into the Chinese market; huge potential, increasing buying power and middle class, sense of materialism, development of infrastructures, goodwill of the government Several other fashion clothes brands already entered the Chinese market and has registered high sales and profitability. Nevertheless, threats are as big as opportunities. As I just said, it is not good to have issues in China. I remember a story that my Chinese friend told me; in China, cars have the priority over pedestrians. He told me to be careful, because in the case a car hit me, even if the driver past the red light, as I am a foreigner I am wrong and all Chinese will defend the driver (strong collectivism value). I think that this point totally highlights that the Chinese culture is way different from the French culture and this represents the second threat: Caroll does not know the market and consumers. Exhibit 2: Growing mid-market households in China in millions. Boston Consulting Group The exhibit above shows that middle class are emerging, the study conducted by the Boston Consulting Group (2010) estimates that in 2020 about 69 million people will be considered as middle class, more than the French population! Furthermore, it has been forecasted that by 2025, this segment will increase to 590 million with a whopping US$ 1.3 trillion spending power. Helen Wang, author of The Chinese Dream: The Rise of the Worlds Largest Middle Class and What It Means to You said that to be middle-class in China the person would earn between $10,000 and $60,000 a year. Considering the cost of Chinese life and living standards, much lower than in western countries, a middle class can afford pretty huge apartment, longer and better education and spends in entertainments and apparels. These citizens are mostly urban, engaged in services and have a modern world view; this new middle class represents China as a consumer society. As we saw earlier, the image is an important value for Chinese that is why they spend in good quality products or non-essential consumption in order to show their success (status). Families tend to buy more discretionary and small luxury items and the share of the household budget that goes food, clothes and other necessities shrinks (The McKinsey Quarterly, 2006). Mostly, middle class consumers are looking for famous product which showed they are part of the community and meanwhile tailored product; they need to keep their personality. With increasing product knowledge and surging purchasing power, mainland consumers in China are developing higher demands for quality and comfort in clothing. They usually prefer apparel made of natural fabrics (International Trade Centre, p.50, 2011). According to the China Textile Development Report in 2010, Chinese consumers ranked comfort at the top priority. Even if they are able to afford more expansive product, middle class consumers still but cheap product. They consider cheap and expansive products strongly different and pay attention to details (distribution channel, store, servicesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦). It will be a huge mistake to think that they are not price consciousness. J. Roy says  [3]  , Most people only buy clothes online when they are looking for something cheap, not when they are looking for style. It would be a mistake for an American retailer like J. Crew or Gap to emphasize e-commerce over their in-store shopping experience, customer experience is highly appreciate by Asian consumers. According to the Global Monitor, web sites are used to read customer reviews and compare prices (59%) and browse the latest styles (58%), followed by buy clothes (55%). Also, customers tend to be more loyal to a brand. It is important for Caroll to create a good relation with consumers even if the maximal potential is not reached yet, Guan Xi. Chinese consumers develop a strong environment conscience, an important factor to consider if Caroll want to create a long term relationship. Understanding and adaptation are key words, for example Levis had launch a specific line designed specifically for Asian physiques and tastes, with different cuts and tighter fits. It common knowledge than Asian people are smaller but it another thing to redesign clothes to fit to their size. I think that is difficult to understand the Chinese middle class needs and expectation only based on studies. I had the chance to study with Chinese student in marketing that help me to better answer to this part but the analysis is not enough deep. Y. Chen  [4]  says that given the competitiveness of the market, it is only advisable (for retailers) to enter China if they are serious about it and also put required investments behind it. The domestic clothing market in China is dominated by brands of European origin and other imported products, such as Giorgio Armani, Cerruti 1881, Hugo Boss, Dunhill, Chanel, Dior, Ermenegildo Zegna and Salvatore Ferragamo. The middle and low end of the market has a product mix of foreign and domestic brands, with most of the goods being manufactured in China and least developed countries (Bangladesh, Egypt, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, and Viet Nam) such as Nike, Adidas, Tommy Hilfiger, Zara, CA and HM. However, we can notice a growing competition from Chinese brand as Bosideng, White Collar, Kaiser, Lily, Girdear, JNBY, Peacebird, Sierli and Gloria (International Trade Centre, p.35, 2011). In 2001, the China accessed to the World Trade Organization and after a short period, foreign brands started to target Chine; 2007 for HM, 2008 for Zara and Marks and Spencer, 2009 for Tommy Hilfiger à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Competitors to Caroll are already established in the Chinese market and so get a great advantage since Chinese consumers are more loyal and focus on long term relationship. Figure 3: Main foreign Apparel brands in the Chinese market (source ITC, 2011) Figure 4: Main domestic Apparel brands in the Chinese market (source ITC, 2011) SWOT Matrix Strengths Weaknesses International experience, in particular in Japan, first contact with Asian culture Trendy clothes Works with world famous fashion clothes designers Comfortable products Good quality product Prices policy, price of Caroll clothes are a little bit too high for middle class but far too low to be consider as luxury clothes Many unhappy opinion on the quality of service (customer reception, information ) Fails to create a sense of belonging to a community despite different attempts Opportunities Threats Increase of the middle class, the target Increase of purchasing power Low labor and estate cost Growing interest for clothes shopping Open market, government policies to attract foreigner (taxation, tariff à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) Strong established competition Open market = upcoming competition Legal system and corruption Inflation = raise of cost Unknown in China I will not spend more time on opportunities and threats since we already spend times on it with the environment and competitors analysis; I will only repeat that opportunities are as great as threats are big. The SWOT analysis tends to demonstrate that Caroll has several strengths in order to fit with the Chinese demand. However, the company has to work hard on consumer experience and price that represent key drivers for change. Once again, adaptation is a key solution. In another field, we can take the example of Best Buy, an electronic retailer pretty successful who failed to tap into the Chinese market. Indeed, bargaining is a strong value of Chinese culture and the company didnt give the possibility to bargain in Best Buy Store. Within two years, the brand closed all its stores in China since it was unable to satisfy Chinese consumers. Porters five forces model Threat of new entrants High threat Low entry barriers with encouraging government policies, economy of scale and other costs advantages and really attractive market. Switching cost almost inexistent. In balance, significant capital requirement and well established huge players. Sustainable industry growth rate. Supplier bargaining power Moderate High supplier concentration (in 2008, China represented half of textile and clothes supplier). Low suppliers differentiation. Low switching cost. In balance, notable threat of buyers integration (growing Chinese competition). Low dependence with buyers. Industry Rivalry Highly competitive market Highly concentrated market with numerous and diversified competitors including some huge in size (like Zara or Mango). High fixed cost (physical store). Almost no switching cost. In balance, high industry growth rate in a product differentiation model with significant customer loyalty. Low exit barriers Customers bargaining power Moderate Consumers highly sensitive to consumers experiences and differentiation. Demanding market. Low switching cost. In balance, significant customer loyalty. Low buyers volume. High number of buyers relative to sellers. Threat of substitutes Low / Moderate threat Enormous choice of substitute at lower price and quality. Switching cost almost inexistent. In balance, substitutes are considered in a total different way with a total different consumers behavior and habits. The Porters Five Forces analysis totally complies with the environment, competitors, market and consumers analyses. The biggest threats are represented by the highly competitive market with existing and future competitors. Concerning customers and suppliers buying power, I will say that one word, Guan Xi. Everything is based on relationship; understanding and answering. Chinese are more willing to show loyalty than Western people, so the threat can be handle by creating good relationship. And last, the substitute threat is not really significant as customers are able to make a clear distinction between products. The marketing mix Product Price Variety product: several line casual working clothes evening clothes Quality: high quality product with noble and still comfortable fabrics Design: use of famous worldwide clothes designer = design + value for customers Brand name: Caroll is a well-established French company in Europe and can offer a certain image (elegance, wealthy à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) to the customer. Service: attempt to reach the most complete and valuable consumers experience. Price: right match with the quality of the product and service and the image. Currently, I think that for the Chinese market, the price of Caroll is not justified. Promotion Place Advertising: China is a giant advertising place. Marketing and advertising are everywhere. This is an opportunity for Caroll to build solid brand awareness by using diversify communication event billposting commercial Internet Public relation: be present, involved is really important. Public relation is a key factor for success. Distribution channel: as we saw in order to tap into the middle market, Caroll must open physical store better than only online selling. Location: when I was in Shanghai, I was impressed by the number of mall, there are malls everywhere. Availability and good location will be an help to develop the brand into the Chinese market. The target is the middle Chinese class. The intended position is to represent a high valued brand representing the elegance, offering high quality product at reasonable price. Strategic Segments Align 3 Vs Valued Customers middle class working women living in urban area Value Proposition high valued and high quality fashioned clothes and accessories Value Network physical store enjoying satisfying customers experience. Value Value The Value Chain Firm infrastructure 400 stores, 274 in France, 123 worldwide Support activities Human resource management About 1200 employees Technology development Design Procurement Elegant and noble fabrics Operations Specific line product Outbound logistics Warehousing Services Customer support Online store Marketing and sales Advertising and promotion like fashion shows. Inbound logistics Inventory control Storing Chinese and least develop country for supply Primary activities Service The Boston Box matrix The following Boston Box matrix is based on personal perception of the market since no information was found. Evening clothes (dress for party for example) Casual clothes Working clothes Accessories shoes Ansoff matrix Market Development Diversification Chinese middle class represent a new market for Caroll, new customers needs and expectations so new business model and strategy. Target different geographical markets at home or abroad. There is no need to diversify more the brand. Caroll is already offering a wide range of products (clothes and accessories). Market Penetration Product Development Going to the Chinese market is one thing but stay strong in the European market is another. Even if the Chinese market offers great opportunities, this is a major issue to reinforce our position in existing market. Caroll has to work harder on: Introduce a loyalty scheme = community Increase and improved sales force activities. It is important to design specific line to fit with Chinese demand Design specific line for Chinese (taste, size à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) Improve customer service or quality.