Heineken A Company and a Brand

Introduction Marketing involves many areas that include selling, advertising, packaging, transporting, marketing research and much more. A business organization must sell products to survive and to grow. The marketing concept states that an organization should try to provide products that satisfy customers’ needs through a coordinated set of activities.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Heineken: A Company and a Brand specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The major aim of the marketing concept is customer satisfaction. An organization must continue to alter, adapt and develop products in order to satisfy customer preferences. (Jobber Lancaster, 2003, p. 15) Organizations in the age of globalization encounter innovations and change and have to adjust with these challenges. One of these challenges includes localization or standardization. Marketing has to be in consonance with these market forces. Heineken is a br and that carries the name of the company Heineken. Its history traces a family tradition of brewing beer. Heineken is a global firm and has been considered the world’s third largest beer-producing firm. The brands speak for itself: Heineken and Amstel beers are popular in the Netherlands and many countries throughout the world. (Koller et al., 2010, p. 637) Concepts of marketing, including marketing mix and its various variables, are linked to Heineken. This is a primary objective of this essay. The Brand and Logo The Brand A brand is a name of a product which makes purchasing easier. When a customer buys a product, he looks for the brand since there are many brands in the market that compete with each other. Popular brands easily sell to customers, and customers are mostly loyal to the brand (or brand loyal). When loyalty is attained, there is trust. A brand becomes a status or a ‘badge’ when it is in the market for a longer period of time. A company can build a long-lasting relationship with a customer through the brand it has developed. Retail brands, on the other hand, are sometimes linked with store loyalty which makes retailers develop relationships with their customers. (Lancaster and Massingham, 2011, p. 319)Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The Logo A logo is not necessarily a communication tool but it can be very effective in motivating consumer perception. Logos and colours are symbols of what a company stands for. A logo is like the flag of a company; it has to be very visible and personalized with a heart in order to create a lasting effect on the people, especially the customers. Logos are identified to represent a customer-driven organization and designed to bridge the gap between organization and people so that communication is improved. Logos can be emotional or personal like that of Apple. This can help in making ad vertising and public relations program effective because of the meaning attached to it. (Gobà ©, 2009) Example of a logo: The Blinking Eye The above picture shows a logo which is about the eye or something like an eye blink which has very little meaning. Some examples of competitive logos are those of ATT, Nike, Apple Inc., and MTV. Examples of competitive brand logos that represent popular brands are shown in the figure above.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Heineken: A Company and a Brand specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More All the four logos in this figure represent a powerful brand but for purposes of comparison, we can compare the ‘Blinking eye’ logo with ATT. The two have distinction characteristics which can be enumerated in the table below. Brands and logos belong to large and successful companies, but not all large companies have effective brands and logos. There are other which have lousy appeal, and success may not easily attained for that these types of companies. Another important fact about a logo is that if it has many copycats, it is time it has to be changed to save the company and its name. For example, the beer brand De Beers has so many copycats, such as De Beers Diamond, or De Beers Jewelry that it is not clear anymore who is the original one. Marketing Marketing comes from the root word ‘marcatus’ that means merchandise or where people indulge in business transactions. Marketing involves people and place where buying and selling are the major activities. Marketing was once a subject in management but now it has become a major focus of studies and researches because of its relevance to the existence of a business. Plainly speaking, marketing refers to activities of a marketer or manager. But there are many underlying concepts and factors to make marketing effective. Marketing is perfectly defined by the role it has in the firm or enterprise: ‘it is the process via which a firm creates value for its chosen customers’ (Silk, 2006, p. 3). A firm has to meet the needs of its customers and has to sell products which provide benefits to the customers.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Marketing Strategy Marketing strategy can be likened to a recipe. The ingredients are the marketing functions. Different marketing strategies require differing blends of functional ingredients. If a minor ingredient is miscalculated or forgotten, a recipe may not be successful. The same is true of marketing strategy where all functional ingredients depend on each other for success. (Lancaster and Reynolds, 2002, p. 14) The Marketing Mix The marketing mix is a conceptual framework that keeps marketing effective. There are different approaches to the marketing mix, e.g. the 4Ps, 5Ps or even the 7Ps. Marketing variables are of two groups: The offering which consists of the product, packaging, service, brand and price; and The methods or tools, which consist of the distribution channels, personal selling, advertising and promotion. (Albert Frey, 1961 cited in Smith and Taylor, 2004, p. 7) These variables combine to become building blocks of a marketing programme. The manager has contr ol over these variables and he/she bases organizational decisions on them, although there are factors to be considered such as the customers, competition and other external uncontrollable factors. Marketing Mix is composed of marketing tools that target customers. The marketing mix is composed of controllable variables which can be changed or altered, although with certain limits. Prices cannot be changed outright because of government control or regulation. A product’s size, colour, and design cannot be changed right away because of the costs in introducing the changes; therefore, a product’s characteristics cannot be changed very often. Promotion campaigns also cannot be changed overnight, while people in the company need training and development and cannot be sacked without due process. Marketing managers must develop a strategy for all the mix variables that matches with the customers’ needs. In doing so, vast information about the target market have to be c ollected so that those needs can be pinpointed and addressed. Product This includes design, packaging, display, brand characteristics. There are many types of products which can be favourable or unfavourable and can be in the form of an idea, or good or service. A good can be tangible physical object like a box of candies or electronic gadget. Example of service includes delivery of goods, or care delivery to adults with physical impairment. The product variable deals with researching information about consumers’ needs and wants. The design of the product will depend on the consumers’ product wants. Sometimes a product will have to be altered according to the customers’ changing preferences. There are some classifications of products, and these are consumer products which are available to satisfy people, and products which are made for industries or companies known as industrial products (business-to-business products). (Lancaster and Reynolds, 2002, p. 25) Cons umer products that are popular in the market are those which consumers want the most. The products are based on consumers want and their characteristics are determined through surveys and researches by private companies doing surveys. Consumer products are divided into four types: ‘convenience, shopping, specialty and unsought products’. (Jobber and Lancaster, 2003, p. 243) Convenience products include bread or soft drinks. These are inexpensive products bought with little time planning by the customer. The brand is not so much important in buying convenience products, although sometimes they are important and being considered by meticulous customers. Convenience products are sold by retail outlets and small stores. Shopping products are products bought by customers with planning. Customers look at the stores and brands, including how prices and other features fare in the market. A marketer usually requires few retail outlets in selling shopping products. These products are purchased less frequently and therefore there is lower inventory but have higher gross sales. Shopping products include appliances and furniture, electronic gadgets, and much more. (Jobber and Lancaster, 243) Speciality products have unique characteristics and they are prepared by a significant group of buyers who, before doing the purchase, initially plan the purchase. An example is painting by a well-renowned painter or a Cartier watch. Buyers are not concerned with who is selling but the most important thing is there is an outlet selling the product. Unsought products are those which require aggressive selling. Examples of unsought products are encyclopaedias or life insurance. The sales person takes his selling prowess by trying to convince of the benefits derived from buying the products. (Jobber and Lancaster, 2003, p. 245) Price The price customers are prepared to pay determines the level of demand for a product or service which affects the progress of the marketing comp any and the company’s competitive position in the market place. Price levels have far reaching implications for the national economy. They influence wages, interest rates and government policy. (Lancaster and Reynolds, 2002, p. 28) Price is not the only factor that affects demand, although in some situations companies have achieved similar levels of service, product quality and promotional support and it has become the major element of product differentiation. However, such companies have usually made major marketing efforts to reach such a state of similarity. (Lancaster and Reynolds, 2002, p. 28) Promotion – Advertising, sales promotion, personal selling The promotion’s role in a company varies according to the type of company and the product they sell. The prime objective of promotion is to communicate with people and organizations with the aim of persuading to accept or buy the products of a company. Most companies hire television or movie personalities to i ndorse their products. Tiger Woods, for example, is an effective endorser of sports products like golf paraphernalia. NBA stars are hired by firms to communicate the benefits of using some brands. Sometimes, a marketing strategy is based on promotion, that is why in most consumer markets, promotion is afforded the highest budget allocation among the other marketing mix elements. (Lancaster and Reynolds, 2002, p. 29) The attractiveness of marketing opportunities is determined by market factors, such as size and growth rate, as well as competitive, financial, economic, technological, social, ecological, legal and political factors. (Jobber and Lancaster, 2003, p. 658) Advertising is a type of communication where a company pays a mass medium (e.g. television, radio, newspapers, or a website) to transmit a message about the company’s products. Advertising is used to promote products, services, or ideas. The emergence and popularity of the Internet has provided firms and organizat ions to introduce and promote their products by creating websites where sometimes company-customer interaction can be conducted. Heineken has its own state of the art website (Heineken, 2005) where it introduces to the world the many products and services of the company. Place or Distribution The distribution or place variable involves warehousing, transportation and service. The firm, or the manager, should be able to provide the product to the customers in the quantities desired and to make the transport and inventory as low as possible. The marketing manager has to have a close collaboration with wholesalers and retailers to be able to provide the necessary inventory control. The Global Firm Heineken The company strategy is founded on a marketing strategy known as SWAB, or ‘sell what people actually buy. There are two other strategies Heineken has used, and these are: SWYG or ‘sell what you have got’, and GLOB or ‘sell the same thing globally’ (Doo le and Lowe, 2008, p. 278) Product As stated in the Introduction, Heineken is a global product of a global organization. The brand speaks for itself; the product is one of a kind expertly brewed beer. Heineken beer has long been the company product since its founding on June 30, 1863 by Gerard Adriaan Heineken. (Heineken, 2005) Over time, Heineken product has evolved. The company prides itself on a combination of local and international brands but the base is certainly Heineken. The growth of the brand and the company is attributed to an effective and creative management. Management is centralized in order to achieve an effective operation, distribution and coverage. The product is said to be pure and natural, the ingredients come from high quality mixed malt. While Heineken is its flagship product, an equally important and valuable product is Amstel which has the same pure and natural quality ingredients. Heineken is ranked number one in countries such as Greece, The Netherlands, F rance, and all the other major countries and cities in Europe. Price It is enough to say that the price of a bottle of Heineken beer is competitive enough because it has stayed on top of all the other competitors. The price is affordable to all sectors of the UK drinking public and in 75 countries around the world. (Heineken, 2005) In price competition, Heineken management uses price to beat other competitors in the beer market. Price is a factor in the beer sector. Competitors in the beer market change their rice and the lowest is the most profitable. But Heineken does not change its price more often, unlike in other industries. And Heineken has its own market intelligence to know the price of its competitor. Blythe (2006, p. 446) says: ‘Price also has a strategic element, since price is commonly how products become positioned against other products in the market: undercutting competitors on price is a common way of competing.’ By maintaining a minimum price for a prod uct, a company can lead the market, although not in all circumstances. In so doing, a marketer puts some of his luck in the buyer’s charge, because he/she may withdraw the price cut. Price has different effects on the mind of the buyer. He may or may not take the bait. Jobber and Lancaster (2003, p. 561) state: ‘Because price has a psychological impact on customers, marketers can use it symbolically. By raising a price, they can emphasise the quality of a product and try to increase the status associated with its ownership. By lowering a price, they can emphasise a bargain and attract customers who go out of their way – spending extra time and effort – to save a small amount.’ Promotion Heineken uses technology (the Internet) in promotion and advertising. Heineken website is state-of-the-art, carefully planned and effective and SEO (search engine optimization) is effective; meaning when you search beer, UK beer, or Heineken, it goes out and you can go to the link. The new Heineken commercial found on YouTube is a hilarious piece of advertising that truly catches one’s imagination and gets you to what boys really want. While the girls go for shoes and clothes and all those stuffs, the boys go for – what else – Heineken beer. Place or Distribution Heineken Group is based in the UK but its scope of operations is international. Distributors are present everywhere, in many countries in Europe, the United States, and Asia. When it comes to volume and profitability, Heineken leads all the other brewers. Distributors come from almost all areas of the globe, spanning 70 countries in 125 breweries by year 2009 alone. This year and beyond, the company has ambitious plans to make its presence in areas where beer hasn’t reached. Conclusion The primary aim of this paper is to present the marketing concept in relation to our case study Heineken. Heineken is one of the most successful beer companies in the UK today . It has penetrated the global market and has maintained its lead in the competitive world of beers. When we enter a supermarket or a mall to look for items or products we need at home or in school, we see different prices attached to them. Products bear the brand and logo of the company that produce them. Price varies on every product, say for example, home appliance like television which has different prices; some are high, some are so low. The prices depend on the brand, type, or quality, etc. The more popular the product is, the higher the price, albeit there are high-quality products with lower prices. Marketing mix variables are applied to Heineken and we can say that Heineken is on the advantage in the competition. All marketing mix variables have played significant roles in the success of the competition. References Blythe, J., 2006. Principles practice of marketing. London: Thomson Learning. Doole, I. and Lowe, R., 2008. International marketing strategy: analysis, developm ent and implementation. London: Cengage Learning EMEA. Gobà ©, M., 2009. Emotional branding: the new paradigm for connecting brands to people. New York: Skyhorse Publishing Inc. Heineken, 2005. Heineken history, profile. Web. Jobber, D. and Lancaster, G., 2003. Selling and sales management (sixth edition). England: Pearson Education Limited. Koller, T. et al., 2010. Valuation: measuring and managing the value of companies. United States of America: John Wiley Sons, Inc. Lancaster, G. and Massingham, L., 2011. Essentials of marketing management. USA and Canada: Routledge. Lancaster, G. and Reynolds, P., 2002. Marketing made simple. Great Britain: Butterworth-Heinemann Publications. Silk, A., 2006. What is marketing? United States of America: Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation. Smith, P. and Taylor, J., 2004. Marketing communications: an integrated approach 4th Ed. United Kingdom: Kogan Page Limited. YouTube, n.d. Heineken commercial on YouTube. Web. This essay on Heineken: A Company and a Brand was written and submitted by user Kaylynn C. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Biography of Frances Willard, Temperance Leader

Biography of Frances Willard, Temperance Leader Frances Willard (September 28, 1839–February 17, 1898) was one of the best-known and most influential women of her day and headed  the Womens Christian Temperance Union from 1879 to 1898. She was also the first dean of women at Northwestern University.  Her image  appeared on a 1940 postage stamp and she was the  first woman represented in Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol Building. Fast Facts: Frances Willard Known For: Womens rights and temperance leaderAlso Known As: Frances Elizabeth Caroline Willard, St. FrancesBorn: September 28, 1839 in Churchville, New YorkParents: Josiah Flint Willard, Mary Thompson Hill WillardDied: February 17, 1898 in New York CityEducation: Northwestern Female CollegePublished Works:  Woman and temperance, or the work and workers of the Womans Christian Temperance Union, Glimpses of fifty years: The autobiography of an American woman, Do everything: A handbook for the worlds white ribboners, How to Win: A Book for Girls, Woman in the Pulpit, A Wheel within a Wheel: How I Learned to Ride the BicycleAwards and Honors:  Namesake for many schools and organizations; named to the National Womens Hall of FameNotable Quote: If women can organize missionary societies, temperance societies, and every kind of charitable organization...why not permit them to be ordained to preach the Gospel and administer the sacraments of the Church? Early Life Frances Willard was born on September 28, 1839, in Churchville, New York, a farming community. When she was 3, the family moved to Oberlin, Ohio, so that her father could study for the ministry at Oberlin College. In 1846 the family moved again, this time to Janesville, Wisconsin, for her fathers health. Wisconsin became a state in 1848, and Josiah Flint Willard, Frances father, was a member of the legislature. There, while Frances lived on a family farm in the West, her brother was her playmate and companion. Frances Willard dressed as a boy and was known to friends as Frank. She preferred to avoid womens work such as housework, preferring more active play. Frances Willards mother had also been educated at Oberlin College, in a time when few women studied at the college level. Frances mother educated her children at home until the town of Janesville established its own schoolhouse in 1883. Frances, in her turn, enrolled in the Milwaukee Seminary, a respected school for women teachers. Her father wanted her to transfer to a Methodist school, so Frances and her sister Mary went to Evanston College for Ladies in Illinois. Her brother studied at Garrett Biblical Institute in Evanston, preparing for the Methodist ministry. Her entire family moved at that time to Evanston.  Frances graduated in 1859 as valedictorian.   Romance? In 1861, Frances got engaged to Charles H. Fowler, then a divinity student, but she broke off the engagement the next year despite pressure from her parents and brother.  She wrote later in her autobiography, referring to her own journal notes at the time of the breaking of the engagement, In 1861 to 62, for three-quarters of a year I wore a ring and acknowledged an allegiance based on the supposition that an intellectual comradeship was sure to deepen into a unity of heart. How grieved I was over the discovery of my mistake the journals of that epoch could reveal.  She was, she said in her journal at the time, afraid of her future if she did not marry, and she was unsure shed find another man to marry. Her autobiography reveals that there was a real romance of my life, saying that she would be glad to have it known only after her death, for I believe it might contribute to a better understanding between good men and women.  It may be that her romantic interest was in a teacher who she describes in her journals; if so, the relationship may have been broken up by the jealousy of a female friend. Teaching Career Frances Willard taught at a variety of institutions for almost 10 years, while her diary records her thinking about womens rights and what role she could play in the world in making a difference for women. Frances Willard went on a world tour with her friend Kate Jackson in 1868 and returned to Evanston to become head of Northwestern Female College, her alma mater under its new name. After that school merged into Northwestern University as the Womans College of that university, Frances Willard was appointed Dean of Women of the Womans College in 1871 and a professor of Aesthetics in the Universitys Liberal Arts college. In 1873, she attended the National Womens Congress and made connections with many womens rights activists on the East Coast. Womens Christian Temperance Union By 1874, Willards ideas had clashed with those of the university president, Charles H. Fowler, the same man to whom she had been engaged in 1861. The conflicts escalated, and in March 1874, Frances Willard chose to leave the university.  She had become involved in temperance work and accepted the job of president of the Chicago Womens Christian Temperance Union (WCTU). She became the corresponding secretary of the Illinois WCTU in October of that year. The following month while attending the national WCTU convention as a Chicago delegate, she became the corresponding secretary of the national WCTU, a position that required frequent travel and speaking. From 1876, she also headed up the WCTU publications committee. Willard was also associated briefly with evangelist Dwight Moody, although she was disappointed when she realized he only wanted her to speak to women. In 1877, she resigned as president of the Chicago organization. Willard had come into some conflict with national WCTU president Annie Wittenmyer over Willards push to get the organization to endorse woman suffrage as well as temperance, and so Willard also resigned from her positions with the national WCTU. Willard began lecturing for woman suffrage. In 1878, Willard won the presidency of the Illinois WCTU, and the next year, she became president of the national WCTU, following Annie Wittenmyer. Willard remained president of the national WCTU until her death. In 1883, Frances Willard was one of the founders of the Worlds WCTU. She supported herself with lecturing until 1886, when the WCTU granted her a salary. Frances Willard also participated in the founding of the National Council of Women in 1888 and served one year as its first president. Organizing Women As head of the first national organization in America for women, Frances Willard endorsed the idea that the organization should do everything. That meant to work not only for temperance, but also for womens suffrage, social purity (protecting young girls and other women sexually by raising the age of consent, establishing rape laws, holding male customers equally responsible for prostitution violations, etc.), and other social reforms. In fighting for temperance, she depicted the liquor industry as ridden with crime and corruption. She described men who drank alcohol as victims for succumbing to the temptations of liquor. Women, who had few legal rights to divorce, child custody, and financial stability, were described as the ultimate victims of liquor. But Willard did not see women primarily as victims. While coming from a separate spheres vision of society and valuing womens contributions as homemakers and child educators as equal to mens in the public sphere, she also promoted womens right to choose to participate in the public sphere. She endorsed womens right to become ministers and preachers as well. Frances Willard remained a staunch Christian, rooting her reform ideas in her faith. She disagreed with the criticism of religion and the Bible by other suffragists like Elizabeth Cady Stanton, though Willard continued to work with such critics on other issues. Racism Controversy In the 1890s, Willard tried to gain support in the white community for temperance by raising fears that alcohol and black mobs were a threat to white womanhood.  Ida B. Wells, the great anti-lynching advocate, had shown by documentation that most lynchings were defended by such myths of attacks on white women, while the motivations were usually instead economic competition. Lynch denounced Willards comments as racist and debated her on a trip to England in 1894. Significant Friendships Lady Somerset of England was a close friend of Frances Willard, and Willard spent time at her home resting from her work. Anna Gordon was Willards private secretary and her living and traveling companion for her last 22 years. Gordon succeeded to the presidency of the Worlds WCTU when Frances died. She mentions a secret love in her diaries, but it was never revealed who the person was. Death While preparing to leave for New England in New York City, Willard contracted influenza and died on February 17, 1898. (Some sources point to pernicious anemia, the source of several years of ill health.) Her death was met with national mourning: flags in New York, Washington, D.C., and Chicago were flown at half-staff, and thousands attended services where the train with her remains stopped on its way back to Chicago and her burial in Rosehill Cemetery. Legacy A rumor for many years was that Frances Willards letters had been destroyed by her companion Anna Gordon at or before Willards death.  But her diaries, though lost for many years, were rediscovered in the 1980s in a cupboard at the Frances E. Willard Memorial Library at the Evanston headquarters of the NWCTU.  Also found there were letters and many scrapbooks that had not been known until then.  Her journals and diaries number 40 volumes, which has provided a wealth of primary resource material for biographers.  The journals cover her younger years (age 16 to 31) and two of her later years (ages 54 and 57). Sources â€Å"Biography.†Ã‚  Frances Willard House Museum Archives.The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. â€Å"Frances Willard.†Ã‚  Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, 14 Feb. 2019.

Can public international law effectively moderate contemporary warfare Essay

Can public international law effectively moderate contemporary warfare - Essay Example International law is made by international treaties, which generates directives binding upon the parties, and accustomed laws, which are essentially state practices accepted by the community at large as establishing patterns of demeanor that have to be followed. Countries that are signatories to the international law do observe it, and infringements are relatively low (Basak, 2010). Nonetheless, such infringements such as racial oppression and armed attacks are exposed and attack the heart of the system, which is the generation and protection of international peace and justice. Just similar to normal assaults on national legal systems such as rapes, incidences of murder and robbery, corresponding attacks on international law show the weaknesses of the system devoid of their disparagement. In spite of the infrequent gross violation, the vast common requirements of international law are adhered to. This paper will seek to determine the effectiveness of the principles of international l aw in moderating the contemporary warfare. ... the threat or use of force Proscription on the use of force is the most significant principle that regulates International law, because of the magnitude of war, deeds of hostility and their consequences on the international system and associations between countries (Brownlie, 1999). This prohibition applies not only to the member states of United Nations but also to every nation. Additionally, this proscription is applicable to not only territories but also to borders and international distinction lines, because of the sensitivity of such lines in the cold war perspective (Armstrong et al, 2007). Most significantly, this principle forbids the indirect use of force. This is particularly significant since failing to include indirect use of force would mean that nations would indirectly do what they were prohibited to do. On one hand, it is clear that many nations respect this proscription. Additionally, this principle has been modified to include â€Å"lawful† use of force in nu merous instances using the powers of the UN Security Council. For instance, the Security Council Resolution 678 (1990) that permitted alliance forces to apply â€Å"all necessary means† including the use of armed force to sojourn Iraq’s illegitimate seizure of Kuwait (Dixon & McCorquodale, 2005). On the other hand, however, this principle has been the most challenged and breached principles of the international law. For example, the use of force for self-defense intentions, which is accepted in the customary international law as a â€Å"lawful† application of force, has been wrongly applied by the United States as an effort to validate illegitimate hostility (Basak, 2010). The USSR and US used â€Å"self-defense† to justify their use of force during the Cold War. In this regard, although this

All to be Tall Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

All to be Tall - Essay Example According to the report findings it is hard to believe that a person can sacrifice such a fortune to experience the severe pain that is associated with the lengthening exercise of legs only to gain an additional three inches to his height. The author’s claim is hard to believe and this is one of the major weaknesses of his article. Under normal circumstances, people seek medication when they have different healthcare problems. It may not be feasible for a healthy person to fork out such large sums of money to undergo a surgery that is meant to lengthen his height as this may turn out to be a nightmare if there are some complications experienced when the surgery has been performed.This study stresses that one of the major strengths of the article is that it captures the widely held perception by many people that tall men in particular are more attractive than short ones especially to women. The author uses superlative words to describe tall men in the article. For instance, Kit a quotes the survey by Henry Biller which shows that tall men are â€Å"more mature, uninhibited, positive, mature, confident, masculine, secure, dominant, optimistic and outgoing.† The author also supports this claim by highlighting that the majority of women in Hollywood films admire tall men. In different societies, tall men are regarded as role models and they are also portrayed as the epitome of success. Outgoing people also believe that tall men are charming and many beautiful ladies enjoy the company of these people.

Supply in health care services-physician services Essay

Supply in health care services-physician services - Essay Example The supply of physician services can be influenced by factors such as the price charged on physician services and the cost related to the production of those services. These factors may be influenced by the number of physicians, the number of hours that the physicians work, the capital and equipment available, the inputs and expenses considered critical in the provision of physician services. The supply of physicians is unique in the sense that it can be influenced by the level to which physicians delegate tasks influences the quantity, type and cost of physician services available (Feldstein, 2012). Medical education is a core determinant of the number of physician, which also influences the supply of physician services. Furthermore, government policies, on the supply side, have broadened the supply of physicians by availing subsidies for the construction of new medical schools, including provision of government loans and scholarships (Golden, Hannam, & Hyatt, 2012). The supply of physician services is inelastic since the supply of physicians is not highly responsive to a shift in price since there is only a small amount of response to a shift in price (Gwartney, 2011). For instance, in the event that the earnings of physicians rise from $200 to $300 per hour, only some increase will be registered within the quantity of services that physicians avail. This draws from the assumption that physicians ate price-taking utility maximizers, which indicate that physicians supply curve remains positively sloped. Countries can adopt diverse policy instruments to impact on the supply of physicians such as education and training policies, policies impacting on retention and retirement, and migration policies. Similarly, it is essential to note that factors such high income and job satisfaction influence the supply of

Planned Preventative Maintenance Essay

Planned Preventative Maintenance Essay Assessing the implementation of a Planned Preventative Maintenance Programme for Strategic Estate Planning. In order to understand the implementation of a planned preventative maintenance programme for estate planning, one will first need to understand the practice of condition surveys and the meaning attached to the concept. The Audit Commission (1988), with regard to condition surveys have been critical of most local authority practice in the UK of estimating maintenance expenditure by simply taking a notional percentage of the property value, and urge the use of proper condition surveys to derive more accurate estimates of maintenance expenditure. Condition surveys should, however be commissioned for more than just budgeting purposes, as they have a wider application in the managing of building condition, Bargh (1987). A major obstacle to carrying out the first comprehensive survey is the expense. On a national scale the UK building stock possesses very poor condition records and this represents a massive impediment to developing good maintenance management practices. Some progress has been made in recent years, particularly with respect to local authority buildings, where the prompting of the Audit Commission has had some effect. Within the private sector in the UK, there is still a startling reluctance amongst property managers to commit funding and commission detailed condition surveys of their buildings, Sahai (1987). Within the public sector as well condition surveys now being carried out are strictly limited in their scope. In many cases they are carried out for very specific purposes, usually related to financial management, rather than as part of a professional approach to managing building condition, Colston (1987).Condition surveys also include, building surveys, manual surveys, optical m ark surveys, bar-code reader, hand-held computer, and reports. These are all used to carry out condition surveys. With this in mind one can now talk about the use of this concept in a planned preventative maintenance programme for strategic estate planning. The process of planning for maintenance work has much in common with the planning of any construction activity. Therefore the basic principles of planning should be firmly understood before considering maintenance planning specifically. As the nature of the product or activity becomes more complex a point is reached where it becomes necessary to commit some, or all, of this plan to paper and a formal programme is produced, Sahai(1987). At a simple level this may only involve writing dates into a diary whilst, at a more advanced level, the use of a powerful computer based management technique may be necessary. Planning as an intellectual process permeates all activities in one form or another, always with some objective in mind, whether or not this is overtly stated. The clear identification of objectives is an essential prerequisite of the whole process, but particularly prior to the committal of a plan to the formal programming process. In the construction industry, planning has all too often been afforded insufficient credence. In many cases this is because not enough attention is given to the purposes for which a plan is required, leading to a failure to produce programmes that are consistent with the planning objectives, Tavistock Institute (1966). This tends either to bring the planning process into disrepute, or to the setting up of an intensely bureaucratic management regime. Now, there are a number of aspects of maintenance that require planning, which may not necessarily be part of a formal planned maintenance programme. For example, it may have been decided to institute a programme of planned inspections to verify that statutory requirements are being fulfilled, or considered prudent to operate a planned replacement policy, as part of a preventive maintenance programme, Chanter and Swallow (2005). This may operate separately from an on-going planned maintenance programme. Within any maintenance organisation there will be planned and unplanned work. The balance between the two will vary, depending on the nature of the organisation and its attitude to building maintenance. A low level of planned maintenance in an organisation does not necessarily reflect a poor attitude, as it may be appropriate for the given situation. It is quite possible to envisage a scenario where the introduction of a sophisticated planned system is not justifiable. For example, the owner of an estate consisting of one relatively simple building may choose to carry out all maintenance on demand, and plan only relatively obvious items, such as a redecoration every four years. The latter mentioned may be carried out on an ad-hoc basis. This closely mirrors the approach of the owner/occupier of a dwelling house, and is an inevitable consequence of work which is characterised by a large number of relatively small, low level operations and a small number of larger ones, Gibson (1979). The latter are more likely to be foreseeable ones, and hence planned for. They are likely to fall into two categories, namely, . A regular on-going requirement to perform certain operations, such as decoration. These tasks will tend to be cyclical in nature and, in theory at least, quite conveniently form part of a rolling programme. . Major renewal or repair projects which, from time-to-time become necessary. For example, there may be a programme instituted by a housing association to replace all flat roof coverings over a fixed time period. Some of these larger exercises fall into the category of what may be termed preventive maintenance, and need to have been subjected to a rigorous decision making process, Lees and Wordsworth (2001). For example, a decision to replace flat roof coverings ahead of failure is a preventive measure. In reaching this decision, account would have been taken of the disruption and possible consequential damage of not replacing until failure had occurred. In addition to this the aims of planned maintenance programmes with regard to estate planning are extremely diverse and, hence, many types of programmes will be encountered. The applications of the basic principles of planning are of paramount importance to estate planning, Chanter and Swallow (2005). In particular, it is essential to define the objectives of maintenance plans very accurately at the outset, to ensure their relevance, and to enable them to be realistically formulated. These objectives may include all or a combination of the following: . To help ensure that major defects are rectified and that the building fabric is maintained to a defined acceptable, safe and legally correct, standard. . To sustain the building condition at an acceptable level and prevent undue deterioration of the building fabric and services by preventive means. . To preserve the utility of the estate as an asset, and maintain its value . To maintain the engineering and utility services in an optimum condition to safeguard the environmental conditions of the building, and hence its productive capacity. . By effective planning, to ensure that maintenance is conducted, over a number of years, in a sensible sequence which reflects a careful consideration of priorities. . By proper planning, to ensure that maintenance operations are carried out in the most effective way to ensure that best value for money is being obtained and the best use is being made of scare resources. . To provide a tool for financial management, in particular budgetary control, and to assist maintenance managers in bidding for financial resources. . As part of a broader facilities management scenario, to assist management to relate programmed repairs and maintenance to other demands and alternatives, such as refurbishment, redevelopment or changes in leasing policy. The characteristics of maintenance work make accurate and comprehensive long-term predictions rather difficult. It is therefore necessary to define carefully what is realistically possible, and have an explicit recognition of levels of uncertainty. Because of this all programmes will need to have built into them some flexibility to permit modification if necessary and up-dating in order to ensure their continuing relevance. CONCLUSION It will be worthwhile to conclude that although the relevance of condition surveys to the implementation of planned preventative maintenance programmes for strategic estate planning enables an efficient allocation of scare resources such as funds and management expertise through periodic inspections of a property portfolio; its practice in scope within the UK is rather limited. Hence, authorities such as the audit commission should promote and ensure that condition surveys are carried out at the beginning of an estate management plan in which an adherence should be complied to, so that resources with regard to property portfolio are used efficiently, rather than wasted.

Aggression as a Negative

Aggression is viewed by many as a negative response in sport, but theories of why aggression occurs contradict each other. Evaluate critically theories of aggression that seek to explain why negative responses often occur in sporting situations Use practical examples for the theories you evaluate. Aggression is any behaviour outside the rules of the game that aims to harm an individual that is motivated to avoid such harm. Some skills appear aggressive for example, a slide tackle in football, however they are perfectly legal in the games rules so it is not seen as aggressive behaviour.Possible negative responses relating to aggression are caused by; actual/perceived unfairness, frustration at performance, displaced aggression from other sources, pressure to win, retaliation, copying others, nature of the game, reaction to a hostile crowd, being on the losing team and previous ill-feeling (derby game). There are 4 theories of aggression; Instinct Theory, Social Learning Theory, Frustr ation Aggression Hypothesis and Aggression Cue Hypothesis.Instinct Theory (Freud) suggests that behaviour is predictable, genetically inherited and it is the Trait view of behaviour. According to this theory, we can tell which players and when they will perform aggressive acts. This says that everyone has aggression within them, it is just a continual build-up of energy that needs to be released through catharsis, for example, small lashes out at an opposition to release pressure (Lorenz). However this theory completely disregards an environmental stimulus that we know exists.Social Learning Theory (Bandura) suggests that behaviour is learned from our environment, for example we observe behaviours through a role model, we perform the behaviour (copy) then this mode of behaviour becomes accepted through reinforcement. For example, young footballer copies Wayne Rooney and kicks out at an opposition player, then gets praise from team-mates, this behaviour is reinforced, then the young player will do it more to create this sort of response again.This theory does the opposite of Instinct Theory and accepts the environmental stimuli however disregards the genetic influence, that we also know exists. These next two are Interactionist Theories that aim to combine environmental and genetic influences. Frustration Aggression Hypothesis suggests that frustration occurs when our goal-directed behaviour is blocked, and there is more frustration if the behaviour is outcome orientated. This hypothesis suggests that environmental build ups create a biological reaction as a cathartic release, if this release fails then we become more aggressive.For example, Jordan Mutch of Cardiff blocked Wayne Rooney from getting past so Wayne Rooney (goal blocked), Wayne Rooney got frustrated, Kicked out at Mutch and received a yellow card as punishment, this cathartic release failed. Aggression Cue Hypothesis suggests that frustration is equal to arousal; it creates a readiness for aggressi on. This aggression will only occur upon environmental cue. For example in football, being on the receiving end of a bad tackle provides the environmental cue which will increase arousal. If there is the presence of aggression, chances of aggression are increased dramatically.

Summary of the Film “The Smartest Guys in the Room”

‘Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room’ Frauds and financial scandals in the business world were before an Enron’s case and will be after it. That’s in human nature. But a chain of events lead to an enormous shock on the Wall Street and went down in history as one of the biggest business scandals. For a long time sequence of events was a basis for articles and books, documental films and analytic researches. Specialties were retold and discussed by analytics. It was real human tragedy.The film ‘Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room’ tries to answer the questions that all people somehow connected with the business world were interested in: How it could happened? What are the reasons and who is responsible for that? The film tries to lift the veil. From the beginning of the film it is clearly stated that the Enron case is exceptional. Working in a field of energy and power, having reputation of ‘unsinkable’ ship and demonstrating fasci nating financial results, Enron dramatically collapsed almost in a day. But the beginning of this story is bright and ambitious.Enron represents a company of great promise. The first seconds of the film represent an end of it: John Cliff Baxter committed a suicide, being heartbroken with what was happened. And it was a conviction of the fraud that was happened. After this crucial episode, viewers come to the best years of the Enron. It is a seventh largest corporation in America, valued 70 billion $. It is an innovative business with absolutely new business model. But how it starts? It starts with Ken Lay, who comes to the story of Enron from humble roots. His father is a Baptist minister and their life is rather poor.Probably, his background plays an integral role in having huge ambitions to make wealth of him. Ken Lay wants to change a market of power and energy. He convinces that government is not a solution but a problem to the business. In other words, he involves in the idea o f deregulations. Not only he but other participants of a power and energy business share this outlook. A tendency to deregulations starts to develop in 1985 and in this very moment the Enron is founded. Kay Lay thinks that it would be beneficial for his new company that gas prices float with the currents of the market.That is the power of deregulations. An important episode of Enron is a contribution to the presidential campaign of George Bush, who lately helps to secure money in government subsidies and to promote Ken Lay with idea of deregulations. Trading in oil market considers as a very risky business. But Enron always wins. Even then an improbable success gives a rise to doubt about legality of Enron’s business. Illegal actions start with the president of Enron Louis Borget, who takes about 3 billion $ of corporate funds in his personal account with the help of a treasurer Mastroeni and his phony books.When the rumors become too strong, Mastroeni discloses real books an d it becomes clear that all reserves of Enron are gambled away. This tremendous news is hidden by the bluffing of the market and that is how Enron stays afloat. But a little later Enron is forced to disclose the information about those manipulations and all guilt is focused on Mastreoni and Borget. Mastreoni receives a suspended sentence, Borget spends 1 year in a prison. So who will make money now? The second period of Enron’s history is connected with Skilling, who is a person with the biggest ideas of all. He is a great visionary as a Ken Lay.It is he who comes up with a new idea: make energy a financial instrument like stocks and bonds. And it is like an explosion in the industry. Enron becomes a genius of the industry. All employees are proud of being working in Enron. It is worth mentioning, that it is a moment when SEC approved an implementation of a mark-to-market accounting approach, which allows estimating assets of the company by a market price and not by a real. I t also allows booking potential profit as it is already gained before money comes to Enron. That is the first almost unobservable alarm bell to a room for unethical actions and frauds.If to speak about work environment, it is clearly seen that Skilling is an unconstrained leader. Interesting fact of his power is that when he stops wearing glasses, everyone in the company does the same. But the culture that is cultivated is aggressive and tough, like in a wild nature with the basic instincts of survival of the fittest. Skilling is convinced that money is the only thing that motivates people. He wants employees to show him great results, great profit. Therefore, traders are encouraged to gamble. Making money no matter what the methods are used.Skilling also implements a system of evaluation of employees and every employee who does not meet the demand of Skilling’s vision is fired. As a result of this system, turnover index is 15% that is really negatively impressive. Skilingâ⠂¬â„¢s vision of people is based on the theory of ‘People with spikes’. Only extraordinary and exceptional people deserve his attention and respect. The list of people consists of Ken Rice who is a salesman of Enron; John Cliff Baxter who is very talented but prone to depression (as viewers of the film know, that will be a fatal point in his future).The list continued with Lou Pai – a key skilling lieutenant, working in one of the business units of Enron – Enron Energy Services (EES). His activity is wrapped in a mystery; employees even call him ‘Invisible CEO’. Lou Pai is highly motivated by money. When he loses interest in his work in Enron, put another way, when he achieves a marginal profit, he leaves or better to say escapes from Enron with 250 million $ and becomes the 2nd largest landowner in Colorado. The next stage of Enron is connected with its stocks that are being increased significantly day by day.Everyone wants to play in the mar ket because prices go up and up; there is an illusion that it will never end. The heading of this time is ‘A new day a new record’. By all means, these records have a direct impact on a profit of Enron, which gets higher and higher. But how they get these numbers? It is a questionable issue. In the books everything goes perfect but in reality it was quite the opposite. At this time Enron invests in India that is unreasonably risky. And they fails because India could not afford to pay for the power which Enron offers. As it is said in the fim ‘Failure was not an option’. Hence, Enron hides nsuccessful results in India, continuing show artificial bright results. Later, a merger with electrical company makes it possible for Enron to come into a new deregulated market of California. The company shows unrealistic results: stock price are soared by 34% in 2 days. Analysts were blinded to the doubtful information that is already occurred. It is not an unfortunate occurrence, but it will be disclosed only later. Enron diversifies its activities; in particular, it covers a new market of broadband. But it does not work. It is a mark-to-market accounting that helps Enron to book revenues as it is wanted to be.In reality there are not any revenues. And that is the moment when executives of Enron begin to understand a certainty of collapse; they start to sale their stocks. In other words, they leave a sinking ship. The end is coming. In 2001 dotcom companies undergo massive difficulties whereas Enron is a shining star of an American economy. It is named as the â€Å"most admired† corporation by Fortune magazine. But Enron is a black box. Nobody knows how exactly money is made. Suspicions of falsification of financial statements begin to occur. The next key figure in the Enron’s case is Andy Fostow who is a financial officer.He is motivated by a future career. He tries to please Skilling and therefore he hides debts in artificial comp anies and handles finance so that stock prices continue to going up. Moreover, he encourages 96 individual banks to put their money in LGM (Andy’s artificial company) to somehow change Enron’s situation. Why respectful banks do not suspect illegality? Analytics suppose that they do suspect, but agree to give money because Andy Fastow plays on their greed. They are ‘useful idiots’. Actions cross the line when Skilling responds unethically to one reporter.It is already seeable that Skilling starts to lose his countenance. He does not know how to keep stock prices high. Meanwhile, one more illegal chance to keep Enron’s stock prices takes place. It is called ‘California’. Enron produces an energy crisis. Blackouts take plays; as a result a demand on electricity is soared and so do the prices. Consequently, Enron gets money. These manipulations lead to a lot of domestic problems of citizens of California but nothing changes. During this par t, there is a comparison of Enron’s activity in California with Milgram’s experiment which is quite remarkable.Both ‘experiments’ are about how people can be convinced to do something morally wrong if a person in authority tells them it is his responsibility and he will not be blamed. As in the Milgram’s experiment Enron continues to manipulate with electricity and things become worse and worse. People understand that nothing is left to accident, they blame Enron in this; desperate protests take place. In this time George Bush becomes a president of the USA and therefore with the old beneficial relations Enron does have an easy access to the administration.As a consequence, government does not interfere in the Californian difficulties. People stop believe in Enron and its stocks begin to fall. In this moment Skilling suddenly announces that he resigns from Enron. Employees take this is as a betrayal. One of the employees – Sherron Watkins bec omes aware of the fraud that takes place at Enron. She tries to speak with Ken Lay but he does nothing. Meanwhile Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) starts an investigation and discovers that in reality millions of assets are millions of debts. And it is Andy Fostow who is blamed by all Enrons’ executives for falsifications.It is interesting to note that the same situation was with Borget and Mastreoni in the early 1990s. The end comes in 2001 when Enron declares a bankruptcy. Employees feel that they are on the sinking whip without lifeboats. They lose everything. Cliff Baxter commits a suicide 7 months later. Concerning tragic specialities, $ 1,2 billion in retirement funds and $2 billion in pension funds are disappeared in a matter of weeks. 20,000 employees lose their jobs. Ken Lay and Skilling are under a precise look of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The congressional committees launch court proceedings.It is the end of the film ‘Enron: The Smartest Gu ys In The Room’. Enron’s tragedy is often compared with Titanic. And that is not just empty words. In both cases there were a lot of warnings of possible danger but ‘ships’ continue a full-speed running. In both cases there were great opportunities but then a combination of human errors and hubris lead to a fatal meltdown. The fall of Enron is a story not only about people but about whole system, consisting of government, financial and business institutions, conditions and relations. All participants in fraudulent actions have their share of a pie.That is why this story is called ‘a story of synergetic corruption’. I am absolutely fascinated by this film, to be precise, by a scale of greed and addiction to money and power. Understanding that characters of this film are the real people and all actions that were showed really took place makes me fascinated even more. To my mind, Enron case is not an aberration; it is a consequence of way of livi ng. It is a ‘dark shadow of the American dream’ as it is said in the film. Therefore, it can be repeated. And it can be us who would be affected by manipulations. That really boggles the mind.

Slavery’s Implications Essays

Slavery’s Implications Essays Slavery’s Implications Essay Slavery’s Implications Essay Often times, intelligent people can utterly disagree on a point and all make compelling arguments for their position.   Such contentious issues tend to be ones that are very interesting to discuss.   In fact, one such example can be found in the idea, proposed by Frederick Douglass in his autobiography, that the institution of slavery was as deleterious to some of â€Å"the white owners and overseers† as it was to â€Å"the slaves.†Ã‚   This concept, which as a matter of subjective opinion could be argued almost endlessly with no resolution, still brings up extraordinarily interesting issues.   Indeed, one could argue that the â€Å"white owners and overseers† were harmed by slavery just as much as the slaves were, due to things such as physical harm, societal harm, and moral harm. It would, perhaps, be apropos to begin with what is probably the least detrimental of the damages that slavery visited upon those who wielded it, namely physical harm.   Of course, particularly in light of the many atrocities against slaves that are vividly detailed in Douglass’ autobiography, the idea that slavery physically harmed the slave-owners seems somewhat laughable.   When one examines the question more closely, though, it seems apparent that there was in fact some physical damage done to the slave-owning aristocracy.   For instance, at one point Douglass details the â€Å"management† of his master’s horses by two fellow slaves, both named Barney (Douglass 34).   On the face of things, where exactly is the harm in that to his master, Colonel Lloyd?   There doesn’t outwardly seem to be any.   That, however, is the insidious nature of the harm that is taking place.   Outwardly, the idea of having all the physical labor in one’s life done by someone else does not seem a particularly injurious occurrence.   In truth, though, one is really being robbed of one of life’s most basic gifts, the feeling of an honest day’s labor. Needless to say, that doesn’t really compare to the level of actual physical damage that was done to the slaves themselves.   It is important to remember, however, that pure physical hurt is not necessarily the litmus test for harm.   For instance, in terms of societal harm, the white slave-owners of the south were hurt on a massive scale.   An example of how this is so can be found in Frederick Douglass’ description of Mr. Severe, who â€Å"was rightly named:   he was a cruel man.†Ã‚   (Douglass 29).   Consider the following circumstance, for example, wherein Douglass talks about how he saw Severe, â€Å" ¼whip a woman, causing the blood to run half an hour at the time; and this, too, in the midst of her crying children, pleading for their mother’s release.†Ã‚   (Douglass 29).   Now, in the majority of societies, an individual like Mr. Severe, who seemed to be a sociopathic lunatic, would end up incarcerated or somehow exiled from the remainder of society.   Within the scope of a society employing slavery, though, he instead finds good employment and the perfect venue to display his sickening tendencies.   This is just one example of the sort of damage that slavery did to the slave-owners’ societal fabric. Societal harm, however, pales in comparison to the injuries that slavery visited on the slave-owners morally.   There are myriad ways that one could examine this moral decay, but one exceptional example can be found in Douglass’ analysis of the hypocritical nature of Christianity amongst slave-holders, found in the book’s appendix (Douglass 120).   This is a truly wonderful condemnation of the ethical and moral environment that is allowed to thrive under slavery.   Douglass writes, â€Å"He who sells my sister, for purposes of prostitution, stands forth as the pious advocate of purity.†Ã‚   (Douglass 121).   Truly, such fearsome hypocrisy can only really come to be in a society in which the hypocritical base of power is that some people can own others for wholly arbitrary reasons. Likewise, the institution of slavery also destroyed the natural, intrinsic morality of its biggest proponents.   For example, one might look at the two brutal, evil acts of murder that Douglass describes back to back, the murders of his wife’s cousin and an old man who was oyster fishing (Douglass 41-42).   It is no secret that under slavery all of the darkest, most iniquitous inclinations of the human mind are unleashed.   Things such as rape, incest, murder, and sheer sadism are unleashed when people are given total control to act with impunity towards another human being.   Sometimes, however, it takes actual examples, described in black-and-white terms that are inescapable, to fully manifest the understanding of this in one’s mind.   This is precisely what Douglass does throughout his autobiography.   In the same way that Elie Wiesel chronicled the horrors of the holocaust in his book Night, Douglass systematically depicts the horrors of slavery, all to help those who cannot really conceive of it in their efforts to do so. In conclusion, it seems rather evident that one could make a convincing argument that the white slave-owners were as injured by slavery as were the slaves.   Of course, as Frederick Douglass would’ve almost certainly admitted, self-inflicted injury is significantly less apt to be viewed compassionately compared to the terrible injury that was imposed on the slaves.   On the other hand, the self-inflicted damage is in some ways infinitesimally more severe, due to the fact that there is no moral vindication like there is with the injury that happened to the slaves.   In any case, this highly contentious subject matter is one that will continue to be fascinating and relevant for generations to come.   In fact, the issue of slavery’s full implications is such a rich, deep subject that one could quite easily devote a lifetime, in its entirety, to nothing other than the study of such repercussions.

11 Signs Your Boss Likes You Even If It Doesnt Seem Like It

11 Signs Your Boss Likes You Even If It Doesnt Seem Like It Having a solid relationship with your boss is incredibly important. It’s important to have a good rapport and to earn each other’s trust and respect. But some bosses are less effusive than others. What to do if your boss leaves you feeling in the dark as to her opinion of you? Here are 11 signs your boss is likes  you, even if, perhaps, she doesn’t show it much.1. You Only Get Tough LoveIf your boss gives you a lot of feedback, and most of it is negative, this is actually a good sign. He respects you enough to give you the notes you need to improve, and is invested in your improvement. Plus, he thinks you can handle the constructive criticism. So take it on the chin and keep doing better and better.2. You’re Constantly Given ChallengesDoes your boss give you more than you feel like you can handle? Perhaps she wants to test you, or groom you, and puts you on tough assignments. This may be a bit overwhelming, but it’s usually a very good sign.3. You Always  Sniff Out PrioritiesIf you are tuned into what your boss’s top priorities are, then not only can you work more effectively, but you’ll know whether you are working with the same endgame in mind. Keep this channel of communication open and be sure to volunteer for the projects that align with these priorities. Quickest way to your boss’s heart!4. You Feel RespectedIt doesn’t actually matter if your boss likes you. All that matters is respect. You don’t have to go for maniIf another employee is struggling, or someone has a problem or needs guidance with a difficult task, and your boss sends them down to you? Or you get singled out as an example of good work for the rest of your team to aspire to? That’s a great sign you’re in the inner circle in your boss’s eye.10.  You’re Trusted with the MoneymakersWhen the stakes are high, you’re the one who gets sent into the game. An important project or client com es around, and your boss turns to you. This sign of trust is a big one, and you should feel great about it.11.  You’re Not IgnoredAgain, maybe you aren’t happy hour besties, but your boss does go out of her way to check in with you from time to time- to assess how satisfied you are in your job, and to make sure she’s not in any danger of losing you. That’s a great sign of just how highly you are valued.

Marketing Strategy of Apple Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 15000 words

Marketing Strategy of Apple - Dissertation Example Over the last decade, Apple redefined the music and cellphone business, and the entertainment and media world by introducing IPod, IPhone and IPad. With the motivation to evaluate the marketing strategy of Apple, which enabled it to bring about a turnaround, this research is being conducted. Three objectives were set in Chapter I and after extensive literature review in Chapter II, questionnaire was designed to collect primary data from students. All three objectives have been achieved. The study finds that in the high technology products it has become critical to redefine businesses and reshape markets, thereby aligning with the changing demands of the firm’s business environment. To gain competitive advantage new pricing models, innovative value proposition, or customer-driven supply networks or finding new means of â€Å"touching† the customers has become essential. Brand management, customer segmentation, product positioning and customer behavior engagement are bein g applied by marketers. In the case of high-tech products product positioning has to be based on definite and tangible characteristics – unique selling point (USP) of the product. ... Apple also adopts bundling pricing and reference pricing strategy. In the international market Apple standardizes product, place and promotion strategies globally, so that all products sold worldwide carry the same design, package, advertising, posters and slogan. Prices vary depending on local taxes applicable. Thus, the marketing strategy of Apple can be said to be effective as they have been able to achieve the expected synergies. Table of Contents Chapter One: Introduction 1.1 Research Topic 1 1.2 Overview of Apple Inc. 2 1.3 Rationale for the study 2 1.4 Research Aims and Objectives 1.5 Research Framework Chapter Two: Literature Review 2.1 Chapter Overview 2.2 Introduction to Marketing Strategy 2.2.1 Principles of Marketing Strategy 2.2.2 Market Segmentation and Target Selection 2.2.3 Brand Image and Brand Equity 2.2.4 Product Positioning 2.2.5 Customer Engagement Behavior 2.3 Marketing Mix 2.3.1 Products 2.3.2 Pricing 2.3.3 Promotions 2.3.3.1 Advertising 2.3.3.2 Personal Sellin g 2.3.3.3 Sales Promotion 2.3.3.4 Public Relations 2.3.3.5 Direct Marketing 2.3.4 Place 2.3.4.1 Types of Intermediary 2.3.4.2 The Internet 2.4 International Marketing Strategy 2.4.1 Porter’s Generic Strategy in Digital Age 2.4.2 Effectiveness of the marketing strategy 2.5 Overview of the Computer Industry 2.6 Overview of Apple Inc Chapter Three: Methodology 3.1 Chapter Overview 3.2 Research Phenomenon under study 3.3 Research Philosophy 3.4 Research Strategy 3.5 Data Collection 3.6 Sampling 3.7 Data Analysis 3.8 Ethical concerns 3.9 Reliability and Validity 3.10 Limitations Chapter Four: Findings and Discussion 4.1 Chapter Overview 4.2 Findings from Web

Service Marketing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Service Marketing - Research Paper Example Talking about the various means of travelling in UK, the prominent ones are trains, ships and airways. All the three have become really advanced and providing great facilities and services to its clients. Now the journey is no more called as the boring time as the companies do their best to make the traveler feel like home and provide the quality time spent during travelling. There are number of companies who have already stepped into this industry as it is profit earning business and that has provoked a tight competition. Therefore any newbie has to struggle hard so that to make its place in this business. Before deciding any particular sector, let’s have a look at the general overview of the three main travelling means. Airways: UK major industry emphasize on the airways. According to the recent facts and figures, 235 million people use this means to travel a year and 2.3 million tonnes of freight is carried out via airways. In the recent years, the number of air travelers h as increased because of the fact that the income of people has also increased. Additionally, the time factor is most important thing that is considered today and airways is one of the fastest means of travelling. Aviation business is operated commercially and privately without subsidy. Therefore it is very important to plan out everything in prior and have negotiations with other countries’ aviation sector. Proper strategies and policies are required to be developed that support the department for long term. This business runs in collaboration of different departments like an airport, airlines, regulators and government sectors. In addition to this, they need support of international governments, embassies, customer representatives and trade associations as well. Civil Aviation Authority is the main department that regulates this industry. It keeps the record of safety, economic, airspace policy and consumer protection regulation. CAA is the department who negotiates with the government on issues of aviation, customer interests and also establishes statistical data after collecting information via economic and scientific research. In UK, air traffic management services are being provided by National Air Traffic Services (NATS) that is being regulated by the CAA. There are two main shareholders of NATS; one is the Government and the other Airline group consists of 7 UK airlines. In previous years, most of the people used to travel via trains and ships as because of the low rates. But now after the airlines have started offering low rates, the air travelling has become affordable for the mediocre person as well. But still due to the economic and security conditions there are many people who prefer to travel via means of ship or trains. Secondly, majority people use only trains and buses for the short distance travelling as it cost them much less. Therefore the trains and buses are big substitute threat for the airlines. Opportunities and threats to Airlin es Since the last few years, airline business is bearing major losses due to some reasons like first due to the security reasons after 9/11 issue then the recession period made it difficult for the people to afford high rates of the airlines. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimated loss of approximately $4.7 billion in 2009. Revenues were predicted to decrease by 12%. According to the facts and figures, Airlines bear loss of