Dark Room Essay

The author of the Dark Room ( Rachel Seiffert) made Lore, who is a young girl that has to walk across germany during world war 2 with her siblings, a memorable character by showing what she is like, what Lore’s mission was and the theme of the novel during world war 2. The author of the Dark Room (Rachel Sieffert) used Lore’s Characteristics to make her memorable. Lore is very adaptable to life during World War II. Lore often has to improvise by finding other ways of doing things for example when Lore tries to keep the children clean, she uses paraffin with a tub to try and get rid of nits in the children’s hair. Food was also scarce so she had to make reasonable portions with the food she gathered for herself and her siblings â€Å"Lore divides the rest of the bread between them†. Thus shows how adaptable she is during the tough living situations and shortages of World War 2. Lore is also very brave; this is shown when Jochen was shot by the Russian soldiers†¦ ’ A gun is fired again†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ † The first one pulls Jochen shirt towards him†. When this happened in the novel Lore did not cry or run off after the Russian soldiers as they brutally killed Johan, this shows the reader how brave Lore is by leaving her own little brother in the paddock. This shows the authors intention to get the reader to feel for Lore as she must make tough decisions about food, which in today’s society is often taken for granted. The author of the dark room, Rachel Sieffert used Lore’s mission to make her a memorable character. In the novel Lore needs to walk to her oma’s place, making her way from southern Germany to a place near Hamburg which is approximately six hundred kilometres, she not only has to do it by herself she also has to walk all the way with her siblings with a lack of trains operating â€Å"The man in the office says she will need to get permission from the americans†¦ he last offical transport went over two weeks ago†.. †The station is deserted†. The author makes it memorable as it is such a long way to walk, especially in war times where conditions were extremely tough which is very unusual, even in today’s society, thus is how Rachel Sieffert makes Lore memorable by giving h er a mission of walking such a large distance.

Taking DécorFurniture.com to the Next Level of E-Commerce

DecorFurniture. com will utilize an off the shelf CRM application in lieu of an ERP system. Customer Relationship Management applications will enhance the marketing, sales, and customer service aspect of DecorFurniture. com by handling the data about the company’s old and future customers. The CRM application will manage the call center function to be added to the company. This will help in reaching the goal of improving the company’s relationship with its customers.Proper training will be given to the agents, briefing them on the CRM application’s goal of improving relationships in order to ensure that the cost of the program will not have to balloon out of proportion before showing results. Business Processes Business Process Improvement is an essential part of Decor Furniture. There are numerous of individuals surfing the internet in this world of fast-paced technology. There is a need for Decor Furniture to keep up with the demands of these individuals, poten tial customers and old patrons. There is a need, therefore, for flexibility in changing the status quo of the e-business.Web design, marketing strategies, web services used, and other applications integrated in the company’s trade must be constantly reviewed for effectiveness in the business’ growth. The online community is a fast-changing thing and Decor Furniture must constantly keep up through the upgrading of software and mechanisms. Business processes constantly monitor workflows or the way the business’ transactions flow from the start to the end. XML will be used for the company’s site. This will help in keeping the web site flexible to change given the simplicity and universality of the code.It will be used as the language to connect the workflow processes involved. The use of Wf-XML will reduce integration costs. It will also be easier to â€Å"operate† as it can be handled by anyone who is XML literate. Decor Furniture will also make use of a language translating web service in order to provide its services in different languages online. This will help in the goal of reaching more individuals with the products it offers. Business Intelligence Planning and Funding As a start-up e-business stemming from an offline company with a small target of customers, Decor Furniture will not yet employ the use of business intelligence.However, it will target the integration of a business intelligence application when the company grows and its customers and sales increase. Waiting and not implementing a business intelligence application immediately will also give ample time for planning the program. Once the business has taken off and funds have increased through the company’s profits and through outside investors attracted through the company’s highly competent marketing strategies, business intelligence will be integrated.Because business intelligence will only be applied once the company is bigger and funds are en ough to sustain the program, OLAP will be an option for Decor Furniture. This is because OLAP is multidimensional and will give a wider array of choices with regard to the tasks that need to be accomplished by the system. Data mining will not be used because some studies have shown that such procedures, such as the Market Basket Analysis, are not effective. Customers may buy a certain product for different reasons not simply because of certain aspects of their identity available in the data to be mined.Assessing Decor Furniture as a Small Business Before the advent of the internet, furniture was viewed in a company’s showroom, ordered, and only then delivered to the customer’s residence or office. This process can be cut short, however, by allowing DecorFurniture. com to go online. The strategy to be applied will involve the creation of a company website which will not only serve as a brochure for the different products but which will also integrate a purchasing featur e where customers can order their products and pay via PayPal or other such B2C systems.This allows the company to reach more individuals than it usually would. Even individuals not living near Decor Furniture’s main stores would be able to view and opt to buy their products. Marketing Included in the strategy planning for Decor Furniture is its aspect as an online market. As stated above, Decor Furniture will be placed on the online market because this broadens its pool of customers. Marketing will include the use of online ads, electronically mailing potential customers, and having different kinds of advertising multimedia, such as commercials on YouTube for the promotion of the products.The company’s site will be made sure to have an attractive and welcoming template. Navigation around the site will be made easier with a site map and promos will be placed on the home page to attract the potential customers to continue on to the viewing of the products. Marketing pro grams will be outsourced. This is to reduce costs, via cheaper labor in the outsourcing companies, and to ensure that the newly started online market of Decor Furniture will be marketed expertly even from the start. Outsourcing may be stopped in the future once the company has gained ground on the World Wide Web. Legal Matters – Privacy, IPR and TaxAlong with the uncharted land of the web, many companies starting an e-business are unsure of the boundaries of their legal rights. Many customers are also afraid of violation of their own rights in purchasing over the internet. Privacy and stealing identity information keep customers on their guard. This will be avoided by including privacy policies or agreement terms on the site as well as by clear explanation of why certain information is being asked of the client. Proper paper work will be filed in the local government to ensure that taxation of the transactions done on the DecorFurniture. com site will be assured.This will ens ure that the e-business’ dealings are legal and accounted for. This is probably the most essential legal aspect the company faces because its main purpose for going online is to be able to establish more customers through an online market. The domain name, company logo and tag lines will be copyrighted as well to protect the company from imitations and posers. Management Issues An important management trend that is good to keep in mind when dealing with online business is outsourcing. Running an e-business entails paying attention to numerous details that aren’t part of what your business is really about.Advertisements, creation of web designs, writing of the site’s content are all things that will be outsource in DecorFurniture. com. Going online has given Decor Furniture access to the entire world as a pool for potential customers. Through international shipping, global service will be offered. Shipping insurance as well as local tax in the customer’s c ountry will not be part of the services available to the international customers. This will extend the possibilities for DecorFurniture. com and will take full advantage of its choice to go online.Conclusion Decor Furniture can maximize its online presence through the use of the various resources it can find available on the internet. Developing a strong presence online is essential in order to attract new customers and to spread the company’s name. Creating an impressive web site and coupling this with effective marketing strategies will help Decor Furniture become a household name when it comes to online purchasing. However, in order for the company to best have its customers keep coming back, it has to establish a good relationship with the.This can be established through CRM applications that will be integrated into the company. Eventual use of business intelligence applications, which will be capable of analyzing sales data, will also assist the company in getting to kno w better the customers and target audience for sales. Decor Furniture has a bright future ahead on the World Wide Web. Unlike many dot com businesses, it has a very good chance at becoming a stable success online. Through careful planning of business strategies and implementation of the same, this e-business will be booming in no time.There are many features of e-business that put it above offline businesses. Numerous aids and options are available to the online company and it can more easily reach a larger audience of individuals. However, there must be proper planning, implementation of these plans, and use of e-business strategies in order for success to be attained. Reference Vindevogel, B. , Van den Poel, Dirk, and Wets, Geert. â€Å"Why promotion strategies based on market basket analysis don’t work. † Expert Systems with Applications, 28 (1991): 583-590.

Siddhartha Commentary: Bildungsroman

â€Å"Siddhartha† by Herman Hesse is neatly categorized under the Bildungsroman genre. Bildungsroman is a novel dealing with one person’s formative years or spiritual education. Throughout the whole novel Siddhartha, the main character, is confronted by many setbacks not only physically and emotionally but also spiritually. Siddhartha’s father was a Brahman and thus Siddhartha learnt the traditions through his own father. However, Siddhartha felt that he was missing something and this started his journey to enlightenment.Herman Hesse splits Siddhartha’s journey into three major locations. The confrontations that Siddhartha faces in the different location all relate to each other by three different aspects that affected Siddhartha. Mental situations, situations that involved human desire and spiritual situations are the three aspects that affected Siddhartha. Firstly, when Siddhartha encountered situation that involved his mentality, human teachers taught S iddhartha. Siddhartha was first taught by his father, the Head Brahman, through scriptures of ways to lead a blessed life.However, Siddhartha had already mastered the ways of the Brahman. He also felt that his soul could not be taught by scriptures because if he continued learning though scriptures he would just go on a â€Å"detour, (he) was getting lost†. Soon after, Siddhartha left the Brahman ways with Govinda to learn from the Samanas. Once again, Siddhartha’s teachers were humans. The duo was taught to deprive themselves of all sorts of pleasure and to be an â€Å"empty human†. After slowly mastering the ways of the Samanas, Siddhartha soon became bitter to his surroundings.He saw his world as one full of negative things. Siddhartha’s â€Å"glance turned to ice when he encountered women†, â€Å"merchants trading, princes hunting, mourners wailing for their dead, whores offering themselves, physicians trying to help the sick, priests determin ing the most suitable day for seeding, lovers loving, (and) mothers nursing their children†. Siddhartha’s mouth would always â€Å"twitch(ed) with contempt†. Siddhartha would also be absolutely numb to the world saying that â€Å"the world tasted bitter† and that â€Å"life was torture. †The Samanas also taught Siddhartha self-deprivation. Siddhartha â€Å"went the way of self-denial by means of pain, through voluntarily suffering† in the process of this, Siddhartha was able to overcome pain, hunger, thirst (and), tiredness. † Soon, Siddhartha acknowledged that the ways of the Samana was not able to achieve enlightenment. He told Govinda that the eldest Samana who has â€Å"lived for sixty years and has not reached the nirvana† so how were they supposed to attain enlightenment through the ways of the Samana if the eldest Samana hasn’t.Siddhartha shadowed behind the mental games that the ways of the both the Head Brahman an d eldest Samana. The way of the Brahman and the eldest Samana were only training Siddhartha’s mental but it did not touch even the slightest part of Siddhartha’s soul. Secondly, Siddhartha went through what I would consider a stage that lured him to somewhat go against what he learnt in the first part of the novel, which is accepting human desires and attending to them.The start of this journey was when he let Govinda stay with the Buddha while Siddhartha ventured out himself. Throughout this journey, Siddhartha’s teachers are humans. Siddhartha learns the art of love from a ‘teacher of love’ named Kamala and the ways of the rich by a merchant named Kalaswami. Siddhartha learnt how to see the beauty in things however, this led him to take advantage of his surrounding’s beauty. When Siddhartha left Govinda, it symbolized him letting go of his the teaching from the Samanas and Brahman.Once he let go, then Siddhartha was finally able to see the beauty of life, he saw â€Å"all of this, a thousand-fold and colourful, had always been there, always the sun and the moon had shone, always rivers had roared and bees had buzzed, but in former times all of this had been nothing more to Siddhartha than a fleeting, deceptive veil before his eyes, looked upon in distrust, destined to be penetrated and destroyed by though, since it was not the essential existence, since this essence lay beyond, on the other side of, the visible. Siddhartha then describes his ‘new life’ as a child-like laughter, he called it â€Å"beautiful and lovely†. As Siddhartha reaches the near village, Siddhartha sees a young woman and inside of him, there is a spark of lust that started the first fire. Siddhartha describes the feeling as one that made â€Å"his blood heating up†. Next, Kalaswami first sees Siddhartha as he â€Å"entered, a swiftly, smoothly moving man with very gray hair, with very intelligent, cautious eyes, with a greedy mouth†.Siddhartha seems to take note of the result of indulging in too much pleasure. Unfortunately, he doesn’t realize when he has become just like Kalaswami. Then Siddhartha finally realizes that pleasure is only temporary. Siddhartha sits and â€Å"he became aware of the strange life he was leading, of him doing lots of things which were only a game, of, though being happy and feeling joy at times, real life still passing him by and not touching him†. Siddhartha acknowledges again that through lust and desire, he was not able to attain enlightenment.So, he continued his journey. Lastly, Siddhartha went through his final stage that would be considered a stage that was about Siddhartha spiritually. At first, Siddhartha’s spiritual journey begins at the Jetavana Grove where the Buddha gave his teachings. The second part of Siddhartha’s spiritual journey, he was guided by a human named Vasudeva. However, unlike the other teachers that Siddhar tha had, Siddhartha learnt how to attain enlightenment through the river that he studied.Siddhartha’s first step to enlightenment was when he was just about to leave the Jetavana grove where the Buddha gave his teachings. As Siddhartha was just about to leave the grove, the Buddha smiled at him. At that point, Siddhartha was able to understand the tranquility behind the smile. Siddhartha also understood that peacefulness was the result of enlightenment. The proof was the Buddha, his â€Å"eyes quietly looked to the ground; quietly, in perfect equanimity his inscrutable face was smiling†. Through Siddhartha’s spiritual path, dreams came to Siddhartha.These dreams brought Siddhartha to a realization of how he was living in the past and they also guided Siddhartha is ways guided him on how he should live his life. Siddhartha’s dreams were manifestations of his consciousness. For example, Siddhartha’s internal ‘death’ through his indulgenc e of pleasure was represented by Kamala’s dead song bird. † At the last stage of Siddhartha’s spiritual journey, Siddhartha made many self-reflections while studying the river. This made him realize what he did in the past, what he was doing in the present and what he would do in the future.Siddhartha through the process of attaining enlightenment, he â€Å"stopped fighting his fate, (and) stopped suffering. On his face flourished the cheerfulness of a knowledge, which is no longer opposed by any will, which knows perfection, which is in agreement with the flow o f events, with the current of life, full of sympathy for the pain of others, full of sympathy for the pleasure of others, devoted to the flow, belonging to the oneness. † Siddhartha studied the river and when he did, Siddhartha finally found enlightenment.Throughout the novel, Siddhartha has had many different encounters with different people, animals and himself, Siddhartha changed from a boy to a man who’s eyes have been opened to the ‘new world’. Siddhartha’s goal that he had when he took the first step by leaving his house to join the Samanas was to attain enlightenment. With this goal in mind, Siddhartha was finally able to attain enlightenment with the help of the river. At first was boy who was hungry for the key to enlightenment even more for his hunger for new knowledge.During his lifelong journey Siddhartha went through many mental, physical and spiritual struggles he on the road to attain enlightenment. However, unlike the other teachers that taught him their different specialties’, Siddhartha’s teacher that helped him to enlightenment wasn’t a human but rather it was from one of Mother Nature’s creations, the river. The many changes in Siddhartha’s life caused Siddhartha going through the vital process of growth. In conclusion, Siddhartha by Herman Hesse is a bildungsroman.

French Politics and Institutions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

French Politics and Institutions - Essay Example In the Toulouse shooting there were four Jews killed outside of a Jewish school, three of those dead being children. Just like in the past incident, the Toulouse shooting sparked riots in France with the society divided between those who supported Bayne and those who condemn him. Therefore, other separate incidents similar to the recent shooting should work as a highlight and a warning sign rather than being treated as a lone incident. Unlike in North America where issues affecting the Jewish community there are low birth rates, intermarriages and assimilation, in French Europe, anti-Semitism is a social phenomenon rather than just a lone incident1. The strong outspoken French public take on the two incidents has worked in highlighting the similarity between both incidents. The society seems, just like in the first incident, to be very active in taking sides - either on the side of the victims or on the side of the perpetrators. The underlying crimes are based on hate. However, there have been recent twists to this anti-Semitism in that political and economic spheres have been introduced into the debate but the fact remains that anti-Semitism just like in those periods of 1890s still is strong if not getting even stronger in France. Even scholars have been thrown into different conclusions about the recent incident in line with the Dreyfus Affair in that some like Neocon John Podhoretz are declaring an alert that â€Å"Jews are being hunted.† Though an overtone, it seeks to highlight that the recent event cannot be looked at in isolation to the 1894 anti-Semitic affair because of the similarity between them. On the contrary Leon Weiseltier termed his article â€Å"Hitler is dead.† In essence, the writer is telling the Jews in the Diaspora that they should not panic. These two authors could be taken to be social representatives in the voicing of how society in France takes up positions when these issues are brought to light in the French public dom ain2. The fact that even those denying the latest shooting incident are referring to the contrast between the two incidents only raises concerns about the similarities between the incidents which are more than 100 years apart. It is therefore not uncommon to find political leaders in search of public support or mere social debate in quest to remain relevant talking about the two events and dragging anti-Semitism into the contemporary political and economic circles. Despite the country’s enormous steps in technology, economy and political spheres, the culture of anti-Semitism has remained deeply enshrined among some parts of the society. The recent shooting does not therefore represent a separate aspect of the French population but a rather serious social phenomenon. It can also be seen as a serious social evil because the shooter in the recent Toulouse shooting definitely was not even born when the Dreyfus affair was happening. Examination of the Ability of France to Divide O ver Issues The study has already established that one similarity between the Dreyfus Affair and the recent Toulouse shooting has been the characterization of the French public to divide into two different camps when social phenomena take place. Hence, while others openly support the individuals who perform the anti-Semitic activities such as the ones noted above, others strongly condemn them in equal matters. This has historically been the French scenario. Taking the scene in

Joint Terrorism Task Force Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Joint Terrorism Task Force - Essay Example Before 911 the United States had 35 formal joint terrorism task forces. Immediately following the attacks the FBI director instructed all field offices to establish these task forces. Task forces are staffed with a supervisory special agent and the staff generally consists of those with experience in domestic and international terrorism. These are combined with state and local law enforcements officials who are trained in a variety of skills and abilities which are useful in situations that threaten the security of an area, citizen, or the United States. Coordinators have experience in counterterrorism measures and are able to manage administrative tasks effectively. They manage budgets, acquisition of needed supplies or manpower, hey will also schedule surveillance coverage; these functions are assigned by the Supervisory Special Agent. Those special agents in charge within local field offices must harmonize and accommodate all law enforcement agencies that want to become involved in the counter terrorism efforts. Following 911 these agencies increased substantially and it is recognized that local agencies now play a critical part in maintaining homeland security (Casey, 2004). It was in 1979 that New York first used the idea of combining federal and local law enforcement resources in response to the overwhelming crime rate and the high percentage of crimes considered federal crimes committed in New York during a period of organized crimes days of glory. Bank robberies were also an influencing factor in this decision, being federal crimes occurring locally. The JTTF began with only 11 members form the New York Police Department and 11 FBI investigators (Robert, 1999). The success of the JTTF concept is the combination of personnel with a variety of backgrounds, skills, and abilities, the public’s perceptions and the actual functions of the JTTF were changed drastically after the initial World Trade Center bombing which

Industrialization in development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Industrialization in development - Essay Example n the Industrial Revolution, which began in Great Britain in the 18th century and spread to other parts of Europe and North America in the early 19th century {Stearns, Peter N., and John H. Hinshaw,1996). Industrialization had occurred by the end of the 19th century in some southern European countries and in Japan, and during the 20th century, particularly after World War II (1939-1945), in eastern Asia. In many developing nations, industrialization started even later during the 80’s and 90’s.Today, Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom are among the worlds major industrialized countries. Of the late China, Singapore, and many other European nations have also joined this list. Along with these many prospective developing countries like India, Brazil and South Africa have also made great strides. The  process  of  industrialization usually includes a movement from rural to urban living and a shift from home to factory production. Increased mechanization in agriculture generally leads to increased agricultural productivity and enough food for large urban populations. Agricultural productivity growth is necessary for modern industrial growth to become self-sustaining. Other conditions are also necessary for industrialization to occur, and the next section describes three differing theories on this process that were developed during the 20th century. Industrialization was not a process of smaller period, but it was slow phase change of the economy and the manufacturing methods. It led to the mechanization of the process. The production of goods was decentralized, giving small groups of workers a sense of active participation in and control over their work. Costs were high, however, and the volume of production was relatively low. Industrialization greatly heightened output and made key goods, sometimes called commodities, more accessible. Industrialization has a great impact on modern economy. It made rich more richer and poor still poorer, due to

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) - Essay Example Foreign direct investment has increasingly been a business trend of multinational corporations within the global economy.Foreign Direct Investment is defined by Ho and Yiu Lau as the investment of a company in a foreign country which aims at acquiring a long-term economic interest in business enterprises within the host country. FDI can also be defined as an investment of a company in a foreign country by building a factory within the host country. It is through a company’s direct investment in machinery, building and equipment in another country that foreign direct investment is made possible. With the emergence of globalization and the global economy, FDI has played a leading role in the development of global business enterprises. Kennedy (2001, p. 585) say that the definition of foreign direct investment has been broadened with the increased change in the patterns of global investment by companies. As a result, FDI includes acquisition of managerial interests in companies a nd enterprises in foreign countries. The managerial interest may not involve investment in buildings or equipment but managerial decisions are determined by executives who are foreign to the host country. The rapid growth of companies which is attributed to the internationalization and use of technology has expanded FDI to incorporate the growth patterns of world economies as demonstrated by Constant and Yaoxing (2010, p. 99) Foreign direct investment is a reaction to the increased liberalization of business activities, changes and advancements in information and communication technology and capital market changes. Jermakowicz and Bellas (1997, p. 33) explain that through the liberalization of national and regional business regulatory frameworks and governance, foreign direct investment has been achieved. Globalization has enabled foreign direct investment to be achieved by international companies and corporations. It is however argued that information and communication technology h as played the most significant role in the achievement of foreign direct investment. Technology has allowed companies to invest in foreign countries due to the ease of management that is made possible through the adoption and implementation of information systems. In return, foreign direct investment has enabled the process of internationalizing businesses and companies hence promoting the growth of the global economy as said by Fahim-Nader and Zeile (1995, p. 57). Foreign direct investment can take several forms. According to Driffield and Munday (2000, p. 21), there are many forms of foreign direct investment and these include joint ventures, construction of facilities, acquisitions, mergers, strategic alliance, licensing and input of technology. Joint ventures as a form of foreign direct investment includes a company engaging in a business endeavor with another company within a foreign country. The business activities of the joint venture are usually carried out within the host c ountry. Joint ventures within foreign direct investment include two companies from two different countries coming together with an intention of undertaking a business in a specific industry for achievement of common goals. Belderbos, Jie-A-Joen and Sleuwaegen, (2002, p. 155) assert that in foreign direct investment, companies may construct facilities such as factories, hospitals, institutions or infrastructure in a foreign country. This form of foreign investment thus involves direct and active input of capital for construction of these facilities. The investor company that ventures in the foreign direct investment through building structures usually takes the ownership of these structures even though they provide economic benefits to the host country. Lowe (2006, p. 34) explains that acquisitions as a form of foreign direct investment includes a company acquiring the assets of another company within the foreign country. The acquisition of a foreign company makes the investing compa ny the

The Importance of Marketing Department in Telecommunication Business Essay

The Importance of Marketing Department in Telecommunication Business - Essay Example Analysis of the key factors of a successful marketing plan will be part of the study. The report will try to understand potentiality of target market from the view point of product centric segmentation. Finally the study will try to prove the importance of marketing department to create a successful business strategy.Marketing Department.Every organization needs a well designed marketing department to create brand equity among customers. Strategic marketing works as a deciding force for a company to survive in hyper competitive business environment. Marketing works as a promotional and distribution tool for company. Marketing strategy differs according to the nature of product. Marketing department of any company focuses on four things to create a successful offering which can be classified as 1-Product (manufacturing product, maintaining the quality standard of product, optimum utilization of resources during production process), 2- Price (deciding the price of the product in accord ance with the demand among customers, setting high price or low price for the product is an important part of pricing strategy), 3-Place (designing distribution network for the product. Company creates distribution network to expand the reach of the product.... Above the line promotion and below the line promotion is part of advertising strategy). Marketing strategy for service industry comprises of additional three types of activities. 1-People (customer relationship management plays a cordial role to increase customer base for any particular brand. Staff of the company is the important assets for any company. They are responsible for providing value for money services to customers and they can help the company to increase service efficiency), 2- Process- (company needs to maintain a proper system of service delivery to be successful in long run. Companies take help of different software systems like RFID, Enterprise Resource Planning, Tally, Oracle to deliver efficient service to customers, 3- Physical Evidence (well designed interior of service delivery place creates a positive brand image of the company from the view point of aesthetics. Restaurants use physical evidences to create the wow factor among customers. Chinese restaurants in America use dragon framework to design interior of the food store. They do it to increase visibility factor of the service among customers). A business can not fulfill demand of all customers due to lack of resources (Financial, Human Resource, Technology etc). For this reason any company needs to identify their potential customer. Segregating the whole customer group into smaller division with more or less common requirements and further filtering down customers in terms of their potentiality (purchase power, urgency of requirement, buying behavior) is known as segmenting and targeting. Perception of a brand in the mind of customer is known as

Assessment one Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Assessment one - Essay Example A similar holding was made in Harris 3 where the plaintiff lost his claims for loss of time and expense despite withdrawal of the advertised furniture from sale. An exception is the Carlill case 4 where an advertisement sufficiently constituted an offer to sell because it was a unilateral offer to sell to the world, which can be accepted by satisfying the condition required. Also, purchase of the product was enough consideration and the intent to be legally bound was proven by the deposit of  £1000 to the Bank. Thus, Chantelle’s advertisement is just an invitation to treat. Moreover, the exchange between Ben and Chantelle over the telephone lacks certainty and merely involves a request for information similar to Stevenson v McLean 5 where it a request for information was held not a counteroffer. Ben’s offer is only constituted the moment he wrote to Chantelle but such an offer is subject to acceptance, which did not happen. Felthouse v Bindley 6 held that acceptance must be communicated to the offeror. The lack of valid acceptance here militates against the forming of a valid

Learning Diary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Learning Diary - Essay Example When I was growing up, one of my favourite quotes was byAlexander Graham Bell who said: â€Å" A man, as a general rule, owes a very little to what he is born with – a man is what he makes of himself†. I have made it a habit of writing down my goals and dreams and keep track of my achievements or failures in life, and hence when we were asked to keep a learning diary or log of experiences and activities undertaken during the MSc year I was even happier because this was now officially a part of my course. Body: When I look at my life right now, I am excited at what lies ahead of me. I have always been an optimist and the future seems bright and filled with possibilities. I presently work at a bank and love my job, and am well on the way to becoming a manager for the bank in the near future. Completing my Master’s degree in Business Management will add to my advantage of securing this position, which I consider to be prestigious and filled with challenges. However when I started working with the Bank, it was a whole new experience and because of the hard work and my extra effort put into my job over a period of time, I have managed to earn the respect of my colleague’s and more important get noted by the senior management and win the trust of my customers. I had put down quite a few goals which I wanted to achieve at the Bank into my Learning Diary and would review it every fortnight to personally rate my performance at work. Goals give you a sense of meaning and purpose. Goals give you a sense of direction. As you move toward your goals and you feel happier and stronger, you feel more energized and effective. You feel more competent and confident in yourself and your abilities. Every step you take toward your goals increases your belief that you can set and achieve even bigger goals in the future. My personal achievements at work can be categorised under three main headings. Respect from my Colleagues: My colleagues are the greatest in the world, simply because they appreciate and respect me so much for all the hard work that I have put in, the extra hours and the fact that I am always available to help them out when they ask, even if it means I have to stay back late. My skill and knowledge acquired in the Banking sector has increased and they often come to me for advice or a solution to a problem they are facing. Trust from my Customers: Edgar Watson Howe once said " The greatest humiliation in life is to work hard on something from which you expect great appreciation, and then fail to get it". Thank God, that doesn't apply to me. The customers more often that not pay compliments or sometimes go a step further and put in a personal word or send across an email to my Manager's and let them know I am doing a good job. Recognition from my Manager's: The good thing about the job is that there is a

To the Betrayed Inhabitants of the City and Colony of New York By Essay

To the Betrayed Inhabitants of the City and Colony of New York By Alexander McDougall - Essay Example McDougall wrote that the people of New York were being tyrannized by evil forces and factions working overtime to see that their vested interests were fulfilled rather than ensuring that the country was insulated from disasters. The message clearly breathed the spirit of reconstruction rather than retribution, and was easily more constructive than destructive. McDougall's message was not only powerful, but as any historian can make out, it was a wakeup call, a call to liberty and freedom, and not a baleful message addressed to the masses, giving them false hope and instigating wanton and unnecessary violence. In his message to the people of New York, McDougall wanted to warn them to beware of "the minions of tyranny and despotism." These words written at the very outset of his message, we can very well appreciate his deepest interest in his fellowmen - the people of New York to whom he had addressed his message. In the message, McDougall praised the efforts of all his fellow merchants, who like himself, had solely sidestepped their personal egos and ambitions in favor of public welfare. The initial bearing of his message is more about the efforts taken by the Massachusetts and South Carolina assemblies towards collecting and dispatching money for the troops: which is an act he felt extremely unreasonable from the very beginning. McDougall's message communicated the words: Our granting money to the troops, is implicitly acknowledging the authority that enacted the revenue acts, and their being obligatory on us, as these acts were enacted for the express purpose of taking money out of our pockets without our consent; and to provide for the defending and support of government in America; which revenue we say by our grant of money, is not sufficient for the purpose aforesaid; therefore we supply the deficiency. These words clearly specify the reason why McDougall felt that the money sent to the troops by the two assemblies testify the fact that colonies still were oppressed by corrupt sources in the assembly, and that they had to break free as soon as they could. The entire message was revolutionary in its truest sense but must not be confused with instigating anti-British and revolutionary feelings among the people. That was the entire beauty of McDougall's broadside message. Upon a close analysis, we will find that his call was to rally the people, make them realize their rights, and look up to the English "friends of liberty," as he addressed them, and to help them stand on their own feet. He also wrote that the sorry state of the New Yorkers could be attributed only to the oppressive and corrupt elements present in the assembly and he fervently pleaded with his countrymen to assert themselves the way they should have. Even as we read the text we can clearly observe McDougall's fantastic expression. Using that persuasive tone, McDougall had touched the most sensitive of topics, and yet made it look as if he was teaching to inspire, and not plotting to revolt. In this context, we can observe the manner in which he wrote about

Normal and Abnormal Psychology Essay Example for Free

Normal and Abnormal Psychology Essay Psychology is a science that studies the human mind and behavior, to understand and explain thoughts, emotions, and behavior of individuals. Psychology can be applied in different ways, such as mental health treatment, performance improvement or enhancement, self-help and other areas impacting the health and daily life of individuals. Psychology is generally a broad field of science, and there are multiple subfields or areas within it. Two subfields in particular that are going to be discussed in this paper are normal and abnormal psychology. An individual is categorized within these two subfields according to whether their social behavior and way of thinking is common or totally out of the norm. Normal Psychology studies the common or average human behavior of individuals. This particular area focuses mainly on understanding the way the individual thinks and reasons throughout their everyday life. This area does not involve any disorders or psychological illnesses, but instead it researches the human mind in trying to better understand the individual’s thought process and behavior. An individual who would be categorized under normal psychology would not display any mental illnesses, disorders, psychological problems or un-normal behavior. Abnormal Psychology studies abnormal human behavior as well as psychopathology of the individual. Abnormal refers to something that is not normal or out of the norm. This particular area of psychology focuses more on research and treatment for the abnormal behavior displayed by the individual. This area of psychology covers a wide variety of disorders such as depression, sexual deviation, obsession-compulsion, anxiety, mood, developmental, etc. A good way to tell if there is a case of abnormal psychology is anytime the behavior of an individual is causing problems in their life or is disruptive to them or other people. There are a number of perspectives used to treat abnormal psychology. Three main perspectives are: behavioral, medical, and cognitive. The behavioral perspective focuses on the observable behaviors. The medical perspective focuses on biological causes on the mental illness. The cognitive perspective focuses on how their internal thoughts and reasoning contribute to the psychological disorders.

Mountain Dew: Company Analysis

Mountain Dew: Company Analysis Executive Summary: This report is about the Mountain Dew, which was launched in Pakistan in 1994 by Pepsi Cola Inc. It was launched without any prior research of the market. It is a product of Pepsi Cola Inc. Originally it was a private brand, which was later purchased by Pepsi Cola Inc. In this short report first I will explore the reasons of its failure in Pakistan, and then I will suggest a marketing plan to re-launch. Mountain Dew world wide usually target sports oriented and adventure seeking people but due to pattern of living in Pakistan is different so I am going to position it as a refreshing drink with a unique energizing and citrus taste. It competitors include 7 UP (another product of Pepsi which is holding 52 % of share) and Sprite ( a product of Coca Cola holding 38% of market share)in a different way. Threat for re-launching Mountain Dew is that it might affect the sale of 7 UP which is another product of Pepsi Cola Inc. The area which I select to re-launch Mountain Dew is Karachi which is one of the major cities of Pakistan. Company PepsiCo, Incorporated (NYSE: PEP) is a Fortune 500, American multinational corporation headquartered in purchase, New York, with interests in manufacturing and marketing a wide variety of carbonated and non-carbonated beverages, as well as salty, sweet and cereal-based snacks, and other foods. Besides the Pepsi brands, the company owns the brands Quaker Oats, Gatorade, Frito Lay, Naked, Tropicana, Copella, Mountain Dew, Mirinda and 7UP (outside the USA). [1] Mission Our mission is to be the worlds premier consumer Products Company focused on convenient foods and beverages. We seek to produce financial rewards to investors as we provide opportunities for growth and enrichment to our employees, our business partners and the communities in which we operate. And in everything we do, we strive for honesty, fairness and integrity. [2] Product Mountain Dew, currently stylized predominantly as Mtn Dew, is a soft drink distributed by PepsiCo, but remains its own brand. The formula was made and first marketed in Marion, VA, Knoxville and Johnson City, Tennessee, USA through the 1940s, then in Fayetteville, North Carolina by Barney and Ally Hartman. By 1964, it was being distributed across United States. The formula still used today was created by Bill (William) Jones. As of 2007, Mountain Dew was the 4th best selling carbonated soft drink in the United States, behind Coca-Cola Classic, Pepsi-Cola, and Diet Coke. Mountain Dews Diet version ranked 9th in sales. On October 15, 2008, Mountain Dews official logo was redesigned to Mtn Dew, as a result of a PepsiCo re-branding of its core products. Currently in the UK, a new drink called Mountain Dew Energy has been introduced into the energy drink market. Mountain Dew was previously marketed in the UK in 1995, with a TV spot having the strap line Wild color, smooth taste. It was unsuccessful, and the sale of Mountain Dew in the UK was discontinued (except for imports) by 1997. [3] Mountain Dew in Pakistan (Situation Analysis): Mountain Dew was launched in Pakistan in 1994 by Pepsi Cola Inc. but failed to capture the market due to many reasons. Reasons of Failure Timing: It was launched at the end of July, but summer season in most part of the Pakistan starts from March and ends on September. So the timing to launch this product is not good. Packaging: It was introduced in glass bottles that were used by 7 UP. Same look, same color, only the brand name was changed. Distribution: Timing to launch Mountain Dew also affects the delivery and distribution system. Distributors did not take huge quantity of the drink. Fragmented Launching: The launch was fragmented. Instead of launching it in one city and covered more area they launch it in five cities (Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad) covering only one or two location. That was not good. Awareness: Pepsi Cola Inc. did not advertise properly in media to make consumer aware of the product. Market Situation: In Pakistan consumption of soft drinks in high. So the market is very attractive for new entrants. The sales are remarkably high during summer and cultural occasions like Eid, Ramadan, Birthday parties etc. Majority population in Pakistan is from middle and lower class. Thus high prices of non-essential goods are not acceptable. So company has to be careful in setting or increasing prices. Competitive Situation: The major competitors for Mountain Dew will be 7 UP, Teem and Sprite These competitors are charging same pricesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Rs.15 for disposable 250 ml bottle and Rs.10 for regular 250 ml bottle. Teem has very little advertisement where as 7 UP and Sprite are supported by Television advertisements, billboards etc. MARKETING PLAN I am going to re-launch it. I am assigning this product a separate business unit supported by required finance and facilities in the city of Karachi. Population of Karachi is estimated at 18 million. It is the best place for launching any product. People of Karachi are more risk taker and consider being a trendsetter for the rest of the country. Mountain Dew manufacturing plan will be located at SITE Industrial Area because of availability of resources like labor, electricity and most important water which plays an important role in manufacturing of soft drinks. Market Targeting Strategy A large group has been identified within the soft drink with similar wants for Mountain Dew and market segmentation will be done on the basis of geographic, demographics and psychographics of the customers. Positioning: Mountain Dew will be positioned as Refreshing and Energizing soft drink. Product Line: Mountain Dew will be launched in different packaging after getting success in a market. Price: Its price will be same as of its competitors. Distribution Outlets: Two channels will be used for distributionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Direct channel (sale promotion officers) Indirect channel (retail outlets). Mountain Dew will be provided to 10500 of these outlets. Company will generate 75% of sale from these outlets. Sales Force: 50 sales promotional officer will be hired who are responsible for the direct sales to institutions i.e. marriage halls, hotels, offices, universities. Sale Promotion: Discount will be offered to retailers and distributors. Consumers are offered with buy one get one free offers. Advertising: Initially company will have to spent huge amount on advertising to create awareness. Commercials on entertainment channels and Fm radio will be on aired 30 times a day for at least a month. Company will also advertise through news papers, billboards, banners. Marketing Research: Keeping in view of objective to satisfy customers efficiently and effectively, marketing team will keep in touch with customers to identify their buying preferences, taste etc. Building Customer Satisfaction Value Retention Mountain Dew is trying to get the image of refreshing soft drink with unique taste. Sales team, shopkeepers at retail outlets will be friendly and supportive with customers in forwarding their suggestions and complaints to the company. Objective is to delight customers once it is achieved it will create emotional bond with the brand. Customer Satisfaction Survey: Mountain Dew will have to conduct surveys after every three months for the first year of launching in order to identify customers satisfaction and dissatisfaction level and implement those changes suggested by surveys. Delivering Customer Value and Satisfaction After identifying the customer value and satisfaction factors the next important thing is to effectively deliver those values. Here is suggested value chain system for Mountain Dew. Primary Activities Inbound Logistic and Operations: Mountain Dew will be manufactured using advance technology and processing facility located at SITE Industrial Area, Karachi. Team of potential and experienced individual will be hired to support its operations. Outbound Logistic: Delivery of Mountain Dew in Karachi will be through Distributors. Distributors will be divided according to regions like East, West, North and South. If there are places beyond distributors access, Mountain Dew will use its delivery vans. Marketing: Different medias will be used for promotions and making consumers aware of the product unique features. Support Activities: Supporting activities like procurement, human resource, accounting etc. will be carried out by separate departments established for these purposes. Scanning Marketing Environment Now we are going to analyze macro environment, the demographic, economic, technological, political-legal and social cultural, for the re-launch of Mountain Dew. Demographic Environment The first of the macro environmental force is population. The company is interested in the size, density and growth rate of population of Karachi. Karachi Population Growth: Karachis population consists of 18 million people and population growing at the rate of 5% per annum. Population can be divided into five different aged groups: school-age children, teenagers, young adults aged 25 to 40, middle aged adults age 40 to 65 and age 65 and above. Company has to target decision makers that are young adults. Economic Environment Purchasing power determines the economic environment of a country. Purchasing power depends on income, prices, savings etc. The income level of people in Karachi is very low, trends of savings is not there. Economy is dependent on foreign debts. Majority of people in Karachi are salaried or daily wages labor. Average family income is round about Rs. 6000 or less. Technological Environment I dont consider technology as important factor for Mountain Dew. Political Legal Environment Political and legal environment affects marketing decisions. Pakistan is politically unstable. It gives negative indicator to foreign investors. So company has to seek some sort of assurance for the responsibility of regulating business from some agencies. Social cultural Pakistan has a mix culture. People are following inherited tradition, traditional norms and values. Due to high poverty people can not afford very cost. Many families in Pakistan live under one roof, so purchasing patterns of consumers are highly influenced by the advices and recommendations of other family members. Mountain Dew is being re-launched in Karachi, which is the largest city of Pakistan in terms of population, size and area. Here soft drinks are utilized through out year due to hot weather. The People of Karachi are considered trendsetters of the country. Competition Mountain Dew has identified its competitors as 7 UP, Sprite, Teem that are substitute for each other with a very little difference in taste and filling where as Mountain Dew falls in this category with unique taste and packaging. Mountain Dew has to face tough competition from Sprite (brand of Coca-Cola Company) and 7 UP (brand of Pepsi) both constitute 92% the market share. Competitors Profile Coca Cola Inc The Coca-Cola Company began its operation in Pakistan in 1953. Its brands include Coca-Cola ®, Fanta ®, Sprite ®. It has approximately 70000 retail outlets in its distribution list. The Coca-Cola Company sponsors the Basant Festival in Lahore, a festival that marks the beginning of spring and attracts tourist from all over the world. It also sponsor music concerts through out the country for teenagers and underprivileged children. The Coca-Cola company is the selected supplier for Pakistan Railway, serving soft drinks in stations, platform and on trains. 7 UP Pepsi Cola Inc. launched 7 UP in Pakistan in 1969. It is consider as the market leader in the white drinks category. Pepsi Cola introduced 7 UP in Pakistan in 1969. Today 7 UP is considered the market leader in the white drinks category. 7 UP is financially strong and well established brand. Competitive Strategy for Mountain Dew Mountain Dew is new to the soft drink market of Pakistan as it was failed in the previous experience due to not having good marketing strategy. After analysis I recommend following strategy moves for Mountain Dew in order to compete with 7 UP and Sprite. Product Proliferation Now it will be provided in variety of sizes (see table 1.1) in order to increase the consumption and making price conscious consumer buy the product as they will purchase it according to their specific need. Product Innovation Mountain Dew itself is an innovative product in the market of Pakistan because of it unique citrus taste and energizing attributes. Distribution Innovation Mountain Dew will not only rely on distributors but it will develop its own distribution channel in order to get access to the market from all the dimensions. Market Segmentation A large group has been identified within the soft drink with similar wants for Mountain Dew and market segmentation will be done on the basis of geographic, demographics and psychographics of the customers. Geographic At start it will be launched in Karachi city only after that it will be introduced in the rest of Sindh, Punjab, NWFP and Baluchistan. Developing an Advertising Program Advertisement is a cost effective way to circulate messages, whether, build brand preference or to educate people. Advertising Objective Convince the market of the brand superiority. Type of Advertising As Mountain Dew is at its initial stage, we will use informative advertising, making people aware of the product, its quality and benefits of using the product. Advertisement Budget Mountain Dew is at the beginning of product life cycle, as consumers are not aware of it, thus large investment will be required for advertisement. Advertising Message Forget past as its gone, look new and choice new which is Mountain Dew. Selecting Media For Mountain Dew advertisement we will chose media that is cost effective and covering large number of audience. As it is customer-oriented company, its goal is to serve maximum number of customers. Electronic Media Electronic media will be used for advertising Mountain Dew i.e. TV. Its commercials will be on aired on PTV (Pakistans national Channel) and entertainment channels like ARY Digital, Hum TV and GEO Entertainment. Print Media Apart from electronic media company will advertise in newspapers like The News, Dawn and Magazines like Akhbar-e-Jehan. Billboards Billboards will be place on all major areas of the cities like Deltons, SITE, Korangi Bridge, FTC etc. Sales Promotion: Sale promotion tools we are going to use for Mountain Dew are as under: Free Trials Free trails will be offered for the first week to 2000 consumer who visited retail outlets. Prizes / Contest For the first two month company will attach coupon to each bottle, after filling it customer will return this coupon to retailer who then forward to company, through lucky draw on weekly basis consumer will be awarded prizes like motorbike, bicycle, mobile etc. Critical Reflection on Learning Outcomes Mountain was first launched in 1994. It tried to get the image of activating and energetic soft drink with a unique citrus taste, providing customer with a highest product value. Customer had wide range of choices in selecting product quantity. Mountain Dew offered the same price as its competitors were offering i.e. Rs. 10 for regular bottle but with additional quantity of 50 ml. the reason it failed to capture the market was market plan. Following were the problem with there marketing plan: 1. Company introduced the product at the end of July, but summer season in Pakistan starts from march and ends on September, so the timing to introduce the product was not good. 2. It was introduced in glass bottles that were used by 7 UP. Same look, same color, only the brand name was changed 3. The launch was fragmented. Instead of launching it in one city and covered more area they launch it in five cities (Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad) covering only one or two location. That was not good. 4. Pepsi Cola Inc. did not advertise properly in media to make consumer aware of the product. Why Organization Need Marketing Plan It is an essential document for both large corporate marketing departments and for startup companies. The Marketing Plan is generally undertaken for one of the following reasons: Needed as part of the yearly planning process within the marketing functional area. Needed for a specialized strategy to introduce something new, such as new product planning, entering new markets, or trying a new strategy to fix an existing problem. Is a component within an overall business plan, such as a new business proposal to the financial community? When writing the business plan, the Marketing Plan section explains how youre going to get your customers to buy your products and/or services. The marketing plan, then, will include sections detailing your: Products and/or Services and your Unique Selling Proposition Pricing Strategy Sales/Distribution Plan Advertising and Promotions Plan The easiest way to develop your marketing plan is to work through each of these sections, referring to the market research you completed when you were writing the previous sections of the business plan.

Barriers to Early Intervention of Special Needs Pupils

Barriers to Early Intervention of Special Needs Pupils BARRIERS TO EARLY IDENIFICATION AND INTERVENTION  OF PUPILS WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS Although tremendous progress has been made in the last thirty years regarding the identification of and intervention for children with special educational needs (SEN), significant barriers still exist. An estimated 1.7 million pupils have special educational needs; however, only 250,000 have statements (Russell 2003, 216). This means â€Å"only a minority of the children (2% nationally) with SEN will have formal statements of SEN, although an estimated 20% of the children will have transient or persistent special educational needs† (Callias 2001, 25). Some of the barriers to identification and intervention for SEN children are more easily addressed; others are quite complex and provide an ongoing challenge for families, educational personnel and authorities, and a number of government entities. It is important to note that whilst some identification and intervention barriers span the scope of SEN children, the type of need presented by the child strongly influences the likelihood of identification and intervention. Children with physical special educational needs, such as visual impairment or noticeable physical handicap, are easily identified and much more likely to receive services than children with less prominent disability (Russell 2003, 220). Similarly, children suffering from extreme mental disability, such as severe mental illness or significant mental retardation, will also be more easily identified and considered for services (Russell 2003, 220). However, the barriers that do prevent identification and intervention for physically and severely mentally disabled children are complex. Some minority and ethnic communities have cultural barriers that prevent their SEN children from receiving early identification and intervention. Sometimes this is on the part of the minority or ethnic family. Some cultures consider disability to be a source of shame or embarrassment for the family, and as a result keep disabled children at home and isolated from the larger community. When this occurs, the child becomes much less likely to be identified as having a special educational need or having appropriate early intervention. In other instances the greater community presents cultural barriers to services provided to the child. Sometimes this is in the form of misunderstanding of the cultural values of the minority or ethnic family. At other times racism becomes an issue. Russell (2003, 217) asserts â€Å"there is widespread evidence of additional disadvantage and social exclusion for disabled children from minority ethnic communities.† Language barriers for minority and ethnic families is also an issue. Typically this is the result of parents with poor English skills misunderstanding the communications of key workers and others, or of key workers and similar service providers misunderstanding or making assumptions based on poor communication by the parents (Fletcher-Campbell and Cullen 2000, 92). School personnel and other service providers must sometimes contend with a large number of native languages in their communities, and often lack the funding and staff to respond to all the potential EAL issues that may present (DfES 2004, 18). The result is a lack of communication between the family and professionals, which may result in a potential special educational need being misdiagnosed or mislabeled as some other issue, and the child not receiving needed identification of potential SEN. The key, according to Russell (2003, 216) is that information must be accessible, both ways, to families and professionals. Often these children have barriers related to the economic condition of their families. Over half the families with a disabled child are living on or below the margin of poverty (Russell 2003, 218). Often at least one parent is unable to work because of the childcare needs presented by the disabled child. Lack of financial resources in the family reduces the child’s access to services, as often transportation needs are unmet. More parents need â€Å"access to good quality childcare and early years provision in their local community (DfES 2004, 10). Poor families also typically live in poor communities, which often suffer a wide array of service deficiencies. â€Å"There are wide regional variations in the quality and coherence of available support† (Russell 2003, 223). Similarly, levels of support vary widely from community to community and even sometimes from pupil to pupil (Russell 2003, 220). This means resources leading to identification or intervention for one SEN pupil may not be available to a similar pupil simply because of where the second pupil lives, with poor children the least likely to have access to needed services. In short, for noticeably disabled children, â€Å"lack of effective information and communication about available services, a shortfall in appropriate family support services and the impact of racism and low income in many communities† often form a barrier to identification and early intervention (Russell 2003, 217). The above issues may affect all children with SEN; however, children with less obvious or visible disability suffer from additional barriers to identification and intervention. Whilst the blind child is easily recognised, the child with a learning disability or emotional issue may suffer for years before his or her needs are identified. For these children, lack of training amongst childcare and school staffs, ineffective sharing of information, insufficient time and resources, and even the child and/or parents’ response to learning difficulties can form barriers to SEN identification and intervention. A lack of training amongst those who interact with the child also leads to reduced identification, and therefore reduced intervention (Fletcher-Campbell and Cullen 2000, 90). Childcare and early years workers have the daunting task of determining whether a child has special educational needs, or is reacting to poverty, cultural differences, neglect, or some other factor. For example, school personnel and the LEA are expected to seek evidence of identifiable non-academic factors affecting statements† before full assessment (Callias 2001, 25). They look for other issues, such as â€Å"health problems interfering with schooling, sensory impairments, speech and language difficulties, poor school attendance, problems in the child’s home circumstances, or any emotional or behavioural difficulties† that may be causing the child’s educational difficulties (Callias 2001, 25). Because of this, children who come from difficult home situations or for whom English is an additional language will often experience delay as personnel try to determine whether these contributing factors or a true special educational need is present. The less trained staff is in these situations, the less likely they are to arrive at a correct, timely decision, or be able to correctly evaluate the child’s special educational needs in light of additional factors. This is compounded by discrepancies regarding what does and does not constitute a special educational need. â€Å"The criteria for identifying children with SEN and especially for thresholds triggering a statutory assessment are very general† (Callias 2001, 30). Because of this generality, â€Å"they remain open to differing interpretations and are likely to continue to be a source of potential difference of opinion† (Callias 2001, 30). Again, the authority or school with less trained personnel is therefore less likely to be able to provide timely and accurate service to SEN children in their care with other potentially contributing factors. The DfES recognises that early childcare workers and early years personnel need additional training in SEN identification, allowing services to â€Å"work on a preventative basis, rather than waiting until crisis point is reached (, 16). The government’s Removing Barriers to Achievement states an area needing improvement is â€Å"the expertise of those working with young children with SEN and disabilities† and advocates â€Å"consistent, nationally recognised training be provide to staff in all settings† (DfES 2004, 17) Another barrier to early identification and intervention is lack of communication and information sharing amongst involved parties. DfES repeatedly recognises this as a barrier to service, and advocates better information sharing and assessments for early intervention (DfES 2004, 10). Russell (2003, 221) similarly concludes it is widely recognised that fiscal, structural and cultural barriers between agencies negatively impact SEN identification and intervention. Schools and authorities facing high staff turnover have additional communication barriers as multiple personnel will often be involved in one identification or assessment. The problem was once much more severe. Fifteen years ago, â€Å"LAPP evaluation showed that staff in some schools were rediscovering the same learning problems in the same students each successive year, with no awareness of what might have been done about them in the past† (Stradling and Saunders 1993, 130). The government recently launched the Early Support Pilot Programme, which provides a single key worker who â€Å"takes responsibility for ensuring that services are coordinated and delivered around the family’s needs† (DfES 2004, 12). This allows for a coordinated, single assessment for the child, better information sharing between agencies, and ongoing reviewing services (DfES 2004, 12). Even the key worker system, however requires that the key worker be able to obtain accurate information regarding the child. â€Å"The criteria for ascertaining special needs begins with evidence that the child’s attainments are discrepant with the majority of children his or her age† (Callias 2001, 25). If the child is reported to be below attainment level by some parties and not by others, it brings into question whether the child’s issues are truly special educational needs or environmental. In some cases information is simply not provided or forwarded by involved agencies, often due to the lack of time and resources as described below. Key workers for children in unstable living situations also have difficulties in obtaining needed information. If a child is not at a given agency for a long enough period, and is constantly transferring from agency branch to agency branch or from school to school, it becomes difficult to gather all the needed information for a ccurate identification and intervention. In such situations parents are also often unable or unwilling to provide information on their child, making the child present without background at each new school or agency. Insufficient time and resources are another barrier to SEN identification and intervention. Lack of funding can cause delay by leading to not enough personnel (DfES 2004, 18). Although specific positions are advocated or required, some vacancies go unfilled for too long a period of time, and other staff are given caseloads in excess of recommendations (DfES 2004, 18). High turnover in the most needy schools and communities compounds this problem. One noted barrier to intervention is a lack of key workers who â€Å"ensure well coordinated services planned to meet individual family needs† (Russell 2003, 216). Poorer communities, as discussed above, often lack the resources and materials that other communities consider normal. Children’s Trusts are working to address lack of access to information and services, and lack of the services themselves in some areas, but discrepancies remain (DfES 2004, 13). Whilst the SEN Code of Practice is a welcomed guidance by many, there is ongoing concern about the time needed to implement the Code, and whether resources allocated to SEN pupils will take away from pupils without special needs (Bowers and Wilkinson 1998, 120). A final barrier to SEN identification and intervention is sometimes the child or parents themselves. A child who appears to not have special educational needs but in actuality does will often develop elaborate coping mechanisms to hide his or her learning difficulty (DfES 2004, 52). Such children often feel â€Å"stupid,† as their parents and teachers tell them to try harder and work to their potential, not realising that they already are. As the child works harder but is still unable to master material presented, feelings of inadequacy are compounded and coping and hiding mechanisms become more prominent (DfES 2004, 52). Sometimes this will be in the form of withdrawing or presenting as shy so as to avoid being asked to contribute. In other children, acting out as the class clown or seemingly rebelling and refusing to cooperate allows the child to avoid confrontation of his or her learning needs. As such, the child may progress through several years of schooling before his or her need for special education is identified. The child with unidentified SEN also sometimes refuses to cooperate with identification and intervention efforts, as there continues to be some social stigma in some schools and communities to learning difficulties. Parents may similarly resist a child’s identification as possibly needing special educational support, or the interventions suggested by the LEA. Parents may not realise that identification of a special educational need does not necessarily require their child be removed from mainstream education or schooled specially, that in fact, children are mainstreamed wherever possible (DfES 2002, 5). They may have issues regarding social stigma, or be in denial that their child has any sort of difficulty. In these situations, parents may refuse to provide information, mislead workers into the true nature of the child’s attainment, causing environmental issues or other factors to be considered. Fortunately, there are many ways that these barriers can be and are being overcome. The cultural issues of some minority and ethnic communities regarding children with disabilities is a complex one, and therefore defies an easy solution. However, increasing awareness and understanding within local people groups, particularly if such is available in their own native languages, is important to removing barriers for SEN children’s identification and for them receiving the services they need. Educating staff at community centres or religious places where people from such cultural background might seek assistance, for instance, on the facts of special educational needs and services available to children might lessen the stigma of disability and provide more accessible information to affected families. Also, translating information or providing written information in a wide variety of languages would be an aid to workers faced with a number of different language groups in their comm unities. These publications could even be available online, allowing easy download and printing of such publications and eliminating the need to keep many different copies of such information on hand and organised, or the chance of running out of materials in a specific language. Parliamentary debate of SEN and various government publications regarding SEN pupils’ needs have led to an increase in funding to LEAs, by which the authorities have begun to address some of the time, resource, and staff training barriers that prevent timely identification and intervention (DfES 2001, iii). In addition, the Code of Practice 2001 contains specific guidance to assist LEAs â€Å"obtain the best value from the considerable resources and expertise they invest in helping children with special educational needs (DfES 2001, iii). Serving more children within the context of regular schools through inclusion and mainstreaming additionally reduces the costs to LEAs, allowing allocation of funds and resources to a greater number of children (DfES 2004, 18). The implementation of a graduated response also makes intervention more economical, and assist staff with perhaps less training than optimum in ruling out the other factors, such as problems at home, that might cause a child to experience learning difficulties (DfES 2001, 26). The revised Code of Practice widens those able to recommend SEN identification, increasing the likelihood a number of barriers are reduced, and encourages or requires additional sharing of information between LEAs, schools, other involved agencies, parents, and the child. The Code now gives schools and nursery education providers a new right to request assessment and intervention (DfES 2001, iv). Parents and other agencies, in addition to schools, also have the ability to request assessment (DfES 2001, 75). Parents access to information is also significantly improved by the revised Code (DfES 2001, iv). Parents are now encouraged â€Å"to contribute their knowledge and understanding of their child, and to raise any concerns they may have about their child’s needs and the provision which is being made for them (DfES 2001, 52). When a child is being assessed, the LEA is now required to send a copy of assessment notice to both â€Å"the designated officer of the Social Services department and the health authority† (DfES 2001, 78). â€Å"They should also copy their own educational psychology service and any other relevant agencies, such as the education welfare service† (DfES 2001, 78). Finally, children’s and parents’ negative perceptions of and reaction to SEN identification and intervention could be reduced. For example, having public service or information campaigns similar to those previously discussed for minority or ethnic communities might make people more aware and informed. Early identification of children prior to them beginning to have negative feelings about themselves and school would in itself be an assistance. Also, children should have a forum and be encouraged to talk about their learning experiences. Having a humanistic approach that values each child’s feelings and concepts of their own learning, which also allows them to provide this information to teachers and others in a position to evaluate for SEN, would further remove barriers. In conclusion, whilst many barriers to SEN identification and intervention have begun to be addressed, more needs to be done. It is detrimental to both the individual SEN child and to the educational system and society as a whole if these children’s needs are not promptly addressed. Child/parents REFERENCES Bowers, T. and Wilkinson, D. 1998. The SEN Code of Practice: is it user-friendly? British Journal of Special Education, September 1998, 25(3):119-125. Callias, M. 2001. Current and Proposed Special Educational Legislation. Child Psychology and Psychiatry Review, 6(1):24-30. DfES 2001. Special Educational Needs Code of Practice. DfES Publications Centre. DfES 2002. Special Educational Needs (SEN): A guide for parents and carers. DfES Publications Centre. DfES 2004. Removing Barriers to Achievement: The Government’s Strategy for SEN. DfES Publications Centre. Fletcher-Campbell, F. and Cullen, M.A. 2000. Schools’ perceptions of support services for special educational needs. Support for Learning, 15(2): 90-94. Russell, P. 2003. ‘Access and Achievement or Social Exclusion?’ Are the Government’s Policies Working for Disabled Children and Their Families? Children Society, 17:215-225. Stradling, B. and Saunders, L. 1993. Differentiation in practice: responding to the needs of all pupils. Educational Research, Summer 1993, 35(2):127-137.

Essays --

The Revolutionary War The revolutionary war is a revolution that occurred in the thirteen British colonies located in North America, which was a follow of the British Empire during the eighteenth century. The colonies were settled by immigrants from Europe especially from England and interpreted by the right to secede from the British and conduct their affairs by themselves. The war began on April 19, 1775, when the American revolutionists clashed with the British army in the cities of Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts, and lasted eight years and ended on September 3, 1783 at the signing of the Treaty of Paris between Britain and the United States, Which Britain declared the independence of the United States. The main reasons for the birth of the American democracy were because of the economic policy pursued by British government at that time and the taxes that were on tea. A law was passed in the year of 1651 provides for move all the exports from the colonies to England on ships owned by Englishmen and also operated by Englishmen. Additionally...

Sexism in Language Essay -- Language

Language refers to the method that humans use to communicate either through speech or written. It consists of the use of the word in a structured and conventional way. Language has been referred to as ‘our means of classifying and ordering the world; our means of manipulating reality. In structure and in its use we bring out the world into realisation and if it is inherently inaccurate, then we are misled. (Dale Spender, 1980).Language has power that allows us to make sense out of the reality we live in. Sexism is discrimination of a person based on their gender, especially on women. Sexism in language is the use of language which devalues members on one sex, almost always women, showing gender inequality. In the 1960/70’s there was a feminist campaign in Western Countries and a lot of research as conducted into gender inequality. The feminist campaign demanded that gender in equality should be eliminated from the educational system (Shi, 2001.) The existence of sexist l anguage is due to sexism in society and it is also related to social attitudes. There has been a movement amongst feminists to reduce sexual discrimination and it has led to a number of attempts to influence and change in language. Robert Hopper (2003) made a distinction between the terms ‘soft core’ and ‘hard core’ sexist language. He showed that ‘Soft core’ language was less obvious, subtle but still demeaning and patronizing to women. It was found to be more problematic because it was subtle and harder to spot. ‘Hard core’ sexism showed it to be easier to spot. Sexism in language takes many forms, though theses may be reduced to 3 types: language ignores, it defines and it deprecates women. Women and girls are hurt both physically and materially by it. Everyda... ... Language. Developmental Psychology. 20(4), 697-706. Lei, X. (2006). Sexism in Language. Journal of Language and Linguistics, 5 (1), 87-94. Mallett, R, Stangor, C, Swim, J.K. (2004). Understanding subtle sexism; Detection and Use of Sexist Language. Behavioural Science Sex Roles, 51(3/4) 117-128. Parks, J.B, Roberton, M.A. (2004). Attitudes Toward Women Mediate the Gender Effect on Attitudes Towards Sexist Language. Psychology of women Quarterly, 28(3), 233-239. Piercey, M. (2000), Sexism in the English Language. TESL Canada Journal, 17(2), 110-115. Turner-Bowker, M. (1996). Gender stereotyped descriptors in children's picture books: Does "Curious Jane" exist in the literature? Sex Roles, 35(7-8), 461-487. Ya-Lun, T. (2008). Child development (Research) Sex role (Portrayals) Children's literature (Educational aspects) Science & research, 45,(3), 310

Cat in the Hat

Cat in the hat essay The Cat in the Hat movie is about Conrad, a twelve-year-old boy, who has two problems: he is constantly doing the exact opposite of what he is supposed to do and causing trouble, and Sally, Conrad's eight-year-old little sister, tries to stop his trouble making and is being rather bossy and perfect. This also relates to Freud’s Theory of the Mind, which states that our mind has 3 different aspects which influence the way we think, act and feel. They are: ego, superego and id. Conrad displays all three aspects throughout the movie that interfere with his mind. The first aspect which Conrad displays in the movie is id. In the beginning of the movie Conrad does what he wants and doesn’t listen to his mom to keep the house clean. When the mother comes home from work she says: â€Å"I asked you to do one thing today, Conrad, keep the house clean. Do you know how frustrating it is that you're always doing the exact opposite of what I say? † Conrad is found sliding down the stairs and wrecking the house which is the opposite of what his mother told him to do. Another example of how Conrad displays id throughout the movie is when the cat arrives and checks their brain the â€Å"phunometer,† Conrad is shown as a rule breaker. â€Å"Just as I suspected, you guys are both out of whack. You're a control freak, and you're a rule-breaker† this shows that Conrad breaks all the rules that are set for him. The third example of Conrad displaying id throughout the movie is when they sign the contract not thinking about what their mother said. Conrad says: â€Å"What about it? We signed the contract† This shows Conrad is not thinking about the consequences of the outcome and is basing his decision of his selfish desires. A fourth example of Conrad displaying id is when the cat tells him not to open the crate. I'm not usually a rules guy, but this is a biggie. â€Å"No opening the crate. † This shows that even thought the cat told Conrad not to open the crate; Conrad went ahead and did it anyway without thinking about what will happen. Therefore, Conrad displays several examples of id, which is what the mind wants without thinking about the consequences later and taking into consideration for reality. The second aspect of the mind Conrad displays throughout the movie is ego. In the middle of the movie after the house is ruined because of thing 1 and thing 2, Conrad decides to help get their dog back because it has the crate lock on it and without out, the whole house will be ruined. Conrad says: â€Å"We've gotta go out and find Nevins. † This shows that Conrad is making rational decisions to meet the needs of the id. A second example of Conrad displaying ego is when Conrad, Sally and the Cat set out to get their dog back and Conrad is driving, he says, â€Å"Wait! Two people can't drive at the same time. This shows Conrad is making the decision not to drive even though he wanted to he knew he is only 12 years old and is too young to drive and that two people cannot drive at the same time. A third example of Conrad displaying ego is when the mothers’ boyfriend goes to her office and tells her everything that has been happening while she was at work. Conrad says â€Å"we’re dead. This is all my fault. I'm such an idiot. Why do I alw ays have to do the opposite of what I'm supposed to? † this shows that Conrad is taking into consideration his actions and is recognizing that he does the opposite of what he is told. Therefore, Conrad displays ego continuously throughout the movie, he makes decisions but yet still attempts to meet the needs of the id while also taking into consideration the reality of the situation. The third and last aspect of the mind Conrad displays at the end of the movie is superego. An example of this would be when the cat tells Conrad and Sally that he planned the whole day. Both kids get upset and Conrad says Cat, â€Å"you need to get out. I don't know that game. † It's not a game. None of this is a game! † this is showing that Conrad is listening to his conscience and telling him that enough is enough. A second example of Conrad showing superego is when Conrad takes the blame for his actions at the end of the movie by saying â€Å"No. This was my fault. I'll take the blame. † This shows Conrad making an internal judgement by finally listening to his conscience and coming clean for his actions. A third and final example of Conrad displaying superego is when Sally and Conrad learn from their mistakes the cat comes back and says, â€Å"if Sally and Conrad should learn from their mistakes, the contract shall be reinstated. † This shows that Conrad listened to his conscience by doing what was right and helped clean p the house in time for his mothers’ party. Therefore, Conrad displayed superego at the end of the movie by trusting his conscience and his internal judgment and doing what was right for a change and changed from a â€Å"rule breaker† to â€Å"just right. † Finally, Conrad displayed id by not listening to his mother and doing the exact oppos ite of what he was told, he displayed ego by making decisions to fix things and superego by listening to his conscience and doing what was right. Conrad displayed all three aspects of Freud’s theory of the mind throughout the movie that lead him to becoming the hero in the end.

History of Motorcycles Essay

History Of Motorcycles And The Automobile Industries Marketing Essay Automobile is one of the largest industries in global market. Being the leader in product and process technologies in the manufacturing sector, it has been recognized as one of the drivers of economic growth. During the last decade, well directed efforts have been made to provide a new look to the automobile policy for realizing the sector’s full potential for the economy. Steps like abolition of licensing, removal of quantitative restrictions and initiatives to bring the policy framework in consonance with WTO requirements have set the industry in a progressive track. Removal of the restrictive environment has helped restructuring, and enabled industry to absorb new technologies, aligning itself with the global development and also to realize its potential in the country. The two-wheeler industry has been in existence in our country since 1955. Two-wheeler segment is one of the most important components of the automobile sector that has undergone significant changes due to shift in policy environment in India. The composition of the two-wheeler industry has witnessed sea changes in the postreform period. It consists of three segments viz. scooters, motorcycles and mopeds. India is the second largest producer and manufacturer of two-wheelers in the world. Indian two-wheeler industry has got spectacular growth in the last few years. Hero Honda, the ‘World No. 1’ two wheeler manufacturer for past 5 years in row is a joint venture between India’s Hero Group and Honda Motor Company, Japan has not only created the world’s single largest two wheeler company but also one of the most successful joint ventures worldwide. India is the second largest producer and manufacturer of two-wheelers in the world. Indian two-wheeler industry has got spectacular growth in the last few years. Indian two-wheeler industry had a small beginning in the early 50’s. The Automobile Products of India (API) started manufacturing scooters in the country. Bikes are a major segment of Indian two wheeler industry, the other two being scooters and mopeds. Indian companies are among the largest two-wheeler manufacturers in the world. Hero Honda and Bajaj Auto are two of the Indian companies that top the list of world companies manufacturing two-wheelers. The two-wheeler market was opened to foreign companies in the mid 1980s. The openness of Indian market to foreign companies lead to the arrival of new models of two-wheelers into India. Easy availability of loans from the banks, relatively low rate of interest and the discount of prices offered by the dealers and manufacturers lead to the increasing demand for two-wheeler vehicles in India. This lead to the strong growth of Indian automobile industry. The two-wheeler industry in India has grown rapidly in the country since the announcement of the process of liberalization in 1991 by the then finance minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, now Prime Minister of India. Previously, there were only a handful of two-wheeler models available in the country. Currently, India is the second largest producer of two-wheelers in the world. It stands next only to China and Japan in terms of the number of two wheelers produced and the sales of two-wheelers respectively. In the year 2005-2006, the annual production of two-wheelers in India stood at around 7600801 units. The trend of owning two-wheelers is due to a variety of facts peculiar to India. One of the chief factors is poor public transport in many parts of India. Additionally, two-wheelers offer a great deal of convenience and mobility for the Indian family. Hero Honda Motors Limited, based in Delhi, India, is the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles. Hero Honda is a joint venture that began in 1984 between the Hero Group of India and Honda of Japan. It has been the world’s biggest manufacturer of 2wheeled motorized vehicles since 2001, when it produced 1. 3 million motorbikes in a single year. Hero Honda’s Splendor is the world’s largest selling motorcycle. EVOLUTION OF TWO-WHEELER INDUSTRY IN INDIA Two-wheeler segment is one of the most important components of the automobile sector that has undergone significant changes due to shift in policy environment. The two-wheeler industry has been in existence in the country since 1955. It consists of three segments viz. scooters, motorcycles and mopeds. According to the figures published by SIAM, the share of two-wheelers in automobile sector in terms of units sold was about 80 per cent during 2003- ¬04. This high figure itself is suggestive of the importance of the sector. In the initial years, entry of firms, capacity expansion, choice of products including capacity mix and technology, all critical areas of functioning of an industry, were effectively controlled by the State machinery. The lapses in the system had invited fresh policy options that came into being in late sixties. Amongst these policies, Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices (MRTP) and Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) were aimed at regulating monopoly and foreign investment respectively. This controlling mechanism over the industry resulted in: (a) several firms operating below minimum scale of efficiency; (b) underutilization of capacity; and (c) usage of outdated technology. Recognition of the damaging effects of licensing and fettering policies led to initiation of reforms, which ultimately took a more prominent shape with the introduction of the New Economic Policy (NEP) in 1985. However, the major set of reforms was launched in the year 1991 in response to the major macroeconomic crisis faced by the economy. The industrial policies shifted from a regime of regulation and tight control to a more liberalized and competitive era. Two major results of policy changes during these years in two-wheeler industry were that the, weaker players died out giving way to the new entrants and superior products and a sizeable increase in number of brands entered the market that compelled the firms to compete on the basis of product attributes. Finally, the two- ¬wheeler industry in the country has been able to witness a proliferation of brands with introduction of new technology as well as increase in number of players. However, with various policy measures undertaken in order to increase the competition, though the degree of concentration has been lessened over time, deregulation of the industry has not really resulted in higher level of competition. A GROWTH PERSPECTIVE The composition of the two-wheeler industry has witnessed sea changes in the post-reform period. In 1991, the share of scooters was about 50 per cent of the total 2-wheeler demand in the Indian market. Motorcycle and moped had been experiencing almost equal level of shares in the total number of two wheelers. In 2003-04, the share of motorcycles increased to 78 per cent of the total two-wheelers while the shares of scooters and mopeds declined to the level of 16 and 6 per cent respectively. Different scenarios have been presented based on different assumptions regarding the demand drivers of the two-wheeler industry. The demand for mopeds is not presented in this analysis due to its already shrinking status compared to’ motorcycles and scooters. The high growth rate in motorcycle segment at present will stabilize after a certain point beyond which a condition of equilibrium will set the growth path. Another important thing to keep in mind while interpreting these growth rates is that the forecast could consider the trend till 1999 and the model could not capture the recent developments that have taken place in last few years . India is the second largest producer and manufacturer of two-wheelers in the world. Indian two-wheeler industry has got spectacular growth in the last few years. Indian two-wheeler industry had a small beginning in the early 50’s. The Automobile Products of India (API) started manufacturing scooters in the country. Bikes are a major segment of Indian two wheeler industry, the other two being scooters and mopeds. Indian companies are among the largest two-wheeler manufacturers in the world. Hero Honda and Bajaj Auto are two of the Indian companies that top the list of world companies manufacturing two-wheelers. The two-wheeler market was opened to foreign companies in the mid 1980s. The openness of Indian market to foreign companies lead to the arrival of new models of two-wheelers into India. Easy availability of loans from the banks, relatively low rate of interest and the discount of prices offered by the dealers and manufacturers lead to the increasing demand for two-wheeler vehicles in India. This lead to the strong growth of Indian automobile industry. HERO HONDA Hero Honda Motors Limited, based in Delhi, India, is the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles. Hero Honda is a joint venture that began in 1984 between the Hero Group of India and Honda of Japan. It has been the world’s biggest manufacturer of 2wheeled motorized vehicles since 2001, when it produced 1. 3 million motorbikes in a single year. During the 80s, Hero Honda became the first company in India to prove that it was possible to drive a vehicle without polluting the roads. The company introduced new generation motorcycles that set industry benchmarks for fuel thrift and low emission. A legendary ‘Fill it – Shut it – Forget it’ campaign captured the imagination of commuters across India, and Hero Honda sold millions of bikes purely on the commitment of increased mileage. Over 20 million Hero Honda two wheelers tread Indian roads today. These are almost as many as the number of people in Finland, Ireland and Sweden put together! Hero Honda has consistently grown at double digits since inception; and today, every second motorcycle sold in the country is a Hero Honda. Every 30 seconds, someone in India buys Hero Honda’s top -selling motorcycle – Splendor. This festive season, the company sold half a million two wheelers in a single month—a feat unparalleled in global automotive history. Hero Honda bikes currently roll out from its three globally benchmarked manufacturing facilities. Two of these are based at Dharuhera and Gurgaon in Haryana and the third state of the art manufacturing facility was inaugurated at Haridwar, Uttrakhand in April this year. These plants together are capable of producing out 4. 4 million units per year. Hero Honda’s extensive sales and service network now spans over 3000 customer touch points. These comprise a mix of dealerships, service and spare points, spare parts stockiest and authorized representatives of dealers located across different geographies. Hero Honda values its relationship with customers. Its unique CRM initiative – Hero Honda Passport Program, one of the largest programs of this kind in the world, has over 3 million members on its roster. The program has not only helped Hero Honda understand its customers and deliver value at different price points, but has also created a loyal community of brand ambassadors. Having reached an unassailable pole position in the Indian two wheeler market, Hero Honda is constantly working towards consolidating its position in the market place. The company believes that changing demographic profile of India, increasing urbanization and the empowerment of rural India will add millions of new families to the economic mainstream. This would provide the growth ballast that would sustain Hero Honda in the years to come. As Brijmohan Lall Munjal, the Chairman, Hero Honda Motors succinctly points out, â€Å"We pioneered India’s motorcycle industry, and it’s our responsibility now to take the industry to the next level. We’ll do all it takes to reach there. † WHICH SEGMENTS ARE BEING TARGETED AND NEED TO INFLUENCE THE TARGET MARKET? Geographic Segmentation calls for division of the market into different geographical units such as nations, states, regions, countries, cities, or neighborhoods. In the South Asian context, geographic segmentation assumes importance due to variations in consumer preferences and purchase habits across different regions, across different countries, and across different states in these countries. Demographic Segmentation In Demographic Segmentation, we divide the market into groups on the basis of variables such as age, family size, family life cycle, income, occupation, education, religion, race, generation, nationality and social class. One reason demographic variables are so popular with marketers in that they’re often associated with consumer needs and wants. Another is that they’re easy to measure. Psychographic Segmentation Psychographics is the science of using psychology and demographics to better understand consumers. In psychographic segmentation, buyers are divided into different groups on the basis of psychological/personality traits, lifestyle, or values. People within the same demographic group can exhibit very different psychographic profiles. Values and lifestyles significantly affect product and brand choice of consumers. Religion has a significant influence on values and lifestyles. Market Targeting: Effective Segmentation Criteria to be useful, market segments must rate favorably on five key criteria: 1. Measurable, the size, purchasing power and characteristics of the segments can be measured. 2. Substantial, The segments are large and profitable enough to serve. A segment should be the largest possible homogenous group worth going after with a tailored marketing program. It would not pay, for example, for an automobile manufacture to develop cars for people who are less four feet tall. 3. Accessible, The segments can be effectively reached and served. Differentiable, The segments are conceptually distinguishable and respond differently to different marketing-mix elements and programs. If married and unmarried women respond similarly to a sale on perfume, they do not constitute separate segments. Actionable, Effective programs can be formulated for attracting and serving the segments. Hero Honda is targeting at youth, Unicorn looked sportier than all the existing motorcycles in the premium segment and was pitted against Bajaj Pulsar, the leader with 75 percent market share in that segment. DIFFERENT PROMOTIONAL TOOLS USED AND THE STRATEGY BEING USING THESE TOOLS? Promotion: Above the line (ATL) is an advertising technique using mass media to promote brands. Major above-the-line techniques include TV and radio advertising, print advertising and internet banner ads. This type of communication is conventional in nature and is considered impersonal to customers. The ATL strategy makes use of current traditional media: television, newspapers, magazines, radio, outdoor, and internet. Hero Honda used Above the Line Promotion because in the Above the Line promotion co. members used advertisement through Radio, T. V. , Newspaper and Other media communications. Place: Geographical Placing: – Geographical placing of the product has divided into 4 markets and these are: 1. Local 2. National 3. Regional 4. International Hero Honda used National Market for sale the Hero Honda Splendor. Hero Honda is also planning an extensive marketing campaign with the launch, which would reflect the bike’s contemporary styling and advanced technology. The integrated marketing campaign for ZMR will include outdoor media, Web, mobile, ground activations, print and electronic media, said the company. Hero Honda Pleasure – â€Å"Why should boys have all the fun? † Isn’t that a must ride statement, that can tempt any girl to just buzz with the wind. The Hero Honda Pleasure is Hero Honda’s maiden venture into the burgeoning gear-less scooter market. The pleasure has schemed its strategies to be the best seller by concentrating much on the interest of young girls who love to rock the field of glamor, luxury and comfort. Eye catchy features: The Pleasure sports flashy colours, from Tahitian blue metallic, force silver to the ever trendy colour black. Multi-reflector headlight, body-coloured mirrors, multi-reflector indicators, trendy rear grip, modern tall light cluster, and a new age oval-shaped instrument panel all make the Pleasure a head-turner. For more comfort during the ride, the scooter is designed with broader seat that offers greater riding comfort. Capacious luggage space, has been configured which, is large enough to keep even a helmet. The Pleasure is equipped with a technology, tuff-up tube and tyre combo that offers immediate remedy in the event of a puncture, by releasing an anti-puncture sealant gel. It is capable of attaining a top speed of 77kph. Hero Honda ahead in introducing new technology. The Company has left the competition in the motorcycle segment far behind in volumes as its nearest rival, Bajaj Auto, is a distant second with a market share of around 28 per cent only. The company’s success till date relates to the timely decisions regarding introduction of new technology products. Hero Honda was the first company in India to set standards for fuel efficiency with the launch of a four-stroke motorcycle in the mid-Nineties. This decision is yielding good results even today as can be seen from an uninterrupted growth witnessed by the company in its sales turnover and profitability margins over the past several years. However, future growth in these financial parameters, to a large extent, would also depend upon the way competition gears up in the domestic motorcycle market from the local, as well as foreign players. An eye on the customer In an effort to enhance value for customers, the company has initiated the â€Å"Rs 1001 customer price† benefit program across all its models. In addition, the passport program — which entitles a customer to a Rs 1 lakh accident insurance, lucky draws, gifts against redeemable points, cash discount on consumer durables, free tickets to company sponsored events, etc. – has met with an encouraging response (it has attracted around five lakh members to date) and is expected to continue its success into the future as well. Hero Honda: A ‘passion’ for growth Hero Honda has come up with yet another year of sharp growth in financial performance. The company has developed this ability to spring a surprise in terms of outperforming expectationsThe increase in sales volume and improvement in realization have both played a role in pushing up the turnover. The change in product-mix in favour of higher value products has resulted in improved realization for the company. The growing popularity of the Passion model appears to be the key factor behind improvement in unit realization. Aided by the emphasis on indigenisation, the company has managed to achieve better operational efficiency. The positive impact of these measures is reflected in the form of lower raw material cost (in relation to sales). The company is all set to make a foray into the lower price segment of the four-stroke market. Taking into account the recent trend in performance, the company appears well positioned to retain its top position in the motor cycle market and also sustain the recent rate of growth. Hero Honda is World Leader For 2001- 02, volume up by 38 per cent ; net profit soars by 88 per cent; total turnover up by 42 per cent Achieves a high 48 per cent motorcycle market share; and 33 per cent two-wheeler market share Announces 350 per cent final dividend and 250 per cent celebration dividend (over and above special interim dividend of 250%) Over the last five years, company’s total turnover grows by a whopping 580 %; PAT by 919 % Hero Honda plans sports spectacular. Hero Honda plans to organize a sports and glamour extravaganza in the country, on the lines of the Laureus World Sports Awards currently on in Monaco , in association with the Laureus world sports for Good Foundation, the organizer of the award. Revving up to stay on top Having achieved the status of the largest two-wheeler company in the world, Hero Honda now seeks to retain that slot. The company has a large portfolio of brands, with the money-spinners being mainly Splendor (the world’s largest selling bike) and Passion. However, the company claims it was the launch of the 150cc CBZ, which established Hero Honda as an aspirational brand. â€Å"The launch of CBZ got us into a different league altogether. Celebrating its 25th year, Hero Honda released an innovative music video in the month of September. Titled â€Å"Hero Honda Dhak Dhak Go†, and involving as many as eight brand ambassadors of Hero Honda, the music video has been receiving rave reviews. WHICH STRATEGY OUT OF PUSH AND PULL IS USED AND WHY? Hero Honda is using both the strategy push as well as pull A push-pull-system in business describes the movement of a product or information between two subjects. On markets the consumers usually â€Å"pulls† the goods or information they demand for their needs, while the offerers or suppliers â€Å"pushes† them toward the consumers. Different push and pull strategies used by hero Honda: Push strategy Another meaning of the push strategy in marketing can be found in the communication between seller and buyer. In dependence of the used medium, the communication can be either interactive or non-interactive. For example, if the seller makes his promotion by television or radio, it’s not possible for the buyer to interact with. On the other hand, if the communication is made by phone or internet, the buyer has possibilities to interact with the seller. In the first case information is just â€Å"pushed† toward the buyer, while in the second case it is possible for the buyer to demand the needed information according to his requirements. Applied to that portion of the supply chain where demand uncertainty is relatively small Production & distribution decisions are based on long term forecasts Based on past orders received from retailer’s warehouse (may lead to Bullwhip effect) Inability to meet changing demand patterns. Large and variable production batches Unacceptable service levels Excessive inventories due to the need for large safety stocks Pull strategy In a â€Å"pull† system the consumer requests the product and â€Å"pulls† it through the delivery channel. An example of this is the car manufacturing company Ford Australia. Ford Australia only produces cars when they have been ordered by the customers. Applied to that portion of the supply chain where demand uncertainty is high Production and distribution are demand driven No inventory, response to specific orders. Point of sale (POS) data comes in handy when shared with supply chain partners Decrease in lead time Difficult to implement Key Hero Honda brands continue to drive strong volumes across segments – CD Deluxe in entry segment, Glamour, the new Splendor NXG, Splendor + and Passion Plus in deluxe segment, and Hunk, CBZ X-treme and Karizma in the premium segment. .Hero Honda’s strategy for aggressive top line growth through new product launches, brand building initiatives backed by innovative communication has resulted in market share gain across every segment. Indeed, Hero Honda’s share in domestic motorcycles market has been growing upward of 50 per cent, despite the slowdown in the two-wheeler industry â€Å"However, we will stay true to our winning strategy, and keep refreshing our product portfolio and continue to invest in brand building. CRITICAL APPRAISAL The feeling of freedom and being one with the Nature comes only from riding a two wheeler. Indians prefer the two wheelers because of their small manageable size, low maintenance, pricing and easy loan repayments. Indian streets are full of people of all age groups riding a two wheeler. Motorized two wheelers are seen as a symbol of status by the populace. Thus, in India, we would see swanky four wheels jostling with our ever reliable and sturdy steed: the two wheeler. Since the first car rolled out on the streets of Mumbai (then Bombay) in 1898, the Automobile Industry of India has come a long way. India is the second largest producer and manufacturer of two-wheelers in the world. Indian two-wheeler industry has got spectacular growth in the last few years. In India there are 7 scooter manufacturers, 9 motorcycle manufacturers, 3 moped manufacturers. Bajaj Auto, Hero Honda, TVS, etc are the leading manufacturers. HEROHONDA has been the world’s biggest manufacturer of 2-wheeled motorized vehicles since 2001, when it produced 1. 3 million motorbikes in a single year. Hero Honda’s Splendor is the world’s largest selling motorcycle. Today Hero Honda has an assembly line of nine different models of motorcycles available. It holds the record for most popular bike in the world by sales for Its Splendor model. Strategies followed by hero honda Premium pricing, penetration pricing, economy pricing, and price skimming are the four main pricing policies/strategies. They form the bases for the exercise. However there are other important approaches to pricing. Promotion: Below the Line Promotion: „Below The Line is a common technique used for touches and feel products. Those consumer items where the customer will rely on immediate information than previously researched items. Below The Line techniques ensure recall of the brand while at the same time highlighting the features of the product. ‘Honda’ was already a household name in India. Hence, rather than putting major efforts into brand building, its marketing strategy emphasized on offering innovative products at competitive prices, novel promotional campaigns and developing an extensive distribution network†¦ So at last we can say that hero Honda is having a very good promotional strategy and this is the main reason of its success. It basically focuses on its customer satisfaction and from time to time it keep on showing its creativity and innovation It â€Å"However, we will stay true to our winning strategy, and keep refreshing our product portfolio and continue to invest in brand building. â€Å"One of the key pillars of hero honda strategy has been to consistently keep introducing new, advanced products and maintaining a balanced product portfolio.