Apple's iPad Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Apple's iPad - Research Paper Example In addition, the sustainability of the company could also be attributed to the well designed marketing strategies applied by the Apple. Recently it introduced the most innovative and technological device—the iPad, which has now become the market leader of its category of portable electronic devices. While launching iPad, Apple hadn’t defined any precise market for the product; and the result was that the aesthetic appeal of the product was liked by people of all demographics. The adolescents’ role in the promotion of electronic gadget was thus proved once again in the case of Apple’s iPad. The Apple’s potential to influence the consumer decision making has already been proved with the introduction of iPod. This product targeted mainly teenagers and travelers. However, shortly after its launch, it became an essential gadget for everyone who wanted to listen to music. iPad will also gain wide popularity creating a unique market of its own; and whoever believes iPad to be inconsistent will be considered an alien. The major impact it would cause on retail industry is that it would enhance the e-commerce experience as iPad would provide easy access to product data.

What Is Meant by the Term Organisational Culture Essay Example for Free

What Is Meant by the Term Organisational Culture Essay The late twentieth century saw an emergence in industry competition and in order to continually achieve success, organisational behavior had to evolve into something new. Organisational culture is one form of organisational behavior that is focused on the shared values and beliefs which members and employees of a specific organisation believe to be the right way to act in a particular situation (Vecchio, 2000). Just like other theories of organisational behavior, the purpose of culture theory is to gain knowledge of employee attitudes so that organisations can reduce cost and improve production (Stanford, 2010). The aim of this essay is to show the rise of culture belief in organisations, and why it can play an important role in organisational performance. First it will provide a history of the literature, then present different concepts that can be seen, such as has and is theory strong and weak cultures. Finally it will identify positive effects it can have on organisations and employees. The rise of Humanistic theories From the 1920s to the early 1970s Scientific Management was widely adopted by Western companies because it was an easy structure to implement by managers in an organisation to achieve success and control over employees (Burnes, 1996). However with the oil crises in 1973 interest in the Japanese model of production spread to the World (Brown and Williams, 2012). This happened because the Japanese were achieving what no other organisation had ever achieved; in addition they were contradicting every previous concept of production (Vecchio, 2000). When organisations around the World were practicing mass production, the Japanese were developing the just-in-time approach. This is when the raw material would only be ordered just-in-time to be produced, and production would only start just-in-time to be delivered to the costumer, avoiding waste and contributing towards a more effective cash flow; additionally they were practicing team work (Brown and Williams, 2012). Employees were involved in decision making and projects would be integrated at different levels from the marketing and finance department to the shop floor (Vecchio, 2000). This reduced alienation and empowered employees, the results were considerable and were seen as a miracle by Western organisations. Therefore, as a response to the Japaneses new challenging approach, western organisations began to explore different models of behavior (Burnes, 1996). That is when the theories that were more humanistic (Human Resource Management, Culture theory and Contingency approach) were rediscovered and adopted. In 1982 Peters and Waterman (1982) suggested that the key to the recovery of Western companies was the implementation of organisational culture. In their study they analysed several different organisations from the USA and identified a list of eight common beliefs that according to them were the reasons for their success (Mullins, 2011). Thus, if a company wishes to achieve ‘excellence’ they should embrace those beliefs. Customer orientation, respectful treatment beyond different level of employees and a set of values through a clear organisation philosophy were a few of those common attributes (Burnes, 1996). They argue that when employees have organisational values integrated within their actions, there is no need for close supervision, reducing organisation cost and empowering employees (ibid). Therefore, managers should adopt a system where employees have more freedom, nevertheless managers would still have some kind of control (Brewis and Willmott, 2012). It was this study in the 80’s that made famous among managers culture theory as a recipe for success (ibid). Peter and Waterman sent their message to the world as the one best way to be successful. Concepts of Culture Most writers (including Peter and Waterman cited above) that are concerned with culture theory believe that managers can implement and manipulate culture in order to improve organisational success (Brewis and Willmott, 2012). This assumption that culture is a variable and can be changed is explained by Smircich (1983) as culture being something that an organisation ‘has’. For instance, managers could build a value into an organisation and its employee, such as, customer satisfaction and team work to increase productivity. According to Brewis and Willmott (2012) in the has theory, culture can be seen as functional and technical. It is functional because it establishes an order in an organisation, it will lead all employees in the same direction. Additionally work is meaningful to them, which may be seen as empowerment. It is technical because managers can continually administrate core values of a company to achieve better outcome (Brewis and Willmott, 2012). Indeed that m ay be the reason why the subject is so popular today; it is connected with better performance. Has theory can also be associated with strong culture. Deal and Kennedy (1982) believe that in order to achieve success an organisation should implement a clear and consistent set of values, which enable employees to assume how to behave as the way to do things here. If employees feel for the company, if it touches them in some way, they will follow its leaders anywhere because they value, even idolize, everything it stands for (Linstead, 2012, p.197). This approach is supposed to increase employee loyalty and to trigger strong emotions, such as, aspiration, devotion and love (Linstead, 2012). However it is also argued that strong culture may lead to a predictable staff outcome, discouraging new ideas (Brewis and Willmott, 2012). Nevertheless, a considerable number of managers confirm that the structure that culture provides to an organisation has a direct link with its prosperity (Mullins, 2011). On the other hand, some writers view culture as something an organisation is (Smircich, 1983). It is suggested that just like in life where humans develop a behavior that it is a result of their local surrounding, in organisations employees too develop a behavior on a daily bases (Brewis and Willmott 2012). It is created organically and difficult to understand where the roots of it came from, hence hard to manage and change (Stanford, 2010). Is theory sympathises with what literature calls a weak culture. Here the subject is treated more flexible, giving more room for scope, and creativity (Linstead, 2012). It is a debate whether an organisation should adopt strong or weak cultural values; strong cultures may be inflexible and as consequence can react slower to external and internal changes (Stanford, 2010). The link between culture and empowerment According to Stanford (2010) an effective culture would be when employees believe that there are more reasons to work than to just make money, when work is meaningful to them. In addition she believes that the employee should feel engaged within the job, without breaching ethical issues (Stanford, 2010). It should be noted that organisational culture enable human resource management to affiliate organisational values with new employee values, and when both share common beliefs the results can be beneficial for either side. Employees feel fulfillment and managers benefit from this in terms of a more efficient production (Vecchio, 2000). This suggests that managers are paying attention to organisational culture because it empowers employees and as a result boosts productivity. Therefore it can be argued that ‘culture theory seems to achieve what a range of studies have tried to understand for decades, that is how to reward and empower individuals at work in order to improve organisational performance. Hawthornes study in the 1920s draws attention to the fact that humans are not only driven by monetary incentives as stated by Taylor, instead it shows that there is a desire for recognition (Linstead, 2012). Employees need to feel that they are being valued. However at the time it did not demonstrate clear enough how to measure these concepts in organisational practice (Burnes, 1996). Culture theory developed those assumptions in more detail, making it easier for managers to manipulate and implement. Certainly the approaches created by culture theory reaffirm what numerous studies such as Job design, Theory Y and Maslow already said, however it appears that it glued several ideas from those studies into a clear module for organisation practices. In spite of that, culture theory has been criticised to manipulate and control employees in a way that could be seen as unethical (Linstead, 2012). It should be noted that there is an element of control; just like in life, organisations need a mechanism for social order. For Marxists, organisation culture tries to control employees’ emotions and that is a form of exploitation and inevitably will lead to alienation (ibid). Nevertheless, it can be argued that most employees dont feel controlled, and they actually approve of the methodology (ibid). Conclusion Organisation behavior has developed from Scientific Management into a wide school of thoughts, and it will continue to evolve in response to challenging business environments. This essay has given reasons for the widespread use of organisation culture since 1982. It has demonstrated through different concepts why managers are attracted to the topic and it can be concluded that what provokes manager’s interest is the idea that culture is something an organisation has. In this approach, culture can be manipulated to integrate all employees toward the same direction and achieve organisational goals. In addition it can be assumed that when employee values are aligned with company values it results in better organisation performance. For that reason, it is suggested that there is a link between organisation performance and employee empowerment. Culture is seen as the commodity that holds an organisation together. It seems then, that culture, despite its criticism, will probably continue to develop as the demand for it endures on. References Brewis, J. and Willmott, H. Culture. In Knights, D. and Willmott, H. eds. (2012) Introducing Organizational Behaviour and Management. 2th ed. Andover: Cengage Learning. Brown, G. and Hookham Williams, C. (2013) ULMS151 Organisations and Management Custom Text. Houndsmills: Palgrave Macmillan. Burnes, B. (1996) Managing Change: A Strategic Approach to Organisational Dynamics. 2th ed. London: Pitman Publishing. Deal, T.E. and Kennedy, A.A. (1982) Corporate Cultures: The Rites and Rituals of Corporate Life. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Co. Linstead, S. Managing Culture. In Worthington, F. ed. (2013) ULMS157 Introdution to HRM Custom Text. Houndsmills: Palgrave Macmillan. Mullins, L.J. (2011) Essentials of Organisational Behaviour. 3th ed. Harlow: FT/ Prentice Hall. Peters, T.J. and Waterman, R.H. (1982) In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America’s Best – run Companies. New York: Harper. Smircich, L. (1983) Concepts of Culture and Organizational Analysis. Administrative Science Quarterly, 28(3), 339-358. Stanford, N. (2010) Organisation Culture: Getting it right. London: Profile Books. Vecchio, R.P. (2000) Organizational Behavior: core concepts. 4th ed. Fort Worth: Dryden Press.

Roosevelt Teddy :: Essays Papers

Roosevelt Teddy He first tried the law profession by enrolling in Columbia University. He did not enjoy it and soon left school. He published his first book in 1882 it was entitled â€Å"The Naval War of 1812†. He had begun work on it while still at Harvard. Then Teddy decided that he would try a career in politics. His first position was on the state assembly in the state of New York. He ran as a republican and won the position easily. At this position he did two major things: first he exposed a corrupt judge and secondly he learned to work with men from both parties. Instead of going for a second term of legislature he decided that he would go to the Republican National Convention in Chicago. He went as the chairman for the New York delegation. While Roosevelt’s professional life was flourishing his personal life was not in very good shape. In 1884 both his wife and mother died. His wife died while giving birth to their daughter, Alice. Roosevelt would take a break from politics and form the Elkhorn ranch on the Little Missouri River in the Dakota Territory. On his ranch he led the life of a cowboy. He would round up cattle and ride horses all day. It was a good break for Roosevelt. One story tells of Roosevelt capturing three thieves and holding them at gun point for 6 days until they reached the proper authorities. Also during this time Roosevelt wrote 2 more books (Hunting Trips of a Ranch Man and Thomas Hart Benton) and fell in love with Edith Kermit Carow. On December 2, 1886 Roosevelt and Carow went to London to be married. When they returned to the United States Roosevelt set his mind back on politics. He was very active in the presidential campaign of 1888 when Benjamin Harrison defeated Grover Cleveland. Roosevelt believed in hiring government workers on their skills not based on their party affiliation. At the time the winner of the race would hire every one that had helped them win the race even if they were not qualified for the position. Harrison would award his efforts by appointing him the U.S. Civil Services Commissioner. As commissioner he would continue to challenge â€Å"patronage†. He did such a good job that when Cleveland beat Harrison for reelection he kept him as Civil Services Commissioner. In 1895 Roosevelt would return to New York City to

Surface Pressure Measurements on an Aerofoil

DEN 302 Applied Aerodynamics SURFACE PRESSURE MEASUREMENTS ON AN AEROFOIL IN TRANSONIC FLOW Abstract The objective of this exercise is to measure the pressure distribution across the surface on an aerofoil in a wind tunnel. The aerofoil is tested under several different Mach numbers from subsonic to supercritical. The purpose of measuring the pressure distributions is to assess the validity of the Prandtl-Glauert law and to discuss the changing chracteristics of the flow as the Mach number increases from subsonic to transonic.As a result of the experiment and computation of data, the aerofoil was found to have a critical Mach number of M=0. 732. Below this freestream Mach number the Prandtl-Glauert law predicted results very successfully. However, above this value, the law completely breaks down. This was found to be the result of local regions of supersonic flow and local shockwaves. Contents Abstract2 Apparatus2 1. Induction Wind Tunnel with Transonic Test Section2 2. Aerofoil mode l3 3. Mercury manometer3 Procedure3 Theory3 Results4 Discussion8 Transonic Flow8 Analysis9 Conclusion11 Bibliography11Apparatus 1. Induction Wind Tunnel with Transonic Test Section The tunnel used in this experiment has a transonic test section with liners, which, after the contraction, remain nominally parallel bar a slight divergence to accommodate for boundary layer growth on the walls of the test section. The liners on the top and bottom are ventilated with longitudinal slots backed by plenum chambers to reduce interference and blockage as the Mach number increase to transonic speeds. The working section dimensions are 89mm(width)*178mm(height). The stagnation pressure , p0? is close to the atmospheric pressure of the lab and with only a small error ,is taken to be equal to the settling chamber pressure. The reference staticpressure, p? , is measured via a pressure tapping in the floor of the working section, well upstream of the model so as to reduce the disturbance due to the model. The ‘freestream’ Mach number, M? , can be calculated by the ratio of static to stagnation pressure. The tunnel airspeed is controlled by varying the pressure of the injected air, with the highest Mach number that can be achieved by the tunnel being 0. 88. 2. Aerofoil modelThe model used is untapered and unswept, having the NACA 0012 symmetric section. The model chord length, c, is 90mm and the model has a maximum chord/thickness ratio of 12%. Non-dimensionalised co-ordinates of the aerofoil model are given in table 1 below. Pressure tappings, 1-8 , are placed along the upper surface of the model at the positions detailed in table 1. An additional tapping, 3a, is placed on the lower surface of the aerofoil at the same chordwise position as tapping 3. The reason for including the tapping on the lower surface is so that the model can be set at zero incidence by equalizing the pressures at 3 and 3a 3.Mercury manometer A multitube mercury manometer is used to record t he measurements from the tappings on the surface of the model. The manometer has a ‘locking’ mechanism which allows the mercury levels to be ‘frozen’ so that readings can be taken after the flow has stopped. This is useful as the wind tunnel is noisy. The slope of the manometer is 45 degrees. Procedure The atmospheric pressure is first recorded, pat, in inches of mercury. For a range of injected pressures, Pj, from 20 to 120Psi, the manometer readings are recorded for stagnation pressure (I0? , reference static pressure (I? ), and surface pressure form tappings on the model (In, for n=1-8 and 3a). Theory These equations are used in order to interpret and discuss the raw results achieved from the experiment. To convert a reading, I, from the mercury manometer into an absolute pressure, p, the following is used: p=pat ±l-latsin? (1) For isentropic flow of a perfect gas with ? =1. 4, the freestream Mach number,M? , is related to the ratio between the static and stagnation pressures by the equation: M? =2? -1p? p0? -? -1? -1. 0(2) Pressure coefficient, Cp , is given by:Cp=p-p? 12 U? 2(3) For compressible flow this can be rewritten as: Cp=2? M? 2pp? -1(4) The Prandtl-Glauert law states that the pressure coefficient, CPe, at a point on an aerofoil in compressible, sub-critical flow is related to the pressure coefficient, CPi, at the same point in in incompressible flow by the equation: CPe=CPi1-M? 2(5) Due to its basis in on thin aerofoil theory, this equation does not provide an exact solution. However it is deemed reasonably accurate for cases such as this in which thin aerofoils are tested at small incidence.The law does not hold in super-critical flow when local regions of supersonic flow and shockwaves appear. The value of the critical pressure coefficient, Cp*, according to local sonic conditions is calculated by: Cp*=10. 7M? 25+M? 263. 5-1for? =7/5(6) The co-ordinates for the NACA 0012 section are as follows: Figure 1-Co-ordinates for aerofoil (Motallebi, 2012) Results Given atmospheric conditions of: Patm=30. 65 in-Hg Tatm=21 °C The following results were achieved: Figure 2-Pressure coefficient vs x/c for M=0. 83566 Figure 3-Pressure coefficient vs x/c for M=0. 3119 Figure 4-Pressure coefficient vs x/c for M=0. 79367 Figure 5-Pressure coefficient vs x/c for M=0. 71798 Figure 6-Pressure coefficient vs x/c for M=0. 59547 Figure 7-Pressure coefficient vs x/c for M=0. 44456 Figure 8-Cp* and Cpminvs Mach Number From figure 7 the critical Mach number is able to be determined. The critical Mach number (the maximum velocity than can be achieved before local shock conditions arise) occurs at the point where the curves for Cp* and Cpmin cross. From figure 7 we can see that this value is, M? =0. 732. Discussion Transonic FlowTransonic flow occurs when ‘there is mixed sub and supersonic local flow in the same flow field. ’ (Mason, 2006) This generally occurs when free-stream Mach number is in the range of M=0. 7-1. 2. The local region of supersonic flow is generally ‘terminated’ by a normal shockwave resulting in the flow slowing down to subsonic speeds. Figure 8 below shows the typical progression of shockwaves as Mach number increases. At some critical Mach number (0. 72 in the case of Figure 8), the flow becomes sonic at a single point on the upper surface of the aerofoil.This point is where the flow reaches its highest local velocity. As seen in the figure, increasing the Mach number further, results in the development of an area of supersonic flow. Increasing the Mach number further again then moves the shockwave toward the trailing edge of the aerofoil and a normal shockwave will develop on the lower surface of the aerofoil. As seen in figure 8, approaching very close to Mach 1, the shockwaves move to the trailing edge of the aerofoil. For M>1, the flow behaves as expected for supersonic flow with a shockwave forming at the leading edge of the aerofoil.Figure 9-Pr ogression of shockwaves with increasing Mach number (H. H. Hurt, 1965) In normal subsonic flow, the drag is composed of 3 components-skin friction drag, pressure drag and induced drag. The drag in transonic is markedly increased due to changes to the pressure distribution. This increased drag encountered at transonic Mach numbers is known as wave drag. The wave drag is attributed to the formation of local shockwaves and the general instability of the flow. This drag increases at what is known as the drag divergence number (Mason, 2006).Once the transonic range is passed and true supersonic flow is achieved the drag decreases. Analysis From figure 7, the conclusion was reached that the critical Mach number was 0. 732. This means ultimately that in the experiment local shockwaves should be experienced somewhere along the aerofoil for Mach numbers M=0. 83566, 0. 83119 and 0. 79367. According to transonic theory, these shockwaves should be moving further along the length of the aerofoil as the freestream Mach number increases. To determine the approximate position of the shockwaves it is useful to look again at equation (4).Cp=2? M? 2pp? -1 Assuming constant p? , as static pressure in the test section is assumed to be constant and constant free stream Mach number as well, equation (4) may be written as: Cp=const. pconst. -1 Normal shockwaves usually present themselves as discontinuous data, particularly in stagnation pressure where there is a large drop. To detect the rough position of the shockwave on the aerofoil surface it is useful to look at the detected pressure by the different tappings and scrutinize the –Cpvs x/c graph to see where the drop in pressure occurs.Investigating the graphs for the supercritical Mach numbers yields these approximate positions: M| x/c, %| 0. 835661| 40-60| 0. 831199| 35-55| 0. 793676| 25-45| Figure 10- Table showing approximate position of shockwave According to the theory described earlier, these results are correct as it demonstrates the shockwave moving further along the aerofoil as the Mach number increases. As seen in figure 8, given a sufficiently high Mach number, a shock may also occur on the lower surface of the wing. This can be seen for M=0. 835661, in figure 1, where there is a marked difference in pressure between tappings 3 and 3a.The theoretical curves on each –Cpvs x/c graph were designed using the Prandtl-Glauert law. As mentioned earlier, this law is based on thin aerofoil theory, meaning it is not exact and there are sometimes large errors between the proposed theoretical values and the experimental values achieved. These large errors are seen most clearly in the higher Mach numbers. This is because in the transonic range, where there is a mixture of sub and supersonic flow, local shockwaves occur and the theoretical curves do not take shockwaves into account.Hence, the theory breaks down when the freestream Mach number exceeds the critical Mach number for the aerofoil. At l ower Mach numbers, the theoretical values line up reasonably well with those achieved through experiment. There only seems to be some error between the two, mainly arising in the 15-25% range. However, overall the Prandtl-Glauert law seems to be reasonably accurate as long as the Mach number remains sub-critical. The experiment itself was successful. The rough position of the shockwave and the critical Mach number were able to be identified.There are however some sources of inaccuracy or error that can be addressed of the experiment is to be repeated for ‘bettter’ results. Aside from the normal human errors made during experimentation the apparatus itself could be improved. Pressure tapping 1 (the closest to the leading edge) and pressure tapping 8 (the closest to the trailing edge) were placed at 6. 5% and 75% respectively. What this means is that they are not centralized relative to the leading and trailing edge effectively meaning it is not able to be determined whet her or not the pressure is conserved.At a zero angle of incidence, the pressure at the tip of the leading edge should be equal to the pressure at the tip of the trailing edge. To improve this pressure tappings should exist at the LE and TE and possibly more pressure tappings across the aerofoil surface to provide more points for recording. Another source of improvement could be using a larger test section so that there is absolutely no disturbance in measuring the static pressure. However, this may only produce a minute difference in the data and may not be worthwhile for such little gain. ConclusionAs desired, a symmetric aerofoil was tested in transonic flow and the experimental results were compared to the theoretical values predicted by the PrandtlGlauert law. In the cases where there was a large disparity between experimental and theoretical results, an explanation was given, relying on the theory behind transonic flow. Bibliography H. H. Hurt, J. (1965). Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators. Naval Air Systems Command. Mason. (2006). Transonic aerodynamics of airfoils and wings. Virginia Tech. Motallebi. (2012). Surface Pressure Measurements on an Aerofoil in Transonic Flow. London: Queen Mary University of London.

Project Shakti Essay

Hindustan Unilever Limited is the biggest player in the market share of FMCG sector of the country. The FMCG sector of the country is the fourth largest sector of the economy with a size 13.1 billion USD. It is being positioned in the market as brand adding â€Å"Vitality to Life†. It sought for market leadership in a wide range of product categories and also across a broad spectrum of price points in each category. In 2004, HLL responded to high competition by further lowering the price across categories. It started the concept of â€Å"power brands†, initiated a channel-based system, supply chain efficiencies were captured and innovations were launched. It was the company with the a better rural penetration than any other company Its schemes like providing low-unit-packs tells us the how the company wants to penetrate deeper into the market. Q2) What was the motivation for the Shakti initiative? Was it a CSR initiative? The Shakti project by HUL can be termed as a Social Business Initiative rather than a completely Corporate Social Responsibility. It is a highly socialized business taking CSR elements into its operational strategy. It has two aspects 1. Social aspect – It includes supporting the independence women. 2. Business aspect – it includes developing sales area into untapped rural depths. ‘Shakti’ means strength and empowerment. The main motivation was to empower the women in rural areas along with business expansion. HLL realized the importance of rural markets and realized that it was the key source of growth and thus initiated project Shakti as a competitive advantage as it will be a big differentiator among FMCG companies. It also found this as a way to develop its brands through local influencers. Apart from the business motives Unilever created this project as a social initiative to provide sustainable livelihood for underprivileged women in rural areas. It also creates a win-win partnership between HUL and rural consumers for mutual benefit and growth. HUL found it difficult to set up a distribution channel in rural parts of India. So project Shakti was an initiative to create a distribution system through a network of women micro-entrepreneurs to distribute the product directly to consumers. This also ensures tapping the fortune at the bottom of the pyramid Q3) How will Project Shakti influence distribution in rural markets? Ans: The business objective was to extend the direct reach in rural markets and to build brands through local influencers i.e. build a distribution system through a network of women micro-entrepreneurs to get the product directly to consumers. Shakti utilizes women’s self-help groups (SHG) for entrepreneur development training to operate as a rural direct-to-home sales force, educating consumers on the health and hygiene benefits of HLL brands and in turn building brand loyalty among customers. Local entrepreneur’s knows their village’s needs and therefore able to influence the buying decisions of the villagers and can easily convince the villagers. The Shakti entrepreneurs are also brand ambassadors for all HUL brands in rural India. Their relationship with consumers is formed by their home-to-home contacts and hence building a brand loyalty. A member from a SHG was selected as a Shakti entrepreneur, commonly referred as ‘Shakti Amma’. She received stocks from rural distributor. After being trained by the company, the Shakti entrepreneur then sold those goods directly to consumers and retailers in the village. Q4)If Shakti cannot become profitable, should HUL continue the program? Why? If Shakti cannot become profitable, HUL should continue the program because of the following reasons: 1. Growing Rural Market * The rural market is makes up 72.74% of the overall Indian population. The untappedpotential of this market can be made viable only with deeper penetration. The marketing techniques which suit to the urban population of the country cannot suffice for this new expanding market due to social causes like bad connectivity, lesser means of media communication and illiteracy. Project Shakti has been developed in such a way that it can market the product beyond these restrictions by one-to-one endorsement. Due to the social mind-set in most of the rural areas, it is easier to influence them by local people whom they find more credible. 2. Stagnant Urban Market * The urban market is slowing on growth since the previous three years. It can be expected that it will reach a saturation point sometime in the future. Also there will be more competition in the market reducing the growth trajectory. There is a high need for creating new markets and leverage the first mover advantage. 3. Deeper Social Impact * The Project Shakti is popular for the deeper social Impact it is creating in the minds of the people. With initiatives like â€Å"Shakti Vani† and â€Å"iShakti† HLL can reach the rural population with the message of social development on all fronts. While the project â€Å"Shakti† in itself has a widespread message of women empowerment, these other initiatives focus on the betterment of the rural life on health and internet connectivity fronts. 4. Brand building * The Project Shakti does not only provide for creating market but on a broader horizon it creates a brand value for the rural customers who can be difficult to lure by other entertaining advertisement campaigns. The Project Shakti will not be just a source of awareness for this market but the way it has been progressing, it can be imbibed as a part of consumer’s life itself. In such a case the value which the HLL brand will connote will be beyond regular supply of quality products at lower prices. This value will be hard to earn for any other customer and will position the brand as harbinger of development in such rural areas. 5. Communication Channel * The rural market has poor connectivity in terms of supply chain. Project Shakti can be an efficient way to overcome this barrier to rural market. In terms of communicating the brand value, Project Shakti goes beyond the barriers of illiteracy and lack of media. There can be no better way than one-to-one endorsement which can be the key influencer and can impact category, brand awareness as well as usage. With the Project Shakti, HLL will not only be able to enjoy the first mover advantage in a market which has a huge potential, but also create greater brand value which the competitors who might enter this market later will find tough to compete. Thus, Project Shakti in short works efficiently on the rural market on the aspects of affordability, awareness, availability and acceptability for the rural consumers. But some changes can be made to make it more profitable by reducing costs. Better entrepreneurs can be selected for the procedure and

The Vaginal Spermicide Essays

The Vaginal Spermicide Essays The Vaginal Spermicide Paper The Vaginal Spermicide Paper The Vaginal Spermicide   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A vaginal spermicide is a sperm killing chemical sold over-the-counter in the form of cream, jelly, foam film, vaginal supposition or tablet. Each product and form is different so the user has to read package instructions carefully to ensure proper use and maximum effectiveness of the product. The spermicide is applied before sexual intercourse and allowed to remain in the vagina for the next 6-8 hours without douching or rinsing to ensure that all sperms are killed. The vaginal spermicide is said to have a failure rate of approximately 21% per year. It is, therefore, less effective compared to other artificial forms of contraceptive like the condom or pill although this contraceptive method is usually used along with another method, and thus serves as additional instead of the primary precautionary measure. It does not protect the couple from sexually-transmitted infection as it allows for the exchange of fluids during intercourse except that the chemical component of the spermicide kills the sperm cells. There are also reports of itchiness from some users. Aside from this, another drawback for this method is the trouble it incurs upon the woman because she could not wash her vagina hours after intercourse. It cannot be used, therefore, for unplanned sex in the middle of the day or work. It is also not permanent and is effective for one period of sexual intercourse only.

Essential Element Facts in Chemistry

Essential Element Facts in Chemistry What Is an Element? A chemical element is  the simplest form of matter that cannot be broken down using any chemical means. Any substance made up of one type of atom is an example of that element. All atoms of an element contain the same number of protons. For example, helium is an element all helium atoms have 2 protons. Other examples of elements include hydrogen, oxygen, iron, and uranium. Here are some essential facts to know about elements: Essential Element Facts While every atom of an element has the same number of protons, the number of electrons and neutrons can vary. Changing the number of electrons forms ions, while changing the number of neutrons forms isotopes of an element.The same elements occur everywhere in the universe. Matter on Mars or in the Andromeda Galaxy consists of the same elements found on Earth.The elements were formed by nuclear reactions inside stars. Initially, scientists thought only 92 elements occurred in nature, but now we know many of the shorts of allotropes of carbon include diamond, graphite, buckminsterfullerene, and amorphous carbon. Although they all consists of carbon atoms, these allotropes have different properties from each other.Elements are listed in order of increasing atomic number (number of protons) on the periodic table. The periodic table arranged elements according to periodic properties or recurring trends in the characteristics of the elements. The only two liquid elements at room temperature and pressure are mercury and bromine.The periodic table lists 118 elements, but when this article was written (August 2015), the existence of only 114 of these elements had been verified. There are new elements yet to be discovered.Many elements occur naturally, but some are man-made or synthetic. The first man-made element was technetium.Over three-quarters of the known elements are metals. There are also a small number of nonmetals and elements with properties in between those of metals and nonmetals, known as metalloids or semimetals.The most common element in the universe is hydrogen. The second most abundant element is helium. Although helium is found throughout the universe, it is very rare on Earth because it does not form chemical compounds and its atoms are light enough to escape Earths gravity and bleed out into space. Your body contains more hydrogen atoms than atoms of any other element, but the most common element, by mass , is oxygen. Ancient man was exposed to several pure elements that occur in nature, including carbon, gold, and copper, but people did not recognize these substances as elements. The earliest elements were considered to be earth, air, fire, and water substances we now know consist of multiple elements.While some elements exist in pure form, most bond together with other elements to form compounds. In a chemical bond, atoms of one element share electrons with atoms of another element. If its a relatively equal sharing, the atoms have a covalent bond. If one atom basically donates electrons to an atom of another element, the atoms have an ionic bond. Organization of Elements in the Periodic Table The modern periodic table is similar to the periodic table developed by Mendeleev, but his table ordered elements by increasing atomic weight. The modern table lists the elements in order by increasing atomic number (not Mendeleevs fault, since he did not know about protons back then). Like Mendeleevs table, the modern table groups elements according to common properties. Element groups are the columns in the periodic table. They include alkali metals, alkaline earths, transition metals, basic metals, metalloids, halogens, and noble gases. The two rows of elements located below the main body of the periodic table are a special group of transition metals called the rare earth elements. The lanthanides are the elements in the top row of the rare earths. The actinides are elements in the bottom row.

SAT Results in Physics to Impress College Admissions

SAT Results in Physics to Impress College Admissions Because most colleges that ask for SAT Subject Tests are highly selective, you will most likely want a score in the 700s if youre going to succeed in impressing the admissions officers. The exact score is going to depend on the school, so this article will provide a general overview of what defines a good Physics SAT Subject Test score and what some colleges say about the exam. Subject Tests vs. the General SAT The percentiles for SAT Subject Test scores cant be compared to general SAT scores because the subject tests are taken by an entirely different student population. Because the test is required primarily by some of the nations top colleges and universities, the students who take SAT Subject Tests tend to be high achievers. The regular SAT, on the other hand, is required by a wide range of schools, including many that are not selective at all. As a result, the average scores for SAT Subject Tests are significantly higher than those for the regular SAT. For the Physics SAT Subject Test, the mean score is 664  (compared to a mean of about 500 for individual sections of the regular SAT).   While no tool exists for you to calculate your chance of admission based on the Physics exam, you can figure out your chance of admission based on your GPA and general SAT scores. What Subject Test Scores Do Colleges Want? Most colleges do not publicize their SAT Subject Test admissions data. However, for elite colleges, you will ideally have scores in the 700s. Here are what a few colleges say about the SAT Subject Tests: MIT: The Massachusetts Institute of Technologys admissions website states that the middle 50% of students scored between 720 and 800 on SAT II Subject Tests in the sciences.Middlebury College: The prestigious liberal arts college in Vermont claims that they tend to receive SAT Subject Test scores in the low to middle 700s.Princeton University:  This elite Ivy League school states that the middle 50% of admitted applicants averaged scores between 710 and 790 on their three highest SAT II Subject Tests.UCLA: As one of the top public universities, UCLA states that about 75% of admitted students scored between 700 and 800 on their best SAT Subject Test, and the average score for the best SAT Subject Test was 734 (675 for the second best subject).Williams College: Over half of matriculated students scored between a 700 and 800 on their SAT Subject Tests. As this limited data shows, a strong application will usually have SAT Subject Test scores in the 700s. Realize, however, that all elite schools have a holistic admissions process, and significant strengths in other areas can make up for a less-than-ideal test score. Your academic record will be more important than any test scores, especially if you do well in challenging college preparatory courses. Your AP, IB, dual enrollment, and/or honors courses will all play an important role in the admissions equation. Colleges will also want to see strong non-numerical evidence of your preparedness for college. A winning application essay, meaningful extracurricular activities, glowing letters of recommendation, and other factors can make an application stand out even when the test scores arent quite what you had hoped for. Very few colleges use the Physics SAT Subject Test to award course credit or to place students out of introductory level courses. A good score on the AP Physics exam, however, often will earn students college credit (especially the Physics-C exam). Physics SAT Subject Test Scores and Percentiles Physics SAT Subject Test Scores and Percentiles Physics SAT Subject Test Score Percentile 800 87 780 80 760 74 740 67 720 60 700 54 680 48 660 42 640 36 620 31 600 26 580 22 560 18 540 15 520 12 500 10 480 7 460 5 440 3 420 2 400 1 Data from the College Board Examine the correlation between Physics SAT Subject Test scores and the percentile ranking of students who took the exam. Nearly half of all people who took the exam scored a 700 or higher, a far bigger percentage than with the regular SAT. 67 percent of test takers scored a 740 or below on the Physics SAT Subject Test. In 2017, only 56,243 students took the Physics SAT Subject Test.

About the University Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

About the University - Case Study Example The organization will also be focused on offering a chance to pursue various programs without interferences, thereby eliminating hindrances brought about by various internal and external factors. Besides, this organization will be located in an area with tranquility in order to provide students with favorable environment for studying. Developing Global Goals for the Organization Social cognitive theory focuses on self-efficacy or self-direction, which is considered crucial being a predictor of people’s behaviors. Bandura (1997) establishes a shift regarding people’s reaction towards the past, present and future. Moreover, he argues that human behaviors are guided by their goals and results, which are projected into their future (Bandura, 1997). Crucial reflection of people’s self-efficacy is facilitated by their ability to control themselves and establish a self-reflection. There are situation that in this organization people may fail to live up to the standards that they have set for themselves. Nonetheless, there are researchers, which have been conducted by Bandura (1977) in the field of social cognitive theory, whereby he recognizes the actions that results to people’s ability to process information and make choices in accordance to the things they know in regard to consequences of their actions or actions of others. Team Development and Leadership Perspective As the team leader there is need to set dates for checking on the progress with the other members of team in order to facilitate its development. Moreover, this helped us to maintain the cohesiveness of the group and ensure that everyone behaving in accordance to the expectations of the group. There are three of the most  substantial  traits that a good leader should have in order to facilitate team development; in fact, these traits  are elaborated on the basis of leadership theories. According to Fiedler and Garcia (1987), one of the traits  is explained  in the Contingency Theories which expects the  successful  leaders be able to identify the clues in the environment and that they adapt with their leader behavior in order to meet the differentiated needs of their followers. The Vroom  leadership  theory expects them to participate in decision making. It also provides a set of rules for determination of participative decision making. The third trait is Transformational  leadership  that combines the behavioral theories with the trait theories, while being a Transactional leader I will guide  my group in the  direction  that will establish  objective  by clarify task requirements. Human Development Perspective While managing the human resource in this university, there will be need to focus on satisfying employees psychological and social needs. In this case, the psychological needs will involve motivating them to exercise persona control of their actions and self-efficacy. On the other hand, satisfaction of their soc ial needs will be achieved by empowering them by modeling programs of personal control in terms of the way they can cope with stress or criticism; in fact, this will involve offering them skills to enables them cope with circumstances that they are likely to face during their daily operations. In addition, empowerment will involve provision of relevant sources of knowledge, skills, and convictions, which can allow employees to control their lives. Diversity/Multicultural Perspective There is an interpretation of diversity, which includes the ways in

'Britain does not really have a constituton at all, merely a system of Essay

'Britain does not really have a constituton at all, merely a system of goverment.' - Essay Example Traditionally a constitution is taken as a written document clearly establishing principles and rules governing a given political body. It guarantees specified rights to nationals, establishes duties, the level of powers and important political principles of each government. With constitutions from many countries from the common wealth being written, British constitutions has never been written down. What the Britons have as their constitution is a combination of statute law, convention and common law. The 1982 Reform Act which was responsible for the parliamentary representation reforms, Magna Carta (1215) protecting the community rights against the crown and the Bill of Rights (1689) that made it impracticable for the sovereign to ignore the government wishes by extending the powers of the parliament. Though it has never been well defined, common law is presumed to come from legal precedents or customs and interpreted in court cases by the judges. Practices and rules which are not legally enforceable are called conventions but regarded as crucial to the smooth working of the government. It is from the historical events through which the British system of government has originated that conventions are extracted. For example, there is a convention holding ministers accountable and responsible for what happens in their dockets although it is not legally enforceable. A general agreement Act of parliament can amend a convention thus amending the constitution. Unlike many constitutions in the world the British â€Å"constitution† is very flexible a thing that has led to it realizing full development over the decades. Rulings of the European court of justice have coded and determined British la sections under areas covered by numerous treaties where Britain is involved. This is making the legal and constitutional document is the Magna Carta. It has sixty one classes that set out vivid community

Pop Culture-one artifact Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pop Culture-one artifact - Essay Example There is one real leg of a person and a prosthetic limb with a message persisting that there are no original spare parts for the human body in the poster. The company uses logos to tell the people that the human body must always be under great care. It uses the words in the advertisement, as a form of logos to convey the message that people should be careful whilst engaging in dangerous activities. In this case, the company is insisting that drunk driving can result in an outrageous accident that can make individuals lose their body parts. There are no spare parts for the human body and thus people must avoid drunk-driving at all costs. The company uses pathos to capture the attention of audience by describing the potential dangers for drunk driving. The photo showing a person with one real human leg and a prosthetic limb seeks to imply the potential effects for drunk driving, and effectively portrays pathos. It is portraying the dangers a person is exposing himself or herself to, by driving while drunk. BMW uses the photo to show the prospect of losing a body part and recovery difficulty. The photo exhibits the jeopardy of drunk driving. The utilization of this image is supposed to initiate mental thoughts and conceptions among the audience regarding the fundamental effects of driving while drunk. By understanding the potential dangers, the audience is supposed to become thoughtful of drunk driving. The â€Å"BMW† logo at the right corner of the poster portrays the use of ethos. The company is an established car-manufacturer and the usage of the logo will win the trust of many people. It is likely that many people will consider reading the message and put it into practice because of the brand name â€Å"BMW†. The company is advertising itself for the sale of cars but at the same time using its brand to sensitize people against driving while drunk. This is a

Renewable Energy Project Financial Plan Coursework

Renewable Energy Project Financial Plan - Coursework Example Duke Energy alongside the plan will be depended on a current purchase by Duke Energy (DUK) within the solar energy. The goal is to debate on the project’s decision and cost evaluation process. This plan will entail project cost of capital, cash flows, cash flow statement, approximation of capital in every hazard classification, risk class of assets, exhaustive financial features of the enterprise, as well as the validation debate of whether the project must be undertaken. Black Mountain Solar Project Duke Energy currently bought an Arizona solar farm investment from Solon Corporation. The Black Mountain Solar Project is a 10-Megawatt (MW) 40,000 solar panel renewable energy farm located in Mohave County, Arizona. Project Cash Flow The ensuing spreadsheet indicates the cash flows, net present value (NPV), as well as the internal rate of return (IRR) for the Solar Farm Project that Duke Energy is interested in purchasing. Calculations for the Project Cash Flow Period Cash Flows NPV $35,366.48 Dec-08 453,000.00 Dec-09 556,000.00 Dec-10 128,000.00 Dec-11 440,000.00 Dec-12 550,000.00 Dec-13 740,000.00 NPV at 15% rate for a period of five years is $ 35,366.48 Cost of Project Capital The phrase cost of project capital is usually misunderstood. For instance, it is not the company’s past cost of finances like a coupon settlement of present stocks. The essential cost is a chance cost. This refers to the rate by which investors may offer funds for the capital budget project under concern now† Emery, Finnerty, & Stowe, 2007). Cost of capital: = %debt*After Tax Cost Of Debt + %equity*Required Return On Equity After Tax Cost Of Debt = (1-TaxRate)*Required Return On Debt Required Return On Equity = Risk Free Rate + Beta*(Return On Market – Risk Free Rate) = (313.38 + 0.16)/ 21.56 = 14.72 = 15%. Project Cost Flow Project cash flow PVIF@ 15% P.V Year 1 2 3 4 5 556000 128000 440000 550,000 740,000 0.8696 0.7561 0.6575 0.5485 0.4360 483497 96781 289300 364825 480395 Less initial capital 372000 +NPV 1342798 IRR using 15% Years Cash flow PVIF@ 15% P.V 1 2 3 4 5 556000 128000 440000 550000 740000 0.8696 0.7561 0.6575 0.5485 0.4360 483497 96781 289300 364825 480395 1714998 Using 10% Years Cash flow PVIF@ 15% P.V 1 2 3 4 5 556000 128000 440000 550000 740000 0.8696 0.7561 0.6575 0.5485 0.4360 505459.6 105779.2 330572 402657.9 512475.6 1856944.3 Therefore IRR = x[Z/-c = w – r/x – 7] + r = z = w – r + r x - c x -7 = z = 15% - 10% + 10% 569810.8 72232.8 72232.8 z = 2849054 z = 2849054 72232.8 = 39.44 + 10% IRR = 49.44 Cash Flow Statement Years Ended December (In millions) 2011 CASH FLOWS OPERATING ACTIVITIES Net Income $ 2,235 Changes to settle net income to net cash offered by functioning activities Depreciation and amortization (including amortization of nuclear fuel) 2,026 Equity component of AFUDC (260) Gains on sales of other assets (19) Impairment of goodwill and other long-lived assets 335 Deferred income taxes 602 Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates (160) Contributions to qualified pension plans (200) Accrued pension and other post-retirement benefit costs 104 (Increase) decrease in Net realized and unrealized mark-to-market and hedging transactions (48) Receivables 2 Inventory (247) Other current assets 185 Increase (decrease) in Accounts payable 41 Taxes accrued 27 Other current liabilities (254) Other assets 12 Other liabilities (188) Net cash provided by operating

International economical and political environment Essay

International economical and political environment - Essay Example infrastructure, including enterprise storage and server technology, networking products and resources, and software that optimizes business technology investments; personal computing and other access devices, and imaging and printing-related products and services (HP, 2010a). It has currently gone through a significant management reshuffling at the top level (Business Week, 2010), which has courted several controversies putting the company in a tight spot over a range of critical issues and serious concerns have been raised on various aspects of management ranging from sustaining the current market position to expanding and diversifying its portfolio. The change in the top level management i.e. the internal environment coupled with the changes in external environment are posing fresh challenges to the technology giant, which are discussed in the following section. Currently HP faces stringent competition from its rivals such as Dell, Oracle and IBM who are competing for a greater market share. Dell and HP are fierce rivals in the hardware segment while Oracle continues to give tough competition in the software division. Moreover, the rapidly changing technological environment is posing newer challenges. The market for HP’s products is changing drastically in tandem with the rapidly changing consumer taste and preferences. According to Robin Purohit – the General Manger and Vice President of HP’s software products: Moreover, HP is steadily entering into the software business which has strong rivals such as Oracle. HP has a large portfolio of products, primarily dealing in hardware and such a transformation might affect its profitability in other stronger segments of its business. While Oracle on the other hand, has a strong business presence in the market especially in the software segment. Furthermore, there is a significant rise in the Asian PC markets which is eating away the market share of top firms. Although HP continues to lead this market segment,

Project Management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Project Management - Coursework Example It will also correlate the process with necessary stakeholder, risks, and Pestle analysis as strategic tools in understanding the market where the Firm is targeting its business operation. A Gannt Chart is provided to sequentially schedule the desired time frame for Firm’s activities. Introduction There is nothing significant for an organization but to see its operational system working systematically to achieve plans. The Firm needs to adopt a mechanism in hiring employees to safeguard its interest and to ascertain that its human resource will be performing their respective tasks in compliance and in contribution to the achievement to its corporate goals. The management, on the other hand, must provide strategic direction to its employees by comprehensively understanding the risks and developments in the market. Strategic planning will help the company leverage itself from competitors and from the odds of dynamic market. Purpose This paper will explicate the process of recrui ting and selecting employees for a firm to enable enjoyment of optimum performance and achievement of goals. It is also aimed at providing appropriate systematic framework for recruitment strategy to acquire quality workers that could perform tasks and roles (Walter, 2008). Scope The scope of this study is limited only to its application to the firm’s recruitment process for either fix or contractual position. Objective This paper aims to explicate the hiring and selection process as significant in human resource management for the Firm and to correlate the matter to Firm’s performance management using optimized business analyses and strategic management. Recruitment and selection process The recruitment process will include the following steps (Walter, 2008). a. Setting and crafting of hiring and recruitment policy by the human resource department in partnership with the management; b. The management must determine the rationale of the hiring; the job’s purpose , duties, and responsibilities. It must also discuss the relation of the job to the management using job analysis (Gan & Kleiner, 2005). c. determination of positions that will be publicized for hiring; d. Identifying strategic areas where information on hiring are posted, advertised or announced. The posted information must clearly indicate the position available; the requirements needed from applicants; the skills needed; and the exact location of the office (Walter, 2008). e. Set actual date of examination and interview; f. Those who academically or skillfully qualify will be subjected for training and coaching (Guest &Conway, 1997; Harrison, 1997; Salman, Arnesson, & Shukur, 2009). g. Signing of contract for hired employees. This is the logical process about how the recruitment and selection procedures be enforced. The hiring policy will be the legal basis in laying down the contractual relations and the terms of employment. It’s often assumed that this is in consonance t o existing labor policy of the location where business is in operation. The publication or advertisement is the process of popularizing the vacancy to gain attention from possible applicants. The management must have thoroughly evaluated the hiring using job analysis to determine the relation of employee to the management. The examination will test the analytical capacity of the applicants and the interview will also help

International economical and political environment Essay

International economical and political environment - Essay Example infrastructure, including enterprise storage and server technology, networking products and resources, and software that optimizes business technology investments; personal computing and other access devices, and imaging and printing-related products and services (HP, 2010a). It has currently gone through a significant management reshuffling at the top level (Business Week, 2010), which has courted several controversies putting the company in a tight spot over a range of critical issues and serious concerns have been raised on various aspects of management ranging from sustaining the current market position to expanding and diversifying its portfolio. The change in the top level management i.e. the internal environment coupled with the changes in external environment are posing fresh challenges to the technology giant, which are discussed in the following section. Currently HP faces stringent competition from its rivals such as Dell, Oracle and IBM who are competing for a greater market share. Dell and HP are fierce rivals in the hardware segment while Oracle continues to give tough competition in the software division. Moreover, the rapidly changing technological environment is posing newer challenges. The market for HP’s products is changing drastically in tandem with the rapidly changing consumer taste and preferences. According to Robin Purohit – the General Manger and Vice President of HP’s software products: Moreover, HP is steadily entering into the software business which has strong rivals such as Oracle. HP has a large portfolio of products, primarily dealing in hardware and such a transformation might affect its profitability in other stronger segments of its business. While Oracle on the other hand, has a strong business presence in the market especially in the software segment. Furthermore, there is a significant rise in the Asian PC markets which is eating away the market share of top firms. Although HP continues to lead this market segment,

First Time Going on Cruise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

First Time Going on Cruise - Essay Example get to visit all the places which have historical or cultural relevance and at the same, you do not miss the culinary exotica that can give you out of the world experience of eating. The passport is the most important document required to travel overseas. Deciding on the destination helps to choose the cruise line that fits within your budget. Some travel sites also give huge discounts on various on-board activities and also off shore excursions. The number of days and cheap hotels are also issues that are crucial for students. A basic cruise ship comes with internet access, fitness center on board, food, drink, alcohol beverages. The internet service is not free and one is also charged for incoming calls. They also have many activities to keep you entertain at all time. The activities can range from playing basketball, swimming, ice skating, bowling, singing, dancing, wave surfing, rock climbing and so on. I had booked my cruise through Expedia which had given discount coupons for on-board activities, food and offshore excursion. The cheap ticket along with discount coupons was a great asset to my student budget. I strongly encourage everyone to go on a shore excursion. You can have myriad experience vis-Ã  -vis sightseeing or city tour; wild life tours; snorkel tour; golf; shows; beach activities; ATV four-wheeling adventure; and other things like exploring another culture, purchasing gift for a love one or yourself. Offshore excursion give you an opportunity to explore local delights by touring the entire area. The price is very affordable for most people. I had lots of fun in cruise. I won a bet over a bowling dispute. My friend Steven the (idiot) decided to impress a young lady but it did not go too well with him. He lost badly. My advice is never try to impress a young lady when you are not a pro at something. You will end up make a fool of yourself! On my first day, I remembered wakening up with apple pie and whip cream on my face! My friends had played

West in Civil War Essay Example for Free

West in Civil War Essay The contribution of the Western states in Civil War outcome are argued to be significant and crucial as Delaware, West Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri and Maryland has done their best to make the country free from slavery. Delaware supported the Confederacy, Kentucky and Missouri also pro-Union and pro-Confederate government fractions. Historians argue that the Western states with their favorable social, political connections were critical to the war outcome and slavery abolishment. Most of the Western states adopted Jim Crow law and worked towards slavery abolishment. During the Civil War the General Assembly of Delaware rejected secession, as well as Maryland. The year of 1863 appeared to play important role for Maryland as the state adopted new constitution that prohibited slavery, slavery. Thus, slaves were emancipated in the state. After Missouri rejected secession, the newly elected government called for authorization of a state constitutional convention. Missouri approved convention and voted for remaining within the Union, but it opposed coercion of the Southern States. (Monaghan, 1955) Further, Kentucky is argued to contribute to strategic victory in the Civil War, and Lincoln once announced that to loose Kentucky was the same as to be defeated in the Civil War. The importance of Kentucky laid in the fact that the state hold Maryland and Missouri committed to the West. In the beginning Kentucky tended to remain neutral and in 1861 the state asked for keeping out the war. However, the neutrality was broken when General Polk made an attempt to occupy Kentucky openly enlisting troops. Kentucky had to respond and state’s government passed resolution to demand evacuation of Confederate forces from state’s territory. (Coulter, 1926) Summing up, the contribution of the West was significant for the Civil War outcome as the state supported war against the slavery and slave discrimination. Despite initial attempts to remain neutral, Western states realized that only victory would bring relative peace. Thus, Western states have done their best to abolish slavery and to ensure them emancipation in the country. References Merton, Coulter E.. (1926). The Civil War and Readjustment in Kentucky. North Carolina: University of North Carolina Press. Monaghan, Jay. (1955). Civil War on the Western Border, 1854-1865. New York: New York Press.

Exercise For College Students Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Papers

Exercise For College Students College life is a time full of fun, friends, activities, classes, and homework. All of these activities however, add up to a busy life style. Being busy is not in itself harmful but when the busyness becomes so great that it turns into stress, problems start to arise. The formation of stress leads to many unhealthy trends, such as lack of sleep, loss of immunity to disease, and a change in personality traits. How then can stress in the busy lives of college students be reduced? The answer is a simple one that has long been known; exercise relieves stress. Colleges across the country need to implement a program of required exercise classes to promote the well being of students. In this paper I am going to use classical argument to support my claim of value, that classes involving exercise should be made a part of university requirements throughout the United States and specifically at Iowa State. I will do this by first stating a concession to those who do not believe exercise classes should be a part of the curriculum. Next, I will include a refutation section where my claims are supported against the opposing claims. Then, I will include the presentation of why universities need to require exercise classes. Last, I will conclude my paper by giving the solution to the problem of lack of exercise. One of the arguments against installing a program of required exercise classes is that in order to get the full health benefit from the program some of the responsibility would have to depend on the student and their attitudes. Universities cannot force students to lead healthy lives. This is a true statement because not all students would take full advantage o... ... Washington D.C.: American Association of Retired Persons, 1986. Davis, Elwood and George Holland. Values of Physical Activity. Dubuque, Iowa: Wm. C. Brown Company Publishers, 1975. Davis, Howard. Sate Requirements in Physical Education For Teachers and Students. Alabama: Tuskegee Institute, 1973. Dishman, Rod. Exercise Adherence. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics Publishers, 1988. Montoye, Henry. Physical Activity and Health: An Epidemiological Study of an Entire Community. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1975. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Physical Activity and Health: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 1996.

Free Othello Essays: The Characters of Othello :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

The Characters of Othello  Ã‚   Shakespeare's Othello is a novel that depicts on the intense relationship between Othello, Cassio, and Iago. One charter may see the other as a dear friend and a comrade, but the second one may see the first as an inferior person that he/she is envious of due to something they have. Othello is a tragedy of trust, if you learn to trust then you live in happiness, but the power of distrust is enough to make a man attempt evil and corrupt actions. During the course of the book some of the characters relations become strong, but then at the last possible moment most of those relations revert and a few increase. It is a difficult thing to explain, but I'll break it down for you. Each character had his own relation towards another, Othello had a strong friendship towards Iago, as if he were his brother. Othello sees Cassio as a fine young soldier, but as the story goes on he begins to despise Cassio because he was fed false information about Cassio that upset the war hero greatly. Iago hat es Othello, because he gave what he thought was an underqualified soldier a promotion, so he is out for revenge. Iago is also jealous of Cassio for the reason just given, he thinks he deserves the promotion and is very envious that Cassio beat him to it. Why did these people's relation change? What role does trust play in the entire play? When do we know when to trust and when not to trust? These are all questions that wonder in your heads because in some cases it is bad to trust, but in others trust is what keeps relationships and friendships alive, don't be confused its just a matter of knowing when to trust and when not to trust. Othello and Iago one of the most fake friendships ever to be put down on paper. Othello was most definitely a true to Iago, he trusted Iago on the battle field and in his social, now that is the trust of a real friend. Othello saw Iago as his most trusted soldier, consultant, and friend. Othello was the type of person that always thought people would think low of him cause of the color of his skin. He fell in love with a woman whose family dislikes him due to the color of thou skin.

A Comparison Between the Bible and The Stone Angel Essay

In addition to the similarities between the two Hagars, John and Marvin, Hagar’s sons, parallel Jacob and Esau, direct descendants of Abram and Sarah. In Hagar’s eyes, John is her Jacob. Hagar protects and favours John the same way that Rebekah favours Jacob. In the Bible, Isaac, a blind man, plans to bestow his final blessings upon Esau, his eldest son. Rebekah, having overheard Isaac’s intentions, instructs Jacob to take Esau’s place and to receive his brother’s blessings. As such, Jacob is blessed by Isaac and flees into the wilderness – upon his mother’s instruction – out of fear of Esau. Similarly, John flees from his family and into his own wilderness, Manawaka. In Manawaka John tends to his dying father, Bram, and receives Bram’s blessing before his death. Marvin never receives Bram’s blessing, even though they were close when Marvin was a child. John, in essence, takes Marvin’s place. More important, however, in this comparison is the relationship each boy shares with Hagar. Hagar, having always been inclined to love John more, wants John to be her Jacob and to want and to receive her blessing. She says, â€Å"I wish he could have looked like Jacob then, wrestling with the angel and besting it† (Laurence 179), as John struggles to lift the stone angel tombstone for Hagar. John dies before Hagar receives a chance to bestow her blessings upon him. It is only in dying that Hagar realizes, through Marvin’s kindness, that Marvin is her Jacob. He is the son that loves and cares for her more than anything else. Hagar states, â€Å"Now it seems to me he (Marvin) is truly Jacob, gripping with all his strength, and bargaining. I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And I see I am thus strangely cast, and perhaps have been so from the beginning and can only release myself by releasing him† (Laurence 304). He will not let Hagar go â€Å"gentle into that good night†(Thomas, prologue). Marvin finally receives Hagar’s blessings, the blessings that John had, for so long, undeservingly taken.

Marketing Strategy Study Guide

MKT 850 Study Guide Chapter 5 * SWOT Analysis: * One of the most useful tools in analyzing marketing data and information * Links company’s situation analysis and development of marketing plan * Uses structured information to uncover competitive advantages and guide selection of the strategic focus of the marketing strategy. * Broken down into: * Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats * Productive SWOT (manager should†¦) : * Use a series of SWOT analyses focusing on specific product/market combinations * Search for competitors both present and future Collaborate with other functional areas by sharing information and perspectives * Examine issues from the customers perspective by asking employees: * What do customers believe about us as a company? * Which of our weaknesses translate into a decreased ability to serve customers? * Looks for causes not characteristics considering the firms resources for each part * Separate internal and external issues using this key test: * Would this issue exist if the firm did not exist? * If yes, issue classified as external * Strengths & Weaknesses: Exist because of resources by the firm, or due to the nature of key relationships between the firm and its customers/employees/outside organizations * May be leveraged into capabilities (strengths) or overcome (weaknesses) * Meaningful only when they assist or hinder the firm in satisfying customer needs * Opportunities & Threats: * Not potential marketing actions. Issues/situations that occur in the firm’s external environments. * Not ignored as the firm gets caught up in developing strengths and capabilities for fear of creating an efficient, but ineffective organization. Stem from changes in the competitive, customer, economic, political/legal, technological, and sociocultural environments. * SWOT Matrix: * Allows marketing manager to visualize the analysis * Serves as a catalyst to guide the creation of marketing strategies that will produce desired r esults. * Allows manager to see how strengths and opportunities might be connected to create capabilities that are key to meeting customer needs * Assesses the magnitude and importance of each strength/weak/opp/threat. * Competitive Advantage: Capabilities in relations to those held by the competition * Based on both internal and external factors * Based on reality and customer perception * Based on the basic strategies of operational excellence, product leadership, and customer intimacy. * Strategic Focus Establishment * Based on developing an overall concept or model that guides the firm as it weaves various marketing elements together into a coherent strategy * Tied to firm’s competitive advantage * Use results of SWOT as firm considers four directions of strategic efforts: * Aggressiveness Diversification * Turnaround * Defensiveness * Ensures the firm does not step beyond core strengths to consider opportunities outside its capabilities * Visualized through the use of a strategy canvas where the goal is to develop a value curve that is distinct from the competition * Downplay traditional industry competitive factors in favor of new approaches * Lays groundwork for development of marketing goals and objective, connects SWOT outcomes to the rest of the marketing plan. * Marketing Goals: Broad, desired accomplishments started in general terms. * Indicate the direction the firm attempts to move in, as well as the set of priorities will use in evaluating alternative and making decisions. * Should be attainable, realistic, internally consistent, comprehensive, and clarify the roles of all parties in the organization. * Involves some degree of intangibility * Marketing Objectives: * Specific and quantitative benchmarks that can be used to gauge progress toward the achievement of the marketing goals * Should be attainable with reasonable effort Continuous or discontinuous depending on the degree to which they depart from present objectives * Assigned to sp ecific areas, departments, or individuals who have the responsibility to accomplish them Chapter Six * Buyer Behavior in Consumer Markets: * Often irrational and unpredictable as consumers say one thing and do another * Progress through five stages: * Need Recognition * Information Search * Evaluation of Alternatives * Purchase Decision * Post Purchase Evaluation Don’t always follow these stages in order or may skip stages * May be characterized by loyalty where consumers simply purchase the same product that they bought last time * Involves parallel sequencing of activities with finding the most suitable merchant. * Consider what product they want, and where to buy it * Can occur if a consumer is fiercely loyal to a merchant * Can be affected by: * Complexity of the purchase and decision making process * Demographics, Psychographics, and Sociocultural factors * Social influences: culture, social class, family, opinion leaders, reference groups. Situational influences: physic al and spatial influences, social and personal influences, time, purchase task/usage, consumer disposition * Consumers Wants & Needs: * Shouldn’t define needs as necessities because everyone has a different perspective on what constitutes a need * Needs occur when a consumers current level of satisfaction doesn’t equal their desired level * Wants are consumers desire for a specific product that will satisfy a specific need * Firm must understand basic needs fulfilled by its products. Allows firm to segment markets and create marketing programs that show needs into wants for their product * Most products are marketed on the basis of wants not need fulfillment * Wants are not the same as demand * Demand: occurs when the consumers ability and willingness to pay backs up a want for a specific product * Information Search: * Passive and Active: * Passive- consumer become more attentive and receptive to information * Active- consumer engages more aggressive seeking informati on search * Depends on several issues: Degree of risk * Level of expertise * Actual cost of search (time and money) * Culminates in an evoked set of suitable buying alternatives * Evaluation of Alternatives: * Translates needs into wants for specific products or brands * Evaluate products as bundles of attributes that have varying abilities to satisfy their needs * Priority of each consumers choice criteria can change * Want the product to be in the evoked set of potential alternatives * Constantly remind them of their company and products * Purchase Stage: Intent to purchase and the actual act of buying are distinct concepts * Key issues: * product availability: how easy is it to get the product where the consumer is * possession utility: how easy is it to transfer ownership * Postpurchase Evaluation: * Outcome of buying process is linked to the development of long-term customer relationships. Closely follow customers’ responses to monitor performance and ability to meet cus tomers’ expectations * Will experience one potential outcomes: Delight, satisfaction, dissatisfaction, or cognitive dissonance * Business Markets: * Purchase products for their use in their operations, like buying raw materials, buying office supplies, or leasing cars * Consists of four types of buyers: * Commercial markets * Reseller markets * Government markets * Institutional markets * Four unique characteristics not found in consumer markets: * The buyer center: economic buyers, technical buyers, and users * Hard and soft costs are equally important Hard- monetary price or purchase costs * Soft- downtime, opportunity costs, HR costs * Reciprocity: business buyers and sellers often buy products from each other * Mutual dependence: sole-source or limited-source buying makes both buying and selling firms mutually dependent * Business Buying Process: * Sequence of Stages: * Problem Recognition * Development of product specifications * Vendor identification and qualification * Solicitation of proposals and bids * Vendor selection Order processing * Vendor performance review * Can be affected by several factors including: environmental conditions, organizational factors, and interpersonal/individual factors * Market Segmentation: process of dividing the total market for a particular product or product category into relatively homogeneous segments or groups * Groups should have similar members, but groups must be dissimilar from each other * Fundamental decision of whether to segment at all Allows firms to be more successful due to the fact that they can tailor products to meet the needs of a particular market segment * Traditional market segmentation approach: * Used successfully for decades, not out of date, and are used by many of today’s most successful firms * Can be used in combination with newer approaches by the firm, depending on the brand/product or market in question * Successful segmentation: Must be identifiable and measureable * Substa ntial * Accessible * Responsive * Viable and sustainable * Avoid ethical/legally sensitive segments * Avoid viable segments that don’t match firm’s mission * Mass Marketing: no segmentation and is aimed at the total market for a product * Undifferentiated approach assumes all customers have similar needs/wants * Works best when needs are relatively homogeneous Advantage- production efficiency and lower marketing costs * Disadvantage- risky because a standardized product is vulnerable to competitors that offer specialized products that better match customers’ needs * Differentiated Marketing: divides the total market into groups of customers having relatively homogenous needs, attempting to develop a marketing program that appeals to one or more of these groups * Necessary when customer needs are similar within a single group, but the needs differ across groups * Two options: * Multi-segment approach * Market concentration approach Niche Marketing: focusing effor ts on one small, well defined market segment or niche that has a unique, specific set of needs * Requires that firms understand and meet needs of target customers. Although small in size, firms substantial share makes the segment highly profitable * Individualized Segmentation Approaches: * Viable due to advances in technology especially in communication and the internet * Organizations can now track customer with a high degree of specificity * Allows firms to combine demographic data with past/current purchasing behavior. Tweak marketing programs in ways that allow them to precisely match customers’ needs, wants, and preferences * Become more important in the future because their focus on individual customers makes them critical to the development and maintenance of long-term relationships * Expensive to deliver * Two important considerations: * Automated delivery of the marketing program * Personalization One-to-one Marketing: involves the creation of an entire unique produ ct or marketing program for each customer in the target segment * Common in business markets where unique programs and systems are designed for each customer * Growing rapidly in consumer markets, in luxury or custom made products or services * Mass customization: providing unique products and solutions to individual customers on a mass scale * Cost-effective and practical due to advances in supply-chain management. real time inventory control) * Used frequently in business markets, especially electronic procurement systems * Permission Marketing: different from one-to-one marketing because customers choose to become a member of the firm’s target market * Commonly executed via opt in email lists * Advantage: customers already interested in firms offerings * Allows precise target of individuals, eliminating the problem of wasted marketing effort and expense * Identify Market Segments: selecting most relevant variables to identify and define the target market, many of which com e from the situation analysis of the marketing plan. Isolation of individual characteristics that distinguish one or more segments from the total market (must have homogeneous needs) * Consumer markets involved examination of factors of one of these categories: * Behavioral segmentation: most powerful approach because it uses actual consumer behavior or product usage helps to make distinctions among market segments Demographic segmentation: divides markets using factors such as gender, age, income, and education * Psychographic segmentation: state-of-mind issues such as motives, attitudes, opinions, values, lifestyles, interests, and personality * Geographic segmentation: most useful when combined with other segmentation variables, geodemographic segmentation or geoclustering. * Business markets are based on types of market or on things such as: organization, characteristics, benefits sought/buying process, personal/psych characteristics, or relationship intensity. Top Marketing Str ategies: * Based on evaluation of the attractiveness of each segment and whether each offers opportunities that match firms capabilities and resources * Single segment targeting, selective targeting, mass market targeting, product specialization, and market specialization. * Also consider issues related to noncustomers, like why they do not buy and finding ways to remove obstacles to purchase. Chapter 7 Product Strategy: at the heart of every organization and it defines what the organization does and why it exists * Creating a productive offering that is a bundle of physical (tangible), service (intangible), and symbolic (perceptual) attributes designed to satisfy customer wants/needs. * Strives to overcome commoditization by differentiating product offerings via the service and symbolic elements of the offering * Product Portfolio: * Used in both consumer (convenience, shopping, specialty, etc. and business markets (raw materials, process materials, installations, etc. ) * Used in most firms due to the advantages of selling a variety of products * Consists of a group of closely related product items (product lines) and the total group of products offered by a firm (product mix) * Involves strategic decisions such as variety and assortment of offerings * Can create benefits including: economies of scale, package uniformity, standardization, sales and distribution efficiency, etc. Service Products Challenges: stem from the intangibility of services. Other characteristics include simultaneous production/consumption, and perish ability/client based relationships * Other issues: * Experience problems in balancing supply and demand * Time and place dependent because customers must be present for delivery * Customers have a difficult time evaluating quality of service before it is purchased * Quality of service is often inconsistent and hard to standardize * Need for some services are not always apparent to customers.Service marketers often have trouble tying offeri ngs to needs * New Product Development: vital part of a firm’s efforts to sustain growth and profits * Six strategic options related to newness of products: * New-to-world products (discontinuous innovations)- which involve a pioneering effort by a firm that leads to the creation of an entirely new market * New product lines- represent new offerings by the firm, but they become introduced into established markets * Product line extensions- supplement an existing product line with new styles, models, features, or flavors * Improvements/Revisions of existing products- offer customers improved performance or greater perceived value * Repositioning- targeting existing products at new markets or segments * Cost reductions- modifying products to offer performance similar to competing products at a lower price * Depends on firms ability to create differential advantage for the new product * Proceeds through five stages: * Idea generation * Screening and evaluation * Development * Te st marketing * Commercialization * Branding Strategy: selecting the right combination of name, symbol, term, and design that identifies a specific product * Two parts: * Brand name: words, letters, and numbers * Brand mark: symbols, figures, or a design * Critical to product identification and factor used by marketers to differentiate a product from its competition * Successful- capture product offering in a way that answers a question in consumers mind *Involves many attributes that make up the way customers think about brands: * People (employees and endorsers) * Places (country of origin) * Things (events, causes, third party endorsements) * Other brands (alliances, the company, extensions) * Advantage- make it easier for customers to find and buy products * Four key issues: * Manufacturer vs. private-label brands- private label brands are more profitable than manufacturer brands for the retailers that carry them. Manufactured brands have built-in demand, recognition, and product loyalty. * Brand loyalty- positive attitude toward a brand that causes customers to have a consistent preference for that brand over all competing brands in a product category. Three levels: brand recognition, brand preference, and brand insistence * Brand equity- the value of a brand or the marketing and financial value associated with a brand’s position in the marketplace. * Brand alliances- branding strategies, such as co branding that involve developing close relationships with other firms. * Packaging and labeling: * Part of developing a product, its benefits, its differentiation, and its image * Issues such as color, shape, size, convenience of the package or container * Are often used in product modifications/co branding to reposition the product or give it new features. * Vital in helping customers make proper product selections * Important environmental and legal consequences * Differentiation and Positioning: Creating differences in the firm’s product offeri ng that set it apart from competing offerings (product differentiation) and the development and maintenance of a relative position for a product in the minds of the target market (product positioning) * Can be monitored through perceptual mapping- a visual, spatial display of customer perceptions on two or more key dimensions * Based on the brand, but also product descriptors, customer support services and image * Includes positioning strategies to strengthen current position, reposition, or reposition the competition * Managing Products and Brands over time: * Traditional product life cycle five stages: Development: a time of no sale revenue, negative cash flow and high risk * Introduction: time of rising customer awareness, extensive marketing expenditures, and rapidly increasing sales revenue * Growth: time of rapidly increasing sales revenue, rising profits, market expansion, and increasing numbers of competitors * Maturity: time of sales and profit plateaus, a shift from custom er acquisition to customer retention, and strategies aimed at holding or stealing market share * Decline: time of persistent sales and profit decreases, attempts to postpone the decline, or strategies aimed at harvesting or divesting the product * Influence by shifts in the market, or actions of the firms within the industry as they constantly reinvent themselves. Chapter 8 * Pricing: * Key factor in producing revenue for a firm * Easiest of all marketing variables to change * Important consideration in competitive intelligence * Only real means of differentiation in mature markets that are commoditized * Among most complex decisions to be made in developing a marketing plan * Sellers Actions regarding Price: Tend to inflate prices to receive as much as possible in exchange * Consider four issues in pricing strategy: * Costs * Demand * Customer value * Competitors’ prices * Have increased power over buyers when products are in short supply, high demand, or good economic times . * Buyers Actions regarding Price: * See prices as being lower than the market reality dictates * Two issues: * perceived value * price sensitivity * Considered value to be the ratio of benefits to costs. â€Å"More bang for the buck† * Increased power over sellers when large number of sellers, economy is weak, product information easy to obtain, or price comparisons are easy to make * Cutting prices: Viable means of increasing sales, moving excess inventory, or generating short-term cash flow * Based on two general pricing myths: * When business is good, a price cut will capture greater market share * When business is bad, a price cute will stimulate sales * Risky because a price cut must be offset by an increase in sales volume to maintain the same level of gross margin * Not always best strategy, maybe build value into the product instead. * Pricing strategy issues: * Pricing objectives * Nature of supply and demand in the market * Firms cost structure * Nature of competi tion and the structure of the industry * Stage of the product life cycle * Firms cost structure: Typically associated with pricing through breakeven analysis or cost-plus pricing * Not be the driving force behind pricing strategy because different firms have different structures * Used to establish a floor below which prices cannot be set for an extended period of time * Pricing Strategy in Services: * Critical as price may be the only cue to quality in advance of the purchase experience * Becomes important and more difficult when: * Service quality hard to detect prior to purchase * Costs associated with providing the service are difficult to determine * Customers are unfamiliar with the service process * Brand names are not well established * Customers can perform the service themselves * Service has poorly defined units of consumption Advertising within a service category is limited * Total price of the service experience is difficult to state beforehand * Often based on yield ma nagement systems allowing a firm to both control capacity and demand in order to maximize revenue and capacity utilization * Yield management: knowing when and where to raise prices to increase revenue or to lower prices to increase sales volume. * Implemented by limiting the available capacity at certain prices, controlling demand through price changes, and overbooking capacity * Common in services characterized by high fixed costs and low variable costs, like airlines, hotels, rental cars, cruises, etc. Allows firm to offer same basic product to different market segments at different prices * Price elasticity of demand: * Customers’ responsiveness or sensitivity to changes in price * Inelastic: quantity demanded does not respond to price changes * Elastic: quantity demanded is sensitive to price changes * Unitary: changes in price and demand offset, keeping total revenue the same * Not uniform over time and place because demand is not uniform * Price Sensitivity Increases: * Substitute products are widely available * Total expenditure is high * Changes in price are noticeable to customers * Price comparison among competing products is easy Price Sensitivity Decreases: * Substitute products are not available * Products are highly differentiated from the competition * Customers perceive products as being necessities * Prices of complementary products go down * Customers believe the product is worth the price * Time pressures or purchase risk are involved for consumers * Major base pricing strategies include: * Market introduction pricing: used of price skimming or penetration pricing when products are first launched into the market * Prestige pricing: intentionally setting prices at the top end of all competing products in order to promote an image of exclusivity and superior quality Value-based pricing (EDLP)- setting reasonably low prices, but still offering high quality products and adequate customer service * Competitive matching- charging what is c onsidered to be the â€Å"going rate† for the industry * Nonprice strategies- building a marketing program around factors other than price * Strategies for adjusting prices in consumer markets: * Promotional discounting: putting products on sale * Reference pricing: comparing the actual selling price to an internal or external reference price * Odd-even pricing: setting prices in odd numbers, rather than in whole, round numbers * Price bundling: bringing together two or more complementary products for a single price * Strategies for adjusting prices in business markets: Trade discounts: reducing prices for certain intermediaries in the supply chain based on the functions that they perform * Discounts and allowances: giving buyers price breaks, including discounts for cash, quantity or bulk discounts, seasonal discounts, or trade allowances for participation in advertising or sales support programs * Geographic pricing: quotes prices based on transportation costs (distance) * Transfer pricing: pricing when one unit in an organization sells products to another unit * Barter and countertrade: full or partial payments in goods/services/buying agreements rather than in cash * Price discrimination: charging different prices to different customers * Dynamic Pricing: * Started to replace fixed pricing in many product categories * Growing in importance and popularity due to the growth of online auction firms * Three pricing levels: * Opening position * Aspiration price Price limit * Long process, but is most logical and systematic way for two parties that don’t initially agree to reach agreement * Legal & Ethical Issues of Pricing: * Price discrimination: different prices to different customers. Illegal unless its basis is the actual cost differences in selling products to one customer relative to another. * Price fixing: when two or more competitors collaborate to set prices at an artificial level * Predatory pricing: firm sets prices for a product below the variable cost to drive out competitors or out of the market * Deceptive pricing: firm intentionally mislead customers with price promotions.