Evaluating Change at Alegent Health

Alegent Health (AH) conducted six large group interventions or â€Å"decision accelerators† (DA) to generate innovative strategies for the six clinical service areas. Researchers at USC’s Center for effective organizations contracted with AH to assess the impact of the interventions and help the organization learn how to leverage further change. The implementation feedback involved executive interviews and surveys from people who participated in the â€Å"review DAs†, thus reflecting on implementation progress and plan future changes and support a positive assessment of overall progress. People generally agreed that the implementation of the clinical strategies was going well. They were positive about social capital that had been created by the DAs, especially between managers and physicians, as well as evidence of culture change. Overall the majority of persons believed that the DAs were a great energizer for the organization, generated comprehensive strategies and catalyzed important changes. However the strengths of the DAs were mostly felt by top management while the perception of the DAs was weak in the middle of the organization. The absence of formal change management processes made important resource allocation decisions, trade-offs on technology, and coordination of quality processes across the systems more difficult. When the DA had more community participants, there were broader participation in the discussions, the debates were more intense, and the DA stayed on track. The results from the survey data revealed that the higher percentage of physicians the result was less comprehensive on the other hand when the DA had a high concentration of community participants, the vision was more comprehensive. Overall the DA affected a variety of changes in organization either directly or indirectly. The organization’s initial use of the DA process as a strategic visioning intervention persists in the minds of most organization members. DAs cannot do everything and complementary governance and implementation processes are necessary. Discus the strengths and weaknesses of the assessment. Once the intervention is done it should be evaluated to determine if it is producing the intended results. Feedback gives the desired result if the implementation of the interventions were correct. The strengths of the evaluation were collected through interviews and surveys whose results were positive. Almost everyone â€Å"buy into† the clinical strategies, the DAs were a great energizer hence a high level of commitment. Clarity was gained at the top management level and many physicians. The involvement of community participants resulted in a more comprehensive vision. While the weaknesses involve the organization’s ability to leverage the change, the data revealed a more complex set of issues, weak perception in the middle of the organization, the absence of formal change management and the outcomes of meeting with top management and physicians revealed a less comprehensive vision. Participants thought that the strategy should be more aggressive business oriented How could it have been improved? Their needed to be more internal support to leverage the change, hence people would not feel so overwhelmed by the changes. The changes needed to be programmable to facilitate a formal implementation of the intervention process. Their needed to be more sensing and calibration as it was evident that the community participants produce a more comprehensive vision. There also need to be more internal support to assist the middle of the organization. Reward allocation could be used to gain more support from the middle organization. How much confidence do you have in the lessons learned for this organization? I have a high level of confidence in the lessons from this case because the intervention characteristics were evident and the researchers made use of the institutionalization processes.

Postmodernism Essay

Different material, methods and media’s have been used in postmodern art, such as painting fine art, technology, architecture and fashion. A study of various types of powerful societal changes through time is tackled through art. These changes comprise of gender identity, globalisation growth, political power etc. Introduction The expression of Art has always been influential; many artists use it as a tactic to exploit political truths and ideas. Postmodernism is a â€Å"movement reacting against modernism, especially by drawing attention to former conventions† (pg821). This form of art allowed a new way of looking at reality in a society that is constantly reassessing its culture and values. Postmodern art focuses on a mixture of high and low cultures and dominant ideas; it went against repression, sexism, racism, political power, and violence. Deconstructing truths criticises and analyses contemporary issues. These deconstructionist feed on controversy, artists such as Alessandro Mendini, Andy Warhol, Jenny Holzer create colourful and ruinous, luxurious and outrageous artwork. The art allowed radical freedom to design, funny gestures confrontation and occasionally absurd. It was a style that has new self-awareness. Postmodernism rebelled against modernism; it was an attack on what had come before as it explored and disparaged any unspoken leading concepts and social customs. The disillusionment from World War II heavily influenced postmodern art. The style doesn’t have a clear central hierarchy or organising principle; it uses melancholy, extreme complexity, contradiction, ambiguity, diversity and interconnectedness. Loud colours, bold patterns, historical quotation and whit are used. During the 60s, critical practices of postmodernism were applied mainly in Italy. The idea of ‘Function follows form’ is abandoned. Exaggerated proportion and outrageous texture for the sake of decoration. Designers such as Ettore Sottsass and Alessandro Mendini who challenged social norms and the traditional taste of design. Italian born designer and architect, Alessandro Mendini played a part in postmodern design. He creates graphics, furniture, interiors, paintings and architectures. His work of ‘Destruction of the Monumento da Casa (Household Monument) is an enlarged photograph of a modernist chair. This literally displays the destroying of the past, the end of modernism and the beginning of postmodernism. It was an attack on what had come before, Mendini brought the chair to a stone quarry and set the chair on fire, photos were captured during the process in 1974. Popular culture, irony, historicism, eclecticism and pluralism are embraced by postmodernism. The artist believed that something new design would grow from the burning remains. One of the most iconic post-modern designs is the Proust armchair by Alessandro Mendini. He chose to add Signac painting as the pattern on a ready-made replica of an 18th century armchair. American language conceptual artist, Jenny Holzer is famous for her short statements. The postmodern fashion in the 80’s was a time when women were in power and this was mirrored in physicality and clothes. The artist uses modern information to expose and address the politics of discourse. The ‘Abuse of Power Comes as No Surprise’ by Hozler is one of her many controversial artworks. Jenny Hozler worked outside the regular conventions, as she believed that simplified phrases are the quickest way for everyone to comprehend. A lot of Jenny Hozler’s work victimises the woman, this method allows the audience to basically read the violence male dominance against women. Words such as ‘Crack the Pelvis so she lies right, this a mistake. When she dies you cannot repeat the act†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ the brutal yet vivid words suggest male power over women. In order to communicate to foreign countries, her work was translated multiple times. Hozler’s techniques include a range of multimedia, posters, hats, T-shirts and L. E. D signs on large architecture. She received many negative feedbacks by the public, therefore, withdrew from her career until 1993. The postmodern artist came back with a new approach to immaterial; she is still driven against murder plus sexual pleasure, hence initiated a new series named ‘Lustmord’. Fine Art is also found in post modernism. Techniques found in painting were super-realism, mannered, academic, neoclassical, decorative, and self-conscious stylization. Originality had ended and there is a lot past styles referencing. Postmodern artist, David Ligare paintings looked extremely realistic. He focused on still life painting, Ligare believes that there is no limit and virtually anything now could be considered art, hence makes him a postmodern artist. David Ligare does narrative paintings based on Greco/Toman culture. Marcel Duchamp’s artwork incorporated jokes to add humour to his visual. Duchamp has made numerous pastiche works; his most famous is the ‘L. H. O. O. Q’, which stands for ‘Elle a chaud au cul’. It was a rebel against traditional art was the dominant idea of the time. Duchamp’s added moustache and beard to the postcard with the Mona Lisa, which contradicts regular conventions of the time. He wanted to take artistry lightly; it was an act of rebel against convention. This technique became known as ‘appropriation’, it is the idea of manipulating famous historical art pieces. This practice has become common in today’s art. Andy Warhol works exemplifies the final stage of postmodernism. Warhol’s paintings had always had something controversial, as theorist Fredric Jameson states, ‘they ought to be powerful and critical political statements’ Andy Warhol is a contemporary artist, which expresses the postmodernism of society though his artistry. Through his artwork, his expression seems to be very anarchy and chaotic, especially the major use of the primary and bold colours whereas in the mainstream artistry it is very subtle due to the dark or complimentary colours which can often be seen as conservative. Warhol’s ‘Dollar Sign’ from 1981 deconstructs the truth about money. The painting suggest money’s strength, its addiction and tactic for conspiracy, His artwork were powerful and held critical political statements because they were billboard-like images. One of his pieces was of the North Korean leader, Kim John IL. Normally in society Kim John IL would not be even spoken of due to the high political power he has over North Korea. And the fragility between other nations that Kim John IL has. Andy Warhol has done a piece of this leader using contrasting and chaotic colours that seemed random and unusual. Warhol used appropriation, taking and creating pastiche references. As Andy Warhol states, â€Å"Art is what you can get away with†. Yasumasa Morimura uses humour with referencing to historical art. His postmodernist artworks have the idea of rejecting a single fixed meaning in an image or artwork. He is a controversial Japanese artist who displaces societal currents in Japanese culture. Western assimilation, capitalism and gender values are shown in his designs. Yasumasa is an illusive creator with no boundaries; this sets his work off to a guttural response. He is best known for mimicking great subjects, in particular western art. One of his works uses historical art as reference is the ‘Blinded by the Light’ 1991, which was inspired by the ‘ Parable for the Blind’ by Pieter Brueghel in 1568. Morimura symbolises a satirical message on Western invasion. Yasumasa Morimura caused controversy by highlighting historical influences and transforming into the postmodern art world with eastern and western culture, sexuality and gender identity. His background influenced Morimura’s, he was an outsider dominated by western culture and art. Technology advancement such as digital editing allowed his work to become flawless. In the racist imagination of western culture, they perceive Asian men with weak physically, equivalent to a little white girl. Morimura embraces his influences and mixes his sexual influence with modern culture. This is reflected in his series of self-portraits, e. g. Morimura as Monroe. Throughout the postmodern period, globalisation had become widespread, the artist felt as if he was invaded by foreign ideas and culture. In response, he invaded western culture through their art, by slapping his face on the Mona Lisa or the Infanta Margarita. Famous artist, Barbara Kruger exploited truths through her works of being a graphic designer, art director, and picture editor. Rather than creating her own images, she uses images and juxtaposes them. She used her techniques and skills of being a graphic designer and worked on political, social feminist provocations, religion, sex, racial and gender stereotypes, consumerism, corporate greed, and power. Her techniques consist of using media sources and words and directly collaging them over each other. Her signature look comprises of cropped, large-scale, black and white photographic pictures against black, white and red sans serif letterform. They hold raucous, pithy, ironic sayings. The poster, ‘Your Body is a battleground’ proposes the idea of re-conditioning gender stereotypes. Originally, the image was used in Washington DC to advocate a pro-choice position and reproductive rights for women. This raises the issue of power, patriarchy, stereotyping and consumption. The poster has a black and white image of a woman’s face that is split symmetrically with direct eye contact. The positive and negative space could highlight ‘good vs. bad’. Judging from the woman’s hair and makeup, she appears to be a housewife. The image represents that women cannot be sold, it illustrated a political setting and subsequently their identities are favourably polished.

Bathymetry, Sediments and Plate Tectonics

On March 23, 1968 a Glomar Challenger ship was launched from Orange, Texas under the supervision of National Science Foundation and the Regents, University of California. This marked the beginning of a new era in the field of oceanographic explorations. The Glomar Challenger explored the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans as well as the Mediterranean and the Red Seas, drilled and cored the bottom of the ocean and collected core samples.These core samples became a definite proof for continental drift and sea floor renewal at rift zones. The theory proposed by Alfred Wegener that Earth once consisted of a single land mass now known as Pangaea was proved by their findings. The theories attempting to explain the formation of mountain ranges, deep sea trenches and earthquakes provided by the two geologists, W. Jason Morgan and Xavier Le Pichon also gained support from these findings.As for the evidence for sea floor spreading there are ample examples. Samples from the deep ocean floor sh ow that Basaltic oceanic crust and overlying sediment become much younger while nearing the mid ocean ridge. The sediment cover is thinner near the ridge. Moreover the age of the ocean is no more than 200 million years while the age of the Earth is roughly 3 billion years. Also evidence of periodic reversals in magnetic polarity of the Earth, or paleomagnetism proves the theory of sea floor spreading.The study of plate tectonics has advanced rapidly over the last 50 years. The advent of sophisticated oceanographic instruments has made the inaccessible regions easy to access. The easiest method of sampling sea floor includes coring using a long metal pipe weighted at the top. Gravity covers collects samples of sea floor sediments. There are machines that allow scientists to submerge beneath the water and observe the sea floor. Submersibles can carry up to a 5-person crew at a time.Most of these submersibles are geared with high frequency cameras, lights, mechanical arms for collectio n of samples, temperature measurers and other electromagnetic tools. Information regarding the sedimentation of the bedrocks can be obtained by shipboard gravimeters that can measure rock density and magnetometers, which measure the magnetic properties. Reflection of sound waves is used in seismic service and help in getting information about submarine topography and the thickness and folding and faulting of rocks covered with sediments.Seismic surveys are particularly helpful for finding out oil and gas deposits. Seismic surveys can be done by high voltage sparks, mechanical clappers or electronic pulse to create a spectrum of sonar frequencies. The Fundy Basin on Atlantic coast between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia is where the oldest ocean sediments can be found. References: xpubs. vsgs. gov/gip/dynamic/historical. html Wikipedia Glomar Challenger Wikipedia Mid Atlantic Ridge Answers. com

Endangered African Penguin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Endangered African Penguin - Essay Example Usually a penguin would consume about 500 grams of fish every day and during breeding they may even consume up to 1000 grams (New England Aquarium, 2012). As in the early part of the 20th century about 1.5 million penguin were estimated to inhabit the Southern African region and since then, they population have been on the downtrend and have now decreased to 5 to 10% of their original numbers. The main threats to their survival is that commercial fishing is beginning to threaten their diet and most often they have to seek food in deeper water or consume less nutritious food. Besides, global warming have increased temperatures. There are other causes for their decline including human consumption being considered a delicacy in Africa, exposure to oil slicks (especially the MV Treasure which sank in June 2000), El Nino effects (which causes severe food shortages in their habitat areas) and presence of several natural predators (such as sharks, seals, mongoose, cats and seagulls) (Robert J. M. Crawford, 2006). The African penguin is at the risk of extinction and is listed as an endangered species in the Red Data Book and by the USA Endangered Species Act. Today the number of African penguins are about 55000, from 200,000 in the year 2000. Their decline is very rapid and many of the Environmental protection and Governmental are working tirelessly to monitor the number of birds, creating artificial rearing centers, and protecting the habitat areas of the birds from human activities and some of the natural predators (Robert J. M. Crawford, 2006). The African Penguin is interesting mainly because it gives out a braying sound like a donkey, similar to many of its cousin species in South America. They have have black and white stripes all over their body, and these stripes are unique to each individual penguin. Further, this black and white stripes are useful camouflage when the birds are swimming, as

Human Services Research Article Discussion Essay - 2

Human Services Research Article Discussion - Essay Example Although the authors tried to impress upon the appropriate governments of taking the children’s well-being into account, there was no bias as set forth in the APA Publication Manual (Emory). Active voice was utilized and there were no racial lines discussed, as it can be assumed that the article encompassed all children â€Å"in care†. As Ms. Davidson is a social services manager and Dr. McKenzie is a clinical psychologist, both women are well versed in the subject matter. They were comprehensive in interviewing other social workers in the field. The actual study was conducted in a mostly rural area of the country which had seen an astronomical increase in small children (under one year old) being placed in care. Social workers seemed to be both harried and stymied by an overloaded system and most of the time the services put in place for the parents (alcohol, drug, and mental heath therapy) collided with the children’s needs, so that even though the case workers were aware of the child’s developmental milestone needs, the procedures were delayed by the legal system (P 36). The conclusions reached included the fact that even though workers had as much as twenty seven years of experience they could be better trained to deal with the greater influx of infants and babies requiring foster care and the special considerations that age group requires. This was supported by the social workers themselves in the body of the study. Even the authors admitted the small number of children studied (eighteen) was disproportionate to the numbers nationwide and the study was maybe not representative of Scotland as a whole. For instance, they could have expanded the study to include what developmental delays occur when cultural lines are crossed, such as children being placed in a home of a different race than their own. Another good study for this would be the ability to thrive of those children placed from Eastern European countries such as

The great Chicago fire Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The great Chicago fire - Research Paper Example Will Chicago be able to return her royal title of the â€Å"Queen of the West†? The Great Chicago Fire "It was like a snowstorm only the flakes were red instead of white." Bessie Bradwell Helmer 1. Chicago started as a small settlement and grew to a very populated city during XIX. The population of Chicago had burst from approximately 4,000 souls when it received its first city charter in 1837, to 30,000 in 1850 and to an amazing 330,000 at 1871. It had passed  Saint Louis  as the fourth-biggest city in America and became a key player on the international scene. Modern for those days highly-branched railroad was a very important element of Chicago city. No American city was linked to the romance of the railroad the way Chicago was. It resembled imperial European centers – Paris, for instance – where the stations, like the points of a gigantic compass, beckoned in all directions†¦ It was the railroad that made Chicago the capital of America’s heart land, its attainable metropolis, its possible dream. (Lowe, 2010, p.51). 2. This fast increase city growth, though, happened with little planning. Several brick-and-mortar constructions were already built, but thousands of buildings were factually â€Å"thrown up† to house the enormous flood of European immigrants. There, next to rich houses was built squatter settlement where buildings often were put up very close to each other, back-to-back. The growth of the city was so speedy and similar to the fast growing bones of a teenager, which often might be subject to easy breaking. The expansion of Chicago was far from being ideal and faultless. There were class conflicts, business upheavals and urban rivalry which became common in American cities. 3. On Sunday October 8th 1871 around 9 o’clock in the evening in the small barn owned by Patrick and  Catherine O'Leary, that was on 137  DeKoven Street, the fire started. Nobody knew for certain what caused it. The investig ation by the Board of Police and Fire Commissioners has never before been fully researched and reported by the fire historians. The Board’s final report published in Chicago newspapers on December 12, 1871, indicated that the commissioners were unable to determine the fire cause.† (Bales and Schwartz, 2005, p.4) 4. There were number of equally possible stories, from the owner’s cow kicking over the lantern to meteor shower which possibly caused 3 other fires in the same area simultaneously. 5. According to Owens (2007), â€Å"The Chicago fire started in the O’Leary barn but the O’Leary Home survived.† (p.8) 6. However, many historians nowadays believe that the true culprit of the fire was Daniel Sullivan, the one who told O’Learys about the fire. They accepted as truth his story that he got inside the barn to steal their cows’ milk. Prior to his death, Daniel Sullivan admitted that he was accountable. There are some indications confirming it is true, yet it is not certain. A.T. Andreas, nineteenth-century historian wrote: "Nature had withheld her accustomed measure of prevention, and man had added to the peril by recklessness." The fire spread very fast due to the draught for fourteen weeks, multiplicity of wooden houses, jacked-up plank streets and sidewalks and powerful southwestern wind. It was similar to hundreds of matchboxes set close

Final paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 6

Final paper - Essay Example It is time the government legalized the sale of organs. Legalization of organ sales will lower vital organs-related deaths boosting the supply of such organs, eliminating illicit organ markets, allowing access to cheaper organ transplant, and compensate donors. The demand for organs is overwhelming, and yet the supply is far too low. Right now, over 85,000 people in U.S. alone are on the list of those waiting for organs (Calandrillo 72). Out of these, a majority (about 60,000) requires a kidney, 17,000 are in desperate need of a liver, 4,000 are hoping for a lung, while 3,500 are desperate for a heart. The organs are the most important for the survival of any human being. Any defect in them can shorten a person’s life within a short period. The patients on the waitlist thus urgently need them as they are living on borrowed time. However, the supply of these organs is shockingly far much less. Calandrillo says that the year 2003 saw organs harvest from only 13,000 individuals to facilitate the mere 25,000 transplants in the U.S. (72). It means that the many patients who were not successful to get a required organ sadly died. Ironically, the painful shortage is because a majority of the organs go to the grave when the owners die. A lack of donation-appropriate organs is not a primary cause. A bumper sticker once read, â€Å"Please do not take your organs with you to heaven. Heaven understands that we are desperate for them here on the earth† (The Economist). Each year witnesses many Americans die in ways that would make it possible for an organ harvest. For example, some die in road accidents, others due to heart attacks and strokes but organs come from only a few of the possible donors. In fact, about 75% of the Americans are not ready to donate organ upon their death. Hence, the remaining percentage that have opted to offer an organ cannot sufficiently meet the national needs. The situation

Wedding Planning Budget Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Wedding Planning Budget - Essay Example While each of us wanted to ensure that our guests would have the best time possible, it was important to me to also make sure that we could get the most out of this as it is officially marking the beginning of our life together as a married couple. The key way in which we determined we could meet both of these objectives is to plan a personal, heartwarming wedding with the understanding that there would have to be a degree of modesty or simple nature to our planning. This will not be a celebrity-style wedding with all of the pomp and circumstance that comes with a grand or royal wedding but, a more organic and realistic representation of who we are as a couple while adhering to our specific budget parameters. With this in mind, we both agreed that the $5,000 from our parents would be kept separate from the wedding budget and placed into its own fund for a honeymoon as it is very important to each of us to be able to enjoy a week together to start our married life. Although it seems backwards to discuss this part of our wedding budget first, I am going to address how this $5,000 will be used right now so that I can keep this a part from the rest of the details regarding the wedding ceremony and reception. With a designated sum of $5,000 for our budget, we chose a destination that would be easy for us to travel to and still have a considerable amount of this budget left over for lodging, food and entertainment on our trip. Due to my fiancà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s love of the ocean and the fact that I am familiar with Anne of Green Gables from Halifax, Nova Scotia, we decided to vacation there for our weeklong honeymoon. After an intense internet search of travel sites for the best deal, we were able to secure airfare and 7 days in a hotel for $1177.53 a person. Here is a quick breakdown of our budget: With the details of the honeymoon secured, I can now move forward to the more in-depth breakdown of the

Discuss the failure of business journalism in reporting the great Essay

Discuss the failure of business journalism in reporting the great market crash of 1929 - Essay Example Furthermore, banks invested customers’ money in stock markets. The upward bound in the stock market was highly promising, and the great market crash in October 1929 hit everyone by surprise. Nevertheless, there had been warning signs like the mini-crash in March 25th, 1929 when prices began falling, but with the assurance of Charles Mitchell of the continued lending of money; the panic was suppressed (King 2000, p. 67). The spring of 1929 also gave more signs of a serious setback to the economy due to the slowing down of steel production, car sales and house constructions. During this time, some few individuals warned of impending serious crash in the stock markets, but they were cautioned, ignored and labelled as pessimists. Most economists believe in cycling of the overall economic activities between the expansion and contraction of the economic periods. The economic growth alternates with depressions and recessions. Analysis of the great depression indicates efforts by econ omists and journalists and their determination of the causes of depression (Burgan 2002, p.78). Discussion Business journalism requires that the journalists know exactly what is required, and the content should be critically analyzed before distribution to the audience. Some business journalists do not know the appropriate sources for their information to back up a story or an event. Others do not understand the principles of economics and the importance of stock markets. Some business reporting lack contextualization, which helps readers understand the meaning of the economic situation. The major goal of business reporting is to enhance more customer cover up and retention. This is especially notable since many people have shifted to the media for them to know the prevailing economic conditions. People simply want better business coverage (King 2000, p. 67). Business journalism in reporting during the great market crash The business journalists knew about the great depression, but their ignorance of the economic history was massive. Ignorance in expressing their opinions rendered everything wrong during their reporting on the great depression. For instance, in 1920, the forecasting reported on flourished economy and failure to recognize the coming depression, a factor that totally put them out of business. J. K. Galbraith’s reporting on The Great Crash 1929 relates to the forecasts of the Harvard Economic Service who failed in warning the business of impending depression. Galbraith wrote in November 1929 that the U.S. was not facing a protracted liquidation and that severe depression like that which was in 1929-1931 was less likely to be experienced. This, according to Wood, is shallow, misleading and lacks permanent value, and that any journalist who relies on ‘great market crash’ account by Galbraith deserves the sack (Ewing et al 2007, p. 1123-128). Business journalism failed to recognize the warnings from some economists of the impendi ng depression. For instance, Ludwig von Mises, in summer of 1929, refused a job offer in Kreditanstalt Bank since he saw the coming of the depression and feared to be associated with it. Furthermore, Mises warned that the loose money policies by central banks would have caused the depression. Also, Friedlich von Hayek warned of the impending depression in US. Writing from the Institute of Economic Research in

Socrates Wisdom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Socrates Wisdom - Essay Example starts his main argument in the trial by saying that his wisdom is only â€Å"human wisdom† and that he is willing to admit that there is â€Å"a good chance† he has that kind of wisdom (p.3 [20e]). He compares this to the kind of wisdom that is â€Å"more than human,† by which he means that of the god of Delphi (p.3 [20e]). This is because the oracle told Chairephon that â€Å"there was no man wiser† than Socrates (p.3 [21a]). Socrates talks about his distress at hearing this, and explains that he went to ask a bunch of different people about their knowledge, â€Å"hoping to refute the oracle there if anywhere, and reply to† it with proof (p.4 [21c]). He then runs through some of the encounters he had with people he talked to. He starts with a politician who was supposedly wise but â€Å"it seemed to me that while this man was considered to be wise both by many other people and especially by himself, he was not.† (p.4 [21e]). When Socrates tries to explain this, he becomes hated. After he had gone through all the politicians with similar results, he tries the poets. The poets come off a little better, for although they are not wise enough to explain their own poetry, but that they â€Å"are possessed, like the seers and fortune-tellers, who also say many fine things but know nothing about what theyre saying.† (p.4 [22c]). On the other hand, they think themselves wise just like the politicians do. The last set of people he talks to are the artisans. He finds that although they do know many things, they have the same problem as poets, and â€Å"Because each of them performed his craft well, he considered himself to b e most wise about the greatest things† (p.5 [22d]). Socrates is quick to point out that his disproving of these other people’s wisdom does not make him think he is wise himself. He still maintains that knowing he does know nothing makes him both wise and unwise. Because he is self-aware, he knows â€Å"that he is actually worthless with respect to

Consumer behaviour in the ethnic food market Personal Statement

Consumer behaviour in the ethnic food market - Personal Statement Example This kind of liberty has somehow made the process intimidating. Writing a dissertation primarily entails the hard task of simultaneously coming up with a significant design. At the start, I have to let myself be open to every input such as lectures and class discussions, books and articles I read, might as well to journals I encountered. To refrain from losing the important facts and information, I have to put things that interest me into a journal. I've also tried doing some sort of research or survey wherein I have asked elder students and even faculties on what types of topics did they have for dissertation and have let them share their experiences as they come along the process. Their stories have somehow served as my inspiration and a challenge to do my best with such tedious and get fulfilling task. These motivations and the knowledge that my study could be of great contribution and significance in the future researches had kept me going. With my limited knowledge on major scholarly topics that are most important in my field, and having the great topics already used up; I have to do some general reading in the field to come up with a significant and original topic. ... Considering the scope manageability and the significance of the continuously rising Halal market particularly in Tesco retail setting, we have agreed that I should focus on that topic. With the help of my tutor, I manage to have a firm grasp of the facts in my case, and have been dedicated to answer vital "why" and "how" questions within the topic. Trends and outcomes in ethic food marketing, as well as their causes must be dealt with despite their apparent unavailability. Dissertation involves series of intricate process that needs full attention, hard work, and consistency. Coming up with the mere title is rather challenging. The author must come up with a clear, succinct, simple yet fully explanatory and can perfectly reflect the content of the whole document. After long reflection, several rejections and experts advice, I finally came up with the title "Consumer Behavior in the Ethnic Food Market", believing that it will best suit my topic in the clearest and simplest manner. This is then succeeded with review of literature, a considerably long part of the whole paper that supposed to provide the reader with a summary of the current knowledge related to the topic to be studied. I have learned to utilize all great facilities in the universities. After filing some initial paperwork from graduate school, I immediately began with my review of literature. Reading thru all the files I have gathered, I was somewhat disappointed to find out that some of it was actually irrelevant if not far from what I should focus on. I must have been very eager to gather an enormous information by only looking at their titles and carelessly browsing its contents, that I have failed to realize that I those would just take me out of my topic.

Lemon as Flea Preventer Essay Example for Free

Lemon as Flea Preventer Essay Pets such as dogs needs to be treated with proper nourishment and needs to be walked, exercise and to be played outside. Dogs need a natural environment. They cannot always stay in the house so they need to go outside to breathe fresh air and get socialized with other dogs. But by providing them so, they can pick up insects and other diseases. Fleas and Lice are often health problems of dogs and this may also affect the host family where the dog lives by spreading fleas around the house and might cause allergies and infection. Fleas feed on the blood of dogs, they also sometimes bite humans. They can live without food for several months, but females must have a blood meal before they can produce eggs. They can deliver about 4000 eggs on the hosts fur. Since Nueva Vizcaya is known to be the citrus capital of the Philippines. That is, there are plenty of Vitamin C rich fruits growing in these areas which can be proven and used as a subject to prevent fleas and lice for dogs given that vitamin C is known as an acid. I, the researcher have decided to formulate an investigatory project to prove if citrus is effective as flea and lice preventer with the titled: Citrus Extract as Dog Flea and Lice Preventer wherein the citrus fruit will be cut into pieces, be extracted through boiling and then sprayed directly to dog fur. Statement of the Problem: This investigatory project is made to determine whether the extract of citrus fruit will be an effective Flea and lice preventer. Specifically, it seeks to find out: * Are there significant differences on the prevention time of Fleas and Lice using citrus extract with various amounts? Statement of the Hypothesis: The following statements will be investigated Ha: There are significant differences on the prevention time of fleas and lice using citrus extract with various amounts. Ho: There are no significant differences on the prevention time of fleas and lice using citrus extract with various amounts. Scope and Delimitation: This research study entitled â€Å"Citrus Extract as Dog Flea and Lice Preventer† will be conducted on June-September 2013 at Solano High School. It will only investigate on how effective the citrus fruit extract on preventing fleas and lice by comparing the prevention time of fleas and lice with various amounts of citrus extract by decoction. It will not focus on killing fleas and lice, the chemical analysis of citrus fruits, Other parts of the citrus plant (only the fruit) and the life cycle stage of the fleas and lice (egg, pupa, and adult) Significance of the Study: This study may be beneficial to the following: * Flea and Lice Preventer Manufacturers- there might be a possibility of using cheaper yet effective raw materials that could prevent them from spreading too much. * Consumers of Flea and lice Preventer- they can now make homemade flea and lice preventer for their pet dog * Community- it will lessen flea infected dogs easily without spending money on expensive commercial flea and lice preventer and by using a nature-friendly one. * Economy- to find a way of producing cheaper and more nature-friendly flea and lice preventer. Definition of Terms: The following terms are defined according to their use in the study: * Decoction- it is a process of extracting though boiling. -refers to the process of boiling the citrus fruit. It will be used as the flea and lice preventer. * Preventer- refers to the substance which prevents fleas and lice from going in the dog’s fur. * Flea and Lice- insects that bites in the dog’s fur for blood. * Citrus- a fruit rich in citric acid. * Dog- a domesticated canine mammal commonly kept as house pets Flea and Lice Independent Variable 1. Citrus fruit extract concentration. Research Paradigm: Dependent Variable 1. Time for the extract to last its ability to prevent fleas and lice. Expected Outcome: 1. The dog given with citrus extract will not contract with Fleas and/or Lice. 2. The citrus extract flea and lice preventer can compete with other commercial flea and lice preventers. Explanation: In this study, the researchers will only make one flea and lice preventer spray which is made from boiled citrus extract. I’ll also be also using a commercial flea and lice preventer as the control variable. The effectiveness of the citrus extract will be measured by observing the time for the fleas and lice prevented from the dog in each set-up. The expected outcome is that the citrus extract flea and lice preventer can be as effective as the commercial flea and lice preventer.

Advertising Through Social Networking Websites Marketing Essay

Advertising Through Social Networking Websites Marketing Essay The purpose of this paper to study the effectiveness of advertisements through SNS amongst Post Graduate Students in Indore City. This paper studies factors which make advertisements attractive also identifies whether the advertisements are only till viewing or does it leads to purchase also. Design/methodology/approach- The survey was conducted in Post Graduate College of Indore City, MP. This research can be considered as the basis for a more extensive research, covering other geographical areas, which will produce results allowing more specific and accurate predictions regarding the effectiveness of advertising through Social Networking Websites. Implications- The findings reveal a number of issues that are important for companies eager to explore the potential of promotions through Social Networking Websites. Also the study will help the organizations understand the consumer behavior of evolving commercial cities like Indore. Humans in all cultures at all times form complex social networks; the term social network here means ongoing relations among people that matter to those engaged in the group, either for specific reasons (like blood donation camps, fashion communities) or for more general expressions of mutual solidarity (like families, friends etc). Social networks among individuals who may not be related can be validated maintained by agreement on objectives, social values, or even by choice of entertainment. Social Media presents potentially seductive opportunities for new forms of communication commerce between marketers consumers. As advertisers typically want to find some way to follow their target audiences, many new media opportunities are presented to advertisers. (Miller, Lammas). Advertisers are always in search of new ideas technologies that often promise great potential. In this century, when the media is fragmenting advertisers are skeptical about the cost effectiveness of ubiquitous media, particularly among young demographics, the facts present a strong platform as to why Social Media can become a life saver. Social Networking a place where people can use networks of online friends group memberships to keep in touch with current friends, reconnect with old friends or create real-life friendships through similar interests or groups share their social experiences. Social network advertising is a term that is used to describe a form of Online Advertising that focuses on social networking sites. Some responses showed light to this direction with a different perspective. Indeed social medias influence promises some sort of marketing communications revolution: for instance, global brand Pepsi will not be advertising during the Super Bowl, instead opting for a digital social media campaign they say will help their customers better understand what pepsi stands for(WARC, 2010b). Consumers searching online for information about a product, or brands, not only gain access to corporate marketing materials, they now also have access to product reviews, opinions commentary from other consumers (Smith, 2010). It was observed that a majority of consumers surveyed relied on various types of social media websites as much as company websites for product brand information that nearly half of those made a purchase decision based on what they gathered. However, although social media applications are controlled by users, trend data is not yet conclusive with respect to who is generating, and accessing information (Thackerey et. al. 2008, p. 341). The interaction of the consumers with SNS has also become a very crucial aspect. One stream of research suggests the existence of a loyalty ladder in social networking communities that splits users into categories such as: lurkers (those who are reticent to contribute to sites); tourists (those post comments but demonstrate no commitment to a network); minglers (those who post with no regularity of frequency); evangilists/insiders (those who are enthusiastic, expert regular their contributions)(Harridge-March Quinton 2009, p. 176). Other researchers split users into slightly different categories, for example: social clickers (users who communicate with friends create content on message boards review sites); online insiders (avid online shoppers who vocalize product preferences); and content kings (young men addicted to online entertainment) (Riegner 2007, pp.439-440). These bifurcations show the complexity lack of uniform measurements for marketers targeting social media users . 1.1 Social Networking Sites (SNSs) Social Networking Sites can be defined as web based services that allow individuals to construct a public profile within a bounded system, articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, view traverse their list of connections those made by others within the systems. Some networking can also help members find a job or establish business contacts. SNS include Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Orkut so on. Most SNS also offer additional features. In addition to blogs forums, members can express themselves by designing their profile page to reflect their personality. The most poplar extra features include music video sections. While SNSs are often designed to be widely accessible, many attract homogeneous populations initially, so it is very common to find groups using sites to segregate themselves by nationality, age, education or other factors that typically segment society. 1.2 Advertising on Social Networking Sites Social Networking advertising can be used to describe a form of online advertising that focuses on social networking sites. The advantage this advertising has is the benefit of the users demographic information target their advertisements appropriately. It continues to add variety on a continuous basis. Organizations can also utilize this feature to make it up to the target audience in diverse ways. SNS are changing the way advertisers reach consumers, that these changes are transforming online advertising all together (Gangadharbatla). Few instances can be taken into consideration like in Facebook, when users log on, they get News feed, where they can easily access all the ads videos they like. The study has taken into account the fact that knowledge of the network is limited. The success of social networks marks a dynamic shift in how are using net. 1.3 Things to be kept in mind From various researches it has been experienced that marketers have now become risk adverse is reluctant towards consumer- generated media due to their inability to control message. In one instance, pharmaceutical manufacturer Johnson Johnson released an online marketing campaign via an online video about pain relief for women who carry their babies in a sling. Within hours, Twitter exploded with negative commentary about the videos perceived deprecation of motherhood. To air it further, the online discussions would also be communicated off-line sometimes reach tradition media. Thus, over a single weekend, the volume sentiment of the consumer-generated media brought down a well planned advertising campaign (Baker 2009, p.2). Another obstacle for marketers is that viewers will consider information if it is both useful believable, but will react badly to sales-push messages that are violating social networkings intrinsic qualities of socialization trust (Angel Sexsmith 2009, p.4). Making social networking sites entirely commercial is risky, as users might turn away from the site if they feel their interests are being subjugated to those of advertisers; a warning issued by analysts to News Corp when it acquired MySpace, shifting it to a mass market advertising platform giving brands the opportunities to both advertise interact with the web users (Carter 2008, p.16). Creating fake blog entries is another example of how the misuse of social media can irritate consumers harm brands. The now infamous Walmarting across America fake blog (or flog as it became known), came under severe criticism online after the ethical breach was exposed (Burns 2008, p.16). Also poor execution of the ads or poor display sometimes irritates the users which lead to poor results and negative remarks. One of the major criteria can be the size of online communities as well. It becomes a major factor which limits in generating a massive Word of Mouth. For online groups to be effective, there needs to be a finite size to each community (Phillips 2008, p.82). For social media campaigns to be effective, the new commercial imperative dictates marketers needs to belong to a large number of groups or communities, rather than merely rely on broadcasts to an online group with a large number of members.This becomes the evidence for the fat that both the cultural emotional relationships are paramount (Phillips 2008, p.84), reflecting the surge to simultaneously monitor than to only be the users. 1.4 Need for using Social Media To generate a sense of group mind-set shared interests, online brand communities should include a wide range of interests that have a direct, but nonintrusive, connection with the brand (Brown, Broderick Lee 2007, p.15). Conceptual models have been developed to guide the process of cocreation with online consumers. One example is the DART model which comprises: dialogue (fostering something tangible to the online consumer), Access (providing a companys customers access to each other), risk return relationship (offering something tangible to the online consumer) transparency (creating an environment to share valuable information) (Ramaswamy, 2008, p.3). Real dialogue with consumers led to Unilevers ground breaking online viral campaign Dove Campaign for Real Beauty. Unilever was able to send the most relevant messages to consumers based on precisely what they were seeking /or conversing about. Another area of opportunity for social marketing is brand building connecting enthusiastic online brand advocates with the companys product development cycle (Ferguson 2008, p.181). 1.5 Effectiveness of Social Marketing Many marketers feel the need to tick the social media box demonstrate how cutting edge they are, while the primary drivers of their campaign remain embedded in traditional media. There is a need to effect a paradigm shift from a traditional more is better approach. While many social marketers fixate on volume metrics (website traffic, hit rates, click-through, time spent on-line, postings etc), successful social marketing often depends more on qualitative metrics for desirable signs of tone, quality customer benefit of the interaction (Angel, Sexsmith Sexsmith 2009, p.6). These may include: unique visitors, interaction rates, relevant actions taken, conversation size, conversation density, author credibility, content freshness relevance, audience profiles, unique user reach so on (Fisher 2009, p.191). Such metrics not only measure whether people are engaged, but how they are engaging. However, such metrics often need to be customized for individual campaigns need to be considered in the pre launch phase, ideally incorporated in message testing. OBJECTIVE The study aims to fulfill the following objectives: To know whether social network advertising is effective in sales or not To know the most preferred Social Network advertising approach To know the level of exposure a customer gets when he is being approaches on SNS To study the effectiveness of advertising through Social Networking Websites in Post Graduate Students with special reference to Indore City DATA ANALYSIS: Following factors were considered for preparing questionnaire: Contact {Number of times, durations} Intention Customizability Experience FINDINGS 40 percent of the social networking comes from high school secondary school students 40 percent tarrif generators are the graduate post graduate students. The highest number of active users is from 19-25 age groups but LinkedIn Twitter has a different age group of active users i.e. 25-40 age groups. Facebook delivery service is to about 75 percent of the users. 60 percent of the post graduate students who are looking for jobs have their profiles in LinkedIn. Only 30 percent of the population said that they purchase any product after searching or viewing it on website. 15 percent of the population accepted that they look the pop ups or click on the ads whereas 75 percent said they ignore the ads. Out of five SNS given in choice viz Facebook, Orkut, LinkedIn, G- plus Twitter; 60 percent said Facebook is the most used site by them. 20 percent said they used LinkedIn the most. 30 percent of the population said that they dont have any qualms regarding the quality of the product they see online. 46 percent confirmed that they would like to filter the ads from their profile page whereas 38 percent said they dont have any troubles by the placement of ads on their profile page. 78 percent confirmed that they are attached to Twitter because of the glamour quotient; 14 percent said they like twitter as a networking site; rest logged on for otherwise reasons. 82 percent of the respondents agreed that advertising through websites is a better medium whereas 18 percent said it has no effect on target audience. CONCLUSION SUGGESTIONS Any organization will not be able to make profits if its product introduction doesnt attracts the audience or if it does not reach to them. As the time has increased its momentum the consumers now-a-days do not consider anything worth watching if it is not of value tom them as far as traditional ads are considered. So to reach these kinds of targets Websites can become a very effective tool. If following points kept in mind, the advertisers can succeed in gaining interest of the audiences: Trust must be established subsequently reinforced in order to overcome any reluctance on the part of the would-be consumer. This means moving beyond old school approaches to website advertising to embrace the principles of relationship marketing- building virtual environments in which customers can connect with each other to share insights relevant information. Social media marketers can influence a brand community potentially influence consumer behavior.

Marketing Orientation With In The Renault Company Marketing Essay

Marketing Orientation With In The Renault Company Marketing Essay Harris (2002, p. 247) Defines Marketing Orientation as The extent to which an organisation is perceived to act in a coordinated, customer and competitor-oriented fashion. Narver and Slaters (1990) also confirm there are three dimensions of Marketing Orientation, customer orientation, competitor orientation, and interfunctional coordination. This marketing concept involves three essential steps in being customer-focused. First, the wants and needs of the customers are researched and identified. Then, the research outputs are studied by the marketers and new products are created based on the consumer needs. Finally, customer satisfaction is aimed after public awareness and introduction of the product is made. A marketing-orientated business is characterised by various attributes. The company makes good and extensive use of marketing research, develops new and broad products, highlights product value and benefits, uses product innovation methods, and designs supplementary services or customer benefits such as delivery, installation, warranty, and credit availability. All these are geared toward customer advantage. Marketing orientation has three common alternatives which can be adopted by a company and these are sales orientation, product orientation, and production orientation. Looking at Renaults orientation, the conclusion that we have made is that Renault is a market orientated organisation. The reason for this conclusion is Renault is very focused on the needs and wants for the consumer. They have different types of cars focusing on different markets for their customer base. For example, Clio which is marketed at young adults who may have a low budget for purchasing the car. On the other side of the spectrum where the Laguna or Megane could be classed as a high specification family car. Also Renault has many of these cars in a range of sports models. Due to the nature of the business which Renault is involved in they have had to diverse the range of car models which they sell due to its competitors. For example Ford and Vauxhall. Another good example is Renault are in the process of developing hybrid cars and electric cars within its car range. According to Renault (2011) the first electric car will be sold in Israel in 2011 and then in other countries. The reason for this has come from customer demand, consumers are more aware of rises in fuel prices and carbon emissions. This would be a classic example how Renault is a market orientated company. In terms of RD Renault listen to their consumers as different customers have different types of criteria when purchasing a car. Mack (1996) states That to reinforce customer loyalty they involve existing customer in the design of its cars. According to Renault (2011) Renault- Nissan Alliance spend 4 billion Euros on the investment on electric parts. Many Eastern European countries would have a different specification of a car compared to someone in the UK. For example countries such as Bulgaria and Romania need cars that cater for larger families. Also some countries may not require a car which has a soft top due to climate conditions being different in comparison to a country where the weather is hot. Countries where the weather is constantly warm may require cars to have air conditioning. The Renault car called Dacia Logan has created in 2004, this particular type of car was designed for people in developing countries of the world. The car was first sold in Romania at a very cheap price of 5000 Euros and then moved into South America and India after proving a success when the car was first launched. Demographics would play a major role in the RD aspect of the business so Renault would know where and how to market their final end product. Boddy (2008) defines PEST analysis as A technique for indentifying and listing the political, economic, social, technological, environment and legal factors. Political Factors: The political factors in any country are largely responsible to alter a business environment as company may decide to change its business strategy based on the political scenario of the region it is based in. The government of any country regulates power supply, telecom and postal services and finance. The following are the political factors that affect Renault within the UK. Current taxation policy: According to the Trade and Investment minister Digby Jones the UK is becoming least attractive to work and invest due to the taxation policy, which was under pressure from opposition to tax rich foreign investors doing business in the UK. Thus the labour party proposed a cut on taxing investors who are non-UK domiciled. Also a worth mention is VAT which means value added tax. It is charged on most goods and services that are VAT registered. The recent recession has affected a lot of businesses most importantly the car manufacturing in the UK, it can be seen as going through a bad phase for the automobile industry. Thus UK motor agency served a budget to the current Government in the UK and urged it to create a right mix of policies to sustain growth in the segment. Renault decided to follow the following measures to counter any future threats in regards to financial aspect of the same by the following measures: Continue to put pressure on banks to give more loans Support automotive council Freeze fuel duty Following the Kyoto protocol, more political pressure has been imposed to the polluting industries. Regarding the car market, Governments across the world have established some environmental penalties and bonuses to manufacturers and consumers. For customers, they need to pay a tax to the government according to the level of CO2 emissions. This can have a massive influence for buyers, especially with sports car and ones with large engines which are regarded as the most polluting. Economic factors: Osbourn (2011) mentions Chancellor of Exchequer made a budget statement which is meant to reform the nations economy and this time the budget is neutral and also becomes the best place in Europe to invest, which is a good sign for car manufacturers as certain taxes applicable have been cut and import duty has been significantly reduced, which is a sign of relief for car manufacturers. Godlevskaja et al (2011) states: Many OEMs are expanding their model lines to entice new customers and increase overall customer base range. Often at their competitors expense. At the same time growth increase is limited within the auto mobility industry as a whole. in the EU new car demand fell 7.8 per cent to 14.7 million units in 2008 that reflects consumer concerns about the economy the buying power from consumers this could have been down toward the recession, despite this Renault would continuously market themselves to its potential consumers. Having customer awareness makes people want to purchase their vehicles with newer models being introduced. Sociological Factors: These factors constitute various social factors such as cultural aspects, demographics, lifestyles and attitudes. For e.g. Whatever works in one country may not be successful in other, Renault may sell racing cars in France but for a market like India it needs to launch small cars as in this country small cars are much in demand due to the infrastructure of the company and population size. Demographics: Renault is the third largest car manufacturer in the world with its presence across Europe, Asia and even Africa thus it needs to proactive rather than reactive in development in these countries. Its policy of developing strategic alliances with local manufacturers helps it to get an edge in the global scenario as locals know their home market better, they use a tried and tested marketing strategy of targeting the right market segment to see if it works sells. Such alliances apart from fostering industrial harmony also helps in sharing of technological aspects of each firm, and helps develop new products such as the concept of electrical cars to save fuel and protect the environment. Though Renault is a French company it has alliances across the Globe that helps it foster multicultural aspects. In which the sentiments of local population are not hurt as they continue using the same product such as in case of Romania and Korea. Where in Renault acquired Dacia and Samsung motors respectively. Such alliances also help it to launch existing vehicles from one region to the other, also known as market development from Ansoffs matrix. Alà ¡ez-Aller et al (2010) states knowing your customers needs and wants are vital to success to entry strategy within new regions. In depth analysis of macro and micro environment is key when consumers are looking to purchase vehicles. Technological Factors: Any company from any sector catering to any segment needs to change at some point, in order to grow and survive the growing competition from consumers and competitors. Godlevskaja et al (2011) states: Firms must constantly adjust their service portfolios because it is important for companies to have a dynamic service portfolio that is adapted to various customer needs. Consequently companies that fail to do so lose in the long term as the outside world is very competitive and brutal to securing a position in the market. Companies worldwide spend millions of money just to make sure that they do not lag behind if they lack the technical expertises. Renault (2011) quotes directly from its website: Renault is committed to the development and implementation of new technologies into every aspect of our vehicles. Renaults engineers cover every angle roadholding, safety, comfort, soundproofing, etc. in their relentless quest to make motoring a pleasurable experience. Porters five forces analysis and criticism In order to settle a strategy, a company must analyse its industry. However the analysis of its competitor is not enough to understand all the aspects of the business. The types of businesses are various and numerous. But in almost all the industries, Michael E. Porter has identified a common structure composed by five global forces. These are to take into consideration in order to implement a successful strategy. 1. The Analysis For our topic we will consider these five forces within the car industry adapted to the Renault Company. Rivalry among existing competitors Strong competition Very strong competitive rivalry in the cars sector, especially with the brands focusing on a particular market segment. E.g. Audi are becoming leaders on high standard quality cars, while TATA is undertaking the low cost cars segment The Asian manufacturers have a very strong growth thanks to their low cost cars and their quality car is very reliable. E.g. KIA and their 7 years warranty. The structure of the automotive industry is becoming more and more powerful because of all the merges and the joint ventures, so the competition is strong and aggressive. The threat of new entrants Low threat Few new brands entering on the market for these important reasons: The investment that has to be made is extremely important. Especially in the manufacture part of the activity, where the investment must be important if the brand wants to get a competitive advantage The experiment and the know-how are essential elements to have its place on its market, in particular on management of the costs and the competitiveness. The competitors already present are already well known brands. All these companies trend to be restructured into fewer big groups. These implicate that they are more powerful and do not let possibilities for any small new company to enter in the market The threat of substitute Mild/ Relative Threat Even if there are the other ways of transportation, the car remains indispensable nowadays. It is true that sometimes changing the transportation way can have some advantages as the cost (with the low cost airline carrier), the ethic of environment (with ecological way of transports such as trains or the buses) or time in important factor within lsrger cities (with the underground), none of the transport way offer a good mix of utility, convenience, independence, and value afforded by automobiles. Nowadays, the automotive companies have a wide range of product, which can satisfy every demand, in adapting their cars in satisfying every new need, that increases the loyalty of the consumers to use cars. Bargaining power of the suppliers: Dependence Suppliers/Customer The purpose is being to establish a profitable, reliable relation for both parts. But the parts suppliers are sometimes small manufactures so Renault has more pressure to put on its supplier in terms of price However the image of Renault, as a reliable car company also depends on the quality of the car parts Suppliers are also important to Renault in terms of costs, according to Renault (2011): Suppliers account for 80% of total vehicle production costs. It is therefore essential for Renault to gain their commitment and to make them part of its approach to sustainable development Bargaining power of the buyers Strong power of negotiation The consumers are the target of communication campaigns and marketing actions because it is more and more tempted to try other brands The final product are standardised, customers can put the pressure on the different vendors insisting on the fact that an equivalent car can be find from another company for approximately the same price The negotiation can be in the price, but also on obtaining more options or services with same price. This affects the costs to organisations 2. Criticism of the Porters analysis The three new forces The Porter analysis remains one of the most influential marketing and strategy tool. However this analysis has been written by Porter during the 1980s, and the economic world has considerably changed during the last decades. Especially due to the Internet and all the e-business that make evolved most of the industries. Larry Downes, co-author of Unleashing the Killer App: Digital Strategies for Market Dominance relates in the article Beyond Porter that the Porters five forces analysis is no longer a complete tool to opt for a viable strategy. He describes new strategic frameworks composed by three new factors (forces), which permit to analysis the business area more relevantly: The digitalisation Due to increase power of information technology, new business models will be born from the market. This allowed the global awareness of the consumers on the global market. The competitors will now not only be part of the same industry. Now the tour operator Thomas Cook can be a competitor of Renault. These two companies will push their clients to use their money to buy their product when there are the same prices According to Recklies (2008) The old economy used IT as a tool for implementing change. Today technology had become the most important driver for change. Therefore mindsets have changed for organisations and how they operate; the final end product will require an element of technological advances for it to successful in modern society due to social factors. The Globalisation The globalisation of the market is nowadays something that a company cannot afford to ignore. The effects of the globalisation on businesses are betterment in the areas of distribution logistics and communication. The Global companies have to adapt their strategies in function of the global network. These strategies remain more complex than what Porter describe. Its not a question of price or quality for the customers, but trying to reach a type of loyal relationship with a network of partners and consumers. The deregulation One of the big changes in the business from the Porters model is the taking into consideration of the intervention of the governments in the business and in the industries. Because of the action of the states (new laws, new quality requirements, new importation/exportation quotas) the industries and the organisations have to adapt their strategies, finding new alternatives to their business models. These factors became important but they rarely appear into the Porter analysis. So an important Company like Renault cannot focus on this tool to create a solid and successful strategy. The purpose of the five forces model is to define the attractiveness of an industry in relation with theses 5 forces. But according to Dagmar Recklies: In economics, the constellation of factors determines issues like profit maximisation or supernormal profits.   So we can conclude that the Porters five forces analysis is a strategy tool that can be used only knowing its limitations and among others tools to be the base of a correct strategy. Place Jobber (2006) defines price as The agreed value placed on the exchange by a buyer and seller. Price is one of the fixed key factors in the marketing mix and should be blended together with all element of the marketing mix, to create customer value. It can be argued then that price interlinks with the other elements of the marketing mix and must be met by supply and demand to achieve its best. Price in the marketing mix is very important to a business as it can determine if a company is successful or not when selling the product, it can be perceived that price can reflect quality when selling to consumers. The price can affect the following areas so its pivotal to have the right pricing strategy to market the right product. Price can include the cost of production to an organisation and the strategy they use to market the product at a competitive price so consumers decide to use you, rather than your competitors. The price of a product can be sold at a cut-price to boost volume of sales. This can be a strategy used by organisations to gain market share which can have its positives and negatives. Walker (2006) states Having low prices may be perceived by consumers as being low quality. Organisation may market themselves so they may be seen as obtain profits on a short term basis. This is where promotion can be interlinked to a pricing strategy. Organisations spend vast amounts on RD before setting prices on products. It can be argued that firms must price the product in a way which reflects the appropriate position of the product within the market. The balance for organisations is to maximise profits, but to have a consistent amount of sales. Marketers use this strategy as they maybe price orientated within the marketing mix. This is where product development would occur and knowing your target market well. Renault uses price within the marketing mix very well. Throughout its range of cars they have luxury cars including the Laguna all the way down to the Clio which is targeted on price with low maintenance costs. In terms of price to the Renault Clio it can be seen as being priced similar to its major competitors. Considering the Vauxhall Corsa, Ford Fiesta and also Peugeot 206. The pricing strategy of the Renault Clio new ranges from around  £9,000 to  £19,000 plus. There are many factors that can influence the prices of just one particular type of car. For example engine size, motor sport version etc The Clio range has the sport 2000, Dymanique, Gordini and also Bizu. This shows that the product has been diversified to achieve maximum price when selling the product to consumers. Clio Series Price Sport 2000  £16,000 Dymanique  £11,000 Gordini  £19,000 Bizu  £9,000 Walker (1996) shows that all other competitors i.e. Corsa and Fiesta are based around the same pricing strategy. This is because the car industry is large and production costs are not so important and creating the largest profit is not as necessary as it would be for a smaller organisation. The reason for Clio having the same pricing strategy as its competitors is because it is the only model in Renault range to predominately focus on lower cost with low quality from launch. Therefore it needs to be competitive with its rivals. The Clio model has done this very well as new models for the Clio are designed every few years. The Clio has been on the market for over 15 years proving its successfulness to its consumers who are aware of other markets available to them. The following is a perceptual map of small commercial cars sold and its comparison with the Renault Clio. It can be seen that the Clio and Corsa can be placed in the same category as each other, as both focus on price mainly. Other small cars including Audi and BMW focus on both high quality and price as the reputation they have is that its a long term investment. The Skoda Fabia is a low priced car because of the reputation it held from its unreliable past, but its reputation has slow been built back up. High Quality *BMW 1 Series Audi A4* *Skoda FabiaLow Price High Price Vauxhall* Corsa *Renault Clio Low Quality Relationships can be built up between the consumer and the seller. Mack (1996) states that Renault try and use this strategy as much as possible when selling cars. But why do this? They do this to make the consumer feel they are receiving a personalised service. Some dealerships offer free gift as an indirect way of making customers by their product too its competitors. Walker (1998) also says This has been a vital part of our strategy in helping to persuade customers that we can meet their needs especially targeting smaller cars. However it can be argued this strategy possibly may not work in modern society. As many people are aware the automotive industry is very competitive, it is becoming quickly cost orientated in particularly markets, indirect costs such as fuel, insurance and tax. Trade-off analysis could be applied to the Renault Clio. Jobber (2006) says Features such as speed, petrol consumption, brand and price are placed in front of consumers and asked which combinations they prefer. While the Clio Mk 3 was being designed it would have consulted potential buyers, they would have used rd for this because the car was designed to be low cost and wanted as many luxury as possible while concentrating on its core competence its price. However this analysis can have its limitations. When rd is taking place respondents may ask for a lot of things but all these additions may not be feasible. When asked to purchase the car consumers may not be willing to exchange money. Product Jobber (2006) defines product as A good service offered or performed by and organisation or individual, which is capable of satisfying customer needs. To have an effective product that consumers desire, it needs to be prices fairly and requires a Unique Selling Proposition. (USP) Walker et al (1998) states there are four elements which creates a well balanced and successful marketing mix. These included: Matching customer needs Need for balance Creates a competitive advantage Matches corporate resources The product Renault Clio has historically been targeted at the younger aged population who maybe on a budget. The product is a smaller model compared to other ranges in Renault yet also delivering the majority of luxury that other models offer. Including air-conditioning, climate control, Bluetooth and satellite navigation, this makes Clio very positive when it advertises the model to its consumers. The Clio then however meets the criteria set to have an effective marketing mix. Jobber (2006) states that Product development is important. As technology and tastes change, products become out of date and inferior to those of the competition, so companies must replace them with features that customers value. The fundamental feature of the new Clio model is the tom-tom feature. Renault and tom-tom have had to come to an agreement to include the satellite navigation to integrate this within the models. This has given Clio a competitive advantage over external competitors. Having a competitive advantage enables them to charge a premium price. However in few cases charging a premium price for products can have its down fall. Many consumers may not be willing to pay extra for products that may not be essential, consequently consumers will move to Clios competitors such as the 206 and Corsa. The balance is conducted by market research to see what consumers want, referring back to trade off analysis. According to Renault (2011) Clio is its most successful range of car across Europe. This is because the product caters for a broad range of markets. The reason for can be considered when looking at the anatomy of the Clio. The core product (I) would be the car itself and the way it is strategically priced, as being a low value priced car compared to its other cars within its range. The second layer would be products that add value to the overall product. Making it match customer needs and creating a competitive advantage. This could be as mentioned above, tom-tom, Bluetooth, keyless entry system, parking assist sensors and warranties. The outer layer includes extras which maybe indirectly related to the car including after sale support and credit sale. Many augmenting features are closely related to establishing a successful relationship between buyer and seller. A product life cycle (PLC) can determine where the product lies within its life. Many organisation use different strategies to pro-long the life of its product. When a product reaches maximum maturity and seess signs its declining it then considers using Product/Market Ansoff matrix. This involves 4 different strategies that can be used: Product development Diversification Market penetration Market development The reason for this is to maximise profits for Clio. Renault Clio mainly uses product development to change its model throughout years so customers have the opinion of upgrading and keeping up with trends rather than going to competitors. When the Clio was first launched it obviously begins in the introduction phase of the PLC and is strategically priced high. Jobber (2006) states that the Strategic marketing objective is to build sales by expanding the market for the product. The growth stage is next to follow, there is increase of sales and profit growth. The reason for this is due to increase in promotion by creating awareness. Renault Clio use TV advertising predominately to penetrate the market. They also have their own Renault TV channel. The maturity stage is where the product sales are at its peak whilst time is increasing. This is where the organisation may offer discounts or extra such as warranties. This is also the stage where product improvements occur at the peak of the maturity stage. The reasons for this include: Maintain competitive advantage Future growth First move advantage The decline stage is the final process of the PLC, the reason for this according to Walker (1998) is due to technological superior substitutes and also consumers change in preferences due to competition. The Renault Clio was an innovation that Renault developed due to competition from its competitors. According to Bloomberg Businessweek (2006) Renault was at number 49. Its competitors did not even reach the top 100 of innovated companies. Other automotive companies included within the list lower than number 49, Nissan and Volvo. This information could now be argued because companies such as Ford, Volkswagen and Toyota are much more innovated in 2010 as they have developed cars whilst considering external factors such as the environmental factors. (Development of the Hybrid car) Distribution Mix Marketing The distribution policy includes all decisions and actions that can be related to the delivery of our product to the customer. There are two different ways of distribution existing for Renaults company. Business to Business (B to B) = Company Retailer Consumer Business to Consumer (B to C) = Company Consumer Engineering Renault is one of the biggest car industries worldwide. It is present through the world in around 201 countries, including Europe, North, Central and South America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. An international engineering; closer to the markets. The Techno Center (France) Engineering: The Renault Group is deployed globally. It revolves around two components: Engineering Central, the heart of the system and regional engineering spread over Renaults strategic markets. Engineering centers: The Techno Center (France), the heart of the engineering world Renault Technologies Americas Renault Technologies Romania Renault Technologies Spain Renault Samsun Technical Center This organisation is based on a standardised process of engineering at Renault World of unified technical standards, defining key functions and technical harmonisation of policies. A well-developed network of design centers Renault Design America Latina in Sao Paulo The group relies on a parallel network of five satellites design centers. Observatories real trends these emerging centers of vehicles for new markets. They are involved from the launch of a new project through to the production of the final concept car. The design centers are: Renault Design Paris Renault Design Central Europe Renault Design America Latina Renault Samsung Design Renault Design India Two objectives are Warranty the best customer satisfaction all around the world Produce close to the markets Renaults industry realises two type of sell: Either to the customers or to companies. But, all confounded, Renault has realised for the Year 2010 reporting record sales volumes with 2.6 million vehicles sold. Thanks to its positioning, essentially outside Europe, in the emerging countries, Renault has bounded its sales. Heres a graph which represents the market where Renault is present in 2010: From: Renault Website It is important to understand that the Clio is one of the best vehicles brand for Renault. In about 20 years, it has won more than 10 million customers around the world (100 countries). This success is thanks to a styling, comfort, safety, versatility and different equipment package worthy of cars from the next segment up. Renault February 2011 sales in Europe region In February 2011, by Renault (2011) Website, its sales represent in Europe 28,350 cars sold, this means 29.74% are Clios models. Renault February 2011 sales in Worldwide region In February by Renault (2011) Website, its sales represent in Worldwide 40,969 cars sold, showing 27.15% are Clio models. In the following table are the most popular diverse ways to market the Clio model Place Advantages Drawbacks Car Dealerships This is the most pr

Iacocca :: Essays Papers

Iacocca The book Iacocca is an autobiography of Mr. Lee Iacocca. The first couple of sections of his book were about family. Starting with his mother and father, coming over from Italy and his childhood. His father always taught him something that when he was going to do something that he had to be the best. Which is to be believed, where he got his strength in competition later in his business career. Then after his parents came his wife and children, whom he loved. The next few sections were about his job and how it was changed through out the years. Even when his job was still with the same company his position is that company changed many times in his career before he even traded companies. Mr. Iacocca had a very loving and understanding family as told in this book. His parents were always a major part in his life even after he got married and they were a large part of his life up until their deaths. His father was always interested in cars and so in a way Mr. Iacocca grew up around cars and the knowledge of them. His father taught him many valuable lessons about how to deal with himself and others which also may have helped him in his future career in the business world. When he married, his parents were proud but in a small way they were pushed to the side to make room for his new wife, Mary. After Mary and He were married they had some children. These children became his pride and joy. When this family grew, they all grew together in turn and they also grew closer together. This family was extremely close. Even though the family was close, his job did seem to have a slight impact on them. When Mr. Iacocca first started working for Ford, he was a low ranking engineer, fresh out of college like many of his co-workers. He tried the engineering job for a few months until he decided that he didn’t want to work in that department but he wanted to work in the sales department. After this major change in his life, he took control and went to his boss and said â€Å"there is no point in me finishing the training course and that my masters degree from Princeton was equivalent to the second nine-months of training.

Education Philosophy Statement :: Teaching Education Essays

Education Philosophy Statement As a sophomore, I was required to compile a genre of educational philosophies and create my own philosophy in the process. Today, as a senior I am required to â€Å"revise† that statement into one that is sophisticated and intelligent based on new information that I have received in the last two years. One instructor said to me, â€Å"Your view on educational elements may have changed,† and another said, â€Å"Randy, your philosophy on the way you view yourself as a teacher and the view of your classroom may have evolved into a more manageable, realistic perspective,† and they were both right. In the first draft of my philosophy, it states that I see myself as a teacher with an â€Å"eclectic† view on teaching children. Although I still believe in my â€Å"eclectic† ways because it gives the students and me a variety of ways to learn, it has â€Å"evolved† into a more specific, eclectic philosophy. For example, I stated that in my classroom the children would be involved with as much of the classroom decisions as possible. In contrast, I now believe that the instructor is the primary decision-maker allowing the students to give their input on certain situations and keeping their concerns in mind when making the final decision. Why do I feel that way now? I have observed two different schools and two different grade levels – an 8th grade classroom and a 12th grade classroom. What works in at one level does not work at the other, meaning, observing a teacher who incorporated the student government, so to speak, in her classr oom did not always succeed in getting anywhere in the end. I have learned that the students are not as diplomatic as I once believed, followed by the fact that the students do not always know what they want or what is the best for them as a class. While I am on the subject of observing classrooms, another area of my philosophy that I now view with a sophisticated, intelligent insight is extra-curricular activities.

Business Marketing

Chapter 7 LO1. There are four major trends that have influenced world trade and global marketing . first one is decline of economic protectionism , is the practice of shielding one or more industries within a country’s economy from foreign competition through the use of tariffs or quotas . Second is rise of economic integration , just like creation of the European Union and the North American Free Trade Agreement . Third , there exists global competition among global companies for global consumers , resulting in firms adopting global marketing strategies and promoting global brands .And finally , is the emergence of a networked global marketspace has emerged using internet technology as a tool for exchanging goods , services , and information on a global scale. LO2. Global marketing efforts was shape by three major environmental . first , cultural diversity , including a society’s values , customs and cultural symbols and language . Second , Economic considerations whic h include economic infrastructure , consumer income and purchasing power , currency exchange rates is also shape global marketing efforts . The last one is political-regulatory climate .Its for marketing in a country or region of the world means not only identifying the current climate but determining how long a favorable or unfavorable climate will last . LO3. Exporting , licensing , joint venture , and direct investment are four alternative approaches for entering global markets . Exporting involves producing goods in one country and selling them in another country . A company offers the right to a trademark , patent , trade secret , or other similarly valued item of intellectual property in return for a royalty or fee , that is licensing .When a foreign company and a local firm invest together to create a local business it is called a joint venture . They share ownership , control , and the profits of the new company . Finally , The direct investment is which entails a domestic f irm actually investing in and owning a foreign subsidiary or division , that is the biggest commitment a company can make when entering the global market . LO4. Successful global marketers standardize global marketing programs whenever possible and customize them wherever necessary .Companies distinguish between standardization and customization when crafting worldwide marketing programs . Standardization means that all elements of the marketing program are the same across counties and cultures , like Coca-Cola ,Levi’s jeans or Sony consumer electronics. Customization means that one or more elements of the marketing program are adapted to meet the needs or preferences of consumers is a particular country or culture .Like McDonald’s does not sell beef hamburgers in its restaurants in India because the cow is considered sacred by almost 85 percent of the population . Global marketers apply a simple rule when crafting worldwide marketing programs : standardize marketing p rograms whenever possible and customize them wherever necessary . Chapter 8 LO1. Marketing research is the process of defining a marketing problem and opportunity , systematically collecting and analyzing information, and recommending actions .Marketing research reduces risk by providing the vital information to help marketing managers understand those wants and needs and translate them into marketing actions. LO2. Those are five-step decisions-making process to collect information that will help improve marketing decisions when engage marketing researchers. Define the problem is the first step should do . Every marketing problem faces its own research challenges , should setting the research objective and identifying possible marketing actions .Develop the research plan is the second step in the marketing research process requires , which the researcher specify the constaints on the marketing research activity , identify the data needed for marketing decisions , and determine how t o collect the data . Collect relevant information is the next step , which includes considering pertinent secondary data and primary data as well as using information technology and data mining to trigger marketing actions . Step 4 is develop findings from the marketing research data collected .This involved analyze the data and present the findings of the research . The last step is take marketing actions , which involves implement the action recommendations , evaluate the results . LO3. Secondary data have already been recorded before the start of the project and consist of two parts : internal secondary data , which originate from within the organization , such as sales reports and customer comments , and external secondary data , which are created y other organizations , such as the U. S.Census Bureau , or business and trade publications , Primary data are collected specifically for the project and are obtained by either observing or questioning people . LO4. Marketing researche rs observe people in various ways , such as electronically using Nielsen people meters to measure TV viewing behavior or personally using mystery shoppers or ethnographic techniques . A recent electronic innovation is neuromarketing –useing high-tech brain scanning to record the responses of a consumer’s brain to marketing stimuli like packages or TV ads .Questionnaires involve asking people questions in person using interviews or focus groups or via a questionnaire using a telephone, fax , print, e-mail , or internet survey . Panels involve a sample of consumers or stores that are repeatedly measured through time to see if their behaviors change . Experiments , such as test markets , involve measuring the effect of marketing variables such as price or advertising on sales . Collecting data from social networks like Facebook or Twitter is increasingly important because users can share their opinions about products and services with countless â€Å"friends† aroun d the globe.LO5. Today’s marketing managers are often overloaded with data–from internal sales and customer data to external on TV viewing habits or grocery purchases from the scanner data at checkout counters Information technology enables this massive amount of marketing data to be stored , accessed , and processed . The resulting databases can be queried using data mining to find statistical relationships useful for marketing decisions and actions . LO6. One approach uses subjective judgments of the decision maker , such as direct or lost-horse forecasts . A direct forecast involves estimating the alue to be forecast without any intervening steps . A lost-horse forecast starts with the last known value of the item being forecast , and then lists the factors that could affect the forecast , assesses whether thy have a positive or negative impact , and makes the final forecast . Surveys of knowledgeable groups , a second method , involves obtaining information such as the intentions of potential buyers or estimates of the salesforce . Statistical methods involving extending a pattern observed in past data into the future are a third approach . The best-known statistical method is linear trend extrapolation .

Ethical Issues in Work Groups Essay

Therapeutic pressure, unlike extravagant pressure, enables members of a host to help distributively other discover their individual answers without pressurizing them to ap grow the answers deemed appropriate by the group. Group intellection enhances unanimity, mental efficiency and moral popular opinion that are appropriate which each psyche (William, 1995). In the first five academic terms, the drawing card acted ethically since he provided ample season to explore the views, fears, expectations and interpersonal relationships of the members.He likewise told them about the risks of potential changes that may pass by after the session and assessed their preparedness. However, the leader failed the ethical test in the sixth session by asking Kevin to develop amative feelings towards Lydia yet she was not his partner (Jameson, 2001). Kevin had already confessed that it was against his religious convictions and commitment on monogynic relationship. He failed to pry Kevins determine and imposed his own belief on the client.If I was Ryans co-leader, I would look at delayed the role-play experiment until such a time when we could spend a penny gathered comme il faut information that does not compromise the value of each individual. In addition, giving Kevin an ultimatum to ended his assignment was undue pressure since it conflicted with his set and the duties he was given (Herlihy & Corey, 2005). Although a group leader might have been go about with the dilemma of identifying personal issues that do not conflict with other members, he had to practice a thorough background settle to get enough information that could have enabled him to make informed decisions (McKee, 2004).This would have enabled him to respect the cultural diversity present indoors group members. To develop Kevins assertiveness, I would have invited Hannah and coached Kevin on how he ought to deal her in his first assignment. If this does not prove effective, Kevins partner sh ould then be included in the counselling sessions so that the leader can evaluate the cite of the problem in the relationship. References Herlihy, B. , Corey, G. (2005).ACA Ethical Standards Casebook. Alexandria, VA, American Counselling Association Jameson, R. (2001). Foundations of Ethical utilize in Psychology. Mahwah, NJ Lawrence Erlbaum Associates McKee, L. (2004). A historic Perspective Approach for Practicing Managers to Improve moral philosophy. diary of Applied Management and Entrepreneurship, Vol. 9, p. 22-24 William, G. (1995). Ethical and good Issues in Group Counselling. Journal of Ethics and Behavior, Vol. 5, p. 10