Hierarchical Team

A hierarchical team is a type of team organization structure in which the team is divided into hierarchies and there are many middle management (Mohr 1982). There is an overall manager of the team who is place at the top of the hierarchy. This manager is responsible for leading or controlling the managers in each hierarchy to make sure that the team’s objectives are met as well as the overall objectives of the organization. The manager works with the middle managers to make sure that the team is ran smoothly and that the organizational goals are being achieved by the team. There is a manager in each hierarchy who is called a middle manager who is in charge of their own department. This helps the department to be independent and therefore is able to deal with their own problems in their department without bothering what the other departments are doing. The manager who is in charge of this department is leads the department towards achieving team goals (Heckscher and Donnellon 1994). The manager is responsible of the whole department at large and in making sure that the team’s objectives are being achieved as well as the overall objectives of the organization. The middle managers communicate their progress to the overall team manager who is able to evaluate performance and decide if the team is achieving the intended objectives as well as the overall objectives of the organization. Because in hierarchical teams the team is divided into hierarchies (Robbins and Judge 2007), the team is able to run smoothly because each department has its own jobs which are allocated to it and the department are able to undertake their jobs independently. This helps in making sure that the department or rather the hierarchy undertakes their work perfectly as they are responsible for themselves and can not blame any other department or hierarchy in case they do not deliver. This makes each department to work hard to achieve their target so as not to be blamed in case the team fails to achieve the intended objectives as well as organizational objectives. The team members are able to interact as they work and therefore (Thareja 2007), are able to combine their skills and achieve the organizational goals easily. The structure below shows how a hierarchical team looks like. A team in an organization is very important as it helps the people in an organization to work as team in order to achieve organizational goals. People are also able to work in a friendly environment and therefore, they are able to create a good working environment as well as a more relaxed environment. When people work when they are relaxed, they are able to deliver better than those people who work under any tension (Thareja 2007). Therefore, people in the hierarchical team are able to deliver well than those people that are working individually because; the people in the hierarchical team are able to interact as they perform their duties. Advantages of hierarchical team 1.Division of work- each hierarchy within the hierarchical team is allocated certain jobs to undertake, therefore, they are able to undertake the tasks (Lim and Sambrook 2010) because that is what they are good at and therefore are able to deliver the best. 2.Flexibility- within a team, there are people who are able to perform more than one tasks. Therefore, in case someone is absent in a department, another person is able to perform their duties and therefore, work is able to continue smoothly without much problem. 3.The hierarchies within the team are able to share ideas. This will help in making sure that the organizational goals are met. 4.Because the departments are independent, they are able to make their own decisions which is best for them and which will help them achieve the team’s goals as well as organizational goals. 5.Even though the whole hierarchy is a team, each department is allocated their particular job, makes the department to feel the ownership of a success (Pugh 1990). For example, if a department in a team is allocated the work of advertisement, the hierarchy will feel good if there is an increased sale. 6.Working as a team even though in a hierarchy boosts the morale of the workers. This is because, they are able to interact as they work, and the work is shared amongst the hierarchies. 7.Because the team is organized in an hierarchical manner, leadership is shared in that, a middle manager is allocated for each department (Thareja 2007), this helps in smooth running of the team and that, not just one person who is responsible for the team but several people according to the number of hierarchies in that team. 8.The team is able to deliver better products because they are comprised of a mixture of people with different talents and therefore, these talents can be used to achieve organizational goals. Disadvantages 1.Work can be divided unfairly amongst the departments. The work that the whole team is supposed to undertake may be divided unfairly amongst the departments or the hierarchies (Amaral and Uzzi 2007). This therefore means that some hierarchies or departments may be allocated more jobs than the others thus making them work more than the other departments. 2.Arguments amongst the departments may rise. In case the team’s objectives are not met, the departments may start blaming one another and thus result to arguments and even destroyed relationships in the organization. 3.Because each department is able to make their own decision, coordination of that team may be difficult as the departments work independently. 4.Because the hierarchical team focus more on working as a team rather than an individual, some talents and skills of some workers may become stagnant because they may not be needed or used in the team (Burns and Stalker 1961). 5.Poor communication because, communication is vertical in that, the top manager in the hierarchy has to communicate through the hierarchies while the manager at the bottom of the hierarchy has to reach the top manager vertically. 6.If one department fails to perform its tasks, it may lead to the failure of the whole team in that the whole team may not be able to achieve its goals.

Teen Mom Evaluation

Rachel Lee Prof. Goode English 190 October 24, 2012 Teen Mom: An Evaluation Don’t worry, everything is going to be fine. You’re just going to have to change the rest of your life. Many people think teen pregnancy is highly unlikely, until, well, your stomach starts to keep growing outward. The MTV show, Teen Mom, takes us into the lives of four pregnant teenage women who face the challenges and the struggles of having a child early in life.Many people might oppose my view and say that this show is completely worthless and just shows couples who have no idea what they’re doing, but for me, I believe that the show is an entertaining yet positive influence that brings out a visual reality of teenage pregnancy, a pregnancy that can change the rest of your life. One day back when I was around sixteen years old, I was flipping through the channels and stumbled upon MTV’s Teen Mom. The first thing that I realize about the show is that it is a reality t. v. show, which is the type of show I can usually get into.There may be some parts that are scripted, but honestly what reality t. v. show these days isn’t somewhat a little scripted? At first, the show had no effect on me. It was something I would only watch for around ten minutes then I would change to another channel, but before I knew it I had already watched all the seasons of it. Now Teen Mom is a guilty pleasure of mine. So what makes this show so easy for me to watch, and why do I like it so much now? First off, it’s not a show where you have to watch the very first episode and the next one picks off where the pervious one left off.You could watch any episode and understand what was going on. Another reason is that the show is so relatable since it is happening to girls who are around my age. I think back to my group of friends when watching the show and just think about what it would be like to have one of them on it. Also, the point of the show is very straight-forward . A girl gets pregnant while she a teen, she loses friendships, she loses her education, she loses money, and she gains disappointment from her family. Then you try to see how she copes with what happened, and how she continues to live her life, but this time with a child.Another thing that draws me to it is that I am a sucker for cute toddlers, and the show focuses not only on the lives of the couples but also on the child and how they develop through the parents’ struggles. I believe that the show scares teens with the reality of having a child. I think this show could be very practical for people who are in the same situation as the people on the show. I think this show was made to bring about peoples’ awareness of the issue on teenage pregnancy. To me, I think this was the purpose of the show, so the show has practicality.I think the show does a good job of being aesthetically pleasing. Instead of just focusing on one couple who undergoes the struggle of teen pregn ancy, they show the lives of four couples from around the world so you get a difference sense of how different people deal with this. The couples range from being well rounded and proper southern teenagers to teenagers who have no filter on their mouths and no discipline in their lives, which is a reason the show is entertaining for me. Each episode is never the same.There is always some new event going on in the lives of these teenagers, whether it’s a positive event or a negative event. The life of these teens seems to be an up and down rollercoaster that never stops. There is meaning to this show which is to inform people about teenage pregnancy so they will avoid it, and through the episodes you see that these teens learned that lesson, but learned it too late. Ethically, I believe that the show does bring about morally wrong decisions. One of the main women, Amber, is seen as an abusive wife to her husband, Gary.Throughout the season she is seen hitting, slapping, pushin g, and verbally abusing him. When things go downhill, she seems to take it out on him in front of their child, Leah. Also another woman, Farrah is seen in countless fights with her mother, some involving punches to the face resulting in black eyes, so domestic violence and abuse seem to be an issue with the show. Also, another woman on the show has a father who is seen in and out of rehab and prison due to drugs. The father has also been said to have abused his wife throughout the show.With this being said, there are some obscene events that do go on throughout the show that could offend some viewers. If you’re looking for a show that goes into the glamorous lifestyle of a famous family or couple, this probably would not be the show for you, but if you’re looking for a show that provides an entertaining look into the lives of your average teenage couple who deal with an everyday struggle, I would highly recommend this show. Some people may see the show as a comedy, but underneath it all it gives them the hard and scary truth about what it would be like to be a teen mom. Related post: Social Studies SBA on Teenage Pregnancy

Computer Games †Good or Bad

Before we decide whether or not computer/video games are bad, there are many facts and opinions to consider. For example, many people feel that these games are too violent and that they cause an undervelopment in the frontal lobe. Others feel that games are helpful and educational. There is also a health concern. According to Professor Ryuta Kawashima, â€Å"The importance of this discovery cannot be underestimated. There is a problem we will have with a new generation of children – who play computer games – that we have never seen before.The implications are very serious for an increasingly violent society and these students will be doing more and more bad things if they are playing games and not doing other things like reading aloud or learning arithmetic. † I do not agree with this statement fully, though I can understand that it does occur in some cases. I love playing computer and video games. When I was younger I used to play a James Bond game with my frien ds. We also played Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter. I used to love those games, and I remember making them â€Å"turn off the blood† because I ddin’t like that side to it.I still play video games, and though they may include shooting, fighting and other violence, you don’t see me beating up somebody because of a video game. I do know that there are some bad people in the world who have hurt someone because they were influenced by violent games. Another concern is the underdevelopment of the frontal lobe. As written by Tracy McVeigh, education editor, â€Å"Whenever you use self control to refrain from lashing out or doing something you should not, the frontal lobe is hard at work. Children often do things they shouldn’t because their frontal lobes are underdeveloped.The more work done to theicken the fibres connecting the neurons in this part of the brain, the better the child’s ability will be to control their behaviour. The more the area is sti mulated, the more these fibres will thicken. † I think I agree with this statement, becasue I have seen the behaviour of the people around me, they seem out of control sometimes. They speak before they think, they fight constantly and are always in other people’s faces. One guy states â€Å"I’m not going to argue that violent entertainment is harmless.I think it has helped inspire some people to real-life violence. I am going to argue that it’s helped hundreds of people for every one it’s hurt, and that it can help far more if we learn to use it well. I am going to argue that our fear of ‘youth violence’ isn’t well-founded on reality and that the fear can do more harm than the reality. We act as though our highest priority is to prevent our children fron growing up into murderous thugs – but modern kids are far more likely to grow up too passive, too distrustful of themselves, too easily manipulated†.I agree more wi th him than Professor Kawashima, because I don’t find that video games influence EVERYONE to be violent. I feel that they release anger by hurting fictional characters on a screen rathern than real-life people and animals. Professor Angela McFarlane says â€Å"Adventure, quest and simulation type games have a lot of benefit – they’re quite complex and create a context in which children can develop important skills†¦We’re not advocating arcate, shot-the-baddie type games†¦Now that’s interesting when the stereotype is that children play on the computer exclusively on their own.Teachers and parents then broke that down into skills of negotiation, planning, strategic thinking and decision-making. † I feel that if television can teach us, so can video games. Video and computer games can cause health problems. In every instruction book for games there are warnings. Some people suffer from a condition called Photosensitive Epilepsy. As sa id by Professor Graham Harding, â€Å"Photosensitive epilepsy is best defined as a tendency to recurrent convulsions, precipitated either by flashing lights or patterns. † I have only ever had one fit in my life, when I was younger.I was diagnosed with occipital epilepsy. I’ve always played video games and hadn’t had a problem. We got a PS2 (PlayStation 2) for Christmas last eyar, and while I was playing I felt dizzy. This occured with every game on PS2 except Buzz, though it’s a quiz game and doesn’t have all those flashy graphics. I can play on the Computer, my Nintendo DS and my GameCube without a problem, it seems to just be the PS2. I agree that video games can cause health problems, though if you do everything you need to (e. g. not playing a certain game, having a break etc. you should be alright. Computer games – are they good or bad? In my opinion, I think that they are enjoyable, though they aren’t for some people. Those peo ple who can be so cruel as to murder an innocent kitten or beat up a person due to these games are the reasons why there are doubts about computer and video games. Computer games are both good and bad. Good because they are enjoyable and can be educational, though bad because they cause some violence. Just remember, more people kill in the name of God than violent computer games.

Marketing research about organic food Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing about organic food - Research Paper Example Open ended questions were used to allow the respondents room to express their opinions. In these questions, there were no set of expected responses, this was to try and get true, insightful and probably unexpected answers too. An example of this kind was in the question if they considered organic to be a healthier option. Closed format questions were also used where respondents were restricted one and any of the multiple choices. These kinds of questions strengthened the questionnaire as they had no limit to the maximum number of multiple choices supplied. Its use was a strategy in ensuring an easy preliminary analysis. Embarrassing questions were avoided to minimize the chances of not developing a rapport with the respondents. The questionnaire under discussion involved both quantitative and qualitative methods in collecting the data. These methods were enhanced in the closed questions which would later play an ideal role while calculating percentages and statistical data where the answer sets were defined. According to Wilson, this kind of questionnaire could be described to have met its purpose as it consisted of all the characteristics of a quality questionnaire. The data got from this formation of a questionnaire had a high likelihood of generating accurate and true data. While pre-testing the questionnaire, a cheap method to detect problems, it can be noted that on comparing age versus exercise, the results did not indicate that the younger demographic was likely to exercises. However this did not necessarily influence their likelihood to buy organic. It is clearer that one crucial entity that would have further impacted the results of the questionnaire was awareness. Where the respondents had prior information on the benefits of organic food, it might not have matter, what age bracket they were in but would most definitely go for the organic option. A change in the questionnaire would be devised where a question ought to

Cooperative Systems (Evolution of Management Class) Essay

Cooperative Systems (Evolution of Management Class) - Essay Example There should be communication links between management and employees. Each and every employee should be regarded as an individual and his individual requirements should be identified and fulfilled in order to motivate him to work jointly with his coworkers for the organizational goals. The organization is a cooperative structure where each employee’s requirements are satisfied. According to Bernard, the management of an organization has the responsibility to make sure that employees are prepared to recognize the organizational goals as their joint goals so that they can support the organization jointly. Employees’ individual motives should be associated with organizational goals. Therefore, employees’ satisfaction and organizational goals are linked to one another and cannot be accessed without each other’s assistance. The managements of the organizations, which are functional nowadays, have to keep the principle of employee satisfaction within their view as it is quite relevant for running successful organizations. The managers are required to keep comprehensible links with their employees so that they are well aware of each other’s requirements.

Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Development - Essay Example rnment to support humanitarian causes, the provisions and limitations of monetary allowances, & more importantly, how money translated to distinct help reaches a certain group of beneficiaries. With this said, I would say that this book is really a substantial tool for average or ordinary readers who are not necessarily involved in any humanitarian causes to understand how organizations seek to aid humanitarian crisis and will serve as a light to start motivating themselves to be part of a bigger cause, to help make the world a better place for everyone. Digging deeper to the content of the book, I would say that one of the most striking statement from the book would be, â€Å"building the resilience of vulnerable populations is an essential part of achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and is not well served by responses that create a false partition between chronic poverty and vulnerability to crisis.† (Randel, J., p.6). With the ongoing concerns tackling whether humanitarian efforts really help poor societies build a better future or just further hinder their ability to support themselves without the assistance of anyone is now on the spotlight as this book emphasizes the need to draw a line between helping them and feeding on their dependence on the government or NGOs. Of course, this is another case that has two sides of the story. We cannot deny the reality of poor communities who really need the support from humanitarian organizations to give them the tools to gain an equal chance of at least survival. Howe ver, it is also crucial to clearly set guidelines to avoid humanitarian efforts to be a weapon that would destroy a community’s drive to better themselves. As it is said, it is better to teach someone how to fish rather than just feeding him fish. A distinct example of which would be Korea where humanitarian efforts go beyond financial support, instead, builds resilience among the beneficiaries through cash-based programming, enabling people

Human security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Human security - Essay Example The author believes that the deeper understanding on the ideas will be attained by examining the opposing and concordant views on human security. The articles reviewed have become as compelling as they present realistic and eye-opener accounts, yet antithetical in some degree. Overview of Chandler’s Work The article by David Chandler entitled, Human Security: The Dog That Didn’t Bark provides an important revelation on the â€Å"deconstruction of myth that human security shows a typical conflict between the state and the individual security† (Owen 2008). Chandler’s article is based on the analysis of the two books namely, Human Security: Concepts and Implications written by Shahrbanou Tadjbakhsh & Anuradha M. Chenoy and A Decade of Human Security: Global Governance and New Multilateralisms written by Mclean, Black & Shaw. Chandler started his argument through citing the idea that global policy making overbearingly suggests two different views. One view poi nted out the construal of the dynamics of the society’s power relationships and inequalities, as well as insecurities. The other view pertained to the idea of identifying the interrelatedness, interconnection, and susceptibilities of security threats and the urgency for composite, cooperative, human-centered answers. Chandler’s First Argument While Tadjbakhsh and Chenoy claimed that human, as well as the state, should work interdependently, Chandler (2008) conceded that human and the state are indivisible, yet gave consideration to the importance of examining the problem that transpires regarding the state’s collaboration of its idea outside of its absolute model. Chandler ended up criticizing that the authors are more involved with advocacies instead of the evaluation of definite process of human security. Chandler’s first argument stated that â€Å"human security exaggerates new post-cold war security threats† (Chandler 2008, 435). This argument is compelling as it contradicts to the paradigm of human security. The author contended that one of the prevailing reasons why the human security has been applied wrongly by the state is because it overstated the post-cold war security threats. Chandler (2008) claimed that with the absence of conventional adversaries like terrorists, human security processes close the gap securitization issue like environmental, health, and economic security. Nevertheless, inquiry is not about how these issues are securitized but rather it is more important to evaluate the result of these actions. Since Chandler declined to elaborate the result of these actions, it is safe to assume that he falls short of accusing Tadjbakhsh and Chenoy for not considering the connection between normative theory and policy procedures. Chandler’s Second Argument Further, Chandler (2008, 435) argued that â€Å"human security advocates locate these threats in the developing world.† While there are other pa rt of the developed countries, which also have security problems, advocates can also be considered as correct since majority of the people who experienced security problems like extreme poverty are located in developing countries. These people are more vulnerable that is why it has given more attention. In contrast, Chandler (2008) argued that the causal link of human security processes in a globalized world do not exist at all is somewhat questionable since the actual connection solely depends on what dependent variable is utilized. As what Paris (2001) suggests,

Dominant Cultures and Subcultures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Dominant Cultures and Subcultures - Essay Example Subcultures are mainly possessed by minority groups in the society and, therefore, have little or no influence to the dominant culture. Understanding the impact of culture is essential since one is able to learn people’s behavior. In essence, understanding the impact of culture facilitates proper planning of activities. In addition, one can study the behavior of others and make a proper judgment regarding people’s ethics. There are various avenues where cultural differences are clearly shown in the society, for instance, on religious matters and social structures. In many instances, people in the society have varied religious faiths and believe in different social constructions. Dominant cultures seem to control the political, socio-cultural and economic structures in the society. These differences in cultural constructions stress the need for comprehensive studies on culture diversity in order to know how to live harmoniously in a cultural diversified society. In order to embrace cultural diversity, the society should accept all cultures and provide a common ground for both the dominant and subcultures. In addition, proper education structures should be developed so that members of the society can learn the importance of cultural diversity. In summary, cultural diversity is an important feature for steering development in any community. In this regard, diversity should be encouraged in all spheres of

Plz make my college app perfect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Plz make my college app perfect - Essay Example I find this combination moving due to the depth of inspiration that I can derive from them. My faith and belief ultimately leads me to create how things I wanted to me, and religion which is a repository of countless arts forms of masters, both old and new, where man’s genius in art was and still is best illustrated is an excellent source of inspiration to draw upon. From these two potent forces, I then create my own art form through my paint that breathe life on my subjects be it on my canvass or other mediums that inspiration may find suitable. My artworks are mostly made of patterns which I use to expand my old way of doing a mystery piece by mixing my pattern design with a portrait. This method brings out a very powerful impression on my portraits that impresses a strong emotion. So far, it is also the best method that I have tried that could show more of my idea about ideal beauty. I also do it against the backdrop of many different cultures where I borrow what I feel to be best suited for my portrait to come up with unimaginable great result. I think many artists experience that feeling of being deeply immersed in their paintings that they lose track of time whenever they are engage with their work. Such is my case. I am very meticulous to details and spend a great deal time to be able to portray what I have in mind and I do not stop until I feel it is right. Being faithful to that idea of the ideal of giving truth to beauty is what animates me in my studio for hours as I explore the province of dreams through my artworks. I feel like that if I stop short of what I feel and believe is right, I am betraying my art. Such, I pursue it until I found the truth and had them manifested in my artwork. I do not mine the countless hours, days, even weeks that I will spend to achieve the ideal in my artworks. I am willing to do it again and again knowing that the opportunity to touch the human

Association of Consulting Engineering Companies (ACEC), Canada Research Paper

Association of Consulting Engineering Companies (ACEC), Canada - Research Paper Example The sequential approach of ADDIE is also followed by the instructional design document. In first place the ACEC audience will be analyzed for future training needs, the success of the instructional design depends heavily on the accuracy of the needs analysis. This will provide the basis for the design selection which includes the course format and any sub-phases The second phase begins with instructional needs identified in the analysis part and the design of the instructional design is discussed by the designer. Instructional strategy, course format, and the medium of instruction will also be finalized at this stage. Finally the course will be developed to achieve the desired instructional goals for ACEC, Canada. The instructional plan will ensure the induction of relevant material will keep the course outline as short as possible. Keeping the interest of the audience alive is an important requirement in development phase. The implementation of the instructional design will finalize the plan rollout timings, logistic and availability of resources deemed necessary for the completion of the course. This includes administrative support and availability of training staff to conduct the course. In final phase of the ADDIE model the evaluation of the overall instructional design will be assessed in terms of trainee’s capacity building and company’s objective realization. The quality of evaluation lies in its objectivity and the strength it introduces in the instructional design. ... Training of newly inducted engineers Analysis of training facilities presently available Coaching facilities for affiliated Companies Instructional facilities for Advance Technologies Lack of Academic Staff Qualitative and Quantitative Needs Required Training facilities (Quantitative) Facilities for Advance Technologies (Qualitative) Needs identified for ACEC All new engineers are required to have comprehensive training before they can be actually deployed at a real life project (Felt Need) Training for advance technologies is mandatory for the Core Professional Engineers at ACEC (Anticipated Need) Association has to plan training for affiliated companies time and again and permanent training need exists under this category (Felt Need) Lack of academic staff (Felt Need) Trainers training (Comparative Need) Selected Need Training of newly inducted engineers Instructional facilities for Advance Technologies Training of Newly Inducted Engineers Need analysis of the ACEC has established a â€Å"Felt Need† of providing training to newly inducted engineers in ACEC. The engineers current performance and excellence is satisfactory however it does not match the mission statement for the ACEC, therefore suggests a gap between the existing and desired level of excellence. The need was established after a qualitative interview session conducted with engineers of various domains and was responded by 95% engineers in favor of initial training. Instructional Goal Polishing critical skills in fresh engineering graduates thus enabling them to produce quality engineering models. Performance-Based Objectives A – audience – Fresh Engineering Graduates B – behavior – Skill enhancement C – conditions – ACEC’ Excellence D – Getting quality engineering Models Instructional

Sexual Fetishes Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Sexual Fetishes - Research Paper Example They are difficult to treat, partially because the individual may not want to give up the fetish, partially because the fetish is becoming more socially acceptable and they do not really harm anybody, and partially because there has not been an adequate treatment created (Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders). However, sexual fetishism is only one type of fetish – the term fetishism can extend to any kind of object that is used for worship, such as religious objects or commodities (Dant, 1996, p. 5). According to Kafka (2009) the DSM-III does not account for individuals who have a fetish with certain body parts that are living, such as feet or hands. The hair and nails are considered to be non-living, which is why they were accorded a part of the DSM diagnosis for sexual fetishes and things like a fetish for hands and feet were not (Kafka, 2009). They were, however, later included in the DSM-III-R as being considered to be part of partialism, which was considered to be Paraphilia Not Otherwise Specified (Kafka, 2009). The DSM-III-R expanded the definition of sexual fetishism from the DSM-III, stating that sexual fetishism is defined as â€Å"a) over a period of at least six months, recurrent sexual urges and sexually arousing fantasies involving the use of nonliving objects by themselves; b) the person has acted on these urges, or is markedly distressed by them; and c) the fetishes are not only articles of clothing used in cross-dressing, or devices designed for the purpose of tactile genital stimulation† (DSM-III-R 302.81). However, the DSM-III-R no longer mentioned body parts or products, such as hair and nails, but, rather, common objects such as stockings, bras, women’s underpants, boots, shoes and other wearing apparel. These definitions, including classifying being sexually aroused by body parts such as feet and hands as partialism, or paraphilia not otherwise specified, have persisted in the DSM-IV and the DSM-IV TR (Kafka, 2009). Kafka (2009) discussed whether there should be a separate distinction between partialism and fetishism. Kafka concluded that the definition of fetishism be expanded to include partialism under the rubric of fetishism, as opposed to leaving the definition of partialism as being considered a paraphilia not otherwise specified (Kafka, 2009). One of the reasons why there is a separate category is that there is a necessity, for one to be diagnosed with any type of fetishism, that the individual cannot be sexually aroused unless he or she is in the presence of the particular inanimate object, or that this inanimate object is the primary way that the individual is sexually aroused. If the definition were expanded to include body parts, such as hands and feet, then fetishism loses its very definition, as the majority of people have hands and feet, so it goes without saying that hands and feet will be present in the vast majority of sexual situations(Kafka, 2009). Therefore, fetishism becomes blur red if hands and feet are included in the definition – if a person has a â€Å"fetish† with body parts that are present in most people, then that object will almost always be present, so there is no way of telling if the individual would be sexually aroused if the object such as the hands or feet are not present. On the other hand, when speaking of a true fetish, such as

Dr. Randy Pausch Essay Example for Free

Dr. Randy Pausch Essay Dr. Randy Pausch was an American professor of computer Science and human-computer interaction and design at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He learned that he had suffering from the pancreatic cancer in September 2006, and in August 2007 he was giving a terminal diagnosis:†3 to 6 months of good health left.† He gave an upbeat lecture titled â€Å"The Last Lecture: Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.† On September 18, 2007, at Camegie Mellon University. On the stage that day, Randy was youthful, energetic, handsome, often cheerfully, darkly funny. He seemed invincible. But this was a brief moment, as he himself acknowledged. If you knew you were going to die and you had one last lecture. What would you say to your students? For Dr. Randy Pausch, there’s an elephant in the room and the elephant in the room is that for him it wasn’t hypothetical. It has now come back after surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation and the doctor told him there’s nothing to do and he has months to live. These are his most recent CT scans. The pancreatic cancer has spread to his liver. They’re approximately a dozen tumors. Even though he don’t like this but he can’t do anything about the fact that he is going to die. The Last Lecture by Dr. Randy Pausch on Oprah was about childhood dreams. His childhood dreams were being in the National Football League. This is one of the childhood dreams he didn’t achieve and it’s very important to know that, if you don’t achieve your dreams, you can still get a lot by trying for it. Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you wanted. Dr. Randy Pausch’s second dream is to become a Walt Disney Imaginary. When he was eight, his family took the Pilgrimage to Disneyland in California and it was this incredible experience. The rides and the shows and the attractions and everything and he said, gosh, I’d like to make stuff like that when he get older. So he graduated from college and he tried to become an Imagineer. T hese are the people who make the magic. He got a lovely rejection letter and then he tried again after graduated school and he have kept all of these rejection letters over the years as an inspiration. But then the darndest thing happened. He worked hard and worked hard and he became a junior faculty member and he specialized in doing certain kinds of research. He developed a skill that was valuable to Disney and he got a chance to go there. Finally, he become a part of an Imagineering team and they worked on something called Aladdin’s Magic Carpet  Ride and it was incredibly cool however it took him over 15 years to do it and lots of tries. What he learned from that the brick walls that are in our way are there for a reason. They are not there to keep us out. They are there to give us a way to show how much we want it. Dr. Randy have a good relationship with his parents. His father is an incredible guy and he fought in World War II. He was clearly part of the greatest generation. Sadly, his father passed away a little over a year ago and when his mother was going through his thing that was when she discovered that in World War II, he was awarded the Bronze Star for valor. His mother was always there to keep him in check. Dr. Randy believed his parents encouraged him to cultivate his creative talents by letting him paint rockets on the walls of his house. When he got older and he bought his first car and he was so excited. According to Dr. Randy, people are more important than things. He just emptying a can of soda onto the back seat of his car when his sister was explains to his niece and nephew so they will not get his car dirty. He explain to her sister about it’s just a thing. Dr. Randy know he will dying soon so he choose to have fun today, tomorrow, and every other day he have left. If you want to achieve your dreams, you better work and play well with others. For him, a good apology has three parts, I’m sorry, it was my fault and how do I make it right? Most people skip that third part. Dr. Randy show his gratitude to the group of kids who helped him gets his dream job by brought them to Disney world. When people asked ‘How could you do it?’ and he said ‘How could I not do it?’ Gratitude is a very simple thing and it’s a very powerful thing. If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself. The dreams will come to you. If you live properly, the dreams will come to you.

The main premises and limitations of functionalism

The main premises and limitations of functionalism The theory I have chosen is functionalism, whose basis is the systemic nature of culture, or what might be most appropriately designated as a glue concept of culture. I am however, deeply aware that no theory explains everything and every theory has its limitations, reason why the grand theories all failed: calling for complementarity in the theoretical frameworks and methodological assumptions that informs our research. This fact explains the continuous growth of theory in anthropology from evolutionism with its unilineality to poststructuralist theories today. In what follows, I will explain and illustrate the main premises of functionalism, and highlight the limitations of the functionalist framework. Functionalism was one of the earliest anthropological theories. Its main theoretical postulate is an analogy of the human organism as a microcosm of society: parts as making up the whole, different individuals playing different roles and having different statuses, although one individual can have different statuses simultaneously. According to this metaphor, the various parts of the human body like the traits and institutions of a culture are interrelated and work together to ensure its proper functioning (see Barth, 1979:20-22). Following one of functionalisms precursors, Polish-born British anthropologist Malinowski, who is associated with bio-cultural/psychological functionalism, cultural institutions are meant to meet human instrumental needs: economics, social control, education, political organization among others. On the other hand, Radcliffe-Brown who developed the idea of social structure presents human society as based on networks of social relationship and that institution s maintain society as a system. The difference between Malinowski and Radcliffe-Brown is that unlike the former who emphasizes the individual, the latter sees the individual as irrelevant'(Goldschmidt,1996:510) As a critique against evolutionism, diffusionism and historicism, functionalism wanted a shift away from speculative history and cultural survivals to ahistorical synchronic study of social institutions within bounded, functioning societies(Young,1991:445). The core idea of the functionalists was to look for the reality of events in their present day manifestations. This does not imply a wholesome rejection of history per se but rather, a rejection of what Harris (1968:524) calls pseudo-history. Methodologically speaking, the functionalists viewed society in systematic terms, parts as being dependent on one another so as to maintain social equilibrium, but they recognized the prospects for internal social conflicts and disequilibrium. The second methodological premise is that of intensive fieldwork through the traditional method of participant observation. It implies in this case, the search for functional relationships among customs and institutions as a useful mechanism of abstracting data. And thirdly, analysis was to be based on short time scale. As recent advances in anthropological and sociological theory suggests, culture is contestation and we need to write against the whole concept of culture so as to embrace the very dynamism of anthropological fieldwork due to the mobility of subjects owing to globalization. Gupta and Ferguson (1997:4) have rightly called for anthropology to embrace changing trends in contemporary world marked by people, objects and ideas rapidly shifting. These shifts; they argue have changed the notion of the field as a fixed territorial space and of people as immobile and dealt a serious blow to the traditional notion of community as bounded. This is quite evident when considering new tribes like refugees, migrants, displaced and nomadic communities. They note that culture is not bounded and therefore does not occupy designated spaces. They further note that such conception do not account for people inhabiting borderlands nor do they factor in cultural differences of people occupying the same geogra phical space. They further assert that post-coloniality and globalization have heralded the idea of hybrid cultures in which concepts like identity and solidarity are no longer based on proximity to marked spaces and contact zones and thus making the case for a radical re-thinking of anthropological models of analysis (Ibid). Following Appadurai, (1991; 191,196), the contemporary world structured by the overarching effects of globalization has become quite de-territorialized in ways that have altered the conception of locality and space. In the same light, Fox and Gingrich note that of late, the notion of whole cultures or integrated societies has been questioned and new ideas about globalization, cultural flows, fragmentation and fluid signs have been touted as definitive blows to anthropologys traditional objects of study: local communities of some order (2002:27). Clifford also observed that ethnographic studies seeking to disassociate themselves from totalizing anthropology use multiple allegories (1986:103). Against this backdrop, there has been a shift from single to multiple case studies: study individuals both in the village and in the urban milieu to which they have migrated, from single to multiple case studies, calling for the need to always extend out beyond the locale of natives and capture the voices of those away from home since migration may presuppose a change or modification of values and lifestyle. Multiple case study designs have been variously justified: Ethnographic data from multiple-case studies is often considered more persuasive and thus making the overall study more robust (Yin, 1994:141). A multiple case study exposes regularities through the simultaneous inspection of numerous cases (Eckstein, 2000:137). All other things being equal, a finding emerging repeatedly in the study of numerous sites (a multi-site study) would seem to be more likely to be a good working hypothesis about some yet unstudied site than a finding emerging from just one or two sites (Schofield, 2000:79). Such a study is capable of going beneath the political binaries (Burawoy,1998:6) of researcher and subject, local, national and international contexts so as to uncover multiple processes, interests and identities since the postcolonial context provides fertile ground for re-condensing these proliferating differences around local, national, and global links in view of the fact that various actors and stakeholders are multiply drawn into alliances at all levels (Buroway,1998:11). Like any other theoretical perspective, functionalism has received its own share of criticisms. Among these is the fact that the presence of an institution cannot precede its existence usefully suggesting that functionalist explanations carry a hardened notion of culture which is obviously not the case because historical processes are always at work. It is further assumed not to be concerned with social processes and to negate cross-cultural comparison because it sees every institution insitu. As one of the earliest anthropological theories, its forerunners suffered from lack of historical data in so-called primitive societies which might have greatly inhibited the quality of the data they obtained and therefore the type of analysis and theory they eventually came to construct. Secondly, proto-anthropology was begun by non-professionals: missionaries, travelers, and colonial administrators who wrote mostly to exoticize the communities they had come in contact with and to entertain people. First hour anthropologists were therefore partly preoccupied with making sense of these societies from the standpoint of the natives through participant observation. They were further preoccupied with particular questions, particular institutions, how societies that were presumed to have no histories and other institutions were capable of meeting particular cultural needs. Generally, they adopted an encyclopedic tradition, trying unlike today to study and grasp the functional relevance an d interrelationships of every institution to the other within a given culture. E.E. Evans-Pritchards (1940) classic study of the Nuer for instance, shows how an understanding of social structure is important to grasping the overall functioning of Nuer acephalous society. He does this using his concepts of fussion and fission, segmentation and combination with segments of the same order. By so doing, he demonstrates that in politics there are no permanent enemies. Malinowskis study of the Trobriand Islanders of New Guinea and the ceremonial annual kula Ring exchange shows its association with magic, religion, kinship and trade. In the same light, in Argonautes of the Western Pacific (1922), he paints a total picture of the peoples life through participant observation detailing among others, their technology, sexual life, everyday life and conflict resolution. One way of going beyond the limitations of these studies would have been to see these societies in historical context, as dynamic over time since the overall vision of the functionalist was not to negate history but rather, only to explain the present. Such a view will reconceptualize culture, not as based on consensus but rather as renegotiated by stakeholders in the light of changing circumstances. They dealt with circumscribed field sites and therefore did not go beyond local or how extra-local forces affected individuals in the societies that they studied. It is true from the history of sociological theory that every theoretical perspective has its shortcomings, calling for the need for complementarity. This is even more accentuated because social phenomena are multifaceted- different causal factors might explain the existence of a particular phenomenon. For instance, the classic example of Durkheims suicide based on observation may not be tenable today because of changes in soci al structures. Theories are rooted in particular historical epochs. Time changes and certain explanations become untenable, calling for more research and the need to reformulate old theories or discard them totally. This further demonstrates the spatio-temporal relativity of truth. There are of course, no universal truths despite the existence of cultural universals. Functionalist theories emerged as a response to the crisis of social order, seemingly the outcome of two developments. The first was industrial society with its loss of community, poor working conditions and increase in crime. The second was the French revolution with its ideals of equality, happiness and freedom of the individual. These two events were influential in the development of the consensus theory, although this theory fails to address conflict. Often times, some studies are replicated using different theoretical assumptions over time demonstrating that no theory is capable of explaining every aspect of human society. This explains why some anthropologists return to their field sites several years later so as to map the various changes that have taken place after their fieldwork. The dilemma with grand theories such as functionalism is their claim of attempting to explain every known phenomenon in the universe. The Durkheimian theory on suicide for example, seems to present a unilineal view of culture- some social groups and people with a protestant religious ethos are more prone to commit suicide than others. But even within a group, the groups values are constantly being contested and each group in reality might have multiple identities. Culture is actually a constant field of contest, negotiation and constant renegotiation. In summary, functionalism was geared towards investigating particular phenomenon using particular theoretical assumptions and methodological approaches. The authors were preoccupied with particular questions which largely determined their theoretical assumptions and above all, these theories were imbricated in particular historical moments and with changing times, some of their assumptions have been shown to be faulty.

Marketing strategies of Burberry

Marketing strategies of Burberry The marketing of the business will focus on providing value to the customers both through the products sold and information provided through online outlets (Schultz and Kitchen, 2000). The basic ploy for Burberry has always been to have a signature trend this is perhaps the most exciting and dynamic part of their management strategy, and they have managed to keep that aspect alive from conception to the modern day products as well (Clancy et al, 2000). One pattern that they have always fallen back on as a signature of their brand has been the distinguishable tartan pattern. This is a huge advantage for a retail marketing plan as having a signature like that can be used very effectively in the displays and designs used to further spread the image of the brand. Furthermore, another major advantage for designing the retail marketing plan for Burberry is that it has an iconic product like the trench coat which can also be used intelligently in retail marketing. The basic idea of the retail marketing plan for Burberry here is to design a marketing mix that will work best with the management techniques already being applied in the company (Day, 2004). The Burberry Group plc is a very popular and successful clothing and fashion line based out of London, UK (Day, 2004). The Burberry brand also incorporates a manufacturing industry for all its clothing as well as relevant fashion accessories for a specific group. Burberry has already made its name retailing their trademarks across branded outlets all over the world and in multi-outlet malls (Finch, 2005). Furthermore, it already has five established brands that are globally recognized, which are: Burberry London the core branding image Thomas Burberry Burberry Brit Burberry Sport Burberry Prorsum (Finch, 2005). SITUATION ANALYSIS The purpose of designing and implementing a retail marketing plan now is to make sure that the overall sales ratio of the Burberry brand increases on the international front. This of course cant without first conducting the SWOT and PEST analysis on the global scale as well. SWOT: The core strength is established brand recognition and established trademark style. Established media and distribution network also adds up to its potency. The major weakness arises as it is a premium product and hence can only aim for upper income families as opposed to the masses with its high price range. It has limited spread in the Asian market. Opportunity would be Chinas booming fashion industry as it could be a great venture. Threat is from newer and cheaper brands offering same product range globally. PEST: There is little pressure politically on the brand. In fact it has support as Queen Elizabeth II and Prince of Wales both have given Royal grants to the brand in the past. The European economic crisis is a great threat to the pricing of Burberry and hence calls for a repositioning of the price rationale. There are very few social limitations in developing countries. The social cultures are very different. The apparels consumed differ demographically and culturally. The technically developed countries are the major markets to enter. The online shopping strategies are easy to implement and expand the shopping platform. OBJECTIVES Business to Customer Objectives: The smart objectives chosen for the retail marketing plan for Burberry are: Creating awareness: The primary aim of retail marketing plan is to make sure that the chosen brand is represented visually to the target audience, hence investing in designing the store or creative magazines, giveaways, etc will be the focus of this marketing plan. Furthermore, the marketing will be far more focused with this approach (Philip and Kevin 2006) Another aim would be to make sure that the retailing allows the customers to discover the product as a must-have which will deflect their attention from the pricing criteria. This can be done through focusing primarily on the product and its quality making the customers believe that they are investing in a product that is worth the price tag (Philip, 2008) The final aim will be to improve the overall percentage of sales for the company both locally and internationally. This will be done through timely, intelligent and cost-aware allocation of resources with the use of innovative management theories that will increase overall profit ratios and sales ratios (Schultz and Kitchen, 2000). Burberrys expansion into Europe would be a smart move particularly fashion locale, Paris and Beijing. Increasing franchising in Japan will be another smart move. The sales percentage anticipated would be at 6% in these countries. Deeper penetration in China by opening 8 stores. More details of sales forecasts are given in the later sections. Management Objectives (B2B): Marketing management is really crucial in all retail marketing plans as its only through the marketing strategies that the retail image can be sold (Joshi, 2005), hence some of the really important marketing management goals must include the following aspects: Consistent analysis of the progress of retail strategies. Recording customers response to retail designs and mediums. Managing personable associations with all complementary partners to accelerate the retail visibility for Burberry as well as conduct word-of-mouth advertising. Engaging not just the customers but also the employees i.e. to keep the motivation levels high in order to guarantee that the quality or intensity of the marketing plan does not falter after the first wave of activities. Keeping the above points in mind retail management goals, locally and internationally, must incorporate the following in the long run: Retain as well as increase the percentage of customers investing in and purchasing the brand (Joshi, 2005) Increase in sales by 6 % in 1st year 10% in 2nd year and 12% in 3rd year Increase revenue by channels Retailing: Increase by 5% through opening of new stores in Beijing and Paris. Licensing: Increase by 7% Leveraging franchise in Japan. STRATEGY Segmentation: The market segmentation for Burberry is every straight forward and can be divided into the following characteristics and personality aspects (Zinderman, 2009): Primary age group: 18-30 years old. Secondary age group: 30-40 years old (Zinderman, 2009) Students and working youngsters Preferably those with a strong sense of style and creative instinct (Zinderman, 2009) Families in the a higher income group i.e. with earnings that allow discretionary expense (Zinderman, 2009) Individuals who are not afraid to stand out in a crowd and single-handedly try to bring about a positive change (Zinderman, 2009) Pricing strategy: Since Burberry is a premium brand with its target audience belonging to the upper middle class, the pricing will complement that stance. Giveaways or small gifts will be priced from 40 pounds and upwards depending upon the intricate design of the gift chosen. Majority of the clothes will be priced between 200 pounds to and upwards of 1000 pounds and more ranging from items like scarves, cap and other smaller items being priced in the low ranges and the trademarked trench coats being priced in the upper ranges. Hence, the tactic of pricing used here is differential. The prices will of course be aimed to be lower than previously recorded by the branded due to the global expansion into economies that are experiencing financial crisis as well. Positioning Burberry as a fashion brand has the following factors that design its positioning and make it stand out from the rest High dependency on the latest and trendiest fashions this is well represented through the use of multiple product brands and lines that are launched in the competitive market. Hence each product line specializes in a certain type of demand which does not impact the quality of the end product either (Ries and Trout, 2000) Investing in the premium luxury accessories and fashion items this is done through the use of old and new license projects conducted with all the relevant business partners (Ries and Trout, 2000) Gap Dashboard The gap dashboard for Burberry can be designed using the marketing metrics. These metrics will be collected after at least a week of the product being open in the POS structure. All the stats will be recorded and then the gap dashboard will be used to conduct monthly comparison and analysis to see how the projected results match the anticipated results and how the progress complements the initial goals of the retail plan. The Gap Dashboard will allow the marketing manager as well as the CEO to assess where the loopholes lie for the inefficient achievement of market goals. The table (Appendix 1.1) shows a hypothetical anticipated result scenario for Burberry under this particular retail marketing plan (Lenskold, 2003). IMPLEMENTATION To complement the above goals, the following tactical strategies must be employed: In Japan, China and Paris: Using the facilities of IT and internet to spread word online using the various social network websites and outlets. This will also present more visual options for the company that could not be employed in other tangible retail activities (Joshi, 2005) Globally: Using the facilities of newsletters (online and offline) along with magazines, booklets, etc to showcase Burberrys creative angles and its past success (Keller, 2002) In Japan, China and Paris: Use sponsorship techniques for arts colleges and universities to scope out the real target market (as explained in the segmentation above) (Keller, 2002) Globally: Similarly, offering internship programs for local art museums and outlets to increase brand awareness (Keller, 2002) Globally: Aim to calculate the levels of customer satisfaction and compare them to prior rates to understand where the strengths and weaknesses of the strategy lay (Keller, 2002) Pricing logic: The prices will not be lowered so much so that they harm the image of the brand but minimal lowering of the prices will be done. The mark-up over the suppliers price will also be lowered than engagements to stay competitive i.e. it will be at around 80%. The brand will not need a penetration price as it does not aim to divert from its designated customer base (i.e. upper income families) and move into the masses. Price slashing and penetration are necessary if and when a brand chooses to expand into the masses. Web Plan Adaption process Using a proper website will be the primary way to market the retail outlet. Social media and the internet will the primary tool of communication in this marketing plan. It is important to note here that two marketing mixes can be used in this retail marketing plan: 1) mass marketing and 2) niche marketing. The social media can be an open call to masses whereas the use of customer relations on the selected outlets and franchises in specific areas would be a result of the niche marketing mix strategy. The following aspects will be highlighted in all social media presentations: A slideshow of all brands and product lines for the customers convenience Updated contact and outlet-location information Membership/ sponsorship and internship details Testimonials from business partners Event details and listings Links to similar businesses (this will be a two-way road where the link to Burberry will be on the links that Burberry lists in its website as well) The Social Media Approach The Retail plan will also aim to use the following social media outlets with similar features as mentioned above: Facebook Twitter For all recent developments and relevant fashion articles related to Burberry or other business partners YouTube For launching short creative films or marketing campaigns to promote the brand Discussion forums open to all customers, employees and management. This will be great to engage customers, make the brand more personable and recording customer response. Store Design Burberry outlet designed from this particular retail marketing plan will aim to have the following personality traits: funky, modern, chic, trademarked (tartan and trench coat patterns). The overall ambience of the outlet will be friendly and courteous. The design will be very open with a lot of natural light. The customer will be given total transparency to the products and their original sources. The aim will be to make every visit be a learning experience for the customer so that the customer leaves being more informed about the brand and how Burberry can represent them in the sea of brands. The store design will be aimed to be proactive in design and construction so that the customers are drawn in and left with a very clear cut image of the brand in their minds when they leave. This will also help word-of-mouth retail branding of the store as well as Burberry (Lenskold, 2003). CONTROL AND MONITORING Sales Forecast There is an expectation of sales to dip during the winter and summer seasons when the weather is uncomplimentary to the product ranges made available by Burberry. The graphs below show anticipated sales (monthly followed by yearly) on four major product lines: handcrafted or hand-stitched apparel, gift items and womens and mens items. The graphs are followed by a table of overall anticipated sales forecasts. Others factors included in the market research included market trends, consumer behaviours and economic conditions. Customer Expectation and Retention Customer Retention and response are very important aspects to assess the success or failure of any or all marketing plans (Patterson, 2008). The customer response suggested in this marketing plan mainly revolves around building strong and personable relationships and sustaining them in the long term. The pyramid below shows exactly that in two circumstances: one when the customers are in a group i.e. on social media and two when the customers are dealt on an individual level i.e. in the outlet or through direct marketing (contingency plan). The former shows a different marketing mix i.e. marketing to the masses whereas the latter shows niche marketing as the chosen marketing mix. Spending on Channels Spending on Channels is expected to range in the following figures. The key channels would be radio and online advertising. They are cheaper are cost effective. All units are in USD. Marketing Expense Budget Channels Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Radio Advertising 35,000 38,000 44,000 NewspaperMagazine Advertising 45,000 48,500 55,000 Online Advertising 55,000 65,000 70,000 Arts College Sponsorships 25,500 25,500 30,000 Customer Membership Discounts 15,000 15,000 17,000 Internship Offers 20,000 25,500 30,000 Other 15,000 16,000 20,000 (Refer to Appendix 1.7 for approximate costs and selected channels) During the 3rd year the spending has to be increased as the products reach maturity level. It is very important to extensively promote the declining product range. This is also a part of contingency plan. Contingency Plan The contingency plan for Burberry under the current circumstances includes a fresh and approach to the marketing mix that currently exists. The contingency plan must be to revert back to the original marketing techniques. The one that could be most useful is direct marketing. Businesses in the past have made use of direct marketing as a model of complete business or as a complementary to a wider incorporated marketing combination. A number of advantages can be gained from direct marketing by not only sellers but buyers too. Thus, the concept of direct marketing is gaining popularity and recognition. One of the major advantages that I feel a direct marketing plan will achieve is to engage all the parties involved from the manufacturers to the promoters to the web planners to the recruiters to the sales and marketing department. The figure below shows the interconnection of all these departments under the direct marketing plan followed by a table (Appendix 1.3) showing the sales estima tes for this contingency plan. RECOMMENDATION If the constructed plan works efficiently and hit the targets set in next 3 years, then the next major step would be setting up a high-class fashion institute in Paris and Beijing. The name would be Burberry Institute of fashion. Target students will be celebrity children, child artists and employee trainees. Education is a huge business. And this institute will also assist Burberry to showcase its fashion events and creativity development. CONCLUSION The marketing plan is designed to increase the overall performance of Burberry by increasing sales, revenue, brand value and customer satisfaction. References Clancy, K. J. and Kriegafsd P. C. (2000). Counter intuitive Marketing. The Free Press. Day, J. (2004). Burberry doffs its cap to chavs. Guardian.[online] available from [ March 22, 2011] Finch, J. (2005). GUS shareholders to receive Burberry cheque. Guardian News and Media. [online] available from [ March 22, 2011] Joshi, R. M. (2005). International Marketing, Oxford University Press, New Delhi and New York. Keller, K. L. (2002). Strategic Brand Management, 2nd ed. Prentice Hall. Lenskold, J. D. (2003). The Path to Campaign, Customer, and Corporate Profitability. McGraw-Hill Professional. Patterson, L. (2008). Marketing Metrics in Action: Creating a Performance-Driven Marketing Organization. Racom Communications. Philip, H. M. (2008). Discovery-Based Retail. Bascom Hill Publishing Group. Philip, K. P. and Kevin L. K. (2006). Marketing Management, 12th ed. Pearson Prentice Hall. Ries, A. and Trout, J. (2000). Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind (20th anniversary ed.) McGraw-Hill. Schultz, D. E. and Kitchen, P. J. (2000). Communicating Globally. Palgrave Macmillan. Zinderman, C. (2009). A Grown-up Emma Watson Models for Burberry. International Business Times. [online] available from [March 22, 2011]

Caring for a Dog :: Papers

Caring for a Dog It has long been said that a dog is a man's best friend and it has earned its right to be called that, and it will continue to occupy the place closest to man for another lot of years to come. Man's best friends come in many shapes, sizes, colours and textures because of thousands of years of evolution and breeding. The search engine that I used was www.google.co.uk and this is a screen shot of it. [IMAGE] There are a lot of different breeds of dogs; these are just a few examples and descriptions: * Bullmastiff Energy: 1 out 5 Exercise: 2 out 5 Watchdog: 5 out 5 Protection: 5 out 5 Grooming: 1 out 5 [IMAGE] The bullmastiff is gentle and quite, a devoted companion and guardian. It is not easily roused, but once threatened it is fearless. It is stubborn and cannot easily be goaded into action against its will. Some can be aggressive toward strange dogs, but it is generally good with other household dogs and pets. It is good with children, but it may not be playful enough to satifsfy some children. The Bullmastiff needs a firm but loving home. It is not for fragile or timid owners. * Chinese Foo Energy: 3 out 5 Exercise: submit opinion Watchdog: 4 out 5 Protection: 3 out 5 Grooming: submit opinion [IMAGE] Chinese Foo are bold and energetic. * [IMAGE]Catahoula Leopard They are very assertive and so would need quite a lot fo your attention to keep them entertained. * Dogue de Bordeaux Energy: 3 out 5 Exercise: submit opinion Watchdog: 3 out 5 Protection: 4 out 5 Grooming: submit opinion

An Icon in the Window - An original biography on Bill Gates :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What does it take to become a cultural icon? Through the perspective of the world today, just a few of the basics might be fame, power, IQ, and enough motivation to utilize it all. But did we forget something? Perhaps. How about all of that, and also enough money and power gobble up any and every company that may stand in your way? This is especially true if you happen to be the CEO of an $18-million company called Microsoft, and even more so if you bare the name â€Å"Bill Gates† on your VISA card.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mr. Gates began his life in Seattle, Washington. He was born on the 28th of October in 1955. Being the middle child in his family, he found himself often working by his lonesome due to his differing interests from his siblings. As a boy, he was sent to Lakeside School; an all-boys prep school. Seemingly though, not even 40 years ago was the world safe from his genius, being that the school’s mini-computer was Bill’s primary source of amusement. It was at Lakeside that he first learned how to ‘hack’ code and write programs. In fact, his first program was not anywhere close the eloquent interfaces of Word 97, Encarta, or Windows. No fancy-shamncy monitor. Not even a keyboard or mouse. It was a tic-tac-toe game where he and other classmates would flip switches and wait for minutes to get the computer’s output. Nonetheless, everyone must begin somewhere, and it was here that it all started.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In his later school years, Gates met Paul Allen, and the two co-founded what would eventually become Microsoft. The dynamic duo’s first commercially-based job was to write up a program to manage payroll services. This first job worked out so well, that Gates and Allen later formed a pint-sized company called â€Å"Traf-O-Data† which studied traffic patterns for small towns around Seattle. Microsoft was slowly taking it’s first baby steps into the technology business.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gates was 19 when he graduated from high school and went on to Harvard. There he kept working with Paul Allen night and day in their dorm room to create one of the first micro-processors that would run the latest in computer technology: software. The computer was known as the MITs Altair, and was the first computer to be accompanied by the BASIC computer programming language, as well as Intel’s 8088 8 KHz processor.

The Behaviorist, Psychodynamic and Humanistic Contributions to Psycholo

This essay will in turn look at the behaviorist, Psychodynamic, and Humanistic approaches to Psychology. It will evaluate the assumptions and contributions for each approach. Behaviorists emphasize the relationship between the environment surrounding a person and how it affects a person’s behavior. They are primarily concerned with observable behavior, as opposed to internal events like thinking and emotion. This is a criticism of the behaviorist approach; it is seen as mechanistic and oversimplified, because it ignores mental processes or reinterprets them as just types of behavior. John Watson saw emotions as the secretion of glands and thinking as the movement of our vocal chords without actual speech. However studies have been carried out and it has been found that people can still think even when their vocal chords are paralyzed. Behaviorists make the assumption that in humans; virtually all behaviors are caused by learned relationships between a stimulus that excites the sense organs and a response which is the reaction to the stimulus. John Watson was strongly influenced by the work of Pavlov on classical conditioning. Pavlov trained dogs to salivate whenever he rang a bell. An unconditioned Stimulus (the bell) leads to an unconditioned Response (salivation). When the unconditioned stimulus is paired with another Stimulus (food), this stimulus will eventually produce the response on its own and is then called the conditioned stimulus which produces a Conditioned response. Behaviorists propose that phobias come about in a similar way, for example, somebody who is spider-phobic, might have learned to be scar... ... This essay has evaluated the assumptions and contributions of the behaviourist, psychodynamic and humanistic approaches to psychology. The behaviourist approach focuses on the behaviour of people and seeks to explain behaviour as being learnt. The psychodynamic and humanist approaches are more concerned with the emotional aspects of people’s lives rather than their behaviour. The psychodynamic approach places importance on childhood experience. The humanist approach places more emphasis on the importance of our self image. Bibliography Basic Psychology by Henry Gleitman (First Edition) Psychology, third edition by Cardwell, Clark and Meldrum Psychology – A New Introduction by Richard Gross, Rob McIlveen, Hugh Coolicun, Alan Clamp and Julia Russell (Twelfth Edition) Class lectures and handouts

Critical Issues of Soil Erosion Problems

Soil quality is one of the most basic and perhaps least understood indicators of land health. Soil supports plant growth and represents the living reservoir that buffers the flows of water, nutrients, and energy through an ecosystem. The ongoing degradation of the earth†s soils by human activity, particularly agriculture, threatens human potential to feed a growing population. The annual global erosion amounts to about 36 billion tons, of which 10 billion are due to natural causes and 26 billion are the result of human activity (Crosson et al. 995). The soil or runoff that has been eroded ends up in groundwater, lakes, streams, and rivers. The deposits of excess soil and the contaminates in it, cause further ecological complications. Bodies of water need to be dredged and monitored for contamination. Water levels are lowered with the increasing soil eroded into them, making our world†s water supply a concern directly related to the erosion of soil. The process of soil renewing itself is largely unknown. However, there is consensus on the need for conservation. Evaluating the scope of the problem or predicting the effects that various solutions might have on agriculture and the environment is very difficult. Degradation is gauged for all soil in terms of compaction, erosion, nutrient loss and loss of organic matter. Soil quality refers to the capacity of a soil to perform these beneficial functions. Its texture, structure, water-holding capacity, porosity, organic matter content, and depth, among other properties determine a soil†s quality. Because soils naturally vary in their capacity to perform these functions, we must tie our understanding of soil quality to landscapes and land use. We must understand soil quality for two important reasons: First, we must match our use and management of land to soil capability. Second, we must establish understanding about soil quality so we can recognize ongoing trends. If soil quality is stable or improving, we have a good indicator that the ecosystem is sustainable. If soil quality is deteriorating, the larger ecosystem will almost certainly decline with it (Wilken 1995, Mirzamoatafa et al. 1998). Many conservation efforts are being taken to control soil erosion. In order to do this a universal language is need to measure soil erosion, texture, and the potential for erosion. Soil loss tolerance (â€Å"T†) is the amount of a given soil that can be displaced by water or wind erosion each year and be replenished through natural soil regeneration processes. This is a basis for evaluating the impacts of soil erosion and develops objectives for conservation treatment. Erosion at rates greater than T is a special concern because it threatens agricultural sustainability. Enrichment Ratios (ER) often used as a measure of the nutrients available for soil. It is a ratio of the intrinsic potential for soil displacement from erosion to the â€Å"T† limit (Baffaut et al 1998). From 1991 to 1992 in Central Kenya†s highlands, these formulas were used to monitor runoff, soil loss, and enrichments of eroded soil material. Annual rainfall was 948 and 1125 mm for 1991 and 1992. Soil loss ranged from 0. 8 to 247. 3 tons, and runoff ranged from 1 to 89 mm. The enrichment ratios (ER) were [greater than or equal to] 1 and sediments were mostly enriched with P and Na. The P and Na concentrations were 4 to 10 and 2 to 3 times the source material. Sediment from the plots was 247 to 936% richer in P than the soil from which it originated. Too much P can have negative effects on the plant and wildlife surrounding it. Changes in soil pH, percentage organic C, and percentage total N following erosion were significantly correlated with cumulative soil loss (r values of 0. 77, 0. 59, and 0. 71, n = 20). The data indicated that the unbalancing of nutrients in the soil is due to erosion, and one of the major causes of soil fertility depletion of Kenyan soils (Gachene et. al. 1997). The Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) estimates average annual soil loss from sheet and till erosion. The equation is: A=RKLSCP, where A is the computed soil loss per unit area, R is a rainfall factor, K is a soil erodibility factor, L is a slope length factor, S is a slope degree factor, C is a crop practice factor, and P is a conservation practice factor (Baffaut et al 1998). Data from erosion plots in Tarija suggest only moderate rates of erosion (200tons-per. yr. ). Data at 6-min intervals for 41 sites in the tropics of Australia were used to compute the rainfall and runoff factor (R-factor) for the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE), and a daily rainfall erosivity model was validated for these tropical sites. Mean annual rainfall varies from about 300 mm at Jervois to about 4000 at Tully. For these tropical sites, both rainfall and rainfall erosivity are highly seasonal. The daily erosivity model performed better for the tropical sites with a marked wet season in summer in comparison to model performance in temperate regions of Australia where peak rainfall and peak rainfall erosivity may occur in different seasons (Yu 1998). The Wind factor must be considered when evaluating soil erosion. Plant nutrients are transported in windblown sediment. The Wind Erosion Equation (WEQ) is designed to predict long-term average annual soil losses from a field having specific characteristics. The equation is E=f (IKCLV), where E is the estimated average annual soil loss, I is the soil erodibility, K is the ridge roughness factor, C is the climatic factor, L is the equivalent unsheltered distance across the field along the prevailing wind erosion direction, and V is the equivalent vegetative cover (Baffaut et al. 1998). As validation for the Wind Erosion equation (WEQ) two field sites were established in southern Alberta (one in 1990, one in 1993). At Site 1, total N in windblown sediment trapped at 25-cm height showed an average (13 events) enrichment ratio of 1. 11, while organic C in windblown sediment showed an average enrichment ratio of only 1. 02 compared with soil from the erodible surface. At Site 2, the average (4 events) total N enrichment ratio was 1. 08 and the average organic C (carbon) enrichment ratio was 1. 05. The results provide further evidence that every effort should be to prevent erosion of the thin layer of surface soil that ensures the future sustainability of agriculture (Baffaut et. al. 1998). These examples of using universal formulas to measure soil erosion allow scientists to evaluate an area and compare efforts that are working else where and apply them to areas were soil erosion is in need of being lessened. During last 40 years, nearly one-third of the world land has been lost by erosion. This loss continues at a rate of more than 10 million hectares per year. The world population†s food demand is increasing at a time when per capita food productivity is beginning to decline (Pimentel et al. 1995). If conditions leading to famine are to be avoided, land that produces food must be preserved. The ecological food web links plants, animals, and people must live in harmony with the planet†s water, soil, and atmosphere. Once those connections are severed the hunger web begins. To avoid these devastating effects, steps must be taking in all aspects of ecology. The greatest impact of soil erosion is farming practices that are ignorant to overall effects on the food web. The key to farming is to grow enough food for all of your people. When towns were made up of small farms this goal was more easily obtainable. When people stop farming, food production then became an industry where money takes precedent over soil. Because of demand and economic reason farmers in the United States are destroying delicate balances in nature and drastically altering the landscape so that soil is at risk of erosion, and is eroded faster than it can be formed. (Pimentel, Resosudarmo1995) Agricultural practices of cropping and tillage are two important factors that influence runoff and soil losses. Much research had been done to show the effects of different tilling and crop rotations on soil erosion. Doyle†s (1996) research concluded that between 1982 and 1992 the US improved or at least had no increase in average erosion rates in most areas with extensive cropland. Some of the improvement found was the result of crops being rotated and better tiling methods. Brown (et al 1998) investigated the effects of combining whey and straw in croplands. This research found that straw or whey alone reduces soil loss by 60-85 percent. When combined they reduce soil loss by 96- 98 percent. Ghidey and Alberts (1998) found through a study in Kansas that the annual runoff and soil losses from soybean cropping were slightly higher than those for corn. These studies and others like them have provided the knowledge of how to prevent further soil erosion. The Conservation Reserve Program pays farmers to remove or add environmentally sensitive crops to their croplands (Ghidey, Alberts 1998). There are many casualties of conventional chemical farming: erosion, a decline in soil quality, water purity, weakened crop resistance to pests and diseases, and the safety of farm workers. According to US News & World Report, 9/14/92, an excess of $4 billion a year is spent on pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides Chemical farmers are still losing about a third of their crops each year to insects, diseases, and weeds. Because of tilling practices, these chemicals used in farming not only effect the food produced and ground water but also the places where the runoff is deposited. Herbicide loss by runoff is a world wide problem. These contaminated runoffs kill a variety of wildlife, aquatic life forms, and many species of vegetation. An economical and environmental alternative to conventional farming is organic crop production. Organic farming is a soil management system that maintains and replenishes soil fertility. Organic foods are produced without the use of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. The strategy behind organic crop production is to produce food crops which are â€Å"processed, packaged, transported, and stored so as to retain maximum nutritional value without the use of artificial preservatives, coloring, or other additives. Allowable management techniques include: the use of cover crops, manures, and composts for soil fertility management, the use of mulches, hand or mechanical cultivation, and crop rotation for weed management, and production scheduling and crop selection for disease and insect management. Organic farming is not as easy or as productive as conventional farming, especially on infertile sandy soils. To be successful, an organic farmer requires a sound knowledge of soil type, crop management and the incidence of pests and diseases in different seasons (Arden-Clarke et al 1987). Organic production preferably should be combined with systems not usually used in agriculture such as cover crops and livestock farming. This requires a larger area than the normal agricultural holding, which must be chosen carefully. The Department of Agriculture (Elliott et al. 1987) certifies organic production systems. Certification involves the development of an organic plan for the operation, the plan to be evaluated and approved by an accredited agent, and the agreement of the farmer to abide by the list of approved substances. The organic agent also reviews soil and water tests, crop histories, production, and rotation plans. The area in which organic crops are to be grown must be chemical free for 3 years. They verify compliance with standards through annual and spot inspections, and record keeping requirements (Elliott et al. 1987). Consumers are demanding organically grown fruit and vegetables, and are willing to pay a higher price. The sales of organic products have increased from $178 million to over $4 billion in 1998, and is growing in excess of 20% per year. These operations will focus on the production of lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers (Us News &World 1998). There is a demand for certified organic vegetables, especially with the new health awareness of the public. As with any type of farming, there is the risk of unfavorable weather and invasive pests, which could, reduced a season†s crop. Economics may be a large controlling factor for soil erosion. . When demand for grain increases, and supply decreases, price for food will increase. Americans can afford to pay a few cents extra for bread, horse food, and rice but poorer countries will suffer when food becomes too expensive. Although the United States has been referred to as the â€Å"bread basket† of the world because of our impressive food production, our history constituted prolific amounts of soil erosion. During the 1930†³s dust clouds forced people from their homes, killed humans and animals alike, and caused snow in Vermont to be black. Agricultural economists are aware that severely eroded soils are less productive–if too much soil is lost, the next planting and harvest are delayed. Soils are less productive if crop planting has to be delayed. Instead of harvesting five times in one season, farmers might only reap three. Severely eroded soils have deficiencies in nutrient, bacteria, alterations in structure, and decreased resistance to pests. Continuously planting row crops, corn for example, can cause severe soil loss. Sustainable agriculture can prevent or lessen soil erosion and ensure higher productivity (Gardner 1996). Our county†s high demand for grain forces farmers to over work their land. The demand for this grain and the human consumption of grown vegetation are not the only factors leading to soil erosion. The beef industry and our consumption of red meat impacts soil erosion as well. Of the total amount of grain that is grown in the US, 80% of it is fed to livestock. To support our meat centered diet, 260 million acres of U. S. forest must be cleared to create cropland for livestock (Gardner1996). Costa Rican produced beef is even more devastating to the environment. For every ? lb. of Costa Rican beef made, one acre of Costa Rican rainforest must be destroyed. This devastation is worsened by the deaths of all the plant and animal species that occur due to habitat loss (Gardner1996). Because of the above reasons and several other moral, nutritional, and economical reasons, beef consumption is bad for the environment. Every individual who switches to a purely vegetarian diet (Gardner1996) spares one acre of trees each year. The factor of agricultural practices on soil erosion becomes more severe when forests, grasslands, and wetlands are destroyed. Roots from trees in forests, grasslands, and wetlands stabilize soil not only by holding earth, but also by intercepting precipitation, dispersing energy of raindrops, and by increasing infiltration and reducing runoff (Smith 1998). Native Americans have used good agriculture practices for years. American Indians had respect for the land and all of its life forms. One of their cultural beliefs about farming is centered on the three sisters: corn, squash, and beans. The corn provides a stalk for beans to climb. Beans produce nitrogen that fertilizes the corn. And squash protects the soil and corn roots from the sun, traps moisture, and prevents erosion. All three plants provide edible food, while preserving soil. (Wilken 1995) It is essential to the survival of the human race, and all other life forms that several forms of soil conservation practices are used. There is a finite amount of food that our country can produce before our production starts to decrease. Although erosion is a natural process, humans have found several unnatural ways to make soil erosion more severe. To be able to continue to feed the growing population and preserve the species diversity of wildlife and plants we need to have sustainable agriculture practices and soil conservation these efforts are crucial in the prevention of extensive soil erosion.

Marketing Term Report on Shan

MARKETING TERM REPORT BY KHAN AKHTER RUMMAN SHAN FOODS ABOUT THE COMPANY Shan sustenances came into initiation in 1981 when it began operations from a un split up room as it was Shan Masala back then, launched effective persist of changes to cater to local anaesthetic public,due to its popularity Shan started shell out after a few historic period due to increased international popularity. however after some meter, the need to re shoes the tick off was felt. It needed to be repositioned as a food patsy rather than a spice give away.Re-im agedness the organization became necessary for re-positioning of the send it was a job tumefy strive and led to continued success of Shan on national and international fronts. The name of Shan Foods has proceed synonymous with nobleest quality and exquisite taste. . there atomic itemize 18 six broad categories of varieties Shan deals in including recipe mixes, plain spices, dessert mixes. Shan Foods vision is to be a dominant gl obal player in food convergences and soci anyy responsible friendship that attains its quality standards so that Shan stands for tradition want and nifty taste. MARKETING STRATEGY specialty OF crop Shan is able to contrastiveiate from its competitors done its added facilities of theV-lookengineering and the coal grinding technology is only an example to their dedication to give nothing but the bestto their consumers . Its the world class quality that brings the filmdom trust of the consumers on Shan carrefours that it get out not only be hygienically lively but would be secure from any harmful ingredients that loose spices offer. TARGETED MARKET Females aging from 18 to 45 geezerhood frame the main get trade of Shan Foods.This is beca ingestion of the origin that in our crash of the world, women atomic number 18 largely related to the food and cooking. because, Shan Foods develops fruits that argon tally the needs and wants of these women no matter if they b e stay-at- firm or working, single or married ones. POSITIONING OF THE PRODUCT Shan Foods position statement is To the confident and convenience quest woman of today, our wide range of Shan spice mixes offer premium quality produces, make with the finest ingredients exchangeable no other. It is just for the detail that the consumers should be provided with solution of having a smoky meal in no time with main officemade mixes of recipes and spices. MARKETING MIX PRODUCT The products of Shan can be broadly categorized into 6 categories, with multiple sub-categories. Looking at the product portfolio of Shan Foods, it is seen that Shan Foods has given is consumers an offering for either occasion and e very(prenominal) type of taste. Be it conventional cuisine mixes like Biryani or an offering in the Dessert fel pitiableship Shan has an offering to complement all the good things in life associated with food.The different product offerings of Shan Foods be * -Biryani Mixes- * St ir Fried Foods- * curry Spice Mixes * -Deep Fried Foods- * Barbeque-Vegetarian Foods- * Instant Foods * Khushbudaar Lehsan * Zaiqedaar Adrak * Khatta Khatai * Qasuri Methi * Karara Zeera * Taiz Laal Mirch * Taaza Dhaniya * Zaafrani Garam Masala. * Teekhi Kaali Mirch * Khaalis Haldee harm The pricing of all Shan offerings varies and depends on each Stock Keeping Unit (SKU). However, the legal injury ranges for five (out of six) categories of Shan product offerings are as follows * Recipe Mix The Recipe mixes range from Rs. 0 to 40 * Plain Spices set of Plain spices varies SKU wise. For example, 50 grams red chili con carne powder is purchasable at a expenditure of Rs. 20 and150 grams at Rs. one hundred fifteen * Dessert Mixes Desserts are all priced at Rs. 35 * Pickles Pickle pricing is Rs. one hundred seventy for 1000 grams, pricing varies as per SKU step to the fore Shan is easily available at all general stores as head as departmental stores. Shan Foods is riveting on th e substantiating marketplaceing convey where they sell Shan products finished retailers. Shan Foods is also available in 60 foreign countries.The brand is exported to UK, USA, and Middle east and now to Far East regions as well. Sales Force in Shan Foods is divided into three types General Trade (general stores, Kiryana stores, health check and Genaral stores), Local modern trade (super stores such as Aghaz, Naheed, Chase), and International Modern trade (Large houses such as Makro and Metro). PROMOTION It has started to pass away out to a wider audience memory in look the changing life-style to nuclear families and convenience seekers. The advertisements of Shans offerings focus entirely in the females of the family.The marketing schema is very customer oriented i. e. Shan emphasizes on marketing its products keeping in mind its customers thus having a customer centrical view. Shan has recently realized that a electromotive force part of the population i. e. the teena gers are the ones that bequeath become tomorrows finding makers. More recently, the major marketing or promotional expenditure done by Shan Foods is on do deals with television channels for their commercial air time. MARKETING surround There is a lot of difficulty of this marketing environment are low prices and unbranded competitors.Due to high ambition and low prices of competitors it gets difficult to attract customers to obtain their product. It is very difficult to earn brand loyalty. Apart from this, some of the major parkway forces in the Pakistani spice industry are changes in societal concerns, lifestyles and attitudes, product innovation and changes in who buy the product and how they use it. There are galore(postnominal) factors behind increased pack of spices in Pakistan a major factor is the changing lifestyles of heap who now prefer defecate to use ingredients over traditional home made spices.Also, spices have always been in demand dueto the sub-Continent al style of cooking. As there are a number of competitors in the market, the consumers and buyers have substantial powerfulness to influence the marketing of Shan products. Major resellers and wholesalers like Metro and Makro are generally use for grocery shopping or mass get which is why Unilever also uses them as a forum to create sentience of their products. For example separate customized and decorated racks for pomp of all Shan recipes. COMPETITORSExcept for small unbranded products Shan has a large dish out of aspiration from discipline foods, Mehran foods, Ahmed Foods, Habib Foods, Zaiqa Foods and Kitchen Secrets. Only 40% use the branded product and 60% portion of consumers use the unbranded product, hence local spice manufacturers and grinders arrest as major competitors. Shan Foods and National Foods are al to the highest degree occupying the uniform share in Volumes as well as in % but the maturement of Shan Foods is Showing the steady increase trance the Nat ional foods is Showing fluctuations in its market growth.Strategic distribution of both Shaan and National products pose as a major rivalrous advantage because although Chefs Pride holds the troika position is market share, it should be notable that it is not available in legion(predicate) a(prenominal) retail outlets across Pakistan and especially Karachi. analytic thinking OF COMPETITORS Due to the unbranded products having 60 % of the market Shan only has to compete for the 40% of the share of the market. The major competitors of the 40% market are National foods, Mehran foods, Ahmed foods, Habib foods, Zaiqa foods and Kitchen secrets.When it comes to food products, taste emergence and loyalty are major concerns which are well considered by Shan Foods in strain to its competitors as they draw a bead on taste set and customer satisfaction more than they target family values like marketing campaigns of National Foods. Due to having competitors making almost the like prod ucts as Shan there is rigid opposition in the market on price and quality both of which they cannot give up on or else the other product takes the market. CHARACTERS AFFECTING CONSUMER BEHAVIOURThe major cunning characteristics of Shan include its persistent good taste, retained high quality, health friendly and lovable packaging and approachability. Moreover, it keeps the loyal customers satisfied with exquisite taste. Moreover, the wide range of products and SKUs available consolidate Shans presence in various niches and keep its customers loyal to the brand. In this regard, Shans Oriental recipes proved very beneficial in the retention of customers. With their introduction, many housewives are now able to make restaurant standard food at home.And this attracted the modern youth to eat at home as they prefer continental food. Another attractive characteristic is that Shan foods is a leading exporter of food items from Pakistan providing it an opportunity to tease the large global market which helps it to aggrandise at a rapid pace. At the same time, the consumers have been greatly addicted by the brand dialogue of Shan. Shans strategy of showing mouthwatering dishes on their tear of fare boards and in advertisements has been an immense success. This Big imagination has been running for more than 3 years and still has not lost its relevance.Hence, the disposition and intensity of these campaigns have been bolstered by Shans external marketing through bill boards, television advertisements, high repetition and mulct duration messages on TV, cooking programs for housewives and sponsored events. purchasing DECISION BEHAVIOUR As plenty live in metro cities they extend to go for branded products compared to unbranded ones. In our products case, customers are most likely to have complex buying behavior. This is mainly because there is a high comprehend difference among the brands of recipes. In Pakistan, race love their food.And want it accordin g to their traditional taste. This encourages a complex procedure of choosing mingled with brands. However, the customers who are conformed to the taste of Shan will not go for the other competitors irrespective of their marketing strategy. Moreover, the leveraging of Shan Masala involves a great arrive of consumer involvement. This is because the purchase of Shans products changes according to seasons. If on one occasion Fruitchart masala is in demand because of Holy Ramadan, BBQ mixes could be indemand on Eids or in summers when families invite friends over on BBQ parties.The Haleem & BBQ mix are in great demand during the winter season whileChana haggle mix is purchased more often in summer. This requires constant attention of customers in their purchases. Hence the high consumer involvement and significant perceived differences among brands involves a complex buying behavior. purchase DECISION PROCESS Since Shan is a well known product with its own target market, customers decision making process will not be very lengthy. However, several customers might put up with through the following steps unavoidableness recognition At this deliver, the buyer recognizes the problem or need.In Pakistan, the busy schedule of people and easy-living trend has made Shan Recipes an inevitable part of every households grocery. in addition in foreign countries, the feeling of home and desirability of traditional food encourages the impress towards Shan Recipes. Information search at this stage measures like internet blogs, TV advertisements and communication with peers, etc are taken by different customers to reach to a buying decision. In Shans case, very few customers will undertake this step due to its significant brand position in Pakistan.This is because of Shans strong heritage in Pakistani households, it is passed on from mothers to daughters, like values and beliefs. also in foreign countries the sources of information are the newly shifted relatives, on line search engine and the availability in shopping marts. Evaluation of election Different consumers have different rating process. This depends upon several factors including their affiliation and past mystify with the product. In Shans case, most of the Pakistani customers are old regular users and are unlikely to go through this stage.However, in foreign countries, new customers may go for the alternative brands to get the best. This stage depends upon the availability of other competitors. Purchase decision broadly this decision might be influenced by attitude of others or unexpected situational factors. However, in our products case, external determinants are mainly economical factors and demeaning product quality. Post purchase behavior Shan has established accepted expectations with its brand which it aims to fulfill. Almost all of the consumers take certain(prenominal) actions after their consumption based on their satisfaction or dissatisfaction.Moreover they under go cognitive dissonance, which means that the satisfaction or dissatisfaction involves certain compromises. In Shans case, the compromises made by new customers are the advantages of close belligerent detergent. BIBILOGRAPHY http//shanfoodspk. com/ http//www. scribd. com/doc/37193856/Strategic-Management-Comparision-of-Shan-Foods-and-National-Foods http//www. nation. com. pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/business/04-Jul-2010/Shan-Foods-promotes-healthy-environment http//www. importgenius. com/shipments/shan-foods-private-limited. html http//pakbiz. com/ pen/Shan-Foods/