Forward the Foundation Chapter 16

6 Hari Seldon was fighting off melancholy. He was lectured in turn by Dors, by Raych, by Yugo, and by Manella. All united to tell him that sixty was not old. They simply did not understand. He had been thirty when the first hint of psychohistory had come to him, thirty-two when he delivered his famous lecture at the Decennial Convention, following which everything seemed to happen to him at once. After his brief interview with Cleon, He had fled across Trantor and met Demerzel, Dors, Yugo, and Raych, to say nothing of the people of Mycogen, of Dahl, and of Wye. He was forty when he became First Minister and fifty when he had relinquished the post. Now he was sixty. He had spent thirty years on psychohistory. How many more years would he require? How many more years would he live? Would he die with the Psychohistory Project unfinished after all? It was not the dying that bothered him, he told himself. It was the matter of leaving the Psychohistory Project unfinished. He went to see Yugo Amaryl. In recent years they had somehow drifted apart, as the Psychohistory Project had steadily increased in size. In the first years at Streeling, it had merely been Seldon and Amaryl working together-no one else. Now ** Amaryl was nearly fifty-not exactly a young man-and he had somehow lost his spark. In all these years, he had developed no interest in anything but psychohistory: no woman, no companion, no hobby, no subsidiary activity. Amaryl blinked at Seldon who couldn't help but note the changes in the man's appearance. Part of it may have been because Yugo had had to have his eyes reconstructed. He saw perfectly well, but there was an unnatural look about them and he tended to blink slowly. It made him appear sleepy. â€Å"What do you think, Yugo?† said Seldon. â€Å"Is there any light at the end of the tunnel?† â€Å"Light? Yes, as a matter of fact,† said Amaryl. â€Å"There's this new fellow, Tamwile Elar. You know him, of course.† â€Å"Oh yes. I'm the one who hired him. Very vigorous and aggressive. How's he doing?† â€Å"I can't say I'm really comfortable with him, Hari. His loud laughter gets on my nerves. But he's brilliant. The new system of equations fits right into the Prime Radiant and they seem to make it possible to get around the problem of chaos.† â€Å"Seem? Or will?† â€Å"Too early to say, but I'm very hopeful. I have tried a number of things that would have broken them down if they were worthless and the new equations survived them all. I'm beginning to think of them as the achaotic equations!† â€Å"I don't imagine,† said Seldon â€Å"we have anything like a rigorous demonstration concerning these equations?† â€Å"No, we don't, though I've put half a dozen people on it, including Elar, of course.† Amaryl turned on his Prime Radiant-which was every bit as advanced as Seldon's was-and he watched as the curving lines of luminous equations curled in midair-too small, too fine to be read without amplification. â€Å"Add the new equations and we may be able to begin to predict.† â€Å"Each time I study the Prime Radiant now,† said Seldon thoughtfully, â€Å"I wonder at the Electro-Clarifier and how tightly it squeezes material into the lines and curves of the future. Wasn't that Elar's idea, too?† â€Å"Yes. With the help of Cinda Monay, who designed it.† â€Å"It's good to have new and brilliant men and women in the Project. Somehow it reconciles me to the future.† â€Å"You think someone like Elar may be heading the Project someday?† asked Amaryl, still studying the Prime Radiant. â€Å"Maybe. After you and I have retired-or died.† Amaryl seemed to relax and turned off the device. â€Å"I would like to complete the task before we retire or die.† â€Å"So would I, Yugo. So would I.† â€Å"Psychohistory has guided us pretty well in the last ten years.† That was true enough, but Seldon knew that one couldn't attach too much triumph to that. Things had gone smoothly and without major surprises. Psychohistory had predicted that the center would hold after Cleon's death-predicted it in a very dim and uncertain way-and it did hold. Trantor was reasonably quiet. Even with an assassination and the end of a dynasty, the center had held. It did so under the stress of military rule-Dors was quite right in speaking of the junta as â€Å"those military rascals.† She might have even gone farther in her accusations without being wrong. Nevertheless, they were holding the Empire together and would continue to do so for a time. Long enough, perhaps, to allow psychohistory to play an active role in the events that were to transpire. Lately Yugo had been speaking about the possible establishment of Foundations-separate, isolated, independent of the Empire itself serving as seeds for developments through the forthcoming dark ages and into a new and better Empire. Seldon himself had been working on the consequences of such an arrangement. But he lacked the time and, he felt (with a certain misery), he lacked the youth as well. His mind, however firm and steady, did not have the resiliency and creativity that it had had when he was thirty and with each passing year, he knew he would have less. Perhaps he ought to put the young and brilliant Elar on the task, taking him off everything else. Seldon had to admit to himself, shamefacedly, that the possibility did not excite him. He did not want to have invented psychohistory so that some stripling could come in and reap the final fruits of fame. In fact, to put it at its most disgraceful, Seldon felt jealous of Elar and realized it just sufficiently to feel ashamed of the emotion. Yet, regardless of his less rational feelings, he would have to depend on other younger men-whatever his discomfort over it. Psychohistory was no longer the private preserve of himself and Amaryl. The decade of his being First Minister had converted it into a large government-sanctioned and -budgeted undertaking and, quite to his surprise, after resigning from his post as First Minister and returning to Streeling University, it had grown still larger. Hari grimaced at its ponderous-and pompous-official name: the Seldon Psychohistory Project at Streeling University. But most people simply referred to it as the Project. The military junta apparently saw the Project as a possible political weapon and while that was so, funding was no problem. Credits poured in. In return, it was necessary to prepare annual reports, which, however, were quite opaque. Only fringe matters were reported on and even then the mathematics was not likely to be within the purview of any of the members of the junta. It was clear as he left his old assistant that Amaryl, at least, was more than satisfied with the way psychohistory was going and yet Seldon felt the blanket of depression settle over him once more. He decided it was the forthcoming birthday celebration that was bothering him. It was meant as a celebration of joy, but to Hari it was not even a gesture of consolation-it merely emphasized his age. Besides, it was upsetting his routine and Hari was a creature of habit. His office and a number of those adjoining had been cleared out and it had been days since he had been able to work normally. His proper offices would be converted into halls of glory, he supposed, and it would be many days before he could get back to work. Only Amaryl absolutely refused to budge and was able to maintain his office. Seldon had wondered, peevishly, who had thought of doing all this. It wasn't Dors, of course. She knew him entirely too well. Not Amaryl or Raych, who never even remembered their own birthdays. He had suspected Manella and had even confronted her on the matter. She admitted that she was all for it and had given orders for the arrangements to take place, but she said that the idea for the birthday party had been suggested to her by Tamwile Elar. The brilliant one, thought Seldon. Brilliant in everything. He sighed. If only the birthday were all over. Dors poked her head through the door. â€Å"Am I allowed to come in?† â€Å"No, of course not. Why should you think I would?† â€Å"This is not your usual place.† â€Å"I know,† sighed Seldon. â€Å"I have been evicted from my usual place because of the stupid birthday party. How I wish it were over.† â€Å"There you are. Once that woman gets an idea in her head, it takes over and grows like the big bang.† Seldon changed sides at once. â€Å"Come. She means well, Dors.† â€Å"Save me from the well-meaning,† said Dors. â€Å"In any case, I'm here to discuss something else. Something which may be important.† â€Å"Go ahead. What is it?† â€Å"I've been talking to Wanda about her dream-† She hesitated. Seldon made a gargling sound in the back of his throat, then said, â€Å"I can't believe it. Just let it go.† â€Å"No. Did you bother to ask her for the details of the dream?† â€Å"Why should I put the little girl through that?† â€Å"Neither did Raych, nor Manella. It was left up to me.† â€Å"But why should you torture her with questions about it?† â€Å"Because I had the feeling I should,† said Dors grimly. â€Å"In the first place, she didn't have the dream when she was home in her bed.† â€Å"Where was she, then?† â€Å"In your office.† â€Å"What was she doing in my office?† â€Å"She wanted to see the place where the party would be and she walked into your office and, of course, there was nothing to see, as it's been cleared out in preparation. But your chair was still there. The large one-tall back, tall wings, broken-down-the one you won't let me replace.† Hari sighed, as if recalling a longstanding disagreement. â€Å"It's not broken-down. I don't want a new one. Go on.† â€Å"She curled up in your chair and began to brood over the fact that maybe you weren't really going to have a party and she felt bad. Then, she tells me, she must have fallen asleep because nothing is clear in her mind, except that in her dream there were two men-not women, she was sure about that-two men, talking.† â€Å"And what were they talking about?† â€Å"She doesn't know exactly. You know how difficult it is to remember details under such circumstances. But she says it was about dying and she thought it was you because you were so old. And she remembers two words clearly. They were ‘lemonade death.'† â€Å"What?† â€Å"Lemonade death.† â€Å"What does that mean?† â€Å"I don't know. In any case, the talking ceased, the men left, and there she was in the chair, cold and frightened-and she's been upset about it ever since.† Seldon mulled over Dors's report. Then he said, â€Å"Look, dear, what importance can we attach to a child's dream?† â€Å"We can ask ourselves first, Hari, if it even was a dream.† â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"Wanda doesn't say outright it was. She says she ‘must have fallen asleep.' Those are her words. She didn't say she fell asleep, she said she must have fallen asleep.† â€Å"What do you deduce from that?† â€Å"She may have drifted off into a half-doze and, in that state, heard two men-two real men, not two dream men-talking.† â€Å"Real men? Talking about killing me with lemonade death?† â€Å"Something like that, yes.† â€Å"Dors,† said Seldon forcefully, â€Å"I know that you're forever foreseeing danger for me, but this is going too far. Why should anyone want to kill me?† â€Å"It's been tried twice before.† â€Å"So it has, but consider the circumstances. The first attempt came shortly after Cleon appointed me First Minister. Naturally this was an offense to the well-established court hierarchy and I was very resented. A few thought they might settle matters by getting rid of me. The second time was when the Joranumites were trying to seize power and they thought I was standing in their way-plus Namarti's distorted dream of revenge. â€Å"Fortunately neither assassination attempt succeeded, but why should there now be a third? I am no longer First Minister and haven't been for ten years. I am an aging mathematician in retirement and surely no one has anything to fear from me. The Joranumites have been rooted out and destroyed and Namarti was executed long ago. There is absolutely no motivation for anyone to want to kill me. â€Å"So please, Dors, relax. When you're nervous about me, you get unsettled, which makes you more nervous still, and I don't want that to happen.† Dors rose from her seat and leaned across Hari's desk. â€Å"It's easy for you to say that there is no motive to kill you, but none is needed. Our government is now a completely irresponsible one and if they wish-â€Å" â€Å"Stop!† commanded Seldon loudly. Then, very quietly, â€Å"Not a word, Dors. Not a word against the government. That could get us in the very trouble you're foreseeing.† â€Å"I'm only talking to you, Hari.† â€Å"Right now you are, but if you get into the habit of saying foolish things, you don't know when something will slip out in someone else's presence-someone who will then be glad to report you. Just learn, as a matter of necessity, to refrain from political commentary.† â€Å"I'll try, Hari,† said Dors, but she could not keep the indignation out of her voice. She turned on her heel and left. Seldon watched her go. Dors had aged gracefully, so gracefully that at times she seemed not to have aged at all. Though she was two years younger than Seldon, her appearance had not changed nearly as much as his had in the twenty-eight years they had been together. Naturally. Her hair was frosted with gray, but the youthful luster beneath the gray still shone through. Her complexion had grown more sallow; her voice was a bit huskier, and, of course, she wore clothes that were suitable for middle age. However, her movements were as agile and as quick as ever. It was as if nothing could be allowed to interfere with her ability to protect Hari in case of an emergency. Hari sighed. This business of being protected-more or less against his will, at all times-was sometimes a heavy burden. 8 Manella came to see Seldon almost immediately afterward. â€Å"Pardon me, Hari, but what has Dors been saying?† Seldon looked up again. Nothing but interruptions. â€Å"It wasn't anything important. Wanda's dream.† Manella's lips pursed. â€Å"I knew it. Wanda said Dors was asking her questions about it. Why doesn't she leave the girl alone? You would think that having a bad dream was some sort of felony.† â€Å"As a matter of fact,† said Seldon soothingly, â€Å"it's just a matter of something Wanda remembered as part of the dream. I don't know if Wanda told you, but apparently in her dream she heard something about ‘lemonade death.' â€Å" â€Å"Hmm!† Manella was silent for a moment. Then she said, â€Å"That doesn't really matter so much. Wanda is crazy about lemonade and she's expecting lots of it at the party. I promised she'd have some with Mycogenian drops in it and she's looking forward to it.† â€Å"So that if she heard something that sounded anything like lemonade, it would be translated into lemonade in her mind.† â€Å"Yes. Why not?† â€Å"Except that, in that case, what do you suppose it was that was actually said? She must have heard something in order to misinterpret it.† â€Å"I don't think that's necessarily so. But why are we attaching so much importance to a little girl's dream? Please, I don't want anyone talking to her about it anymore. It's too upsetting.† â€Å"I agree. I'll see to it that Dors drops the subject-at least with Wanda.† â€Å"All right. I don't care if she is Wanda's grandmother, Hari. I'm her mother, after all, and my wishes come first.† â€Å"Absolutely,† said Seldon soothingly and looked after Manella as she left. That was another burden-the unending competition between those two women. 9 Tamwile Elar was thirty-six years old and had joined Seldon's Psychohistory Project as Senior Mathematician four years earlier. He was a tall man, with a habitual twinkle in his eye and with more than a touch of self-assurance as well. His hair was brown and had a loose wave in it, the more noticeable because he wore it rather long. He had an abrupt way of laughing, but there was no fault to be found with his mathematical ability. Elar had been recruited from the West Mandanov University and Seldon always had to smile when he remembered how suspicious Yugo Amaryl had been of him at first. But then, Amaryl was suspicious of everyone. Deep in his heart (Seldon felt sure), Amaryl felt that psychohistory ought to have remained his and Hari's private province. But even Amaryl was now willing to admit that Elar's membership in the group had eased his own situation tremendously. Yugo said, â€Å"His techniques for avoiding chaos are unique and fascinating. No one else in the Project could have worked it out the way he did. Certainly nothing of this sort ever occurred to me. It didn't occur to you, either, Hari.† â€Å"Well,† said Seldon grumpily, â€Å"I'm getting old.† â€Å"If only,† said Amaryl, â€Å"he didn't laugh so loud.† â€Å"People can't help the way they laugh.† Yet the truth was that Seldon found himself having a little trouble accepting Elar. It was rather humiliating that he himself had come nowhere near the â€Å"achaotic equations,† as they were now called. It didn't bother Seldon that he had never thought of the principle behind the Electro-Clarifier-that was not really his field. The achaotic equations, however, he should, indeed, have thought of-or at least gotten close to. He tried reasoning with himself. Seldon had worked out the entire basis for psychohistory and the achaotic equations grew naturally out of that basis. Could Elar have done Seldon's work three decades earlier? Seldon was convinced that Elar couldn't have. And was it so remarkable that Elar had thought up the principle of achaotism once the basis was in place? All this was very sensible and very true, yet Seldon still found himself uneasy when facing Elar. Just slightly edgy. Weary age facing flamboyant youth. Yet Elar never gave him obvious cause for feeling the difference in years. He never failed to show Seldon full respect or in any way to imply that the older man had passed his prime. Of course, Elar was interested in the forthcoming festivities and had even, as Seldon had discovered, been the first to suggest that Seldon's birthday be celebrated. (Was this a nasty emphasis on Seldon's age? Seldon dismissed the possibility. If he believed that, it would mean he was picking up some of Dors's tricks of suspicion. Elar strode toward him and said, â€Å"Maestro-† And Seldon winced, as always. He much preferred to have the senior members of the Project call him Hari, but it seemed such a small point to make a fuss over. â€Å"Maestro,† said Elar. â€Å"The word is out that you've been called in for a conference with General Tennar.† â€Å"Yes. He's the new head of the military junta and I suppose he wants to see me to ask what psychohistory is all about. They've been asking me that since the days of Cleon and Demerzel.† (The new head! The junta was like a kaleidoscope, with some of its members periodically falling from grace and others rising from nowhere.) â€Å"But it's my understanding he wants it now-right in the middle of the birthday celebration.† â€Å"That doesn't matter. You can all celebrate without me.† â€Å"No, we can't, Maestro. I hope you don't mind, but some of us got together and put in a call to the Palace and put the appointment off for a week.† â€Å"What?† said Seldon annoyed. â€Å"Surely that was presumptuous of you-and risky, besides.† â€Å"It worked out well. They've put it off and you'll need that time.† â€Å"Why would I need a week?† Elar hesitated. â€Å"May I speak frankly, Maestro?† â€Å"Of course you can. When have I ever asked that anyone speak to me m any way but frankly?† Elar flushed slightly, his fair skin reddening, but his voice remained steady. â€Å"It's not easy to say this, Maestro. You're a genius at mathematics. No one on the Project has any doubt of that. No one in the Empire-they knew you and understood mathematics-would have any doubt about it. However, it is not given to anybody to be a universal genius.† â€Å"I know that as well as you do, Elar.† â€Å"I know you do. Specifically, though, you lack the ability to handle ordinary people-shall we say, stupid people. You lack a certain deviousness, a certain ability to sidestep, and if you are dealing with someone who is both powerful in government and somewhat stupid, you can easily endanger the Project and, for that matter, your own life, simply because you are too frank.† â€Å"What is this? Am I suddenly a child? I've been dealing with politicians for a long time. I was First Minister for ten years, as perhaps you may remember.† â€Å"Forgive me, Maestro, but you were not an extraordinarily effective one. You dealt with First Minister Demerzel, who was very intelligent, by all accounts, and with the Emperor Cleon, who was very friendly. Now you will encounter military people who are neither intelligent nor friendly-another matter entirely.† â€Å"I've even dealt with military people and survived.† â€Å"Not with General Dugal Tennar. He's another sort of thing altogether. I know him.† â€Å"You know him? You have met him?† â€Å"I don't know him personally, but he's from Mandanov, which, as you know, is my sector, and he was a power there before he joined the junta and rose through its ranks.† â€Å"And what do you know about him?† â€Å"Ignorant, superstitious, violent. He is not someone you can handle easily-or safely. You can use the week to work out methods for dealing with him.† Seldon bit his lower lip. There was something to what Elar said and Seldon recognized the fact that, while he had plans of his own, it would still be difficult to try to manipulate a stupid, self-important, short-tempered person with overwhelming force at his disposal. He said uneasily, â€Å"I'll manage somehow. The whole matter of a military junta is, in any case, an unstable situation in the Trantor of today. It has already lasted longer than might have seemed likely.† â€Å"Have we been testing that? I was not aware that we were making stability decisions on the junta.† â€Å"Just a few calculations by Amaryl, making use of your achaotic equations.† He paused. â€Å"By the way, I've come across some references to them as the Elar Equations.† â€Å"Not by me, Maestro.† â€Å"I hope you don't mind, but I don't want that. Psychohistoric elements are to be described functionally and not personally. As soon as personalities intervene, bad feelings arise.† â€Å"I understand and quite agree, Maestro.† â€Å"In fact,† said Seldon with a touch of guilt, â€Å"I have always felt it wrong that we speak of the basic Seldon Equations of Psychohistory. The trouble is that's been in use for so many years, it's not practical to try to change it.† â€Å"If you'll excuse my saying so, Maestro, you're an exceptional case. No one, I think, would quarrel with your receiving full credit for inventing the science of psychohistory. But, if I may, I wish to get back to your meeting with General Tennar.† â€Å"Well, what else is there to say?† â€Å"I can't help but wonder if it might be better if you did not see him, did not speak to him, did not deal with him.† â€Å"How am I to avoid that if he calls me in for a conference?† â€Å"Perhaps you can plead illness and send someone in your place.† â€Å"Whom?† Elar was silent for a moment, but his silence was eloquent. Seldon said, â€Å"You, I take it.† â€Å"Might that not be the thing to do? I am a fellow sectoral citizen of the General, which may carry some weight. You are a busy man, getting on in years, and it would be easy to believe that you are not entirely well. And if I see him, rather than yourself-please excuse me, Maestro-I can wiggle and maneuver more easily than you can.† â€Å"Lie, you mean.† â€Å"If necessary.† â€Å"You'll be taking a huge chance.† â€Å"Not too huge. I doubt that he will order my execution. If he becomes annoyed with me, as he well might, then I can plead-or you can plead on my behalf-youth and inexperience. In any case, if I get into trouble, that will be far less dangerous than if you were to do so. I'm thinking of the Project, which can do without me a great deal more easily than it can without you.† Seldon said with a frown, â€Å"I'm not going to hide behind you, Elar. If the man wants to see me, he will see me. I refuse to shiver and shake and ask you to take chances for me. What do you think I am?† â€Å"A frank and honest man-when the need is for a devious one.† â€Å"I will manage to be devious-if I must. Please don't underestimate me, Elar.† Elar shrugged hopelessly. â€Å"Very well. I can only argue with you up to a certain point.† â€Å"In fact, Elar, I wish you had not postponed the meeting. I would rather skip my birthday and see the General than the reverse. This birthday celebration was not my idea.† His voice died away in a grumble. Elar said, â€Å"I'm sorry.† â€Å"Well,† said Seldon with resignation, â€Å"we'll see what happens.† He turned and left. Sometimes he wished ardently that he could run what was called a â€Å"tight ship,† making sure that everything went as he wished it to, leaving little or no room for maneuvering among his subordinates. To do that, however, would take enormous time, enormous effort, would deprive him of any chance of working on psychohistory himself-and, besides, he simply lacked the temperament for it. He sighed. He would have to speak to Amaryl.

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Managing responsibly in a Global Environment - Reflection Journal on Blue Gold - Movie Review Example n that we utilize 30 billion gallons of water dailly which is 15 times more than the amount of groundwater produced invoked me on the ways I could implement to curtail my misuse of water. It invoked my sense of humanity to the point that I though ven if it won’t be in my life time when the water wars will be fought, how will humankind survive and thrive? The movie also compelled me to be overly preservative and conservative of land, water and its sources. It changed my view of use of water in agriculture,manufacturing and production of soft drinks. This is because I thought to myself if through our humankind actions 60% of the wetlands in the world have been destroyed and most of land has become deserts then the water crisi may be innevitable! Furthermore, bearing in mind that most of the 3% fresh water is polluted, where are we headed as a planet? It dawned on me that unless we did something now and fast water crisis will be here with us soon enough. After viewing the film I became aware of the way man destroys himself through greed. I could not imagine the extent to which desire for money has driven men to convert water from a public good to a commercial good for profiteering. In addition, it was more painful to learn that even the world organisations, corporations and governments which pretend or are supposed to be pro humanity are at the fore-front in causing water crisis through corruption and wierd laws.It has become even worse since water sources are being sold off as private land to individuals as opposed to being a reserve land to governments. The movie created a sense of urgency to me regarding the role I have to play to combat this crisis. This is because as it stipulates we are 50 years away from the crisis unless actions are taken.Recently, I have become vocal and action oriented towards the goal of preventing occurrence such a crisis to our future generations.In addition, I have been in full support of new technologies aimed at conserving or

5 positive and 5 negative ways companies who have faced harassment Article

5 positive and 5 negative ways companies who have faced harassment cases have handled them - Article Example Besides the products, the focus has also been on the growth of these companies. The competition between Apple and Samsung has been elevated with each of them keen to its philosophy. Apple Inc philosophy is to design quality products to the market while Samsung is to remain competitively active. Samsung have lost a lot of money that have been awarded to Apple Inc. Apple has also lost a lot of money that was awarded to Apple for violating the company’s patent. Apple succeeded only on two patents. The reputations of the two companies have been dented with constant court scrabbles. Apple won in their litigation against Samsung by that damaging Samsungs reputation slightly. Apple too was found to have copied some of the Samsung patents. Apple found to have violated one of the Samsung patents. However, the company is still free to sell the infringed devices to both the local market as well as other markets ( Hitt, Ireland, ‎Hoskisson,

Net-a-Porter Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Net-a-Porter - Case Study Example Since its launch in the year 2000, the company Net-A-Porter have been able to successfully establish itself as a premium luxury brand selling online designer fashion clothing for women. Net-A-Porter with its innovation strategy along with highly developed offering have been able to achieve huge success and had also won award for the best shop at â€Å"British Fashion Week† and the best e-retailer in â€Å"UK Fashion Export Awards.† The online fashion retailer sells more than 150 top luxury fashionable brands and offers express delivery throughout the globe and delivery the items on the same day in Manhattan and London (Net-A-Porter, â€Å"About Us†). The paper aims to discuss the case study on Net-A-Porter and answer to some of its question in relation to the brand and its strategy. Therefore below are the answers to the questions asked for in the case study â€Å"Net-a-Porter.† What are the considerations that need to underpin decisions on the pricing str ategy? Pricing is one of the 4ps that a marketer needs to take into consideration before deciding on the strategy. It is an important aspect of marketing and also for branding strategy as it tends to be one of the first indicators of brand positioning for the consumers and also regarded as the most flexible Ps. It has been seen that prestige and luxury brands adopts the premium pricing strategy in order to emphasise the strength of the brand, high quality associated with luxury goods which also helps them to differentiate from mass fashion brands. The target audience for the luxury brand are comparatively less price sensitive and actually expects that luxury products to be highly priced rather than to be priced economically. Pricing tends to form branding process as the consumer tends to judge the position of the respective brand and its value through the adopted pricing strategy. In addition, luxury brands are those brands whose ratio of functionality towards price is low and the r atio towards situational utility and intangibility with respect to price seems to be high. This indicates that price of premium products is relatively higher as compared to the price of products having similar kind of tangible features but with high intangible quality along with associated benefits of premium products teds to justify the high price (Okonkwo 140). In addition to the above consideration while deciding on the pricing strategy, Net-A-Porter is an online luxury brand and thus online pricing premium strategy is also a consideration for the brand. The premium pricing strategy involves setting a higher price as compared to similar products. The premium pricing strategy also referred to as skimming pricing strategy as it is an attempt to â€Å"skim the cream† from the market. Based on the above definition Net-A-Porter premium pricing strategy will help it to maximise profit in areas where the customers are willing to pay more for the desired product. In the process of adopting the premium pricing strategy, price quality signaling is also an important and essential factor. With the premium pricing strategy Net-A-Porter can use to improve its brand identity in the specific given market. The higher price the brand demands signifies highest quality product and thus it will be convenient for the brand to charge high price. The next consideration is the level of competition among the brands in the same product segment. Premium pricing is a short term strategy; the longer

Lincoln electric Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Lincoln electric - Essay Example From developing the potential of employees, their production quality would increase, thus realize an increased customer confidence in their produce. The knowledgeable sales team could outwit that of the competitors, thus an increased sales level. From capitalizing on existing relationships with customers and distributors, increased sales and coverage of their produce would be realized, thus increased earnings levels (Sabo). Four principal functions of management at Lincoln Electric in establishing the culture, mission, vision, and company strategy. Planning was laid down in establishing these, causing change where necessary, for example streamlining to the production of welding products. In organizing, the company plans the work of the employees, and then leaves the execution of duties to them, rewarding any increase in performance. In leading, the company’s management has established close relationships with the workers, thus increased cooperation. In controlling, the company has established a strictly no-nonsense atmosphere, at every area within the company’s premises – including the gate area, to the parking lots, to the working areas. Lincoln’s approach to organizing and motivating their employees, as based on the ideas of early behaviorism: the company has capitalized on the basic behavioral traits of employees – of wanting to see their contribution recognized and rewarded – to motivate and encourage the productivity of their employees.

Knowledge Management in Emirates Secondary Schools Assignment

Knowledge Management in Emirates Secondary Schools - Assignment Example In this essay the researcher presents his proposal for a piece of research, which is aimed to investigate the relationship between the current state of management, technology and culture and the knowledge management activities in the Emirates secondary schools. The researcher also hopes that this study will promote an improvement of the existing knowledge management practices in the UAE educational system and make a contribution in positive changes in the country economy at a whole. The modern education system in the UAE is based basically on the same fundamentals as educational systems of many other world nations – on Western pedagogical models and the current K-12 curriculum. However, it differs profoundly by its cultural and political context. One of the major distinctions of the system is the lack of qualified national teachers. Results of the study presented by Muysken discusses the causes of the deficient educational system in the UAE, the implications of this system and main factors constraining knowledge transfer in the UAE schools. The results prove evidently the necessity of improvement of the educational system of the Emirates, where the effective KM may be crucial. This essay suggests that this research will be a remarkable step towards the deeper understanding of nature and particular features of these supporting factors regarding the UAE educational system. The researcher believes that this study will be also helpful for researchers who are going to conduct further research in the area of KM in education.

Budget 1. Describe the budget process apply appropriate budgeting Essay

Budget 1. Describe the budget process apply appropriate budgeting techniques and explain its significance in the business environment - Essay Example In any organization, budgets are a representation of the future revenues and costs. The main characteristic of budgets is that they are prepared in advance and are derived from long term strategy of a company. The budgets relate to the goals and objectives of the organization and express in quantitative form, the monetary and physical units of activities. The main activities in companies include control and planning, and budgets are the centre of these activities. Budgets are crucial control systems that show estimates of expenses and revenues of a company over a certain period of time. Budgets are usually compiled and evaluated after certain periods. There can be a surplus budget when the company anticipates to get a profit, it can be balanced when the company expects the expenses to equal the revenues, or it can be deficit budgets when the expenses are expected to exceed the revenues. Budgets are usually prepared in companies based on their goals. The process of planning budgets involves preparing detailed, short-term plans for the organizations. Budgets are prepared by starting with an overall budget for the whole organization, which can then be broken down into smaller budget based on departments. The planning process involves consultations with the whole organization in order for the objectives of the company are achieved. The process of developing a master budget starts by preparing the sales budget. This is because the sales budget acts as the limiting factor in this company. This budget also affects other components of the master budget directly or indirectly. This budget shows the sales expected over a period of time. It is simply a product of the expected units of sales and the expected price per unit. This budget needs to be prepared carefully because other components of the master plan rely on it; otherwise the master budget will be ineffective for control and planning purposes. Once the sales budget has been done,

The Empire In Transition Essay Example for Free

The Empire In Transition Essay 1. How did the relationship between the king and Parliament change during the early 18th century? During the early eighteenth century, the British Parliament established a growing supremacy over the King. The two German kings, George I and George II, were not used to English ways, and the Prime minister and his cabinet ministers became the nation’s real executives. They did not hold their control by the king’s favor, but by their ability to control majority in Parliament. So during this time the king and parliament were still together in overseeing the colonies, but they had different roles in governing and controlling them. 2. How did British officials in the colonies carry out (or fail to carry out) their duties, and what was the effect of their activities? The British officials in the colonies failed to carry out their duties given to them. Some of these appointed officials wanted to raise their incomes with bribes. For example, customs collectors waived duties on goods when merchants paid them to do so. The activities carried out by the officials lead American society to corruption. 3. How was England’s hold on the colonies weakened between 1700 and 1775? England’s hold on the colonies weakened between 1700 and 1775 because the administration of colonial affairs remained decentralized and inefficient. There was no colonial office in London. There was a mere advisory body that had little role in any actual decisions. Real authority rested in the Privy Council, the admiralty, and the treasury, but these agencies were responsible for managing laws at home as well as overseas; no one could concentrate on colonial affairs alone. The character of the royal officials in America also weakened England’s hold on the colonies because most of these officeholders were not able and intelligent. Appointments generally came as results of bribery or favoritism, not as a reward for distinction. 4. What factors helped promote colonial divisions during this period? The factors that helped promote colonial divisions during this period were growth of the colonial population, and the fact that the colonies were so far apart from each other that communication was rare between the colonies. 5. What was the Albany Plan, and what did it reveal about colonial unity? The Albany Plan was proposed by Benjamin Franklin, and this plan said that parliament would set up in America â€Å"one general government† for all the colonies. Each colony could have its own constitution, but would grant to the new general government powers like the authority to govern all relations with the Indians. The central government would have a â€Å"president general† appointed and paid by the king and a legislature elected by colonial assemblies. The Struggle for the Continent (103-107) 6. How did the French attempt to secure their hold on the vast areas they claimed in North America? The French attempted to secure their vast areas by being the Indian allies. They told the Indians to attack the British. 7. What caused the Great War for empire, and why is called by that name? It was caused because the French and Indians were mad because the British got more land; therefore, the Indians and French wanted more land for them. It was called the great war of empire because the English had more land than the French and Indians. 8. How did the Great War for empire become a â€Å"truly international conflict†, and how did Britain carry out its part of the struggle? It became a truly international conflict because of the French and Great Britain having many fronts and having wars on many places it became an international conflict. 9. What were the terms of the Peace of Paris of 1763? The terms were that this treaty ended the seven years war, also known as the French and Indian war. the French also lost Canada, which was dominated by the British side. In order for Spain to recover Cuba they had to give up Florida. The French gave up most of the east of Mississippi except New Orleans. The New Imperialism (107-113) 10. What dilemma faced London policymakers at the end of the Great War for Empire? The dilemma that faced London policymakers was how to fund the British administration and how to defend the North American colonies in long term. 11. What arguments were raised for and against the post-1763 â€Å"territorial imperialism†? How did this change British attitudes towards the colonies? After the American and French Revolutions the British were rendered speechless. The empire on which the sun had never set had fallen and faltered. They were virtually thrown out of America . They realized that they were not omnipotent and they began ruling with more of an iron hand policy. This resulted in worse conditions in the remaining colonies. 12. What initial policy changes occurred when George III ascended the throne, and what were the motives? George wanted to be in control of everything so removed Whigs’ who had previously governed empire for long time and replaced them with his own coalition that was very unstable 13. What was it about post-1763 British policy that caused colonists in every section to see the Disadvantages rather than the advantages of being part of the British Empire? The Proclamation of 1763 caused colonists in every section to see the disadvantages rather than the advantages of being part of the British Empire because it limited the colonists from western expansion beyond the Appalachian Mountains. From there, British started implementing taxes on the colonists to which the colonists did not agree. Stirrings of Revolt (113-121) 14. Why did the Stamp Act antagonize the American colonists so much? The Colonists were angered by the Stamp Act because they did not want to pay more taxes for other stamps. While Great Britain still needed to pay off the rest of their debt from the French and Indian War (Seven Years War) the Colonists had their own problems and wanted to be an independent country, they wanted to fend for themselves and not pay a tax. Stamp act imposed tax  on printed documents and was taxation without representation that they weren’t willing to pay. 15. Who sounded the â€Å"trumpet of sedition† in Virginia over the Stamp Act? Were there reasons other than those in the proposed resolutions? The Virginia House of Burgesses sounded the â€Å"trumpet of sedition† over the Stamp Act. The reason was to challenge the power of tidewater planters who dominated Virginia politics. 16. What role did Samuel Adams play in the American protests? Were his motives different from others? Samuel Adams was the leading figure in fomenting public outrage over the Boston Massacre. He was the most effective radical in the colonies. John Adams’s motives were different from others because he viewed everything in stern moral terms, since he was a member of an earlier generation with strong ties to New England’s Puritan past. 17. Why was the Tea Act seen by many Americans as a direct threat to themselves and their institutions? The Tea Act was seen by many Americans as a direct threat to themselves and their institutions because it meant that parliament had control over them instead of their own government. What were the Coercive Acts? How did the Quebec Act help unite the colonies with Boston in opposition to these acts? The Coercive Acts (known as the Intolerable Acts) were a group of acts that were passed to punish the colonists for the Boston Tea Party. These acts closed the port of Boston, reduced colonial self-government, allowed royal officers to be tried in other colonies or in England when accused of crimes, and provided for the quartering troops in the colonists’ barns and empty houses. The Quebec Act helped unite the colonies with Boston in opposition to these acts because many people in the thirteen English colonies considered it a threat. The passage of the Quebec Act convinced some of the m that a plot was afoot in London to subject Americans to the tyranny of the pope. Cooperation and War (121-125) 19. What role was played by the committees of correspondence in the American protests? The Committees of Correspondence organized protests and performed additional political functions. 20. What were the five major decisions made at the First Continental Congress, and what was their significance? Five major decisions made by the first continental Congress where they rejected a plan for colonial union under British authority, endorsed a statement of grievances, they approved a series of resolutions, recommending that the colonists make military preparations for defense against possible attack by the British, they agreed to non importation, non exportation, and non-consumption as means of stopping all trade with Great Britain, and they formed a â€Å"Continental Association† to enforce the agreements, and they agreed to meet the next spring. These five major decisions indicated that the Continental Congress was considered a continuing organization. 21. What British leaders spoke out in support of the American cause, and what were their reasons for doing so? The Howe brothers supported the American cause. 22. What were the circumstances that led to the fighting at Lexington and Concord? Patterns of Popular Culture (120) The battle of Lexington and concord battle was caused by a set of riots led by the British. Their purpose was to take the weapons and powder in the communities surrounding Boston. 23. How and why did taverns become a central institution in colonial American social life? Taverns became a central institution in colonial American social life because taverns were the place where everyone (men) met to discuss any political issues. The taverns were also known as the â€Å"public houses†. 24. What circumstances and events helped make taverns central to political life as well? The revolutionary crisis made taverns and pubs become the central meeting places for discussions of the ideas that fueled resistance to British policies. There were also few other places where people could meet and talk openly in public. Almost all politicians found it necessary to visit taverns if they wanted any real contact with the public.

Marketing Essays Customer Product Needs

Marketing Essays Customer Product Needs Customer Product Needs Marketing is the process of identifying customer needs and then introducing a product according to those needs. Marketers introduce products in the market so that we can consume everyday. When we buy a product we pay for marketing each time. Marketing acts as an important role in our daily lives. Marketing is basically satisfying customer needs which increase the quality of life and better standard of living. There are two main parties involved in marketing buyers and sellers. Marketing includes the activities of a company associated with buying and selling a product or service. In order to sell the products marketers try to promote their products by different types of medium. The most famous type is bill boards and signs. The internet has been the most easiest and effective way of promoting products to the customers. Magazines, T.V, Radio and newspapers are other ways of introducing products. Marketing is all about selling, delivering products to consumers, promotion of new products to attract customers. There are many definitions of marketing. One of the great management thinkers Peter Drucker said something which acts as a good reminder of the value of good marketing: The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well; the product or service fits him and sells itself. – Peter Drucker http://www.powerpr.com/newsletter.html Marketing Communication: Marketing communication is subdivided into 4 features: Advertising: Advertising is transmitting information to the customers by various kinds of media by paying sum amount of money. It is basically to attract the customers to buy the products. In order words advertising is a publicity to influence the people to purchase the specific product. Advertising media includes T.V, newspaper, cinema, radio, posters, billboards and internet. It promotes the products and tries to convince the consumers to buy a product by pressure that it is more desirable for them than others. Advertising can be done by the organizations, industries as well as by individuals. Advertising can also be used combining with other marketing communications. The amount of advertising in UK can be recognized through posters, billboards and T.V. It has been estimated that the drinks industry spends over  £200 million on advertising and that between 1 and 2 percentage of national income is spent on advertising in United Kingdom. http://www.answers.com/topic/advertising?cat=biz-fin Sales promotion: Sales promotions are the excellent offers to persuade the customers to buy goods and services. Normally to increase in the sales of an organization for the short period and sometimes to sold out the old stock. These are the tricks to trap the customer for the particular product. There are varieties of sales promotions methods to that a business can use to make products appealing. Some of the methods are as under: Discount vouchers: Customers been sent the coupons, or they themselves tear off from the magazines and newspapers which enables them to get the particular product in low price by showing the coupon. Competitions: Sometimes when a customer purchase a product, allows them to enter the draw to win a prize (for e.g. cash, cars, electronics, air tickets etc.) Free gifts: Sometimes when the product is bought by the customers they get another product free with it or sometimes different prizes instantly. Loyalty cards: These are those cards which allow the customers to earn points on the cards when they buy products, later on which can be redeemed as cash or goods. (for e.g. Tesco club card, nectar etc.) Loyalty cards have become the most important bright form of sales promotion. http://tutor2u.net/business/gcse/marketing_promotion_sales.htm Public relations: Public relation doesn’t deal with the product and services. It mainly deals in making good relations between employees or customers. The primary function is to have the trust of public understanding. Examples of public relations are worker preparation, support of charitable events etc. In this type of marketing communication the organization aimed for the increase in sales by improving the image of the company and product. http://www.learnthat.com/define/view.asp?id=52 Direct marketing: Convey of advertising message directly to the consumer on individual basis through any type of medium. The main difference between direct marketing and other kind of promotion is that you have close relation with the needs of the customer and succeed in delivering a message. http://www.investorwords.com/1447/direct_marketing.html Integrated Marketing Communication: The management of the organization is planned in such a way that all the feature of marketing communication work together rather then allows them to work separately. As mentioned above marketing communication includes sales promotion, advertising, direct marketing and public relations. Integrated marketing communication good idea for making business more profit. All the marketing communication departments work together for the betterment and profitably of an organization. They company use only one approach towards everything. Integrated Marketing Communication is more than the management of a companys outgoing message between different media and the reliability of the message throughout. It is a destructive marketing plan that captures and uses a vast amount of customer information in setting and tracking marketing strategy. It can be also defines as a holistic approach to promote buying and selling of digital economy. A management concept which is mainly designed to make all aspects of marketing communication such as advertising, sales promotion, public relations, and direct marketing work together as a combined force, rather than allowing each to work in remoteness. In practice, the goal of Integrated Marketing Communication is to create a single appearance or message in all fundamentals of a marketing campaign. A successful integrated marketing communication plan should be customize what is required by the client based on time, budget and resources to reach the target or goals. Small business can start an integrated marketing communication plan on a small budget by creating a website, email and SEO. A large business organization can start an integrated communication plan on a larger budget than a small organization. They can use things like print, mail order radio, TV plus many other online ad campaigns. The main aim at the end is to sell their product. TV is used in order to get the generation aware of the product where as Prints are used to educate the public and Radio is also used to keep the message delivered on the top of the mind. There are 3 Ps which one has to remember in integrated marketing communication which are the first one is for product. This means that overall everything is done for the customers. What are consumer requirements and what they desire? The goods they are looking for and what are the benefits in demands, and what are the unfulfilled demands. The second P is the price. One has to look at the cost which the customers are looking for. What is their perception of the cost of the goods and how much are they able to pay and willing to spend. The third P is for the place or distribution. This means where to sell their goods, and which is the best possible place to promote you affectively. David Ogilvy thinks IMC means providing â€Å"one stop shopping†, setting up your agency to deliver all the functions a client might want to buy, and learning to manage them together. Maybe this is a tail. David further said that IMC may be the key to getting away from the disease of talking about creativity all the time and getting back to focus on sales. This is at least leg. Integrated Marketing Communication can also be called as integration of all promotional tools. All of the communications tools work better if they work together in agreement rather than working separately. While different departments such as sales, direct mail and advertising can help each other through Data Integration. This requires a marketing information system which collects and shares relevant data across different departments. Marketing and communications objectives must support the higher level corporate objectives and corporate missions. http://marketing.about.com/od/marketingglossary/g/imcdef.htm Marketing communications comprises five broad categories: Personal selling, advertising, public relations, direct marketing and sales promotions. Each has its own set of pros and cons and can be accomplished in a variety of ways. However, the key is to look at the available options in a comprehensive way and to ensure consistency throughout the selected media. The selection of communications methods is subject to a variety of factors. The factors that influence the selection and effectiveness of a promotional mix include: †¢ Nature of the market (market size, geographic scope, type of customer, etc.) †¢ Nature of the product (complexity of the product, service requirements, etc.) †¢ Stage in the product life-cycle (earlier versus later stages of the life cycle) †¢ Price (high versus low unit price) †¢ Funds available for promotion This funding point is very relevant to all companies. Budgeting is an essential function of the IMC process. The following items impact the budget determinations: †¢ Percentage-of-sales method (a specified percentage of either past or forecasted sales) †¢ Fixed-sum-per-unit method (predetermined dollar amount for each unit sold or produced) †¢ Meeting competition method (match competitor’s promotional outlays) †¢ Task-objective method (amount and type of promotional spending needed to achieve promotional Objectives) Advantages of Integrated Marketing Communication: The key advantages of using integrated marketing communication or IMC is that it is indispensable and cost effective to any organization. IMC talks about the four different messages that an organization has to know of so it can run if not manipulate. In order to effectively integrate public relations and marketing, there are six procedures that have to be followed to achieve an organization’s objective. In order to attain the organizations goals, public relations practitioners are commonly asked to perform many other tasks side by side with advertising and marketing. It total communication program is merged with public relations, it not only save time and money but strengthen the organizations capacity to safeguard the reliability of the product or service. (Miller Rose, 1994). Public relations practitioners are told everyday to design programs that are compatible with marketing and advertising strategies accurately and cost effectively. Public relations can help to attain marketing objectives and increase awareness by playing a very tactical role (Miller Rose, 1994). Public relations are anticipated to notify as well as persuade behavior, generate an environment for customer acceptance and build trust. These activities can best be done by working with marketing and advertising functions in the organization (Miller Rose, 1994). In order for public relations, advertising and marketing to work more efficiently the three functions need to be more closely aligned. One approach to IMC was developed by program director, Tom Duncan and his faculty at the University of Colorado. Duncans IMC Message Typology explains the four messages that an organization needs to be aware of so it can control, or if not control, then perhaps influence. The four types of messages are; planned, inferred, maintenance and unplanned. Although Integrated Marketing Communications requires a lot of effort it delivers many benefits. It can create competitive advantage, boost sales and profits, while saving money, time and stress. IMC wraps communications around customers and helps them move through the various stages of the buying process. The organization simultaneously consolidates its image, develops a dialogue and nurtures its relationship with customers. This Relationship Marketing cements a bond of loyalty with customers which can protect them from the inevitable onslaught of competition. The ability to keep a customer for life is a powerful competitive advantage. IMC also increases profits through increased effectiveness. At another level, initial research suggests that images shared in advertising and direct mail boost both advertising awareness and mail shot responses. So IMC can boost sales by stretching messages across several communications tools. Carefully linked messages also help buyers by giving timely reminders, updated information and special offers which, when presented in a planned sequence, help them move comfortably through the stages of their buying process and this reduces their misery of choice in a complex and busy world. IMC also makes messages more reliable and therefore more believable. This reduces risk in the mind of the buyer which, in turn, shortens the search process and helps to dictate the outcome of brand comparisons. Un-integrated communications send disjointed messages which weaken the impact of the message. This may also confuse, frustrate and arouse anxiety in customers. On the other hand, integrated communications present a reassuring sense of order. Consistent images and relevant, useful, messages help raise long term relationships with customers. Here, customer databases can identify accurately which customers need what information when they need and throughout their whole buying life. Finally, IMC saves money as it eliminates duplication in areas such as graphics and photography since they can be shared and used in say, advertising, exhibitions and sales literature. Integrated Marketing Communications Moriarty, Sandra E. PR and IMC: The benefits of integration. Public Relations Quarterly, Fall94, Vol. 39 Issue 3, p38, 7p, 1bw. Once IMC strategy has been determined, marketing managers look to control the four basic elements of the marketing mix: product, price, place, and promotion, known as the four Ps of marketing. Since these four variables are controllable, the best mix of these elements is determined to reach the selected target market. Product: The first element in the marketing mix is the product. Products can be either tangible or intangible. Tangible products are products that can be touched; intangible products are those that cannot be touched, such as services. There are three basic levels of a product: core, actual, and augmented. The core product is the most basic level, what consumers really buy in terms of benefits. For example, consumers do not buy food processors, per se; rather, they buy the benefit of being able to process food quickly and efficiently. The next level of the product is the actual product—in the case of the previous example, food processors. Products are typically sorted according to the following five characteristics: quality, features, styling, brand name, and packaging. Finally, the augmented level of a product consists of all the elements that surround both the core and the actual product. The augmented level provides purchasers with additional services and benefits. For examp le, follow-up technical assistance and warranties and guaranties are augmented product components. When planning new products, firm managers consider a number of issues including product quality, features, options, styles, brand name, packaging, size, service, warranties, and return policies, all in an attempt to meet the needs and wants of consumers. Price: Price is the cost of the product paid by consumers. This is the only element in the marketing mix that generates revenue for firms. In order to generate revenue, managers must consider factors both internal and external to the organization. Internal factors take the form of marketing objectives, the marketing-mix strategy, and production costs. External factors to consider are the target market, product demand, competition, economic conditions, and government regulations. There are a number of pricing strategies available to marketing managers: skimming, penetration, quantity, and psychological. With a price-skimming strategy, the price is initially set high, allowing firms to generate maximum profits from customers willing to pay the high price. Prices are then gradually lowered until maximum profit is received from each level of consumer. Penetration pricing is used when firms set low prices in order to capture a large share of a market quickly. A quantity-pricing strategy p rovides lower prices to consumers who purchase larger quantities of a product. Psychological pricing tends to focus on consumer perceptions. For example, odd pricing is a common psychological pricing strategy. With odd pricing, the cost of the product may be a few cents lower than a full-dollar value. Consumers tend to focus on the lower-value full-dollar cost even though it is really priced closer to the next higher full-dollar amount. For example, if a good is priced at $19.95, consumers will focus on $19 rather than $20. Place: Place refers to where and how the products will be distributed to consumers. There are two basic issues involved in getting the products to consumers: channel management and logistics management. Channel management involves the process of selecting and motivating wholesalers and retailers, sometimes called middlemen, through the use of incentives. Several factors are reviewed by firm management when determining where to sell their products: distribution channels, market-coverage strategy, geographic locations, inventory, and transportation methods. The process of moving products from a manufacturer to the final consumer is often called the channel of distribution. Promotion: The last variable in the marketing mix is promotion. Various promotional tools are used to communicate messages about products, ideas, or services from firms and their customers. The promotional tools available to managers are advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, and publicity. For the promotional program to be effective, managers use a blend of the four promotional tools that best reaches potential customers. This blending of promotional tools is sometimes referred to as the promotional mix. The goal of this promotional mix is to communicate to potential customers the features and benefits of products. Get help with your essay from our expert essay writers IMC at BBC: The Bombay Bicycle Club is London 1st choice Indian cuisine restaurant. I joined the Islington branch 10 months ago. So I selected to write about this restaurant. It is called the 1st Indian cuisine franchise in London. The first restaurant was inaugurated at Clapham 20 year’s back which is, still favorite for many Londoners and chefs. Many braches have been opened after that, now The Bombay Bicycle Club owns around 18 braches, in different parts of London. The aim of the employers of the company is maximum satisfaction of consumers. According to Tana Ramsay (Gordon Ramsay) told to the latest issue of the London Magazine that â€Å"the Bombay Bicycle Club was a local favourite.†It has to be from the Battersea one though, thats the best† Marketing communication of the Bombay bicycle club is effective. They apply all the marketing features in order to get the maximum profit and consumer satisfaction. I will now analyze all the marketing communication according to The Bombay Bicycle Club. Advertising: Bombay Bicycle Club invests in for advertising too. They have different ways of advertising. Since online shopping is a rage these days, they have also invested in e-retailing and the respond is overwhelming. It’s been made easy for the convenience of consumers. Customers can order their food without any hassle of walking down or driving down and finding the parking space. They can order food right from home by just clicking on the updated menus. The customers also get a discount for ordering their food online. They also provide facilities for customers to book a table or the whole place online. They also have leaflets with menus which they distribute it to shops, customers, and even as poster on bikes and other vehicles. Even billboards are used at high traffic areas to attract new customers They have regular ads in the Local and other news papers in the United Kingdom. Newspapers are a good source of reaching out to a large number of people. Another way the Bombay Bicycle Club has implemented is the use of magazine ads, as magazine ads are generally better as they are able to reached the desired demographics Sales promotion: Every now and then the Bombay Bicycle Club gives out vouches or coupons to customers, with these coupons customers get discounts on the food and drinks depending upon the season. For the regular customers, there is a flat discount which they get every time they visit the place. Public relations: All the employees and the managers are courteous, friendly and the atmosphere of the restaurant is warm and homely. The satisfaction of the customer to the smallest detail is the main priority for Bombay Bicycle Club. It also takes part in any community services by distributing food and drinks completely free. Direct marketing: The Bombay Bicycle club is mainly a direct marketing establishment as there is more of human to human contact. People are given all the details of a food item ot any product on a individual basis Conclusion: After all the research I came to conclude that marketing plays an important role in the business. Marketing is basically satisfying customer needs which increase the quality of life and better standard of living. I came to know about the marketing communications. Advertising and sales promotion increases the sales of the organization which also increases the profitability of the company. Sales promotion and direct marketing makes the organization to keep in touch with the previous customers. It not only helps the organization to retain the valuable customers but also to attract new customers. In short if all these feature of marketing work together, they can expand their business, make large amount of money and retain the customers. References: [Accessed on April 19, 2008] http://www.powerpr.com/newsletter.html [Accessed on April 20, 2008] http://www.answers.com/topic/advertising?cat=biz-fin [Accessed on April 22, 2008] http://tutor2u.net/business/gcse/marketing_promotion_sales.htm [Accessed on April 22, 2008] http://www.learnthat.com/define/view.asp?id=52 [Accessed on April 23, 2008] http://www.investorwords.com/1447/direct_marketing.html [Accessed on April 23, 2008] http://marketing.about.com/od/marketingglossary/g/imcdef.htm [Accessed on April 17, 2008] http://www.multimediamarketing.com/mkc/marketingcommunications/ Moriarty, Sandra E. PR and IMC: The benefits of integration. Public Relations Quarterly, Fall94, Vol. 39 Issue 3, p38, 7p, 1bw. Dave H, Rob J, and Carlo R, (2000) Business Studies, Italy: LagoPrint

Turbo Or Nitrous :: essays research papers

Turbo or Nitrous   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As you are driving, you see many cars going over the speed limit. Many of the drivers are into racing and modifying their cars. In most cars there are two major modifications that can be done, they are; turbo kit, or a nitrous kit. Both increase horsepower dramatically, but one is instant and the other goes into effect after a certain rpm.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Turbo, is a turbine that is connected to your engines air intake that spins to create explosive power at high rpm's. This is something that with minor modifications can be done to almost any car in the market. Turbo comes in many different sizes depending on the type of engine you have and how much power you want. When a turbo is installed in a car it is considered a difficult upgrade but an upgrade that will make you car run better and faster. It also doesn't shorten the life of your engine if done properly. The only problem with a turbo is the price. Turbo's range anywhere from 2,000 dollars to 5,000 dollars and many other minor modifications must be made which also increase cost.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nitrous, is something totally different from turbo. Nitrous is a gaseous mixture that is either directly injected into your engine's pistons or into you intake manifold. Nitrous is cheap and gives you a lot of power. It costs about 500 dollars and depending on how much you want to spray is how much horsepower your engine will receive. A 50 shot of nitrous gives you about 45 more horsepower. What is impressive about nitrous, is that you only use it when you want because all you have to do is flip a switch and then it works. The down side of nitrous is that it burns your engine, and if used frequently it will damage your engine beyond repair.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While turbo gives you horsepower at high rpm's, nitrous is instant at anytime. Turbo is very costly, while nitrous is extremely cost efficient. Nitrous can be temporary and turbo is permanent. Turbo requires many minor modifications and nitrous doesn't require any.

Suffering :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In many places throughout the world and almost every person on the planet people go through or witness suffering and death everyday. I have experience and lived through suffering. Many people have different explanations for the reason of these terrible things but could this happen to benefit us. Martin Luther king say’s suffering is creative and redemptive but not in the original meanings we think.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The meaning I associate with suffering is an uncomfortable state for an amount of time. This is not the text book definition the real definition is To feel pain or distress; sustain loss, injury, harm, or punishment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In many things I have witnessed is my Great-grand mother dying. However she was very old naturally it was and is very hard. How ever I believe the creative aspect must have been when she was dying and repeatedly told me about the miraculous hills and flowers. I believe the hardest thing about accepting and fearing your own death is the lack of knowledge of the after life and I believe because she gave me this wonderful description it wont be as hard for me to accept her death along with other peoples and my own.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another type creative suffering I have see is with in my friends family. His father suffers from a self inflicted disease called alcoholism. I believe because of his higher percentage to become and alcoholic himself by seeing such a hard suffering could teach him not to do it and maybe even help his offspring by informing them. This is another way I believe this suffering of one person can help so many others.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Overall the term of death that strikes me the most the come about Jesus’ death is the fact that Jesus was ransom for all of us and he didn’t care he willingly was a sacrifice for us and all of our sins and this is surely a creative death. He was here to help us and release us of our sins. With out him It is possible we could not be here today. This is how it connects to human nature but his sacrifice is his life which is not of a normal person he is special.

The History of African Americans in Film Essay -- essays research pape

Minstrel shows were developed in the 1840's and reached its peak after the Civil War. They managed to remain popular into the early 1900s. The Minstrel shows were shows in which white performers would paint their faces black and act the role of an African American. This was called black facing. The minstrel show evolved from two types of entertainment popular in America before 1830: the impersonation of blacks given by white actors between acts of plays or during circuses, and the performances of black musicians who sang, with banjo accompaniment, in city streets. The 'father of American minstrelsy' was Thomas Dartmouth 'Daddy' Rice, who between 1828 and 1831 developed a song-and-dance routine in which he impersonated an old, crippled black slave, dubbed Jim Crow. Jim Crow was a fool who just spent his whole day slacking off, dancing the day away with an occasional mischievous prank such as stealing a watermelon from a farm. Most of the skits performed on the Minstrel shows symboliz ed the life of the African American plantations slaves. This routine achieved immediate popularity, and Rice performed it with great success in the United States and Britain, where he introduced it in 1836. Throughout the 1830s, up to the founding of the minstrel show proper, Rice had many imitators. In 1842, in New York City, the songwriter Daniel Decatur Emmett and three companions devised a program of singing and dancing in blackface to the accompaniment of bone castanets, violin, banjo, and tambourine. Calling themselves the Virginia Minstrels, they made their first public appearance in February 1843 in a New York City theater. Another group called the Christy Minstrels, headed by the actor Edwin P. Christy, began appearing a few years later and ... ... which he received universal praise. Other films included The Long Kiss Goodnight, Deep Blue Sea, The Negotiator, Unbreakable, and Shaft. Despite his fame as a great Hollywood actor, Jackson has made time for stage work and independent films in order to stay close to his acting roots. Samuel L Jackson has then came to appear in many great movies such as Jurassic Park, Pulp Fiction, A Time To Kill, One Eight Seven, Shaft, Coach Carter, Star Wars and many others. He has also been nominated for many of these and has received many awards for a lot of these films. He is still acting and does not seem to be thinking of retirement any time soon. He truly is a great example of a great actor who rose to fame in the time of blaxploitation and also an inspiration to all those with addiction problems as someone who was able to overcome his problem and make something of himself.

Clinical Governance Improving the Continuing Education of Nurses

Clinical Governance Improving the Continuing Education of Nurses – Myth or Reality? Nurse Management MSc Practice Development Nursing Practice Route Faculty of Community Studies, Law and Education The Manchester Metropolitan University Jean Rogers Tutor: Mary Shaw Submission Date: 8th August 2005 Word Count: Nursing has changed radically over the last two decades and is continuing to do so. Some would say for the better others for the worse (Rushford and Ireland 1997).The purpose of this assignment is to offer a critical analysis of clinical governance as it applies to nursing and the effect it has had on nurses’ on going continuing educational needs. By the term critical analysis I do not mean that I shall attempt to discredit clinical governance, or claim that it is harmful to patients or staff. Instead, I will attempt to discern its nature in a rigorous way and examine how it has led to a change in the way professionals and patients in health care are conceptualised and how this has had an effect on the on going continuing education of nurses.The introduction of clinical governance has resulted in change not only in nursing practice but also in the subjectivity of nurses and their educational needs. Staff do appear to be embracing the notion of clinical governance, however there appears to be very few changes apparent at the level of patient care (Brown and Crawford 2001). The major changes appear to involve their attitudes, and how they conceptualise themselves and their work. In addition, the introduction of clinical governance appears to involve encouraging a new kind of consciousness on the part of patients, amongst whom a greater degree of responsibility is demanded.In reviewing the literature on clinical governance in nursing it appears that there have not been many critics. Indeed, searching the main electronic databases which cover topics which relate to nursing the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health (CINAHL), Psycinfo and Me dline and numerous books has not revealed material which adopts a critical stance towards clinical governance and evidence based practice which are currently ‘buzz words’ in the nursing profession and the broader network of health care provision in the United Kingdom (UK) as a whole.There has been some criticism in relation to nursing research This omission is surprising as Brown and Crawford (2001) maintain the efforts of commercial organisations to change their culture and urge this change on their workforce is similar to those changes being encouraged in the health care system and have been subject to considerable debate and critical analysis (Du Gay, 1997, Casey, 1999).Yet overwhelmingly the nursing literature has concentrated on how the process of clinical governance can be facilitated rather than anything else (Lilley, 1999; McSherry and Haddock, 1999). In order to critically analyse these concepts it is judicious to define clinical governance. Clinical governance has been promoted as a way of managing the organisation, resourcing and delivery of health care in the UK for several years now and it is a process which has grown in strength and popularity during that time.The standard definition of clinical governance which is promoted in the literature is from the paper a first class service (Department of Health (DH), 1998) is that it is a Framework through which National Health Service (NHS) organisations are accountable for continuously improving the quality of their services, and safeguarding high standards of care, by creating an environment in which excellence in clinical care will flourish. (Page )In addition to this, the precise pathways under which this was to be achieved were elaborated in an earlier document The New NHS: Modern and Dependable (DH, 1997) which outlined three major strands in the strategy. First, there was to be a set of clear national standards, delivered through national service frameworks (DH, 1999) and the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE). Second, the local delivery of quality services was to be undertaken via the mechanism of clinical governance and a statutory duty of quality and this was to be supported by lifelong learning programmes and professional self-regulation.Thirdly, the services themselves were to be monitored via the Commission for Health Improvement (CHI) and the NHS Performance Framework (Lilley, 1999). However, very often these bodies and mechanisms of control are rather remote from everyday life in the ward and, staff and patients are made increasingly reliant on their own powers of self control in order to live up to these political and managerial imperatives (Holmes, 2001).It is the second strand that this assignment will be concentrating on. Conclusion Whatever nursing’s response to clinical governance, it is vital that nurses are aware of the kinds of changes which it will involve for their consciousness and subjectivity as practitioners in order to ensure they retain their professional independence in the light of these new policies.

Project Scope Statement

Scope Statement Section headings listed in gray font appear in both the Project Charter and the Scope Statement. Project Title: Web Site Enhancement Project Project Manager: Xin Tao Project Description (see Project Charter) Business Objectives †¢ A new company web site is proposed to best support the company’s mission to provide a complete recreational experience to the guests, including elegant meals, relaxing living quarters, and extensive recreational options such as golf, tennis, spas, gyms, night clubs, and excursions to local towns and areas of interest. Increase market share by 50% within two years of launch by providing on-line queries and reservations of rooms, on-line booking of guest services. †¢ Increase revenue by 25% within three quarters post-launch by tapping into a larger customer base accessible through internet sales. †¢ Avoid risk that some of the hotels will have to be closed within two to three years as pressured by other larger hotel chain s. †¢ Increase customer satisfaction by 25% among the existing customer base by becoming more technology-oriented, as measured via customer satisfaction surveys taken over the two-year period following the new web site launch.Project Objectives †¢ Allow technology team gain more experience in more sophisticated web technology, which is expected to reduce web site maintenance cost by 20%. †¢ Use effective project management techniques consistent with the company standards. †¢ Integrate the new company web site well with existed systems: the Reservation system and the Guest-Services System. Project Scope Description Q The new web site has a user friendly graphical interface, which shall allow user to do queries, reservations, browsing and booking easily.The new web site is enhanced to interact with existed systems: a Reservation System and a Guest-Services System. It has the capabilities to read data from and save data to those systems. The new web site shall displ ay results according to users’ requests. Requirements †¢ The new web site shall be accessed by popular web browsers, including Microsoft IE, Firefox, Mozilla and Netscape. †¢ The new web site shall run on a Linux based server. †¢ The web server software, which the new web site uses, shall be Apache. The new web site shall be a secure Internet site. †¢ All major credit cards will be accepted by the new web site. †¢ VeriSign will be the credit card processing vendor. Project Boundaries Out-of-Scope features discussed but not implemented at this time:†¢ Users can have additional payment methods besides credit cards, for example, Paypal and Google Checkout. †¢ Users can get invoice in a PDF format. †¢ Users have the capability to cancel a transaction even after it is done. †¢ Users have the capability to remove particular service even after it is booked. Users can ask for refund if booked price is higher than the current price. Project Deliverables (see Project Charter) Project Acceptance Criteria †¢ Delivery of the web site by the end of August, 2006 †¢ The new web site shall provide on-line queries and reservations of rooms, on-line booking of guest services †¢ The new web site shall operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. †¢ Expenditures on the project not exceeding $900,000 †¢ Reduce web site maintenance cost by 20%.†¢ Increase revenue by 25% within three quarters post-launch Increase customer satisfaction by 25% among the existing customer Project Constraints (see Project Charter) Project Assumptions (see Project Charter) Project Roles and Responsibilities (see Project Charter) Initial Defined Risks †¢ Because the management team is still somehow hesitant to embark on the project, the project could be canceled. †¢ Because funds for this project are coming from marketing budget of the marketing team, funds may be reduced if marketing team cannot control its budget wisely . Because the project requires more technical resources to be hired, which are scarce due to the red hot technology market, the new web site may not be launched on time. †¢ Because the project has a cost constraint of $900,000, an inferior web site may be developed, resulting in a poor quality that fails to realize its sales targets. †¢ Because the project has a time constraint of 10 months, the web site may not be tested thoroughly, leading to an unstable web site. †¢ Because the project requires the deployment of new hardware, shipment delay of the new hardware would lead to the project behind schedule.Schedule Milestones (see Project Charter) Cost Estimate (see Project Charter) Project Parameter Ranking |Parameter |Ranking (1,2,3,4) |Comments | |Time |1 |The sponsors hope that the new web site can be up and running, accepting | | | |online reservations and queries within 10 months before the start of the | | | |new peak season.Missing the target launching time mean s that the | | | |strategic objectives can not be meet to increase revenue by booking to | | | |capacity at peak times and by expanding peak seasons by marketing year | | | |round points of interest. | |Cost |2 |The budget for the project is fixed at $900,000. |Scope |4 |The sponsors are willing to sacrifice some of the web site’s features in | | | |order to reach the quality, cost, and time goals. | |Quality |3 |Since the company web site would bring significant revenue opportunity | | | |for the company, a stable site is much needed.A buggy web site leads to | | | |low customer satisfaction, which would adversely impact company’s | | | |revenue. | Approval Requirements Tom Ender and Susan Ryan, Co-presidents Mike Muller, Head of the Marketing Team Helen Hui, Head of the Travel & Tourism Susan Gill, Head of the Technology Team ———————– Query Reserve Browse Book Reservation System Interact New web site Users Inter act Display Results Guest-Services System Project Scope Statement Scope Statement Section headings listed in gray font appear in both the Project Charter and the Scope Statement. Project Title: Web Site Enhancement Project Project Manager: Xin Tao Project Description (see Project Charter) Business Objectives †¢ A new company web site is proposed to best support the company’s mission to provide a complete recreational experience to the guests, including elegant meals, relaxing living quarters, and extensive recreational options such as golf, tennis, spas, gyms, night clubs, and excursions to local towns and areas of interest. Increase market share by 50% within two years of launch by providing on-line queries and reservations of rooms, on-line booking of guest services. †¢ Increase revenue by 25% within three quarters post-launch by tapping into a larger customer base accessible through internet sales. †¢ Avoid risk that some of the hotels will have to be closed within two to three years as pressured by other larger hotel chain s. †¢ Increase customer satisfaction by 25% among the existing customer base by becoming more technology-oriented, as measured via customer satisfaction surveys taken over the two-year period following the new web site launch.Project Objectives †¢ Allow technology team gain more experience in more sophisticated web technology, which is expected to reduce web site maintenance cost by 20%. †¢ Use effective project management techniques consistent with the company standards. †¢ Integrate the new company web site well with existed systems: the Reservation system and the Guest-Services System. Project Scope Description Q The new web site has a user friendly graphical interface, which shall allow user to do queries, reservations, browsing and booking easily.The new web site is enhanced to interact with existed systems: a Reservation System and a Guest-Services System. It has the capabilities to read data from and save data to those systems. The new web site shall displ ay results according to users’ requests. Requirements †¢ The new web site shall be accessed by popular web browsers, including Microsoft IE, Firefox, Mozilla and Netscape. †¢ The new web site shall run on a Linux based server. †¢ The web server software, which the new web site uses, shall be Apache. The new web site shall be a secure Internet site. †¢ All major credit cards will be accepted by the new web site. †¢ VeriSign will be the credit card processing vendor. Project Boundaries Out-of-Scope features discussed but not implemented at this time:†¢ Users can have additional payment methods besides credit cards, for example, Paypal and Google Checkout. †¢ Users can get invoice in a PDF format. †¢ Users have the capability to cancel a transaction even after it is done. †¢ Users have the capability to remove particular service even after it is booked. Users can ask for refund if booked price is higher than the current price. Project Deliverables (see Project Charter) Project Acceptance Criteria †¢ Delivery of the web site by the end of August, 2006 †¢ The new web site shall provide on-line queries and reservations of rooms, on-line booking of guest services †¢ The new web site shall operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. †¢ Expenditures on the project not exceeding $900,000 †¢ Reduce web site maintenance cost by 20%.†¢ Increase revenue by 25% within three quarters post-launch Increase customer satisfaction by 25% among the existing customer Project Constraints (see Project Charter) Project Assumptions (see Project Charter) Project Roles and Responsibilities (see Project Charter) Initial Defined Risks †¢ Because the management team is still somehow hesitant to embark on the project, the project could be canceled. †¢ Because funds for this project are coming from marketing budget of the marketing team, funds may be reduced if marketing team cannot control its budget wisely . Because the project requires more technical resources to be hired, which are scarce due to the red hot technology market, the new web site may not be launched on time. †¢ Because the project has a cost constraint of $900,000, an inferior web site may be developed, resulting in a poor quality that fails to realize its sales targets. †¢ Because the project has a time constraint of 10 months, the web site may not be tested thoroughly, leading to an unstable web site. †¢ Because the project requires the deployment of new hardware, shipment delay of the new hardware would lead to the project behind schedule.Schedule Milestones (see Project Charter) Cost Estimate (see Project Charter) Project Parameter Ranking |Parameter |Ranking (1,2,3,4) |Comments | |Time |1 |The sponsors hope that the new web site can be up and running, accepting | | | |online reservations and queries within 10 months before the start of the | | | |new peak season.Missing the target launching time mean s that the | | | |strategic objectives can not be meet to increase revenue by booking to | | | |capacity at peak times and by expanding peak seasons by marketing year | | | |round points of interest. | |Cost |2 |The budget for the project is fixed at $900,000. |Scope |4 |The sponsors are willing to sacrifice some of the web site’s features in | | | |order to reach the quality, cost, and time goals. | |Quality |3 |Since the company web site would bring significant revenue opportunity | | | |for the company, a stable site is much needed.A buggy web site leads to | | | |low customer satisfaction, which would adversely impact company’s | | | |revenue. | Approval Requirements Tom Ender and Susan Ryan, Co-presidents Mike Muller, Head of the Marketing Team Helen Hui, Head of the Travel & Tourism Susan Gill, Head of the Technology Team ———————– Query Reserve Browse Book Reservation System Interact New web site Users Inter act Display Results Guest-Services System