Quantitative Methods and Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Quantitative Methods and Analysis - Essay Example Entertainment Survey The survey being analyzed in this section was conducted by Olswang to determine the proportion of people who would chose to pay for entertainment content (New Media Age, 2005). The survey conducted displays results in for m of percentages, and from the results, the following factors can be deduced. According to the survey, 28% percent of American people have no problem downloading and watching content without paying for the content, yet the same proportion would pay to stream long length content on the PCs. The validity of the results of this survey is not conclusive because the number of participants in the survey is not given. The results from this survey can be used to tell a story by determining the feelings of the population towards piracy and related copyright matters. Political Survey The political poll analyzed in this section was authored by Jones (2011), and is a description of the approval ratings for President Obama in his 11th quarter in office. The poll indicates that the popularity for the president is at its lowest point of 41%, down from 46.8% in the previous quarter. The poll also analyzes the differences in President Obama’s ratings since his first quarter in office, which indicates that the ratings were highest in the 1st quarter and have been steadily decreasing. The poll was conducted random telephone interviews to 45,989 adults in all the States in the country and other districts. This validates the results of the poll since the sample size used is big enough to eliminate errors in the survey process. This poll can be used by any company to support a political candidate or support the incumbent in a forthcoming election. General Survey The poll being analyzed in this section is a general survey that analyses the life evaluation reports of various American individuals (Gallup Daily, 2011). This poll asks the respondents to imagine their life in terms of a scale and decide whether they are suffering, thriving, or struggling. The scale used in the survey is called the Cantril ladder, and is a representation of the life of an average individual. The poll used a sample of approximately 1500 individuals, and determined the results of the survey on a quantitative basis. This kind of survey can be sued by a media group or company to promote any kind of product, if the individual are reassured that the use of the product will increase satisfaction or life happiness. Overview An analysis of the three surveys presented above shows the effects of sample sizes on the validity of the results that are presented by a survey. This means that the higher the sample size in a survey, the more reliable the results of the survey. For example, the first survey analyzed, the entertainment survey, did not present the sample size used. Therefore, it can be concluded that the survey is unreliable or can be a misrepresentation. Conversely, the general survey used a sample of 1000 people, therefore, it can be conclud ed that the results are viable, to some extent. However, the most reliable survey is the political survey, since the sample size is large and diversified; therefore, the errors that affect small sample size surveys are eliminated. Application: Copy of Survey The sample survey conducted is an analysis of the reactions of people to the effects of the

Harrison Bergeron Essay Example for Free

Harrison Bergeron Essay Kurt Vonneguts short story â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† is about a futuristic society where beauty is destroyed to create equality. It centers around the highest official, appropriately named, the General Handicapper. His only role to to seek out and find to people who are skilled, pretty, or good at sports and forced them to hide away these talents through masks and waits. It is through basic literary elements that Vonnegut creates and develops the theme that general conformity leads to the deformation of humanity. The short story begins in the future, The year was 2081† and Vonnegut immediately puts out the benefits of this futuristic society, stating â€Å"everybody was finally equal† and not just equal â€Å"before God† but in â€Å"every way† possible (Vonnegut, 1968, p. 7). Vonneguts description foreshadows what is to come in the novel and certainly this forced equality can only lead to a dangerous and potentially deadly ending. Conformity and the effects of uniformity is a common theme in the bulk of science fiction literature and Vonneguts short stories are no different. However, in â€Å"Harrison Bergergon† not just the theme of uniformity is explore but also the stripping away of humanity. This short story, the government forces everyone to be equal nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else. (Vonnegut, 1968, p. 7). Government agents force people who are beautiful to wear ugly masks and people who are thin are forced to carry around weights. The goal of all this control is to make sure that everyone has the same handicaps, the same features, and the same feelings. Even odder is that smart people were forced to wear radios which interfered with there brain functional creating a human society where everyone was equally stupid. By eliminating the the issues, which modern society still deals with, of racism, sexism, and discrimination based on looks, Vonneguts future society should be healthy and happy because everyone is the same. However, in the pursuit of equality the loss of humanity took place. Humanity is based on the idea of independence and individualism. The featured protagonist of this short story and namesake is Harrison Bergeron. He is a bright and friendly boy who has the most hated qualities in his society. He is intelligent, handsome, tall, and strong. Due to Harrisions features he is required to do several things to compensate for all his good quality. He is subject to radio noises which stops his concentration and focus. He has to carry hundreds of pounds of extra weight. He also have to wear sun glasses which gives him a head and he has to undergo surgery fort o make him ugly. While awaiting his surgery he escapes and takes over a news station. On air he takes off his handicaps and is revealed to society. When enters the station he is looks like a walking junk yard, required to wear a red rubber ball for a nose, keep his eyebrows shaved off, and cover his even white teeth with black caps at snaggle-tooth random ( Vonnegut, 1968, p. 21). He also meets up with a ballerina and she too casts off her imposed disabilities. When the couple dances they shrug off the law of gravity and the laws of motion as well, leaping to kiss the thirty-foot ceiling until finally they remained suspended in air inches below the ceiling, and they kissed each other for a long, long time. It is then that Glampers enters with her shotgun† (Vonnegut, 1968, p.  22). Unfortunately both are killed by the General Handicapper. As a sub plot his parents are watching the news station but once everything is said and done they can not remember what has happened due their forced handicaps. Irony is another literary device that Vonnegut uses in this short story. Vonnegut comments on the look-ism which is apparent in American society. Vonnegut even appears cynical about what passes as average in America. Hazel had a perfectly average intelligence, which meant she couldnt think about anything except in short bursts (Vonnegut, 1968, p. 20). The observation on the ballerinas continues the undercutting humor: They werent really very goodno better than anybody else would have been, anyway (Vonnegut, 1968, p. 20). Heavy irony emerges in the plodding Hazels missing the point, as when she sympathizes with the stuttering announcer for trying real hard to do his best or suggests George might remove some of his weights in the evenings. Compounding the irony she says, I think Id make a good Handicapper General. Good as anybody else, said George. The range of sounds and the comic brutality of their effect provides another source of comedy. One of Georges winces prompts Hazel to ask the cause. Sounded like somebody hitting a milk bottle with a hammer, he replies. Another sounds like a twenty-one gun salute that leaves George white and trembling and leaves two of the ballerinas on the floor clutching their temples. The final one is a riveting gun. GeeI could tell that one was a doozy, said Hazel. You can say that again, said George. Gee said HazelI could tell that one was a doozy. (Vonnegut, 1968, p. 41) Hazels stupid behavior and mindset symbolizes the dumbing down of America. In addition the television is equally symbolic. When this book was written, the television was now found in every home throughout the country. It became the way that people communicated and received news. Reading, literature, and human interaction decreased and was replaced by the mindless chatter of television shows and governmentally run news broadcasts. Hazels aversion to the old days when she could be made to feel like something the cat dragged in (Vonnegut, 1968, p. 22) obviously is not very persuasive The narration in â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† is also interesting. This is because the narration is third person, as if person is looking back on the events that just happened. Third person omnipresent is an interesting choice for narration because it allows the reader into the minds of all characters. For example Vonnegut reminds the readers, in third person narration Nobody can be in any way superior to anybody else, as guaranteed by the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitution, and to the unceasing vigilance of the agents of the United States Handicapper General (Vonnegut, 1968, p. 20). In particular, the motivations of each character which inspire their actions and words. â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† is a very unique short story because Vonnegut manipulates basic literary elements and creates a satire of American ideals and societal norms. Vonnegut is able too, in a tongue and cheek manner, show how the government can create a society which lacks humanity. A government that is left uncontrolled can exert such great power that it can destroy what makes human unique creatures on this planet. In doing so, people become mindless and vulnerable to the governmental propaganda that tells the citizens of a society that these rules are for their own good.

Wind Energy Essay -- Power Renewable Resource Global Warming

Wind Energy â€Å"Take care, your worship; those things over there are not giants but windmills.† -Don Quixote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes I. Abstract: Wind energy has many pros and cons, and thus is subject to much scrutiny as a viable energy source. A fundamental qualification for wind power is the ability to support the vast industries and the enterprises of the 6.3 billion people that inhabit this planet. In addition, wind power must be able to meet the needs of the Earth’s population in a renewable, reliable, and responsible manner. In the following paper, wind energy will be evaluated based on its energy/cost efficiency, possible environmental ramifications, its practicality and the various countries already implementing it, the logistics of installing and maintaining the turbines, and finally any possible improvements that loom in the future. II. Historical Background: Since the dawn of time, man has relied upon wind to run his creations, most notably windmills and boats. In fact, the first wind-driven machines were implemented in Persia as early as 200 B.C. However, in the last decade, wind power has come to the forefront in the race to unearth alternate energy sources. America and the world as a whole have relied upon non-renewable sources of energy for decades. In previous years, the search for renewable energy had been relegated to the backburner, lying dormant as the oil market boomed. However, the use of fossil fuels has been embroiled in many environmental issues, not to mention political and economical ones. However, rising oil prices and the questionable security of America’s oil sources has led to a new clarion call for clean, efficient energy. Proponents of wind power argue that it is clean, resp... ...onic, tulip encircled windmills of Holland with new, ultra-modern designs. The thatched roofs and the wooden frames have been replaced with steel that is strong yet still light. Indeed, if Don Quixote attempted to charge these windmills, he would be in for quite a surprise. http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/docs/documents/1214/wind-velocity-diagram.png CALCULATIONS The basic equation P = 0.5Av3 details the maximum power produced by wind blowing through a certain cross sectional area (A) where v=velocity, Ï =density of air, and P=Power. P = 1/2 Ï  A v3 P = power (W) Ï  = density of air (kg/m3) (At sea level and at 20  °C, air has a density of approximately 1.2 kg/m3). A = cross sectional area (m2) v = wind velocity (m/s) NOTE: Density of air is directly proportional to density and altitude. Thus as temperature and altitude decrease, air density decreases as well.

Khaled Hosseini Essay

A single event can shape the rest of a lifetime. Redemption is a way that makes up for the cause of the guilt. The Kite Runner is very much a â€Å"novel of redemption. † The main character, Amir, has to find a way to redeem himself after having betrayed Hassan. Sanaubar, likewise, must find redemption. Baba resolves his past guilty by doing good deeds First, Amir redeems himself by steps into courage and rescues the son of his brother Hassan Redemption is the act of saying or being saved from sin, error or evil, which the main character Amir seems to need the most. Amir lives with the guilt he has built up over the years because of one incident from his childhood. Amir’s father’s words still echo through his head â€Å"A boy who won’t stand up for himself becomes a man who can’t stand up to anything. † Pg (24). Although Amir destroyed the lives of many people, and he has had more than one opportunity to redeem himself of his guilt, he is not the selfish little boy he once was. Before Amir can go on the road to redemption, Amir must realize that he can’t go back and change what he has done as a child, and he must find inner peace. Although if it was not for Amir’s actions as a child, Sohrab never would have needed to be saved in the first place but by saving Sohrab, the last piece of Hassan’s life, does make a difference. From the moment he chose to turn his back on Hassan, there were many chances where â€Å"There’s a way to be good again† (238). For all his wrongdoings, but he chose not to take any of these. Sohrab was his last and only chance for redemption. â€Å"I have a wife in America, a home, a career and a family†. But how could I pack up and go back home when my actions may have cost Hassan a chance at those very same things? And what Rahim Khan revealed to me changed things. Made me see how my entire life, long before the winter of 1975, dating back to when that singing Hazara woman was still nursing me, had been a cycle of lies betrayals and secrets† (238). Amir finally became the man who stood up for himself and his sins. Throughout his childhood, Amir looked for his father’s affection and he never could get it. His father had said â€Å"I’m telling you, Rahim, there is something missing in that boy (24). Amir’s father would have been proud of him at this very moment because that was all he had wanted from him. The guilt that was built over the years was finally put to rest at the safety of Sohrab. In Afghanistan when Amir stood up for Sohrab and Assef aggressively beat him up, Amir had said â€Å"My body was broken just how badly I wouldn’t find out until later but I felt healed. Healed at last. I laughed. † (289) which showed Amir had come to terms with what he had done as a child and was finally felt relieved. Although he was getting beat up, it did not matter anymore, he just wished he had stood up to Assef years ago, and maybe he would have earned his redemption in that alley. Second, In the novel Baba Seeks redemption by treating Hassan well and always remembering his birthday. Amir and Baba were planting tulips, when Amir had asked Baba if he’d ever consider getting new servants And Baba said ‘’Hassan’s not going anywhere, he’d barked. He’s staying right here with us, where he belongs. This is his home and we’re his family. He had wept, wept, when Ali announced he and Hassan were leaving us. † (237).

Causes and Consequences of Reduced Biodiversity Essay

Causes and consequences of reduced biodiversity in tropical rain forests In many tropical countries, the majority of deforestation results from the actions of poor subsistence cultivators. However, in Brazil only about one-third of recent deforestation can be linked to cultivators. A large portion of deforestation in Brazil can be attributed to land clearing for pastureland by commercial and speculative interests, misguided government policies, inappropriate World Bank projects, and commercial exploitation of forest resources. For effective action it is imperative that these issues be addressed. Focusing solely on the promotion of sustainable use by local people would neglect the most important forces behind deforestation in Brazil. Brazilian deforestation is strongly correlated to the economic health of the country the decline in deforestation from 1988-1991 nicely matched the economic slowdown during the same period, while the rocketing rate of deforestation from 1993-1998 paralleled Brazil’s period of rapid economic growth. During lean times, ranchers and developers do not have the cash to rapidly expand their pasturelands and operations, while the government lacks funds to sponsor highways and colonization programs and grant tax breaks and subsidies to forest exploiters. Clearing for Cattle Pasture Cattle ranching are the leading cause of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. This has been the case since at least the 1970s: government figures attributed 38 percent of deforestation from 1966-1975 to large-scale cattle ranching. However, today the situation may be even worse. According to the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), between 1990 and 2001 the percentage of Europe’s processed meat imports that came from Brazil rose from 40 to 74 percent and by 2003 for the first time ever, the growth in Brazilian cattle production 80 percent of which was in the Amazon was largely export driven. Factors * CURRENCY DEVALUATION—The devaluation of the Brazilian real against the dollar effectively doubled the price of beef in reals and created an incentive for ranchers to expand their pasture areas at the expense of the rainforest. The weakness of the real also made Brazilian beef more competitive on the world market [CIFOR]. * CONTROL OVER FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE—The eradication of foot-and-mouth disease in much of Brazil has increased price and demand for Brazilian beef. * INFRASTRUCTURE—Road construction gives developers and ranchers access to previously inaccessible forest lands in the Amazon. Infrastructure improvements can reduce the costs of shipping and packing beef. * INTEREST RATES—Rainforest lands are often used for land speculation purposes. When real pasture land prices exceed real forest land prices, land clearing is a good hedge against inflation. At times of high inflation, the appreciation of cattle prices and the stream of services (milk) they provide may outpace the interest rate earned on money left in the bank. * LAND TENURE LAWS—In Brazil, colonists and developers can gain title to Amazon lands by simply clearing forest and placing a few head of cattle on the land. As an additional benefit, cattle are a low-risk investment relative to cash crops which are subject to wild price swings and pest infestations. Essentially cattle are a vehicle for land ownership in the Amazon. Colonization and subsequent subsistence agriculture A significant amount of deforestation is caused by the subsistence activities of poor farmers who are encouraged to settle on forest lands by government land policies. In Brazil, each squatter acquires the right (known as a usufruct right) to continue using a piece of land by living on a plot of unclaimed public land (no matter how marginal the land) and â€Å"using† it for at least one year and a day. After five years the squatter acquires ownership and hence the right to sell the land. Up until at least the mid-1990s this system was worsened by the government policy that allowed each claimant to gain title for an amount of land up to three times the amount of forest cleared. Poor farmers use fire for clearing land and every year satellite images pick up tens of thousands of fires burning across the Amazon. Typically understory shrubbery is cleared and then forest trees are cut. The area is left to dry for a few months and then burned. The land is planted with crops like bananas, palms, manioc, maize, or rice. After a year or two, the productivity of the soil declines and the transient farmers press a little deeper and clear new forest for more short-term agricultural land. The old, now infertile fields are used for small-scale cattle grazing or left for waste. Infrastructure Improvements Road construction in the Amazon leads to deforestation. Roads provide access to logging and mining sites while opening forest frontier land to exploitation by poor landless farmers. Brazil’s Trans-Amazonian Highway was one of the most economic development programs ever devised, and one of the most spectacular failures. In the 1970s, Brazil planned a 2,000 mile highway that would bisect the massive Amazon forest, opening rainforest lands to settlement by poor farmers from the crowded, drought-plagued north and development of timber and mineral resources. Colonists would be granted a 250-acre lot, six-months’ salary, and easy access to agricultural loans in exchange for settling along the highway and converting the surrounding rainforest into agricultural land. The plan would grow to cost Brazil US$65,000 1980 dollars to settle each family, an amazing amount for Brazil, a developing country at the time. Commercial agriculture Recently, soybeans have become one of the most important contributors to deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. Thanks to a new variety of soybean developed by Brazilian scientists to flourish in rainforest climate, Brazil is on the verge of supplanting the United States as the world’s leading exporter of soybeans. High soybean prices have also served as an impetus to expanding soybean cultivation. Logging In theory, logging in the Amazon is controlled by strict licensing which allows timber to be harvested only in designated areas. However, there is significant evidence that illegal logging is quite widespread in Brazil. In recent years, Ibama Brazil’s environmental enforcement agency has made several large seizures of illegally harvested timber including one in September 2003 when 17 people were arrested for allegedly cutting 10,000 hectares worth of timber. Logging in the Amazon is closely linked with road building. Studies by the Environmental Defense Fund show that areas that have been selectively logged are eight times more likely to be settled and cleared by shifting cultivators than untouched rainforests because of access granted by logging roads. Logging roads give colonists access to rainforest, which they exploit for fuel wood, game, building material, and temporary agricultural lands. Fires Virtually all forest clearing, by small farmer and plantation owner alike, is done by fire. Though these fires are intended to burn only limited areas, they frequently escape agricultural plots and pastures and char pristine rainforest, especially in dry years like 2005. Many of the fires set for clearing forest for these purposes are set during the three-month burning season and the smoke produced creates widespread problems across the region, including airport closings and hospitalizations from smoke inhalation. These fires cover a vast area of forest. In 1987 during a four-month period, about 19,300 square miles of Brazilian Amazon were burned. The burning produced carbon dioxide containing more than 500 million tons of carbon, 44 million tons of carbon monoxide, and millions of tons of other particles and nitrogen oxides. An estimated 20 percent of fires that burn between June and October cause new deforestation, while another 10 percent is the burning of ground cover in virgin forest Mining Mining in the Brazilian Amazon presently results in limited deforestation due to crackdowns on informal miners known as garimpeiros. The pig iron industry may have the largest role in mining-driven deforestation by consuming wood to produce charcoal to fuel steel production.

Fairness Minimum Wage and Fairness

Fairness Minimum Wage and Fairness Fairness: Minimum Wage and Fairness- Thomas Sowell Essay Fairness- Thomas Sowell From what I understood from Thomas Sowell article is that fairness is a word that "has done the most damage to people's thinking, and to actions to carry out that thinking". That fairness is a restriction for people and a massive advantage for politicians. Sowell expresses that to believe that theirs fairness in "odds for achieving success", that our life is nowhere near of being fair. Not only did he give examples of things we think are fair which aren't, he also implied that we all have a different meaning of fairness, I never thought of it that way but we do. I agree with Sowell's article because he is stating the truth and he gave examples that had me rethink about the definition. I use to think fairness is equal, to be same in all ways; but that's my own definition, fair may be a whole different meaning to you. Now I think it has no definition that it’s a "want". There are things in life that may be fair but when you take a closer look, it may not be; for example the division of a box of pizza, say theirs twelve slices and four people so you would fairly divide it by the four and each would get three slices. Now that is fair, but then there’s always that one person that says â€Å"that slice is bigger than this one†, now the slices are cut equally and the four people don’t have an equal nor fair amount of pizza. There is something that I believe exhibits fairness; various types of music, I believe that it’s fair to have a variety of music so that everyone has something that they enjoy listening to. Now would I say my definition is valid? Of course, we all can have a different opinion to what â€Å"fair† is but fairness is usually something you desire. Now I think that minimum wage should be twelve dollars for all people, but you say it should stay at eight. Well it’s not fair for both of us to decide. Minimum wage should be set by the people and if that were the case we wouldn’t receive an answer because everyone wants something different. I will always try to be fair, but it isn’t easy. I believe in order to be fair, you need to find out what it means to everyone, and then have to consider what people want and how you provide everyone something they want equally to all. That will take too much time. Society and government should work on what fair is, but it may take them awhile, and that’s not a problem waiting for. Once we figure out what fair is as one definition of all opinions, then we can start talking about what’s we want and believe is fair. psychologytoday.com/blog/am-i-right/201205/its-not-fair-what-is-fairness youtube.com/watch?v=V2nvaTLVQKk Greed- Milton Freidman Greed in my opinion is the rapid desire of something. We live and make decisions with the help of greed; it is a win and lose game. Freidman believes

The Hierarchy of Needs Essays

The Hierarchy of Needs Essays The Hierarchy of Needs Essay The Hierarchy of Needs Essay Electronics retailers win big on Thanksgiving MasterCard Spending Pulse reported that U. S. electronics retailers hit the Jackpot with their early Thanksgiving openings, recording triple-digit growth on Thanksgiving Day this year compared to 2012. According to the November report, which tracks retail sales across all forms of payment, including credit cards, cash and check, sales for the electronics category shot up on Thanksgiving; however, sales in that sector declined slightly on Black Friday. MasterCard Advisors research has shown that 70% f what consumers spend on Black Friday occurs at the first two stores a shopper visits, said Sarah Quinlan, senior VP, market insights for MasterCard Advisors. With these kinds of holiday shopping statistics, its no wonder retailers are competing to open earlier and earlier every year so they can be the first to capture those critical dollars. And it appears this year, for the electronics category in particular, it worked. Overall, there was a clear shift in consumer spending from Black Friday to Thanksgiving Day this year. Retail sales on Thanksgiving were up 23. 8% year-over- ear, while Black Friday sales were up only 2. 87%. Thanksgiving and Black Friday together accounted for an 8% lift in sales over last year. In line with trends seen by SpendingPulse all year, more consumers turned to the Web this year and took advantage of online deals. On Thanksgiving Day, online holiday shopping grew 19. 4% year-over-year, and was up 12% on Bl ack Friday. In addition to electronics, apparel and Jewelry also saw notable growth on Thanksgiving Day, but declines on Black Friday. The luxury sector benefitted from both days, with strong double-digit growth on both Thanksgiving and Black Friday.

The John Newbery Medal and Current and Past WInners

The John Newbery Medal and Current and Past WInners In the United States, the John Newbery Medal is the most prestigious childrens book award that an author can receive. The Newbery Medal is an annual children’s book award administered by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC of the American Library Association (ALA). According to the ALSC section of the ALA Web site, To be selected as the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children, the book must have been published the previous year in English by an American publisher in the United States. The John Newbery Medal, commonly referred to as the Newbery, has been awarded every year since 1922. It is named for John Newbery, an eighteenth-century British bookseller. To be eligible for a Newbery, either winning the Newbery Medal or having your book designated a Newbery Honor Book, the following terms must also be met: The author(s) must be either citizens or residents of the United States. Fiction, non-fiction, and poetry are all eligible, but reprints and compilations are not. The book must be written for children, with children defined as â€Å"persons of ages up to and including fourteen.† The book must be an original work. A book that was originally published in another country is not eligible. The 2016 Newbery Award Winners The 2016 Newbery award winners, the Medal winner, and three Honor Books  include a picture book, a graphic novel, a fairy tale with historical elements and historical fiction. Below is a brief look at the winners and reviews of the books. 2016 John Newbery Medal Winner Author Matt de la Peà ±a won the 2016 Newbery Medal for his picture book Last Stop on Market Street, which Christian Robinson illustrated. The publisher is G. P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA). Matt de la Peà ±a is most well-known for his young adult novels, which include Mexican WhiteBoy, The Living, and The Hunted. He is also the author of the Infinity Ring middle-grade books and one other picture book A Nation’s Hope, The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis. 2016 Newbery Honor Books The War That Saved My Life,  by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. While featuring a historical World War II setting, the characters are products of Bradleys imagination. Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) is the publisher. For more information, read the book review of The War that Saved my Life.Roller Girl,  written and illustrated by Victoria Jamieson.  Roller Girl is Victoria Jamieson’sfirst graphic novel for middle-grade readers, and she brings to it her own experiences with the sport of roller derby.  Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) is the publisher.  For more information, read the book review of .Echo, by Pam Muà ±oz Ryan. Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc. is the publisher. Ryan, the author of more than 40 books, has received numerous awards for her writing, including winning the Pura Belprà © Medal twice, for The Dreamer and Esperanza Rising.  For more information, read the book review of E cho. If you are looking for more good books geared towards the 9- to 14-year-old age range, be sure and take a look at the following features about children’s books that have received Newbery Medals or honors: John Newbery Medal Winners: 2015 to 1922The 2014 Newbery Medal Winner and Honor BooksThe 2013 Newbery Medal Winner and Honor BooksThe 2012 Newbery Medal Winner and Honor BooksThe 2011 Newbery Medal Winner and Honor BooksThe 2010 Newbery Medal Winner and Honor BooksThe 2009 Newbery Medal Winner and Honor Books. Source: ALSC/ALA

The Indian Firm CMYK Health Boutiques Research Paper

The Indian Firm CMYK Health Boutiques - Research Paper Example The Four Fountains Spa is a unique concept in the wellness industry and aims at offering a quality spa experience at affordable prices. It is currently located only at the city of Pune, India, with two centres there and is aiming to set up day spas in the top 20 towns of the country. The spa has body polishes, body wraps, facials and many other packages for men and women. In world therapies, they have the Swedish Therapy which is a deep tissue massage that uses firm but gentle pressure and is known to relax, improve circulation, ease muscle aches and tension. They even have the Harmonizing aromatherapy which is essentially done with natural oils from flowers, herbs, leaves and fruits. From the Far East, there is the Thai Meridian Therapy which is not an oil massage but takes into consideration Marma (energy) points. They also have thirty-minute massages like comforting foot reflexology and back therapy to eliminate pain in those areas. In Indian therapies, they have the Abhyangam, wh ich involves the application of herbal oils using soft and gentle strokes in the downward direction. Also, there is Shirodhara, where warm herbal oil is gently poured on the forehead. This is said to help in curing fatigue, mental exhaustion, anxiety, insomnia, headache and nervousness. They also have various facials, body polishes and body wraps (body polish plus body mask). Their special package for men is interestingly called Gentleman’s Retreat. Similarly, the one for the women is called Ladies Day Out.

Role of Marketing Manager Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Role of Marketing Manager - Research Paper Example The foreign market chosen for this research paper is Southeast Asian market comprising of Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines. Form utility: Form utility refers to the product or service offered to customers by a company. The marketing team carries out a widespread research about customer needs to develop a pattern for a product or service in order to derive form utility. The product development team then develops a product or service that provides customers with important business benefits like improved productivity, lower costs, competitive advantage and easier installation and meets the needs of the customers (Armstrong & Kotler 2014). The marketing team creates form utility by converting customer needs into product or services that carry value. In this paper, the product offered to the customers is dishwasher by the company. After conducting extensive research, the product development team developed two types of dishwasher based on application, one directed for residential use and the other one directed for the food services industry sector. The residential dishwasher created utility in the form of time management, better cleaning, and saving energy and water. The industry dishwashers created utility in the form of increase in productivity, lower manual labour costs, competitive advantage, better cleaning and lesser amount energy and water consumption. Possession utility: The utility of possession offers the customers ownership of the product or service which allows them to obtain benefits in their own business or in daily usage. If the customers are able to increase productivity of their own product after using the product or service offered to them by the company, then the possession has given them a strong benefit and possession utility is maximised (Armstrong & Kotler 2014). The dishwasher creates possession utility both in the residential

Final exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Final exam - Essay Example From the belief of Christianity on the trinity of God, it reveals their encounter with God as being a spiritual experience. Christians also believe that God is not like human beings, but more powerful than human beings are. In the worship services of Christians, he plays a central part. Christians believe in the justification of faith. The Christians believe that through their belief that Jesus Christ is the son of God who died and resurrected. Christians believe in forgiveness when they confess their sins; the forgiveness was given when Jesus died on the cross. Finally, Christians believe in life after death, and as a result, they strive to live a holy life so as to go to heaven and wait for the resurrection. 2.Decide what basic perspective about Christian understandings of God, Jesus and the Church make the most sense to you and give your reasons why by applying these views to the issue of how Christians should live their lives. Christians view God as the creator of the universe and all living things. Jesus is also seen as God’s son who came to the world to save the world from its sins. The word Jesus means â€Å"the savior.† In Old Testament the name, Joshua is the same as Jesus. The church is a place where the faithful go to fellowship God. Christians view the church as the body of Christ, the fellowship in faith and the people of God. When we look at the church as a fellowship in faith, it is probable to say that the holiness of Christians is based on God’s continuing activities. The holiness of the church originates from God, for instance, the book of peter 1:15-16 â€Å"you shall be holy, for I am holy† this show that the church is supposed to be holy since he is also holy. When Christians view the church as the body of Christ, it means that they partake in the redemptive works of Jesus Christ. Through this, Christians live in unity with one another without differentiating others based

Short Answer Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Short Answer Questions - Essay Example When one is able to clarify the values it gives an opportunity to identify the strength needed in displaying ones profession of nursing. One is able to give services with the help of both personal and profession values. Values are classified according to profession, for example the nursing profession requires patience ,love and honesty. Therefore is it important for to clarify the values in order to execute services in a more diligent way. Public figures are the people entitled to serve the public and most of them do the opposite with their value requirements. This is not the same with the those of professional figures because profession requires direct application of those values in discharging of services .Doctors are professional figures and they execute duties according to their personal and professional values. Public figures have odds in terms of value application because they do things that don’t result from the values they are expected from them. Politicians for instance have odds in terms of their values. They engage in corruption, bribery and tribalism during giving services to the public. This is totally wrong since they are leaders and they should exercise leadership values. The term professional refers to a description of an individual who is competent or skilled in a particular activity. It can also mean a person who is involved in a particular activity as an occupation. Abortion and voluntary euthanasia are important but critical issues related to life and death. They involve use of ethical issues that require legal decisions . Personal interventions are also required before making a decision on abortion and voluntary euthanasia. Abortion is a service that should be offered only under certain conditions of the patient. Legal procedure may follow where the attorney is involved. A person’s will or decision to undergo may be approved after consideration of several valid

Healthcare marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Healthcare marketing - Essay Example When the members had bad blood against Gary, she ensured she instituted good conflict resolution skills to ensure that the team worked in harmony. According to Patti Ferguson, Inez did the right thing through undertaking the jobs she was awarded since it was what she intended to achieve. In addition, she also displayed good leadership skills to her team which made her unique. In addition, through team building activities, Inez managed to bring her team more together compared to when they were before. According to Autumn post on the discussion, it is evident that Inez made the right choice when she decided to take a leadership role. We are amazed by her amicable skills in leading others despite having a number of conflicts in her team. According to Kyrie Robertson, Inez is a wise lady in leading such a team. She exhibited good skills in being a leader. For example, her team had trust and faith in her, a component which all leaders have. All in all, he manage to unite all the members including Gary to work as a team for a common

Human Rights Act in UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Human Rights Act in UK - Essay Example This is because freedom of speech permits or facilitates an individual to have a complete and dynamic role in the aspects of politics and public life. Moreover, how a person views himself and others profoundly depends upon his attitude to free speech (Barendt, pp. 230-245, 2005). While on the other hand, the subject matter of privacy, it can come under communication that the concept, perception and notion of privacy over the period have witnessed a vital and intense change across the cultures. Privacy is a condition that an individual do not intend to share or disclose in public that comes under relation to his or her identity, autonomy, or dignity. In other words, privacy is a situation or circumstance where the person wants to be uninterrupted, unaccompanied or with no public attention and can have the freedom from interference of others. Moreover, privacy has a connection with the concept and idea of secrecy that can be noteworthy, momentous or worth mentioning events or occurrenc es in the life of an individual (Barendt, pp. 230-245, 2005). ... The ideas, way of thinking and philosophies of people are the key features that leads to what sort of life that an individual wants to have, which entirely depends upon his or her attitudes to view the factors of privacy and publicity. Moreover, the ways that a person wants to symbolize or represent him in front of public also leads to the person’s attitude to privacy and publicity (Mayes, pp. 2-9, 2002). The records of contemporary society disclose the verity that numerous people in order to survive and make their livelihood, they publicize themselves. These personalities include the famous celebrities, television stars, pop stars, sports personalities, and several others. However, with this publicity, the concern of invasion to private lives has been the most critically raised issue. The records make the information public that the decades of 1980 and 1190 has been two most critical years for the journalist, as they have come under severe criticism by the politicians for the invasion of private lives of the renowned people (Sanders, pp. 77-80, 2003). Nevertheless, the recurrently analyzed current trends of the twenty first century reveal the piece of information that private disclosure or exposure about the personal lives of few people that includes politicians or celebrities has progressively become the basis for public conversations or discussions. It has also come to an examination on recent times that the celebrities and the public figures have been increasingly making complaints regarding their private lives that have come under offensive attack by the media. Furthermore, it has also come under observation that apart from the public figures, the normal people who are not in the public watch have also made such

Healthcare marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Healthcare marketing - Essay Example When the members had bad blood against Gary, she ensured she instituted good conflict resolution skills to ensure that the team worked in harmony. According to Patti Ferguson, Inez did the right thing through undertaking the jobs she was awarded since it was what she intended to achieve. In addition, she also displayed good leadership skills to her team which made her unique. In addition, through team building activities, Inez managed to bring her team more together compared to when they were before. According to Autumn post on the discussion, it is evident that Inez made the right choice when she decided to take a leadership role. We are amazed by her amicable skills in leading others despite having a number of conflicts in her team. According to Kyrie Robertson, Inez is a wise lady in leading such a team. She exhibited good skills in being a leader. For example, her team had trust and faith in her, a component which all leaders have. All in all, he manage to unite all the members including Gary to work as a team for a common

Leadership and change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Leadership and change - Essay Example All the employees presented such a feeling mainly due to neurosis or mental distress. This means, if an employee or employees are not mentally satisfied with the organizational culture or management strategies then such a situation arises. Not only this, maximum extent of co-workers reacted very roughly that lowered my perception towards them. Such a situation aroused mainly due to lack of communication or interpersonal skills. As the employees created a communicational gap within me and them, so their level of dedication and commitment towards the assigned goals also declined significantly. Along with this, the level of performance and productivity of the employees of my department also reduced that hampered the portfolio of the organization in the market. In addition, due to lack of dedication, our department failed to achieve the targets that hindered our reputation among other subsequent departments of the organization. Moreover, due to communicational gap, the other employees of our department failed to converse with me that hampered the operations and functions of the organization to a significant extent. As a result of which, the brand image and dominance of me, as a supervisor declined significantly that proved extremely worse for me and the organization. If a similar above mentioned situation is again faced by me, then I would organise a meeting with all my colleagues and interpersonally communicate with them. In that meeting, I would try to analyse and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each employee at the time of communication so as to reduce the gap among them. Apart from this, such an interpersonal communication might help the employees to communicate effectively with me that might enhance the motivational skills of both of us. This might prove effective in enhancement of the dedication power of the employees thereby amplifying their performance and efficiency at work. In addition, to enhance the

Inputs Diagnosis Whole Foods Essay Example for Free

Inputs Diagnosis Whole Foods Essay The range of competitors within the overall industry include chain and independent supermarkets (Krogers, Safeway, others); mass merchandisers and super centers (Wal-mart,Target); convenience stores; wholesale clubs (Sam’s); restaurants and fast food chains andnatural food stores (Whole Foods, Wild Oats Generally the concentration of competitors has been fragmented by geography. However, through recent consolidations, the emergence of regional and national chains has started to prevail along with the decline of the independent/local shops. This consolidation activity has allowed many companies to spread their fixed costs over a wider range of output, thus creating more efficiency in operations. Often, it is cheaper for a company to acquire an incumbent due to the location of their stores and access to customers rather than to raise the capital for entirely new stores, which is how Whole Foods has been able to expand following their growth model strategy. Whole Foods acquisition growth plan has helped them to gain enough economies of scale to better compete with the Wal-marts and Sam’s Clubs. Threat of Substitutes Price of substitutes plays a role in determining a company’s profitability. Organic food is priced at a premium to conventional food reflecting the high labor costs in cultivating the product. The price premium may be one reason why organic food has not become mainstream. Another reason is that consumers either lack education about its benefits (or don’t care) so that the price premium does not appear to be justified. However, when comparing upscale organic and prepared foods to competitors such as restaurants, the benefit/cost ratio appears more justified. Market research conducted shows that â€Å"20 percent of shoppers as dedicated to healthy eating†.(PRNEWSWIRE, 2013) These shoppers tend to be better educated, more affluent, couples or singles without children, and generally in better physical shape than the rest of the population. These individuals that actively seek out health and nutritional information, are younger to middle aged, and have medium to high household incomes. Thus, this market segment likely has a higher propensity to substitute than the segment above, but still is probably lower than the overall market. In total, the organic segment of the market has captured â€Å"73 percent of consumers as of 2008†.(QSRMAGAZINE, 2013) Buyer Power The retail grocery market is typically considered somewhat resistant to economic downturns, thus, to some degree, consumers’ food budgets are price insensitive. However, there is risk that consumers will switch from high quality / high margin stores to mass merchandisers (Walmart, Shop N Save) to stretch declining incomes further in a downturn market. Furthermore, while individual consumers typically lack significant buyer power to affect the specific prices of products, collectively, they can exert influence on retailers to sell or not sell specific types of products. Supplier Power The organic food suppliers are not highly concentrated, so natural food retailers have some power over them. Also, the natural food retailers may have the ability to backward integrate with partnerships and joint ventures with local growers. In addition, there is a trend for top conventional food manufacturers to invest in national/organic food companies as shown by the following excerpt * Kraft (NYSE: KFT ) : Boca Foods, Back to Nature * PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP ) : Naked Juice * General Mills (NYSE: GIS ) : Cascadian Farm, Muir Glen * Dean Foods: Horizon, The Organic Cow of Vermont, Alta Dena, White Wave/Silk * ConAgra (NYSE: CAG ) : Lightlife, Alexia Foods * Kellogg (NYSE: K ) : Morningstar Farms, Kashi, Gardenburger, Bear Naked * Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO ) : Odwalla * MM Mars: Seeds of Change * Hain Celestial (Nasdaq: HAIN ) : Nile Spice, Health Valley, Bearitos, Earths Best, Walnut Acres (FOOL, 2013) Thus, the larger number of suppliers of organic products, the less influence one supplier can have in the market. Threat of New Entry Because the retail grocery market is typically low margin, â€Å"typically in the mid-single digit range†.(VALUELINE, 2013) It is critical for companies to have some type of cost advantage over peers, the larger chains may be able to obtain better and cheaper access to products than the independent stores(economies of scale). Labor is also a significant cost to retail grocers, representing 50% to 53% of total operating costs (EHOW, 2013). Other operating costs (including rent, utilities, transportation, and technology) are controllable by the company. Lastly, technology costs are key in the retail grocery industry in order to increase efficiency in operations and aid marketing aids. Point-of-sale systems can help to increase inventory turnover and sales and lead to better targeted customer marketing (COUNTERPOINTPOS, 2013) Other areas that affect new entry into a market include capital requirements, economies of scale, and brand identity. All of these factors have been discussed to some degree under other forces. Retaliation by incumbent competitors is an important element in determining the threat of new entry. Specifically, Whole Foods faces a threat from conventional supermarkets and mass merchandisers who may move to carry organic products within their stores. CONGRUENCE MODEL In conducting the Nadler-Tushman Congruence Model, of Whole Foods Markets inputs and how they align with the strategy. I have resubmitted the model for your review The congruence model has four modals for analysis: 1. Inputs resources used by the organization but also its history and its social, economic and market position. Resources include people, technology, capital and reputation 2. Strategies what strategies best match the inputs to produce and how to produce those outputs from the available inputs. 3. Organizational components allows the analyst to isolate the individual influences and adjust them for a good fit 4. Performance -include the ability to pinpoint where performance is not adequate and to trace the reason back to a lack of congruence in the models part (SMALLBUSINESS 2013) The model is good for input diagnosis and it can be broken down with the following steps: TASKS The work itself does not need any specific skill set or knowledge except to be as personable as possible and like dealing with people. While there are materialistic rewards to working at whole Foods the other reward is the ability to have a vote in how things happen in the company. Whole Foods runs on â€Å"democratic capitalism; where all of the work is teamwork.†(Fastcompany, 2013) the system itself tends to creative while at the same time it is mechanistic as everything has to be in its correct spot just so-so. The work flows from the top down with a healthy response for the department teams. The department teams have the sole discretionary right to hire and approve new hires which upper management screens first. The work is through, caring and precise. The teams are interdependent as they are all an integral part of the stores success as a whole together. PEOPLE The people of Whole Foods are a team oriented group with a single mindedness to have their store succeed with a democratic disciplined outlook. Most of the employees are young, well-educated individuals whose participation reinforces attention to performance and profit. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE: The organization is set up as a virtuous circle which has a two way avenue to company policies to improve the company’s bottom line. Whole Foods has a knack to please their customers and every employee is empowered to correct as discrepancy that is brought to their attention by a customer. Each department is s3et up as a team which has a direct bearing on bonuses through â€Å"gainsharing†. (Fastcompany, 2013) Sales per labor hour the productivity metric at Whole Foods, democracy reinforces discipline. If someone doesn’t do the work and gets a poor rating then the team suffers in lost bonus money. Culture People work as a team to get the product out the door and keep customers happy and returning for repeat business. With that said the company’s success is driven by their employee’s attention to detail and satisfying the customer. Whole Foods has open salary concept where everyone knows what everybody else makes salary and bonuses. Also every store knows what another store is doing in sales, salary and bonuses. With that being known an individual wanting to transfer to another store or state knows what that store is doing financially and is able to make a well informed decision as to what to do with their career. There appears to be no political intrigue involved with the company and the â€Å"Hill† as most of the food wholesale segment is already tightly monitored as far as food safety and other regulation. The above listed modals are in in alignment with the major strength of Whole Foods in comparison to the Congruence model and Porters Five Forces Model. Their strength is the fact tht they can withstand entry of new competition due to their market chare and market segmentation. While company’s can enter into the retail food market they would be hard pressed to copy Whole foods business strategy in empowering their employees and making it work as far as satisfying their customers and meeting Whole Foods profit margin. Porter’s five forces strength model aligns quite well with the resources modal of the congruence model and several of the segments blur as everything is not cut and dried and able to be placed in the puzzle of what is Whole Foods. As a whole the strategies under the congruence and Porters model align with the complete Porter’s Five Forces Model well to give a rounded view of what Whole Foods is and what they can do if they stick to their mission statement and core values. Under the restraints of this report all of the congruence segments critical to the analysis as broken down the model reinforce Porters with their strength segment. As listed above the three input factors complement each other in regards to the strengths of the company as a whole. Also if you review my earlier reports all of my suppositions are supported and well documented as to how Whole Foods supports its marketing style and fills a niche with customers in search of alternatives to non-natural food stuffs.. References Percent health food consumers retrieved February 2013 from http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-survey-shows-shoppers-eating-more-meals-at-home-cooking-meals-to-save-money-62056997.html Flat Lining Organics retrieved February 2013 from http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-survey-shows-shoppers-eating-more-meals-at-home-cooking-meals-to-save-money-62056997.html Investing in organics retrieved February 2013 from http://www.fool.com/investing/high-growth/2009/01/16/investing-in-organics.aspx Retail grocery market industry analysis retrieved February 2013 from http://www.valueline.com/Stocks/Industry_Report.aspx?id=7243 calculate food

Jaguar :: Papers

Jaguar Creating world class performance in a Jaguar assembly plant Introduction In recent years, many UK manufacturing and service industries have transformed their production methods and processes. Businesses that have been at the leading edge of change have prospered, leaving their competitors behind. Key ingredients in this process of change have been an emphasis on creating total quality systems that involve: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ getting it right first time at every stage of production à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ lean production to cut out waste and to simplify manufacturing systems à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ creating environmental management systems that guarantee: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ the highest levels of environmental performance within an organisation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ excellent relationships with the local community. This case study examines ways in which Jaguar has transformed its new assembly plant at Halewood to guarantee World Class Performance in its production systems. Today, the Halewood plant is dedicated to producing the new Jaguar X' Type. This is a car for the 21st century. It has been developed as a result of feedback from a massive global consumer research programme. The programme has ensured that the car's designers, engineers and marketers remain in tune with the needs and expectations of potential customers at every stage in the car's development. Developing the site In January 1960, Ford bought the 1390 hectare greenfield site in Halewood from Liverpool corporation and the British Transport Commission. The Halewood site quickly became established as a leading car manufacturing plant and was associated particularly with Ford Escort production. When Ford acquired Jaguar in the early 1990s, Halewood also began to produce body panels for Jaguar cars. In 1998, Halewood was announced as the production site for the all new Jaguar X' Type sports saloon. It would replace Ford Escort production, which was to be phased out by 2000. Halewood was chosen to produce the X' Type because: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ existing Jaguar plant in the Midlands lacked sufficient capacity à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ the 'Britishness' associated with Jaguar made overseas production

Essay --

Presentacià ³n En este Tema 2 se parte de la base de los conocimientos adquiridos en el Tema 1 (â€Å"El concepto de estrategia†), y se orienta la atencià ³n al à ¡rea de la estrategia de la empresa y la estrategia de marca. Descubriremos que la estrategia no es un elemento aislado que surge de forma espontà ¡nea, sino que es una pieza esencial de la operacià ³n de una empresa que nace de unos principios fundamentales bà ¡sicos, que se relaciona de manera interdependiente con otras facetas de la empresa y/o marca, y que es el resultado de mucho trabajo. Desarrollaremos un recorrido desde estos cimientos fundamentales de la empresa que comenzarà ¡ en su filosofà ­a, misià ³n, y visià ³n, y pasarà ¡ por los conceptos de posicionamiento (y los componentes de diferenciacià ³n, ventaja competitiva, y propuesta de valor), esencia de marca, y la idea singular. Tomaremos como referencia algunos ejemplos del mundo de la publicidad que podrà ¡n servir como ejemplos de cà ³mo se puede plasmar una estrategia de compaà ±Ãƒ ­a y/o de marca en una pieza de comunicacià ³n publicitaria. Finalmente, a lo largo del tema se detallarà ¡n algunos modelos de plantillas de posicionamiento que servirà ¡n como base para poder desarrollar la actividad colaborativa que se presentarà ¡ a finales de esta Unidad de Aprendizaje. â€Æ' Pantalla 1 (Estrategia en la empresa) Si bien la Real Academia Espaà ±ola define la palabra â€Å"estrategia† en su tercera acepcià ³n como â€Å"En un proceso regulable, conjunto de las reglas que aseguran una decisià ³n à ³ptima en cada momento†, no està ¡ de mà ¡s buscar en otras fuentes para conocer alguna definicià ³n adicional que pueda resultar à ºtil para entender su importancia en el desarrollo de las actividades empresariales. Asà ­ pues, en la versià ³n online del diccionario inglà ©s Oxford se enc... ...inal (obligatorio) La declaracià ³n de posicionamiento detalla cuà ¡l es el lugar que intentaremos ocupar en la mente de nuestro pà ºblico objetivo, por quà © nos ha de creer, y cuà ¡les son los motivos para que nos crea. â€Æ' Resumen La estrategia no es algo que surge de la nada, sino que es un elemento crucial de las empresas y sus marcas. Se tienen que establecer y conocer los fundamentos de la marca: su filosofà ­a, misià ³n, y visià ³n. Definidos estos tres elementos bà ¡sicos, y conociendo a fondo la propia compaà ±Ãƒ ­a, lo que ofrece, y todos los elementos que componen su entorno, se establece un posicionamiento para sus marcas y productos. Existen procesos pautados y modelos que nos ayudan a llevar a cabo este ejercicio de posicionamiento, que actà ºa en sintonà ­a con la esencia de marca para crear una Idea Singular de lo que representamos para nuestro consumidor objetivo. â€Æ' â€Æ'

Love is a logical Fallacy Essay

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Love is a logical fallacy. In Metamorphoses, even the god of pure reason, Apollo is ridiculed and behaves irrationally while the Phaedra of Seneca violated all norms of proper female behavior for the sake of her love. Truly, love makes people do the most illogical and impractical acts. Love is a logical fallacy because had reason intervened, the ill-fate of the characters in both works would be largely abated.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In book twelve of the Metamorphoses, Priam laments Paris’ incontinence. By his rape of Helen and his rejection of Hera as the fairest goddess, Paris had effectively doomed Priam’s city of Troy. Priam, Hector and all others of Priam’s sons wept for the tragedy that would soon befall the city. Not so for Paris because he felt that his love for Helen, and the love she felt for him in return was just compensation. Such is the hubris that Paris’ love brought upon the house of Priam.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hubris too drove Phaedra, who was married to Thesus to attempt to seduce her foster son Hippolytus. Many artifices and guiles will she employ through out the play but Hippolytus refuses to dishonor his father’s memory by committing incest on the queen. Phaedra will become increasingly desperate even co-opting her wet nurse to help her win over the young Hippolytus but to no avail. In the end Phaedra will even accuse Hippolytus of indeed having relations with her to his father Thesus. Hippolytus will die because of her slander. Indeed when they said â€Å"love conquers all† they had the love-crazed Phaedra in mind. Her insane love conquered all reason from her mind and led her to an untimely and unfortunate end.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Still another story of hubris from the Metamorphoses is the ill-fate of Midas. Already wealthy and a reasonably powerful king Midas desired gold above all other treasures. So Bacchus grants him the power to turn all that he touches into gold. He soon embarks upon a tragic quest to gain as much gold as his can until he soon turns even his daughter into gold. The lust for gold ruined all that was good around him. The tragedy of Midas was that he was so blinded by his love for gold that he did not realize how much that he truly loved could be lost. No less tragic was the life of Thesus in Phaedra. After returning from the dead Thesus is greeted by his wife with the accusation that Hippolytus had had his way with her. Blinded with rage over the mishandling of his ‘beloved’ wife Thesus says a prayer to Neptune for the redress of his wrongs. Sure as a sunrise, Neptune strikes down Hippolytus by having him ripped apart by his horses. Never mind that he was entirely innocent to begin with.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, even if Amor, the Roman Cupid, can drive all reason from those he assails not all of his conquests have turned to evil. One example is the love story of Thetis and Peleus, the soon to be famous parents of Achilles. Evil was still done to the two but eventually their escapade resulted in some good being accomplished. In the story of the two lovers in book   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thetis was a sea nymph whose beauty so drew Peleus that the poor king would soon be driven to desperate measures to gain her. Just like Phaedra he begins a campaign of seduction that is initially rebuffed by the coy nymph mirroring the failed seduction efforts of Phaedra upon Hippolytus. However, while Phaedra is ultimately unsuccessful Peleus has some measure of success.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After a whole day of trying to conquer Thetis, and Thetis trying to break free eventually Thetis tires of their struggles and consents to have relations with Peleus. As will later be seen, this union will result in Achilles perhaps the most famous Greek in story and in Song.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hippolytus tried to stay loyal to his father by refusing to acquiesce to his step-mother’s incestuous desires. His deep love for his father does not allow him to dishonor him especially not so soon. Eventually, Phaedra accuses him wrongly and Thesus prayers leads to his death. However, in his death some good is achieved since Phaedra confesses her incestuous desires and the innocence of Hippolytus. As this sampling of the two works suggests love is not places in very high regard by these two authors. By allowing reason to be overwhelmed by love, or lust, the heroes and gods are led down ill paths. Phaedra embarks of a sickening path of incestuous seduction, Midas loses everything to worthless gold, Troy will burn for the indiscretion of the boy Paris. Thesus will slay his own son out of blind love for Phaedra. They are a just a few examples, how love conquered the rational thought of the characters and brought them ill fate. If any good is achieved it is accidental and to be realized later on. Tragedy still befalls those who imbibe in love regardless of what good will occur later because of it. Just ask Hippolytus who was torn apart by his horses before Phaedra would realize the error of her ways. Trully, love is a logical fallacy. Both Greek and Roman prized reason and common sense over love. It is by allowing ourselves to be buffeted by the winds of love that tragedy befalls. Therefore, we must ever be vigilant lest our reason be mastered by this logical fallacy.

Brotherhood: Natalie Portman and Brothers

Brotherhood is deeper than any words can really explain, for it is a responsibility and a bond between people. Basically, it is a group of people coming together for a common purpose; however, these people share a stronger connection that few can understand. It is almost like a family, for each brother exhibits brother-like qualities, in the respect that they care for you and try to help you out. From my experience with my brother back home, brothers may not always agree with you and they might argue with you sometimes, but by the end of the day, they are still there for you. It is that bond between you that separates you from a lot of other people, and it is up to a brother to uphold his end of the bond, for he has to make sure it is strong. He needs to be responsible and never let his brothers down. For example, in my past (although this may seem kind of sad on my part), my brother has broken my arm, hit me with a bat, thrown a brick at me, and chipped my tooth, but I remained loyal to him. Up to this day, he and I are closer than ever. And of course I was mad at the time, when that all happened, but I knew deep down inside there’s still a matter of love and respect from one another. That is another thing about brotherhood: it cannot be walked away from because once you are a part of a brotherhood, you are brothers for life. Brothers are there for you when you are at your best and worst, standing by your side at all time. Although things may seem horrible at the time, brothers can really make you look past it and make you look at the bright side of things. Overall, brothers make up a brotherhood, and these brothers instill their values in you so you can be taught right and hopefully, become a better person for it.

Classroom Analysis Essay

1. Why is a schoolroom a illumination of a greater society? A schoolroom is a illumination of a greater society because it is where all basic and formal acquisition begins ; where all the proper and acquisition of cognition takes topographic point. It is a portion of the society that engages in advancing and fixing scholars for more and broader undertaking. function and duty. The instructor or professor plays the function of the leader/monarch. while the pupils are the citizens. The citizens are supposed to follow the regulations and Torahs of the society ( category ) that the leaders ( instructors ) set. In every schoolroom. there are different sorts of people: Those who work hard. those who play hard. those who do both. those who do neither. In society. you besides acquire these sorts of people. There will besides likely be small coteries. in this instance. representative of little groups in society. Then there are the high category. those who fly past everything without enlistments. the in-between category who get by. and the lower categor y who are truly fighting to maintain up with the coursework. The instructor may offer remedial Sessionss. which can be compared to any public assistance packages that the authorities decides to manus out. 2. What are found in the schoolrooms that are similar to what can be observed in society? It can establish at that place the leader that serves as the instructor and the people serves as the pupils. All they do are similar with what can we see in the society. The instructor led the pupils to cognize about a certain thing that builds them to go a better person ; the same within a society a president. city manager. or a Brgy. Chairman leads its people to construct a harmonious relationship among others. The Discussion and interaction among the scholars and the instructors in advancing cognition ; integrity. cooperation and creativity in carry throughing given undertaking and duties ; holding a harmonious relationship on each and every member of the category and the installations and equipment for larning and development.

Communcation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Communcation - Assignment Example I will endeavor to cover the course content before the instructor discusses it in class, as this will increase my level of understanding. Moreover, I will handle all assignments promptly. This will mean that I will devote more time in undertaking research, and handing my papers before deadline. It is unfortunate that in the previous years I have had the problem of handing in my assignment past the deadline, a factor that has affected my grades. In 2014, I purpose to change this trend, and prepare for exams thoroughly. This will translate to a high level of dedication the entire semester, so that the final exams are an easier task to handle (New York Times 56). I have been an average student in the previous years, and a self-analysis has helped me to realize that I have more potential. In 2014, I want to explore all the potential that I have, and tap it into my academics. I will seek opportunities of experiential learning during the holidays, and acquire new skills. Moreover, I will take advantage of some of the university career programmes in a bid to diversify my

Classic Airline's Marketing Problems Research Paper

Classic Airline's Marketing Problems - Research Paper Example The researcher states that if one look towards the marketing strategy of an organization then there may be a product, price, promotion, distribution, marketing research, sales and advertisements of the merchandise, which can be some of the most effective strategies.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Strategy is more concerned with effectiveness rather than efficiency and it is the process of analyzing the environment and designing the fit between the organization, its resource and objectives and the environment†. Classic Airlines was considered to be fifth largest airline corporation in the world. It has a fleet of about 375 jets that operates in about 240 cities. It has over 2300 flights daily. It has spent about 25 years from inception and has occupied a large segment of the market and has grown like anything. It has employee strength of about 32,000 employees and earned about $10 million on a sale of about $8.7 billion. Though Classic Airlines is a profitable organization in recent years it is str uggling with the increase in cost and reduced customer confidence. Classic Airlines has been operating for last 25 years in the airline industry. It was a profitable business but in recent times it has started facing challenges regarding waning customer confidence and rising cost particularly of fuel and labor. The loyal customer seems to lose confidence and the other customers who used to travel frequently have started to be less frequent with Classic Airlines. This was a huge setback for them in terms of revenue. While going through the data one can see that for several months in the year 2003 and 2004, the company was running at a loss.

International Law and Protection of the Children Dissertation

International Law and Protection of the Children - Dissertation Example Despite the international legal framework for the protection of children in humanitarian crises and armed conflict, the UN reports that children in the millions are often targets of armed conflicts in various ways. In this regard children are either victims in part of a more general attack on civilians. Other children are subjected to sexual assaults and are simply deprived of substance therefore dying or suffering from starvation or disease. Some children are unlawfully forced to join the war effort or participated as combatants in humanitarian crises.4 It would therefore appear that international laws are inadequate for protecting children in humanitarian crises and armed conflict. This research study analyses the international legal framework for the protection of children in humanitarian crises and armed conflict and identifies the flaws which contribute to its general inadequacies. It is generally concluded that the enforcement of international law is problematic in that it requ ires cross-border cooperation for the collection of evidence and investigative purposes. Other problems such as the non-binding nature of international legal instruments on non-state actors and diverse ideologies relative to the definition of childhood also contribute to the inadequacy of international law in protecting children in humanitarian crises and armed conflict. It is also observed that the extent to which the state is prepared to intervene to protect children in large part depends on culture and norms. For example, China is less reluctant to override how adults, particularly parents treat their children as children are regarded as property. In Europe, the State is more willing to take the side of children over that of adults.5 It is also observed and argued that the extent to which states are committed to the protection of children is largely dependent on a state’s political and economic priorities and resources. Table of Contents Abstract 4 Table of Contents 5 Chap ter One 6 Introduction to the Study 6 Introduction 6 Statement of the Problem 9 Significance of the Study 10 Aims and Objectives 10 Research Methodology 11 Organization of the Study 12 Chapter Two 13 International Human Rights Laws and the Protection of Children 13 Introduction 13 International Norms and International Human Rights for the Protection of Children 14 The CRC and Protection of Children’s Human Rights 21 Conclusion 28 Chapter Three 29 International Humanitarian Laws and the Protection of Children 29 Introduction 29 International Humanitarian Law for the Protection of Children 31 Conclusion 47 Chapter Four 48 The Adequacy of International Humanitarian Laws for the Protection of Children 48 Chapter Five 55 Findings/Conclusion 55 Bibliography 60 Chapter One Introduction to the Study Introduction Humanitarian crises such as the Tsunami in 2004 which claimed 300,000 lives, the war in Darfur in 2002 left hundreds of thousands of children either parentless or displaced.6 The effects of war, most recently in the Middle East have been particularly devastating for children.7 The

Multicultural Education Improvement Research Paper

Multicultural Education Improvement - Research Paper Example Banks (1994) identifies five dimensions of multicultural education.   The first of these dimensions are â€Å"content integration† which is a technique by which educators ensure that teaching reflects cultural diversity (Banks 1994, p. 4). An example is to emphasize contributions in the field of study by diverse cultural heroes. Secondly, educators utilize â€Å"knowledge construction† which informs students how perspectives are influenced by â€Å"conclusions reached within that discipline† (Banks 1994, p. 5).   The third dimension of multicultural education is referred to by Banks (1994) as â€Å"prejudice reduction† which helps students to form objective views of diverse groups (p. 5). The fourth dimension is â€Å"equitable pedagogy† which attempts to alter classroom instructions that all students among different cultural groups perform academically.   The final dimension is â€Å"empowering school culture and social structure† whic h focuses on the environment within the school and ensuring that it supports diversity among the student body. Multicultural education can be defined as education strategies designed to accommodate teaching and learning for diverse cultures.   The idea is to provide for fostering pluralism among races, cultures and classes.   Theoretically at least, if students are subjected to multicultural education that is properly integrated into teaching and learning processes, attachment and engagement should improve.   ... 5). The third dimension of multicultural education is referred to by Banks (1994) as â€Å"prejudice reduction† which helps students to form objective views of diverse groups (p. 5). The fourth dimension is â€Å"equitable pedagogy† which attempts to alter classroom instructions that all students among different cultural groups perform academically (Banks 1994, p. 5). The final dimension is â€Å"empowering school culture and social structure† which focuses on the environment within the school and ensuring that it supports diversity among the student body (Banks 1994, p. 5). Multicultural education can be defined as education strategies designed to accommodate teaching and learning for diverse cultures. The idea is to provide for fostering pluralism among races, cultures and classes. Theoretically at least, if students are subjected to multicultural education that is properly integrated into teaching and learning processes, attachment and engagement should improv e. Ukpokodu (2009) informs that if multicultural education focuses on transformative learning, students of all races, cultures and classes transform their way of thinking and their perspectives and attitudes to more democratic and objective ways of thinking (2). Arguably, students become more responsible citizens and want to be productive citizens. As Banks (2008) argues, responsible citizenship can be hampered and can be lost on minorities when they are forced to detach themselves from their own cultures and languages (p. 130). Therefore by virtue of transformative learning under the auspices of effective multicultural education, students can be expected to become more engaged and attached to school, as they are not forced to become detached from their own cultures, races and classes. To

Business Communication And Presentations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7500 words

Business Communication And Presentations - Essay Example This essay stresses that the importance of communication and particularly communication of expectations is central to individual and organizational effectiveness. The organizational expectations should be unambiguously communicated to the individual manager which was not done in the case of the new Finance Director. He was thus unable to fit in the overall pattern and respond to the role expectations appropriately. The Managing Director further failed as the role sender in communicating the desired behavior. Despite this he evaluated and sanctioned the Finance Director as he was primarily concerned with self-interest. He was interested in the performance of his region and not of the corporate as a whole. Since the expectations were not clearly communicated there was lack of shared expectations. This situation presented an opportunity to the Finance Director who was proactive and defined his own role. This paper makes a conclusion that poor communication is the key driver of negative feelings among the top executives in any organization. Since the CFO is at a different location, the Finance Director has absolutely no face-to-face contact with him and hence tends to report regularly to avoid misunderstandings. Now that the Finance Director has been confronted by the Managing Director he has to explain and justify his position. He has to give a feedback on his actions and the work that he has been executing.

Accounting Information Systems Essay Example for Free

Accounting Information Systems Essay Every Company or Business has different Information Systems that the use to run the Company. There are various types of information systems employed by payroll, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and accounting? Types of Information systems that are employed by payroll, accounts receivable, and accounts payable are Paychex, UltiPro Payroll Software, ADP Payroll services, Intuitive Payroll Systems, and QuickBooks Payroll. Various types of Accounting Software is Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet, Intuit Quicken, Sage 50, and QuickBooks. Paychex Inc. s a payroll and human resource service company which serves approximately 572,000 businesses in the US. The company provides services including Payroll Services, Time and Labor Management, HR Administration Compliance, 401(k) Employee Benefits, Group Health Insurance, and Paychex HR Solutions. UltiPro by â€Å"Ultimate Software† is a comprehensive payroll, HR and talent management system that is delivered on-demand as Software-as-a-Service in the cloud, giving organizations a highly accessible solution for human capital management (HCM). See more: Distinguish between problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping Essay QuickBooks payroll is used for payroll, calculating taxes, and filing and paying taxes. You can also switch to running QuickBooks payroll manually. Manual payroll requires you to calculate, file and pay your own taxes. Excel is an electronic spreadsheet program that can be used for storing, organizing and manipulating data. Other operations that excel can be used for includes: graphing or charting data to assist users in identifying data trends and sorting and filtering data to find specific information. QuickBooks is accounting software developed and marketed by Intuit. Sage 50 is an accounting software. With sage 50 you can manage cash flow, custom payments, and collections. You can gain insight with custom reporting for budgeting, cash flow management, and benchmarking. Also Track inventory, plan purchases, or expand service offerings and Reduce errors and deter fraud with screen-level security and a clear audit trail. Riordan Manufacturing is a global plastics manufacturer. The company is owned by Riordan Industries, which is a Fortune 1000 enterprise with revenues in excess of $1 billion. The products that they produce is plastic beverage containers. The containers are produced in Albany, Georgia, the custom plastic parts produced at its plant in Pontiac, Michigan, and plastic fan parts produced at its facilities in Hangzhou, China. They employ 550 persons with projected yearly earnings of $46 million. Riordan Manufacturing’s mission is to focus its industry leaders in using polymer materials to provide solutions to our customer’s challenges. Riordan is a privately held company. The Chief Operating Officer (COO) is Hugh McCauley and the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is Dale Edgel. Individuals in a business usually do not work alone all the time, but instead in teams, committees, departments, and other types of workgroups. Riordan Manufacturing is one of them. The hardware that Riordan Manufacturing used within the organization to support information systems is Management information systems, internal control system, and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System. The hardware this used is very sufficient. Todays ERP systems can cover a wide range of functions and integrate these functions into one unified database. ERP is a way to integrate the data and processes of an organization into a single system. Other hardware that is used to support the information systems is a monitor, processor, printer, and keyboard. They all work together to accept, process, show data and information. The types of software applications that is utilized to support the information systems is Windows NT 4. 0. Windows XP would better meet the needs of Riordan Manufacturing. Windows is very much a compatible software and it is easy to use and user friendly. Payroll, accounts payable, accounts receivables, and accounting information systems interact with one another. They all do this by storing and maintain information relating to business or financial transactions. Accounting software packages usually consist of several different modules based on the traditional manual accounting process. Modules include general accounting, fixed assets, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll. The accounting information system is divided into following sub-systems. The sub-systems include but not limited to payroll, accounts payable, and accounts receivable. The integration of the sub-systems leads to greater accuracy and higher speed with inputting and maintaining information. With that being said all four interact effectively. I would make some viable recommendations or uggestions to management to make the organization more efficient. Some recommendations or suggestions that I can make is making everything mobile. They can take advantage of mobile devices and mobile workforces to get information spread quicker. They can make the business more social. They can do this by integrating social technologies and using social networks to advertise the business. Riordan can do away with paper record keeping and use technology to record information. They also can elaborate more on the hardware and software that they utilize to support their information systems. It was very difficult to find certain about the company. Riordan Manufacturing can make public information easier to find and more readily available to whomever needs to view it. Other areas of business of improvement that I would make is sharing resources, software applications that are installed on servers, and managing resources better. In all business can always use room for improvement because things changes and there is always a continuous growth when it comes to new advances in technology. Change is never a bad thing. With making the organization more efficient allows things to be a lot easier and run more smoothly.

The Fmcg Sector Is Currently Economics Essay

The Fmcg Sector Is Currently Economics Essay India has a huge untapped market in the rural areas as well which accounts for more than 700 Million consumers i.e. 40 of the total FMCG market. This market provides a huge opportunity for the FMCG sector because of its large market space and low levels of organized player penetration. 7) The FMCG sector has a strong future and will continue to see growth because it depends heavily on an ever-increasing internal market for consumption, and demand for these goods is more or less inelastic irrespective of recession or inflation. Thus, this sector will grow, though it may not be a smooth growth path, due to the present world-wide economic slowdown, rising inflation and fall of the rupee. However, this sector will see strong growth in the long run. 8) Unlike the developed countries where the FMCG sector is dominated by only a few players Indias FMCG sector is highly fragmented with both Organized and unorganized players playing an important role. The governments proposal of allowing 51% FDI in multi brand retail may impact the future of the retail sector to some extent though the impact is expected to be highly positive. Threat of new entrants: Moderate -Low regulatory barriers -Intense competition requires heavy investments in brand building which discourages small players Threat of substitutes: High -Multiple brands positioned with narrow product differentiation -Companies trying to gain market share compete on pricing which increases product substitution Rivalry among competitors: High -Entry of MNCs into the country -Use of extremely aggressive marketing strategies Bargaining power of consumers: Low -High brand loyalty for some products, discourages product shifting -Low switching costs -Aggressive marketing induce customers to switch between products MICHAEL PORTERS 5 FORCE MODEL Bargaining power of supplier: Moderate -Prices are governed by International commodity markets, making FMCG cos price takers -Due to the long term relationships with suppliers etc., FMCG companies negotiate better rates during times of high input cost inflation The above graph is based on the analysis of the sales and profitability of approximately 100 listed FMCG companies across foreign MNCs and large and small Indian players. As can be seen from the graph the average CAGR of the FMCG sector rose from 8% (2001-05) to 17% (2006-10). There has been a drastic increase in the CAGR in the case of foreign MNCs which shows the variety of choices available to the consumers Economy Impact: Favorable economic factors like GDP growth coupled with a rise in incomes, increased participation of women in the workforce and the tapping of rural markets have led to a spurt in the growth rate of the FMCG sector in the past decade. The Indian economy is expected to overtake UK in the coming decade, with GDP growth ranging between 8-10 per cent. India is expected to reach Chinas current population figure of 1.4 billion by 2020. Per capita incomes supported by various government schemes and policies are expected to rise in both rural and urban areas (The UPA govt cash transfer scheme for the poor people, expectations of economic recovery bring with it the hope of increased salaries and more employment opportunities all of which will lead to increase in the per capita income of the country that will have a direct impact on the FMCG sector) Participation of women in the Indian workforce is also likely to rise. Estimates suggest that if it increases to approximately 70 percent (as in the developed nations), it will further boost GDP growth by 2-3 per cent. Favorable government policies such as the introduction of GST can be expected to substantially decrease supply chain costs. FDI in multi-brand retail up to 51% will open up a large channel for sales. Other policy measures such as lower income taxes, the Food Security Act, Right to Education, infrastructure schemes etc have also acted as enablers of higher consumption. Evolving Consumer Profile: India has a comparatively younger population compared to most other countries of the world, who have greater willingness to spend on better quality products which is expected to boost the consumption-driven economy. Young population (below age of 30 years) comprise 59 per cent population currently, and the composition is likely to remain similar over the next decade. Rural markets, given the current low penetration and high untapped potential are expected to bring about super-normal growth for FMCG companies. All these factors will combine to catapult consumer demand for FMCGs to newer heights. Interest rates and inflation and its impact on the FMCG sector: Given the current economic scenario and the average inflation rates at 9.09% in India (2012) it has a taken a toll on the FMCG sector. High prices have led to reduced consumption of FMCG goods leading to fall in demand which has led to lower sales for the companies and affected their profit margins. Also, as a result of inflation prices of raw materials have shot up leading to a spurt in the cost of production for companies which has again had a negative impact on the profit margins. The central banks decision of cut in interest rates has made it easier for the companies to borrow money in the capital markets to further their plans of expansion and diversification but it has not led to any major increase in consumer spending. Major players in the FMCG industry: 1) Foreign Players: Hindustan Unilever Ltd., ITC, Nestle, Reckitt Benckiser, Cadbury, Procter Gamble, Godfrey, Phillips, Henkel, Spic, Johnson Johnson, Revlon, PepsiCo 2) Indian Players: Marico, Dabur, Godrej, Wipro, Amul, Nirma, Britannia 3) Regional or small domestic players: Ajanta, Anchor, CavinKare etc SWOT Analysis of the FMCG sector: STRENGHTS: 1) Favourable government policies in terms of reduced level of taxes, fewer import restrictions on raw materials and technology and reduced barriers of entry of foreign players 2) Low operational costs as labour costs in India are very less 3) Existing and well established brands in the FMCG sector 4)Good supply chain and distribution networks in both urban and rural markets 5) FDI of 51% in multi brand retail will redefine the entire retail sector with new entrants, improvements in supply chain and distribution networks 6) Demand for FMCG products is mostly inelastic WEAKNESS: 1) Counterfeit products: This is a major problem that is hampering the growth of the FMCG industry. Counterfeit products account for an estimated 10-15% of the total size of the FMCG industry which resulted in a loss of INR 45 billion to the exchequer. 2) The scope of investing in technology is less and it is difficult for companies to achieve economies of scale particularly the small sector ones. OPPORTUNITY: 1) The rural Indian market presents a huge opportunity for the FMCG sector as still most of it is untapped and yet to be explored 2) Slow and steady rise in per capita income of the Indian population would lead to increase in demand for FMCG products 3) Burgeoning middle class with a lot of potential to spend large amounts of their income on FMCG products 4) India has a huge domestic market with close to 1 billion population 5) Tremendous export potential THREAT: 1) Increasing rate of inflation which is likely to raise the cost of raw materials thereby increasing cost of production and putting stress on overall industry profits 2) Rise in fuel prices may further lead to increase in distribution costs 3) Declining value of the rupee against other currencies of the world may further reduce margins as cost of importing raw materials will rise 4) Dipping industrial growth and slowing global economy may lead to fall in demand for FMCG products Future of the FMCG sector in India (2020) As per recent estimates the FMCG industry may grow at a base rate of at least 12 per cent annually to become INR 4000 billion industry in 2020. However, if the economic conditions turn out to be favourable and everything goes as expected the sector may even record a 17 per cent growth over the next decade, leading to an overall industry size of INR 6200 billion by 2020. This however depends solely on the future economic scenario. Modern trade is expected to grow very rapidly in the future with its share in total retail projected to reach 11 per cent by 2014 and 30 per cent by 2020 This growth will be supported by: -High economic growth: GDP is expected to grow at 8-10 per cent in the future, boosting growth in all sectors. Increasing incomes: Incomes are expected to continue to rise which should further drive spending. Increasing urbanization: Organized retail will continue to increase presence in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities, which are growing faster than metros. -Improving infrastructure: The government is also focusing a lot on infrastructure development which is expected to improve the supply chain and distribution networks. Key to EDUCORPORATEBRIDGE investment rankings: BUY = Expected to outperform the local market by >10%; O-PF = Expected to outperform the local market by 0-10%; U-PF = Expected to underperform the local market by 0-10%; SELL = Expected to underperform the local market by >10%. Performance is defined as 12-month total return (including dividends). Â ©2011 EDUCORPORATEBRIDGE, India. Note: In the interests of timeliness, this document has not been edited. Other disclosures will come xXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX