Ethical Theories of Utilitarianism and Kantianism Essay

Ethical Theories of Utilitarianism and Kantianism - Essay Example According to the paper the manager Michael has faced an ethical situation in his family’s business of metal components. The current economic crisis has created strong challenges to Michael in sustaining his family business. On the other hand, one of his unskilled, but loyal workers, John, who started working for the company even at a time when Michael’s grandfather was running the business, has developed some unhealthy behaviors at the workplace which caused Michael lot of headaches. Michael knows that John’s wife and only son died in a car crash a year ago and that, to cope with his loss, John has taken to drinking alcohol. Michael has repeatedly talked with John about this problem but this has not changed John’s behavior. Even though Michael decided to cut down all the unproductive sectors including the unproductive problematic employees also, he decided to keep John on. This paper briefly analyses Michael’s decision to keep John on the basis of e thical theories of utilitarianism and Kantianism. This study outlines that the main ethical issue involved in this case was about John’s future. He has started his career even when Michael’s grandfather was running the business and moreover John has spent majority of his healthy periods for the company and worked hard for the company as a loyal worker. Right now he is rapidly approaching the end of period of his life both as a worker and a human being. Is it right to fire a worker who spent majority of his life for the wellbeing of a company during a period when he was about to retire? Another ethical issue involved in the above case was that John has lost his entire family in an accident and left alone in this world by destiny. Apart from his family, the company was the second entity in which John was constantly interacting. Is it right for the company to fire such a loyal worker when he was left alone in this world, especially when considering his earlier services to the organization?

The Effect On the Viewer of the Film Twister Essay Example for Free

The Effect On the Viewer of the Film Twister Essay In this essay I am going to consider the effect on the viewer and discuss how the film creates suspense at the beginning of the film Twister. The background was just grey clouds that suddenly got swept away. All the effects are computer generated. Behind a classical song you could hear the sound of gushing wind and thunders. This was done to set the right atmosphere for the film. The title twister is an American saying for a cyclone. Cyclone is a more geographical word that would be used as a title for a documentary. The word twister gives us more of an idea of what the movie is about. The letters of the title get swept away. This also sets an atmosphere of the film. The camera slowly focuses on the title with a background sound of a low slow sound as it gets closer and closer to the title. This keeps the viewer in suspense as the film starts. The opening shots of the film were the surroundings of the farm. It is all at different times as well. The first shot was in the morning where the sky was all blue, the second shot was a lake with woods in the background, the birds were singing and the frogs were croaking. This indicated a peaceful countryside. The next shot was of dark clouds and nightfall had begun, you could hear the crickets singing as the storm approached. The last shot was of thunder and howling winds. It sounded like there was no life left on the farm. All the wildlife had disappeared. This gave the viewers an impression that something was going to happen. The farmhouse has trees surrounding it with lighting striking above the house. This makes the house seem sinister. When the camera shows the viewers, inside the house it changes the viewers opinions into thinking that it is not the house that is sinister its the movie, because it shows us a young girl sleeping peacefully next to a dog. The dog represents peace and a cozy family. There were pictures on the walls that add that cozy atmosphere of the house. It was a family of three and a dog. The mother and child were asleep upstairs with the dog; the father was drinking tea watching the news. When the warnings came on the T.V. the farmer gets his wife and child. This gives the viewers more information about the film. The presenter on the news talks about the surrounding states that have been struck by this cyclone. The mood suddenly changes. The dog starts to whine and the mother rushes in to get the little girl out of the house. The mood changes from calm, peaceful and homely to frantic, stressed and hectic. The father shouts orders as the family tries to get out of the house as quickly as possible. We need to get down to the storeroom NOW! This type of atmosphere creates tension amongst its viewers. To give the viewers empathy the mother had flowers on her nightgown and the little girl had teddy bears on it. The little girl was worried about what was going on, and the mother was saying things like: come on sweetie and Mummys got you. These words were used to pity the viewers. This gives the viewers suspense into getting the family out of the house for safety. The father rushed them to the storeroom. The trees were falling behind them leaving the dog behind. As they were rushing to the storeroom they were passing a toy tractor. This would make the viewers think about the playful child that might not live through the big storm. Just as they left the house the camera focused on the television telling people in that area to find shelter. As they were running to the storeroom the camera focused on the trees falling down on to cable wires and storage tanks. On the side of the storage tanks they said express oil LTD. This added to more fear to its viewers. This made the film seem more savage. When they were running the mother kept on looking behind her to see if any trees were falling near her. This tells the viewers that the family was running from the fierceness and savageness of the storm. As if some monster was after them and they were running for their lives. To add more tension the chickens were running around helplessly as if they had just had their heads cut off. To give the viewers more of an idea of how hard the wind was blowing the camera focused on the wind ventilator above the storeroom. In the first scene it focuses onto a farmhouse. . When they were in the storeroom they had left the dog outside. This was done to create some distress to its viewers. The dogs name was Toby. This is used to create some sympathy over the dog. It would be different if the dog were called Rex because the name isnt as soft as Toby. Rex represents a fierce character and Toby represents a cute cuddly character. In the store room the family was very tense. You could see that because the camera focused on each character one by one. First the dog who was barking, then the mother and child who were holding each other with fear. Then the father who was putting all his strength into hold the door closed. The family looked scared and helpless. When they opened the door there was two sides of atmosphere. On one side there was danger with gushing wind and loud thunders. On the other side was safety with a quiet family that was helpless. They were sweating from nervousness. The camera had a close up of the doors hinges coming loose. The door was shaking violently and there were loud thunders that sounded like growls. This made it seem as if they were trapped and nowhere to go and the dark side was trying to get in scratching, pulling at the door. The father was holding the door, but the hinges were about to come off. He shouted, I cant hold it any more! As it got louder and louder as the eye of the storm was getting closer and closer. He said this several times. This was to keep the viewer in suspense because they knew the door could come off at any moment. As he was saying this, the lighting was giving the room a short burst of light. This film creates a lot of suspense. This is done to keep the viewer interested throughout the whole film. In a review of the film it was described as only one word, Intense. The films effects were very unrealistic according to geologists. Unlike some films twister got right to the point. Every cyclone they predicted they were correct. In real life you miss more cyclones than you encounter them. I think the suspense and distress was the key thing in the film and without it, it would be a very successful movie.

The Foundations Of Royal Crown Cola

The Foundations Of Royal Crown Cola In 1904, a young pharmacist graduate from Georgia began making soft drinks besides from his family business of bakery wholesale. What he knew at that time was little experiments will enhance and lead him to open a huge soft drink company that is still in work today. History: In 1905, Royal Crown cola introduced its first product names as Chero Cola and Royal Crown Ginger Ale, Royal Crown Root Beer and strawberry. In 1925, ROYAL CROWN Cola Company renamed as Chero-Cola and started name Nehi Corporation due to its coloured and flavoured drinks. Afterward a Chemist Rufus Kamm reformulated Chero-cola in 1934 and named it Royal Crown Cola. In 1950s the mixture of Moonpies and Royal Crown cola became famous as the working mans lunch in the South America. Royal Crown cola is the first to sell drink in aluminium can. In 1958 Royal Crown Cola Company launched the first diet Rite and diet cola and caffeine-free cola, Royal Crown 100 in mid of 1980s. ROYAL CROWN cola introduced Royal Crown Draft Cola in 1990 as a premium cola. Later on company also introduced Cherry ROYAL CROWN, a Flavor of Cherry to stand beside the Pepsi Wild Cherry and Coca Cola Cherry. Acquisition of Royal Crown Cola was happened in 2000 by Cadbury Schweppes plc. In 2001 Cott Beverages of Canada purchased Royal Crown Royal Crown Cola all international brands and started operating as Royal Crown Cola International. ROYAL CROWN Cola in Pakistan: Royal Crown is working in Pakistan since 1970s. It launched many brands there like Dr. Pepper, Salute Orange and Salute cola etc. In the start Royal Crown cola sales were considerably good. It made profits since 1990 but after that its position in the market started decline gradually. Now at this era ROYAL CROWN cola is having no values for the people of Pakistan and is going in loses so we can say that Royal Crown cola is badly flopped and failed in Pakistan. Royal Crown Cola Products: Royal Crown Cola Cherry ROYAL CROWN cola Diet Rite Cola ROYAL CROWN Royal Crown Draft Cola Kick Diet ROYAL CROWN cola Situation Analysis: Industry Analysis: Strength: Cold drink market in Pakistan is having a great time now days. Market of drink is above in terms of volume and income of this industry. Multinational companies have been providing quality products of carbonated drink to the consumers over the years according to the norms and values of an Islamic country. So it is enhancing the growth of economy of Pakistan in terms of soft drinks. Weakness: Cold drink market faces a fall down in full summer days as people starts using the traditional drinks like Rooh Afza, Jam-e-Shirin, Sandalwood etc which are highly appreciated by the Pakistani people. In rural areas especially these drinks are used very much. Opportunity: Beverages industry is growing day by day in Pakistan as the new comers like Gourmet Bakers made a huge entry in market but it is only in Lahore city in spite of this Bakery is making profits by reducing the sales of Pepsi and Coke because of its cheap prices. So government is encouraging the new comers to come in the market. Threats: Health and hygiene awareness among Pakistani is becoming more so they prefer to drink fruit juices products over the carbonated drink. The main reason for this awareness is the media who has started campaigns to make the people realize about the fruit products and benefits. Royal Crown Cola SWOT Analysis: Strength: In Pakistan the strength of this cola is its cheap prices. Its operating worldwide for more than 100 years. Weaknesses: International suits for law. Low Advertisement. Budget for promotion is also so low. Opportunities: Building equity for its brands. Hot weather in Pakistan Production of more suitable products to satisfy consumer needs Re launching in new market Threats: Very strong competitors in the market like Pepsi and Coke More competitors are looking to enter in the market Govt. Policies High tax rate on beverages PESTLE Analysis: Political Factor: Infect Pakistan is a democratic country but political condition now days is very worst. Investment in private sector is equal to none. Tax is levied heavily on beverages industry. Certain ratio of tax goes directly to the account of President of Pakistan. Trade agreement is supported but there are also strict restrictions following these. There is no regulation in the favour of the labour community. They are not even paid equivalent to their work. Economical Factor: It is a second largest element of PESTLE analysis. It involves economy conditions, inflation rate, employment level, spending power etc. In Pakistan unemployment is up above the sky. People are searching for jobs even after getting 16-18 years of education. Unemployment level reduces the buying power of consumers and in the end economy starts declining. The big threat of Royal Crown Cola re launch in Pakistan is what prices they set to get the attention of people in limited buying power. Social Factor: ROYAL CROWN was first launched in Pakistan by keeping a religious and social status of Pakistani people and it worked. They offered low quantity of gas in it. Current situation is that media is also on top of the list so if ROYAL CROWN cola re launches in Pakistan then advertisement campaign could be run on high level. So ROYAL CROWN should be able to offer those products which aims to benefit people lifestyle and behaviour. If it doesnt then the re launching of this organization will be in vain once again. Technological Factor: The current era is running in lot of pace. Everybody wants to leave the other person back. Technological changes aims to get the instant results and it does happen. Technology is all about the quick and accurate outcomes. Research and development department of Pakistan is not less than the others. ROYAL CROWN should launch the product by keeping in view the technological changes and development. Legal Factors: Legal factors include trading policies, regulatory bodies, future legislation changes etc. So Royal Crown Cola must keep all the points in mind to re launch their product in Pakistan. Environmental Factors: Royal Crown Cola production industries should be in such areas where people cant get affected by pollution. There should be rules relating to the recycling of tin bottles and other materials used by the company. Porters five forces Model: Applying five forces to the beverages industry of Pakistan allows us to create a view of potential attractiveness in the sense of profitability in the related industry. Bargaining Power of Buyers: The buyers of this industry are in extremely large numbers and buyers want to purchase this industrys products on relatively low prices, impulse, and convenience basis so making is beneficial for the industry. Bargaining power of Suppliers: In beverages industry most of the raw material is used in which there are no specialized people of such commodities like sugar, syrup, glass, plastic, tins and water etc so bargaining power of the supplier is high because shifting to another company takes a time and initially there will also be a bargaining of prices. When the suppliers are not specialized then losing them is not a big issue for the organizations. Threat of New Entrants: In this industry the threat of new entrants is relatively low because it needs a huge investment and specially when the giants like pepsi and coca cola are in the market. It is also very difficult to set up industries for bottling plant specially for new entrants. Threats of Substitute: Threat of substitutes in this industry is high whether it comes to the health issue or some other issues. People can move easily from one company to others because they have choices if company of their choice is not offering good products in terms of health, quality and money. Rivalry among existing players: In Pakistan market is heavily dominated by to giants of beverages industry Pepsi and Coca Cola with a share of 75% and 18% relatively leaving less room for others but Royal Crown Cola is an existing industry still they can make profits by making it more attractive for the customers. Objective Setting: It is very important to set the objective for every company when starting anything new or making the changes. Royal Crown Cola is already in phase of declining in Pakistan so it should set SMART objectives for its re launch and survival. Mission Statement: Our mission is to be the leading manufacturer and distributor of juices, dairy and related food products that best satisfy the growing needs of the customers. Specific: Royal Crown Cola should make specific goals to launch new products. Their goals must be according to the current position of the market of their product and and what the company wants to achieve. Measurable: being specific to the point company should be able to measure whether it is working according to the plan or not. Attainable: after that they should analyze whether the goals they set are achievable or not. Realistic: it means that the goals should not be as strict that if it is not making profit that it cannot be changed. Goals must be flexible so they could be changed when not giving output. Time bound: Royal Crown Cola should set a time frame to achieve their specific goal. They should set goals for limited time but not for longer time. Form short objectives and work on and increase the level gradually. Strategy Development: Growth strategy: Strategies are the ways to achieve the stated objectives of the organizations. There are two types of strategies which are Growth Strategy and competitive strategy. Growth Strategy includes: Ansoff matrix BCG matrix Gap Analysis GE matrix Selection of Growth Strategy for Royal Crown Cola: As we analyzed from the above situation of Royal Crown Cola position in the market the strategy which is most favorable is Ansoff matrix. Market penetration: Royal Crown Cola should sell their products to its existing users more by convincing them. They should also make such an advertisement to attract the new or non user of their product to use it. Market penetration also includes attracting the customer from the competitors and it can only happen by giving consumers such benefits which they are not provided by the competitors like discounts, buy 2 get 1 for half price, BOGOF etc. by doing market penetration Royal Crown Cola can achieve its objectives quiet effectively because they dont have enough customers so they need to penetrate the market. Market Development: Royal Crown Cola can make a development in their market like introducing in some new areas and new users by segmenting the products for different age and gender. By doing this people will attract to the product and they will buy more. Product Development: Royal Crown Cola should make some new products to let the customer now that we are offering something different comparing to our competitors. This could be done by having a look at the competitive advantage of the competitors products. Diversification: Infect it is a risky development and RC is not in the position to take more risk but they should do it in such a manner where there is less chance of risk of failure. Because when the market will be new then only the advertisement works and they should think damn seriously about the advertisement which is the main reason of their declining sales and failure. Competitive Strategy: Competitive strategy includes further 3 strategies which are Cost Leadership Strategy. Differentiation Strategy, Focus Strategy. For Royal Crown Cola the best strategy will be Focus Strategy. Focus Strategy: Focus strategy relates to the narrow competition in industry. In this strategy Royal Crown Cola will make the segments in industry. It involves two variants, Cost Focus and Differentiation Focus. In cost focus Royal Crown Cola will produce low cost products but with effective quality as compare to the other competitors and try to attract the customers with the low cost products. As the purchase power of people is very low in Pakistan now days due to economic crisis so it will be huge advantage for Royal Crown Cola. In differentiation strategy Royal Crown Cola should seek a difference of their product in their targeted segment. They can enhance their segmentation but dont make huge segmentation just start from a little one. Tactics for achievement of strategies: Tactics normally includes the 7 Ps which are as follow: Product Price Place Promotion People Process Physical evidence Product: Royal Crown Cola no doubt is an international brand working for more than 100 years but due to some reasons it failed in Pakistan so new they should need to develop a new product with meet the requirements of the consumer. To develop a new product there should be an idea which can be taken by the survey of asking to customers, employees and other stake holders. Then form all the ideas and select the best one. Product stage of Royal Crown Cola: People already know about the name because people have used it before. At initial stage there will be: High cost of production Slow Growth in terms of sales Take time to find acceptance Royal Crown Cola is also in loss now days so they should provide people with great taste and quality. Gradually the product starts making profits and grows sharply. Then the unit cost will decrease, people ask for more etc. Branding: People dont buy products they buy brands. Keeping this in view Royal Crown Cola brand should be attractive in terms of logo, symbol and slogan which must be different from others. The slogan which I suggest is Sssshhhhà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.Comin again with new style and taste Logo: Branding Strategy: Royal Crown Cola is an international brand so its strategy will be own label branding. Style and Design: When it comes to the design and style of the product then it must be full of attraction and acceptance of people. Packaging: Packaging of Royal Crown Cola should represent protection, advertisement, informative. The comparison of the product among giants is as follow: Royal Crown Cola Pepsi Cola Coca Cola No Such Product No Such Product The comparison above is that Royal Crown cola should produce more products which its competitors are offering. RC should launch its mineral water in Pakistan to get the attraction of the people. They launch it with their own label attractive branding. Packaging of the product must be protected, informative, convenience. Price: Pricing strategy for Royal Crown Cola should be market penetration strategy. In which Royal Crown Cola offer cheap prices as compare to other competitors to get the attention of the customers and afterwards increasing the prices. This strategy will also discourage the new entrants. Royal Crown cola pricing strategy will be competition based strategy because Royal Crown Cola must offer fewer prices from its competitors to get the attention of customers. And for new products the strategy will be market penetration because by offering low prices people will come to buy. There should be incentives given to the retailers like chillers, tours on extra buying etc. different offers must be offered on special occasions like Ramadan and Eid. Royal Crown Cola should use the push strategy for their product by using different promotional tactics and through media. Distribution will be divided according to the number of areas and the nature of customer according to the literacy rate. Because if the company offers online buying than it would not be affective in rural areas of Pakistan. Representative of the company should directly go the retailers to offer them facilities like bonuses and incentives. In Lahore they should try to ask international Royal Crown Cola to give them franchise in a tax free zone and provide plants for both glass and PET bottles. Distribution Strategy: Distribution strategy which I suggest for RC is Intensive distribution because beverages are the FMCGs and these types of products need more outlets as much possible. Promotion: Promotion is the main reason of Royal Crown Cola failure in Pakistan. They did not make it well so the promotions strategies for re launching must be according to the market. Objectives of the promotion can be achieved by DRIPE Model. D iffrentiate = analyze the Pepsi and Coke Competitive advantage and create a difference. R emind = surveying the customers who have used RC and reminding them about the product. I nform = offering the products to new customers who have not used the rc products before. P ersuade = give the benefits to customers to convince them like reducing the prices. E ngage = offering such prices and quality to maintain a long term relation with customers. Promotion Tools: Advertising: AIDA model is an affective model for advertising A wareness = making television commercials, bill boards, media I nterst = adding fun to commercials D esire = creating a desire to buy product like Red Bull when customer wants to refresh. A ction = leave the home to purchase product Advertising Media: Broadcasting on tv and radio which will increase the awareness among people Creating advertisement short messages service by collecting the data from cellular companies and offering customers to buy the product Bill boards and posters will be applied on high ways, centre points, on buses and cabs. On internet little ads will be displayed to tell the product information Offering free cards with famous magazines for first month. Sales Promotion: Free vouchers will be given to retailers for the customers who buy in quantity for dine in like in McDonalds, KFC and other restaurants. For first month there will be an offer for regular pack to get 3 cans for the price of 2. Free samples will be distributed in markets and in grounds on mobile vans and opening outlets outside the public parks. Price discounts will be given to customers. Direct Marketing: SMS will be sent to customers taking data base from cellular companies Direct mails will be sent to customers Personal Selling: Marketing managers will go directly to retailers and take the orders because it will save the time of involving whole sellers. Appointing persons to go house to house and offer attractive prices to households if they buy huge quantity. Offers will be made to customers to retain them for a long time with the company. People: When it comes to the selection of employees Royal Crown Cola must appoint people with professional attitude, behavior and skills towards the operation of Royal Crown Cola in all fields. There should be careful job selection and policies of selection. Because the employees are the main stake holders of any organization. Process: Rc should make company policies affective. Rc brands must do a joint venture with public place like cinemas, parks, grounds etc to sell on Rc brands there. It will need a huge amount but it is beneficial for the company. Physical Evidence: Royal Crown Colas physical evidence must be something like attractive so the people get attracted towards the product. Logos must create colorful scheme, company vehicles could be run to make the people know something new. Company should distribute things like stationary, uniforms, equipments with RC logos. Total 18,600,000 Rs. The method which I suggest to RC is all you can afford. Because RC Cola is re launching in Pakistan it still has a risk of lost so they dont need to apply more resources according to their worth. Controlling and Monitoring: As soon as the marketing plan gets started the next ob of management is to control and monitor what is going on now. Is everything according to the plan if it is not than taking corrective actions to sort the problem out? Segmentation: We are going to segment the Royal Crown Cola market in 2 different segments Demographic Factor: Age: 10 25 years Class: Upper, Upper Middle, Middle Gender: Male and Female Geographic Factor: Country: Pakistan City: Lahore Province: Punjab Targeting: We are going to apply differentiated targeting in which different products will be offered according to the customer targeted and segmented. Critical Reflection: Why Royal Crown failed in Pakistan: ROYAL CROWN cola launched in Pakistan when there were no big competitors like coca cola and Pepsi. ROYAL CROWN cola earned lot of money in that tenure. But when Pepsi co. came into Pakistan than it started decline. Because Pepsi co. made a huge difference in terms of advertisement and promotion of their product. They launched it and then captured the whole market in a short time. Launching of Pepsi didnt make a huge difference but Coca Cola made it a huge one when it started working in Pakistan. This was the tenure when ROYAL CROWN cola started decline in real meaning. After the launching of these two giants in market ROYAL CROWN cola fall likes the tomb of cards. In started people used ROYAL CROWN a lot because they enjoyed this drink but Pepsi cola and Coca cola made a huge difference in terms of advertising and promotion only. They got the people attention towards their brand so people attracted towards them and left ROYAL CROWN brand. Any product is all about the presentation wha t it looks like what it is offering by its look. Pepsi cola and Coca Cola presentation was so good and they captured the market and left Royal Crown Cola a far behind. In spite of the fact that Royal Crown is declining in Pakistan infect it is ignored by the people so they need to be re launch it with some different looks and attraction. They have the potential to come in the market strongly. It takes time but it happens. The only difference which I felt was only the advertising and promotion. So if they want to re launch the product then they should make a difference in terms of advertisement. At the start of module I did not know it would be as interesting as I thought it before. I have a finance background but after studying marketing management Ive chosen marketing electives in my next semester. I experienced a lot of things in the start till the end of the whole course like how things go in market, how company market its product, how they apply marketing techniques, what are their goals and how they going to work on it etc. I think its all about marketing in our environment. The main thing which I learnt by this module is that Ive come to know the strategies related to marketing the product and running them in an efficient way so they get going an making profits. I can now understand how market, marketing mix and how to plan for any new and existing products which are available or about to launch in the market and specially the products which are in declining stage. Marketing gives us experience what the customers expecting from you and what u should do to satisfy their needs infect more than they want. Its now, not difficult for me to understand the models in terms of putting them into the practical life that I will be having in future, marketing has a lot to do with the businesses, these concepts which were taught to me in this course are worth more than enough for me to understand the factors which different businesses apply to gain the advantages of marketing and to gain the sophistication of their businesses. The experience was very good while I was learning this course of marketing management as it was taught to me very deeply and very finely, which helped me to get the idea of everything include in this course. It was though not as easy as it seemed to get everything in my mind for the subject that is very vast in it, but once when it was started I got the idea that it is going to be very useful and beneficial for me, in present and also in future. This is the once in a life time experience I believe which you get once in your life and you get advantages of it the whole life. This was the experience which is I dont think I will forget ever, as it was very interestingly taught and it had a lot much practical knowledge which enhanced my knowledge as well as my skills to put the respective information in my practical life, it is now easy to talk to anyone related to the market without any hesitation and with a lot of knowledge and skills to show now what I am. I have done many things in marketing, including marketing mix of products, marketing plan, and other many models of marketing such as Ansoffs model, PESTLE analysis, situational analysis and many other analyses which have been taught to me during the lectures. In the starting it was about marketing itself as an introduction, but when it went on and on, it showed up with many models and different concepts related t other market, what is happening in the market and what is the market all about, it is not easy to just go to visit the market and get what you want, a proper time is required for this kind of research, while I can easily say that during these few weeks I have learnt the experience of many months which is not easy to gain, it is actually something that you earn, it is not something that you gain without any struggle, though I also tried a lot to understand the concepts which were not easy for me to understand. Btu as the time passed I became used to of these teachings and th en I found that it was not as difficult as I presumed in the beginning, it was a lot more easy and easy to understand, easy to read, easy to write and of course easy to apply whenever needed, just a little research is required inc on text of the markets current condition at that time. Previously I was not aware of many concepts and things which has been taught to me now, I was lacking in many things, when I was studying this concept I found that I left behind many things which are really required by the market now, which have become a necessity for the marketing activities of any company and which are the core issues of any company for the activities which are related to the marketing activities and marketing plans of a company or a business. All the things which were not known by me in many contexts such as in the context of learning, in the context of skills, in the context of knowledge and in the context of practical application of these concepts, knowledge, skills and putting these all in together. I am definitely have learned too much to understand everything that has been taught in this course, I can talk to anyone regarding these concepts and I am more acknowledged than I was previously. I have changed a lot, I am more practical now, I am now able to understand which company is using what marketing strategies and what plans and implementations, it is now easy to watch the market with my perspective now, and also how market is running, how it was in the past and how it may run in the future. I am able to judge and conclude different perspectives regarding different companies and regarding the market as a whole, it is not much difficult to understand what the market is all about. I was feeling like Im being renewed, I was getting something that I was not able to think about the benefits, when the learning outcomes were undergoing, I was undergoing too, I was undergoing the process of getting acknowledged and of course it was great, it was feeling very good, when you get something new in yourself you feel new, I was feeling like I am having what I actually needed and what I have not learned so far. It was feeling as I am now being honored by having the knowledge that not everyone has. As I went through this learning process, I found that many new questions are generating in my mind about the market, these questions are related to different things related to the market, such as, marketing concepts which are used in different companies present in different segments of the market and which are present for different segments of the market, not just nationally but globally, marketing concepts are he same all over the globe, just the timing and the requirements of the people of different countries and regions.

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10. Conclusion Generally, a strong conclusion to a business plan will be a great support to grow your business while unmotivated conclusion can leave bad impressions to the suppliers and customers. Therefore, my company, Sweet Child Bready Enterprise is confident that I could compete wisely with other food manufacturers around that area. I will provide a fast, efficient yet convenient service to the customers. I hope to be one of the leading company in Malaysia food industry. I ensure the customers to get what they want by providing them with on time delivery to their houses. In addition, I really take care of the hygienic aspect of the factory. I provide masks and gloves to the workers during working hour. I also place a few fire extinguishers in case there is fire in the factory. Next, I have also installed three CCTVs in the factory to avoid any robbery. Finally, I hope that the customers will put 100% trust to my product and I promise that they will get the best quality of breads than the others. I also hope they will support me by buying the breads as they are healthy yet delicious and nutritious. 11. Appendices Research Finding Research study confirms profit potential of bread ingredient innovations July 18, 2013 Clabber Girl Corp., Terre Haute, Ind., which produces chemical leavening systems for the food industry, has released the results of an independent research study by the Kansas State University Department of Grain Science. The study confirms that with the use of Clabber Girl’s Encapsulated Fumaric Acid, the amount of calcium propionate in yeast bread recipes can be cut in half and yeast reduced by 10%, findings that have significant cost implications for the price-sensitive baking industry. The KSU stu... ...rise Jalan 6/91, Taman Shamelin Perkasa, 56100, Cheras, KL Dear Ms Nurzatulshira, QUOTATION NUMBER E542 Thank you for your enquiry of 15 July. I am pleased to quote as follows: Plain Breads RM 1.30 each Sausages RM 1.80 each This is current catalogue price, and we would allow you to trade a discount of 15%. Price include packing and delivery to your premises. It is our usual practice to ask all new customers to trade references. Please let us have the names and addresses of two suppliers with whom you have had regular dealings. Subject to satisfactory replies, we shall be glad to supply the goods and to allow you the two months’ credit requested. As there may be other items in which you are interested, I enclose copies of our current catalogue and price list. I look forward to working with you. Yours sincerely, Siti Sarah Binti Harun Sales Manage Essay examples -- 10. Conclusion Generally, a strong conclusion to a business plan will be a great support to grow your business while unmotivated conclusion can leave bad impressions to the suppliers and customers. Therefore, my company, Sweet Child Bready Enterprise is confident that I could compete wisely with other food manufacturers around that area. I will provide a fast, efficient yet convenient service to the customers. I hope to be one of the leading company in Malaysia food industry. I ensure the customers to get what they want by providing them with on time delivery to their houses. In addition, I really take care of the hygienic aspect of the factory. I provide masks and gloves to the workers during working hour. I also place a few fire extinguishers in case there is fire in the factory. Next, I have also installed three CCTVs in the factory to avoid any robbery. Finally, I hope that the customers will put 100% trust to my product and I promise that they will get the best quality of breads than the others. I also hope they will support me by buying the breads as they are healthy yet delicious and nutritious. 11. Appendices Research Finding Research study confirms profit potential of bread ingredient innovations July 18, 2013 Clabber Girl Corp., Terre Haute, Ind., which produces chemical leavening systems for the food industry, has released the results of an independent research study by the Kansas State University Department of Grain Science. The study confirms that with the use of Clabber Girl’s Encapsulated Fumaric Acid, the amount of calcium propionate in yeast bread recipes can be cut in half and yeast reduced by 10%, findings that have significant cost implications for the price-sensitive baking industry. The KSU stu... ...rise Jalan 6/91, Taman Shamelin Perkasa, 56100, Cheras, KL Dear Ms Nurzatulshira, QUOTATION NUMBER E542 Thank you for your enquiry of 15 July. I am pleased to quote as follows: Plain Breads RM 1.30 each Sausages RM 1.80 each This is current catalogue price, and we would allow you to trade a discount of 15%. Price include packing and delivery to your premises. It is our usual practice to ask all new customers to trade references. Please let us have the names and addresses of two suppliers with whom you have had regular dealings. Subject to satisfactory replies, we shall be glad to supply the goods and to allow you the two months’ credit requested. As there may be other items in which you are interested, I enclose copies of our current catalogue and price list. I look forward to working with you. Yours sincerely, Siti Sarah Binti Harun Sales Manage

How well does Zara’s advantage travel globally? Essay

Zara has several advantages when it expands its operation in global markets. Firstly, Zara has always promoted its products via its stores and it had its own centralized distribution center which will translate to low advertising and logistics costs when it enters new markets. As opposed to its competitors who would invest heavily on advertising and organize a distribution system. Secondly, apparel retailing was witnessing increasing concentration which would benefit Zara when it entered new markets. Thirdly, there was more homogeneity in fashion which supported Zara’s brand of clothing since its target market is consumers receptive to fashion. Moreover Zara has an adequate system of knowing local trends and tastes which it would reflect in its designs. The strategy of opening one store for information gathering in the initial phase of entering new markets is one of its key strengths. Lastly, economies of scale were another advantage for Zara when entering a new market. The International strategy of Zara. After opening its first store in La Coruna in 1975, ZARA expanded within the domestic market during the 1980s. International expansion started with the opening of a store in Oporto, Portugal in 1988 (Carmen & Ying 2009). Currently, ZARA is already operating over the five continents with over 1,700 stores. International sales accounted close to 70% of its total turnover, with Europe being its largest market by far. ZARA has been identified as a trans-national retailer (Alexander & Myers 2000). On the surface, this may appear as a peculiar classification since they appear committed to a highly standardized operating formula which provides little opportunity for market responsiveness. Analysis of ZARA’s internationalization strategy would indicate otherwise (Bruce, Moore & Birtwistle 2004). While the brand image is highly standardized, its product development and merchandising strategy are very flexible and allows for the integration of pan-national fashion trends as soon as it emerges. This is evident by its approach to trading in the British market. ZARA recognizes the appeal that their Spanish origin provided for its brand and clearly  understood the distinctive positioning they had within the United Kingdom as a fashion forward retailer. The company therefore focused upon the more fashionable lines within their British stores. Pricing policy within the United Kingdom has been more upscale than their home market in order to exploit their advantages within the British market. Best way to grow for Zara Zara is the meaning of â€Å"instant fashion†. Instead of creating demand for new trends and using fashion shows, Zara uses another method. They study the demands of the actual customers in their stores and then deliver that design at very high speeds. They save tons of money on their delivery methods. I would say they are very much ahead of the fashion market in terms of production and sales. Zara is the number 1 most profitable out of 8 other companies in the Inditex Group. Their production cycles are much faster than H&M. In 1 year Zara launches 11,000 new items compared to 2,000-4,000 from H&M. Over the next 4 years the brand plans to double in size opening over 4,000 new shops. They plan this expansion to mostly start out in Europe before pushing anywhere else.

Poetry Portfolio Vocab Essay Example

Poetry Portfolio Vocab Essay Example Poetry Portfolio Vocab Essay Poetry Portfolio Vocab Essay Allusion A reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art; Apostrophe A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction; such as liberty or love. Alliteration Repetition of initial consonant sounds Conceit A fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects Blank Verse Poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter Free Verse Poetry that does not have a regular meter or rhyme scheme Iambic Pentameter A metrical pattern in poetry which consists of five iambic feet per line. (an iamb, or iambic foot, consists of one unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable.); Imagery Language that appeals to the senses Irony A contrast or discrepancy between what is stated and what is really meant, or between what is expected to happen and what actually does happen Limerick A five line poem in which lines 1, 2 and 5 rhyme and lines 3 and 4 rhyme. Metaphor A comparison that establishes a figurative identity between objects being compared. Meter A regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry Onomatopoeia A word that imitates the sound it represents Parallel Structure the repetition of phrases, clauses, or sentences that have the same grammatical structure Personification A kind of metaphor that gives inanimate objects or abstract ideas human characteristics Rhythm Pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables Symbol A thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract.

The Medias Role in Watergate essays

The Media's Role in Watergate essays In the American Democracy it is vital for our right to freedom of press to be put into full throttle. Without the press, the society would be clueless and blind of Washington's dealings and business. The press informs the public, for better or worse, about what really goes on in Washington. But during the Watergate Scandal, the press coverage of the scandal demonstrated some of the best and the worst aspects of the way the American press covers the presidency. Richard Nixon despised the press. From the days when he was Vice President and Governor, he had no trust for the press. Even when he used the press for his advantage to expose, what he believed to be, Communist influences in America, he feared the press. Though Nixon had won the endorsement of many newspapers during the 1960 Presidential Campaign, Nixon still thought ill of the press and believed them to be unfair to him. Nixon became even more bitter in 1962 after he lost the election to be governor of California. Nixon bitterly claimed that they wouldn't have Richard Nixon to "kick around anymore". He had retired from politics but that was short lived as he became president in 1968, but even then, Nixon remained careful of the press, fearful that they would leak and expose secrets. He was so scared that he had tapped prominent Washington reporters and official's telephones that he feared would leak information. Within days after the Watergate break in, there were reason to believe that the burglars had connections with the White House highest powers. Despite the sensational revelations, many of the press lost interest in the story very quickly. Most the press accepted the claim of the White House Press Secretary that the incident was "third-rate burglary". Though the Washington Post covered the story, the Post was not thrilled with the story at first. They assigned two relatively ...

Knowledge Manegment Systems essays

Knowledge Manegment Systems essays WHAT IS A KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM 1 In today's information based society, knowledge is power. By knowing their customers a business will have the ability to build products coveted by their customers. If a company is to get ahead in business today, they need to have a firm grasp on how to get the best production out of their employees. One way to help employees be all they can be is to provide them with the tools necessary to do their job. With the explosion of the service industry, today more than ever what employees need to do their job is information. Information about warehouse and store inventories, hot and cold selling merchandise and most importantly information about the customers they service. Software developers have heeded the call of the corporate leaders and are creating technology to help managers collect the data they need and put it in a useful form. This paper will discuss the emerging knowledge management systems being used today, in an attempt to take advantage of the enormous databases which have been created. WHAT IS A KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Knowledge management is at various stages of development in American businesses. Some companies are just taking their first steps toward identifying and organizing the components of their information systems. Others have already recruited knowledge managers and are looking to revamp and improve established system. The tools a majority of these companies are using in the renovation efforts are knowledge A knowledge management system is a software tool that is intended to assist, through knowledge processing functions, users who desire to retrieve and manipulate information for different applications. The various tools of such a framework should help users to originate and organize ideas or understand and communicate ideas more easily and accurately than can be done with most current tool...

The two cases Carvaho v. tool brothers developer and Herczeng v Essay

The two cases Carvaho v. tool brothers developer and Herczeng v. haptom township municpal - Essay Example Francisco Caravalho, an employee of the subcontractor Jude Enterprises who was doing the excavation work, died when an unshored portion of the trench he was working in collapsed. [Handler] Argument The prosecution charged that Bergman’s site inspector hired to observe the work performed and who was present when the accident happened to monitor the progress of the work had a duty to supervise safety procedures of the construction and that the inspector had knowledge of the unsafe condition. Responding to the suit by the widow, Mrs.Carvalho, Bergman said maintained that the engineer's contract disclaimed responsibility for jobsite safety [which the court allowed].The methods, the interpretation, and the enforcement of hold harmless agreements should be governed by the intention of the parties in providing for insurance and the division of risk. [Handler].The site inspector’s duty was limited to inspect only the material being used and the amount of work being done. The ra tionale behind this defense was obviously the trust of the defense in the â€Å"hold harmless clause† in the defendant’s contract. He also noted because of an error he was not insured.

Buying Decision Making Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Buying Decision Making Process - Essay Example Of those self-purchases, nearly 20 percent would likely buy diamond stud earrings, right-hand rings and other diamond fashion rings for themselves. Jewellery purchase is primarily by women and most of them are self-purchased and this makes the women a prime target segment required to be convinced to make the purchase. This has served as an eye-opener for the industry that sidelined women in their target advertising. The power of the female consumer has changed the way many companies are branding and positioning their products in the marketplace. Recognising the purchasing power of women has changed consumer marketing into a revolution that even traditionally male consumers in areas such as financial services, home improvement and automotive are wooing women buyers. In order to reach their target segment, companies are starting to seriously examine the lifestyles of women and come up with solutions that cater to their desires and needs. Today, it's all about individualism and personal style, wearing what works for you. It's an attitude of casualness, instead of looking too polished or too studied. Women do cater their cultural originalities and like subtle deviations from it rather than complete diversifications. Similarly, a trend is set and becomes popular and those designs and specifications reign until something else becomes the norm and the whole cyclic process is repeated. Jewellery trade is all about catering to current demands and trends, vintage designs come and go in seasons and demands are cyclical and move with the times. Jewellery purchase is a very personal decision by an individual consumer. The consumers may be of three buying types. The Impulsive Buyer who purchases products quickly, often the purchase is not premeditated and there is little or no analysis involved. Impulsive purchases are generally lower in value compared to premeditated ones. The easiest way to conclude them will be to make available products where they visually catch the eye. Point-of-service displays that attract the eye, instant discounts, sale prices and mass advertising often help in the sale of these products. This is probably attuned to the less-than-J500 impulsive shopper for whom it is an on-the-spot decision to make a purchase and does not involve too much analysis. The Patient Buyer purchases the product after some comparisons and has put in some thought to the purchase. Analytical Buyers do substantial research before buying and the purchase is definitely premeditated. The shopping done may be Utilitarian, meaning with a purpose or Hedonic, for just fun purposes. In the case of jewellery, the patient and analytical buyers who are mostly by women, mostly for self and, a good percentage of them end in high-end sales. This makes it important for the jewellery shops to lure the women into making purchases at their store by using the right marketing gimmick. The major process in decision-making would primarily begin with need identification. This may be a genuine demand for a special occasion like weddings etc, or a simple need for indulgence, a gift or a simply an impulsive buy. This may vary depending on age, ethnicity, education, and purchasing power and price of the product. It could also be influenced by word-of mouth, by friends and family, by the advertising campaigns, branding, social or economical

Health Administarion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Health Administarion - Essay Example The rate of hiring or firing employees is also another indicator of the performance of the organization. Positive and encouraging feedback from both the clients and the stakeholders of the organization is an indicator of good performance in the organization. However, if the feedback is constantly marked by threats and disappointing remarks, it indicates something is not ok in the organization’s performance. Productivity outcome is mainly indicated through the profits and losses in an organization in a financial year. If the profits outride the losses, then it is an indicator that the organization is performing well. When the losses are more than the profits, then the company is not performing well. The productivity outcome should however not be based on only one financial year but several continuous ones. Finally, if no new clients are being recruited in the organization frequently or they keep on leaving the organization and seeking services and products of other organizations, then this is an indicator that something is wrong with the performance of that organization. If however new clients keep coming and the old ones are retained, then performance of the organization is

Reflective evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reflective evaluation - Essay Example There are quite a number of occasions when I wanted to tell more to drive a point across, but the time allotment is not enough to allow me to do that. Another problem that rose from this is knowing what to include or omit in the presentation slides. I had to use other means of presenting data. For this particular report, I used tables extensively to give the results of my literature review and interview. However, pictures, charts and graphs are also commonly used in compressing many messages in a smaller space. However, it is better to have a lot to omit than having less to include. As I look back to how I prepared for and delivered this presentation, I now realize that it is better to come overprepared. It gives me added boost of confidence in the delivery of the report, as well as in answering questions from the members of the audience. Whenever presentations are to be given, research is vital. Acquiring sufficient knowledge is required to be able to discuss the points adequately. However, sufficiency of information does not only depend on quantity, but also on their quality. This means that the information should come from reliable sources, which are experts in the field in question. In this particular presentation, I felt that I have researched many and various journal articles to sufficiently support the points that I want to drive at.

Ethnography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Ethnography - Essay Example On the other hand, other scholars assert that some cultural studies have theorized about the significance of ethnography to an understanding of media and cultural practices. They continue arguing that they have reached an almost paralyzing position in which the political and epistemological debates concerning the function of the researcher have restricted rather than endorsing the production of ethnographic media studies. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to study the strengths and limits of ethnography as a methodology for the study of media institutions with reference to specific ethnographic studies conducted by other researchers (Coman & Rothenbuhler 2005, p.141). Additionally, the research about audiences in media emphasizes on methodological pluralism through examining a sequence of approaches ranging from media ethnography, research on the reception of media, surveying the audience, and carrying out experiments on audience studies. The cultural understanding of ethnogr aphy Ethnographic studies can twirl predetermined ideas and misapprehension regarding a specific culture into positive conceptions, likewise, they can also lend trustworthiness to other elucidation from studies regarding a specific culture that have been done in the ancient times. Additionally, ethnographies can grant people a better comprehension and approach into their own culture, but the ethnographic study of a culture consumes a lot of time. For instance, before an anthropologist submerges in a culture's natural environment, he has to be familiar with the language along with the respective culture of that community. Culture is important for society and individual since the routine activities are based on the simple unwritten rules of participation in social interactions, therefore, ethnographers require proper investigation and research, and may take a long period making it very dangerous for an anthropologist who does not quickly comprehend a culture's traditions and forbidden practices. In addition to that, an anthropologist has to acquire time and obtain the confidence and respect of a culture's people, as well as seeking an okay to carry out an ethnographic research before proceeding (Coman & Rothenbuhler, 2005, p.141). The strengths of ethnography The benefit to employing ethnography to fit into the audience studies relies on its likelihood to offer both a domestic and a communal environment of television reception among the diverse groups in the society (Murchison 2013, p.204). Ethnography facilitates a comprehension of the manner in which the reception framework can influence the interpretation of the message by viewers, individually and in groups, conversely, it also permit the inspecting of the phenomena not only in its immediate social, political, and economic situation, but also in a bigger chronological structure. Moores argue that the media industries should provide audiences with a stable â€Å"stream† of figurative equipment to help audiences understand and approach their logic of self. These pictures and

The Relationship Between Risk and Expected Rate of Return in CAPM Statistics Project

The Relationship Between Risk and Expected Rate of Return in CAPM - Statistics Project Example In the opinion of Roll and Ross (1980, pp.1073-1103.), this theory had considerable significance in empirical work during the 1960s and 1970s. However further researches on this concept have questioned its reliability and authenticity of the computation of empirical constellation of asset returns; and, many related theories have detected ranges of disenchantment with the CAPM. As a result, the most widespread CAPM underwent harsh criticisms not only by the academicians but also by financial experts. In addition, empirical researchers have gathered a range of evidence against this model during the last few decades. That evidence questioned the model’s assumptions and argued the dead of the beta. Roll and Ross (1980, pp.1073-1103.) say that this situation led to the demand for a more potential theory and it caused the formulation of Arbitrage Pricing Theory (APT). Although APT was developed recently, CAPM is considered as the basis of modern portfolio theory. According to Shanke n (1982, pp.1129-1140), the ATP is not more susceptible to empirical verification than the CAPM. The author also challenges the testability of arbitrage pricing theory as he finds that the basic elements of testability strategy would not properly work in the case of this model. He also points out that the theory precludes the differentials of expected return that form the basic structure of the concept. Huberman and Wang (2005, pp. 1-18) claim that both the CAPM and APT show relation between expected returns of assets and their covariance with other random variables.

Reflective evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reflective evaluation - Essay Example There are quite a number of occasions when I wanted to tell more to drive a point across, but the time allotment is not enough to allow me to do that. Another problem that rose from this is knowing what to include or omit in the presentation slides. I had to use other means of presenting data. For this particular report, I used tables extensively to give the results of my literature review and interview. However, pictures, charts and graphs are also commonly used in compressing many messages in a smaller space. However, it is better to have a lot to omit than having less to include. As I look back to how I prepared for and delivered this presentation, I now realize that it is better to come overprepared. It gives me added boost of confidence in the delivery of the report, as well as in answering questions from the members of the audience. Whenever presentations are to be given, research is vital. Acquiring sufficient knowledge is required to be able to discuss the points adequately. However, sufficiency of information does not only depend on quantity, but also on their quality. This means that the information should come from reliable sources, which are experts in the field in question. In this particular presentation, I felt that I have researched many and various journal articles to sufficiently support the points that I want to drive at.

The Relationship Between Risk and Expected Rate of Return in CAPM Statistics Project

The Relationship Between Risk and Expected Rate of Return in CAPM - Statistics Project Example In the opinion of Roll and Ross (1980, pp.1073-1103.), this theory had considerable significance in empirical work during the 1960s and 1970s. However further researches on this concept have questioned its reliability and authenticity of the computation of empirical constellation of asset returns; and, many related theories have detected ranges of disenchantment with the CAPM. As a result, the most widespread CAPM underwent harsh criticisms not only by the academicians but also by financial experts. In addition, empirical researchers have gathered a range of evidence against this model during the last few decades. That evidence questioned the model’s assumptions and argued the dead of the beta. Roll and Ross (1980, pp.1073-1103.) say that this situation led to the demand for a more potential theory and it caused the formulation of Arbitrage Pricing Theory (APT). Although APT was developed recently, CAPM is considered as the basis of modern portfolio theory. According to Shanke n (1982, pp.1129-1140), the ATP is not more susceptible to empirical verification than the CAPM. The author also challenges the testability of arbitrage pricing theory as he finds that the basic elements of testability strategy would not properly work in the case of this model. He also points out that the theory precludes the differentials of expected return that form the basic structure of the concept. Huberman and Wang (2005, pp. 1-18) claim that both the CAPM and APT show relation between expected returns of assets and their covariance with other random variables.

The Speckled Band Essay Example for Free

The Speckled Band Essay The plot of The Speckled Band was designed in a particular format to appeal to a Victorian audience. Throughout the story Doyle builds up tension. From the distraught Miss Roylott, through to the night spent in the Roylott house, both danger and suspense are introduced. The Victorians would have liked this it was an accomplishment of the new detective fiction genre: using evil and horror to engage and sustain the readers interest. The exotic animals from around the house and the gypsies staying in the grounds help to make the whole tale extraordinary. This would have appealed to the Victorians because they had very little information about foreign animals and would have led a very protected life. Much of the information found in The Speckled Band would be new to them. The tale provided them with an opportunity to acquaint themselves with the foreign, unfamiliar and dangerous. W H Auden outlined what he believed was a standard detective fiction plot, a murder occurs; many are suspected; all but one suspect, who is the murderer, are eliminated; the murderer is arrested or dies. Doyles The Speckled Band fits this format almost perfectly. The introduction, when a murder should occur, involves a woman, Miss Stoner, with her sister recently murdered, fearing for her own life. This fits perfectly with Audens idea. Many potential suspects are included in the complication; the animals, gypsies and Dr Roylott. All of these have both opportunity and reason to have committed the murder. In Audens plan all the suspects, apart from the murderer, should now be eliminated. However, this is where, The Speckled Band differs slightly from the standard. Even though it is made clear that it is unlikely the animals attacked or the gypsies murdered Miss Roylott, by showing the doors and windows were well closed, and Holmes, after a careful examination through the open window, endeavoured in every way to force the shutter open. Holmes still has not completely excluded these suspects. The end, in which the murderer should be arrested or dies, is also included in The Speckled Band when Dr Roylotts scheme backfires, killing him. The story also fits in with the standard opening, complication, climax, resolution pattern. The introduction, suspects, stake out and death fit these slots. Victorians would have appreciated such a neat, orderly structure. Doyle ends the story in such a way as to provide a satisfying conclusion. All loose ends are tied up and the murderer is caught. The neat ending would have appealed to the Victorians sense of order but there is also an unmistakeable moral message. The way in which Dr. Roylott is caught shows Doyles own views coming forward. Doyle obviously believes in adhering to law and never resorting to violence. This is also shown by the line: Violence does, in truth, recoil upon the violent. This message of good triumphing over evil is found in all of Doyles Sherlock Holmes stories. Even though the stories may include topics that are foreign or dangerous to a Victorian audience, the righteous ending would make them feel justified in reading them. Doyle adds to the tension of The Speckled Band through his use of locations and the weather. The Roylott house would have seemed, to Victorians, to be the perfect location for a murder. The house is large, old and in need of repair work. This would make it seem spooky and more sinister. The weather also adds to this effect. Before Holmes and Watson arrive the weather is calm and warm, there was a strange contrast between the sweet promise of spring and this sinister quest upon which we were engaged. This helps to build up an anticipation of troubles yet to come. When it comes for the time for the duo to begin the stake out, the weather reflects their mood, on the dark road, a chill wind blowing in our faces the gloom to guide us on our sombre errand. The darkness and even the chill wind are often used to symbolise evil or a menace and help to build up a sense of impending danger. In conclusion I believe that even though Doyle wrote The Adventures Of The Speckled Band with Victorian views and preferences in mind he did not let it completely change his writing style. This is revealed by the fact that even today, years after the stories were written, they still appeal to the contemporary audience. The friendship between Holmes and Watson, the logical deductions and the triumph of good over evil still appeal in modern day. There are few things, such as the reliance on men of Miss Stoner, which do not fit in with modern society and views.

Does Leadership Affect Employee Commitment Management Essay

Does Leadership Affect Employee Commitment Management Essay In this thesis, the influence of different leadership styles, on the commitment of employees will be researched. According to the literature, commercial performances of companies depend on the commitment of employees. (Bovenlander en Timmer, 2007). However there are different interpretations of commitment. According to Sheldon (1971, p.143) commitment appears when the identity of the person (is linked to organization. Hall et al., (1970 p. 176) commitment appears when the goals of the organization and those of the individual become increasingly integrated or congruent In general one can argue that when commitment of the employees towards the company is high, this will have a positive influence on the organization. In fact, managers or leaders have an influence on the commitment and motivation among their employees. Managers have a great influence on their staff. They have an influence on the commitment of employees to achieve the business objectives. Earlier research points out that HRM investments provide a good job experience and thus commitment of the employees (Steijn, 2003). Not only HRM managers, but also other managers must ensure the commitment of the employees. Avolio et al. (2004) argued that leaders can have a positive influence on work motivation. They also argued that this study is not completed yet. Future research also needs to collect ratings of leadership, empowerment, and outcomes from multiple sources over time to adequately test the mediating effects of psychological empowerment on the relationship between transformational leadership and organizational commitment. (Avolio et al., 2004 p. 964) A lot of research is done about commitment and leadership, but which way of leadership is the best way to create commitment among employees? This reason makes this field a very interesting field of research. This literature review focalizes on different leadership styles and their influence on commitment. This will be examined in this paper, by means of a literature review. This will result in a clear and proper insight in commitment, leadership and the connection between these two variables. Problem statement How does leadership influence the commitment of employees? Research Questions An answer on the problem statement will be given by the following sub questions: What are the different leaderships styles and what are the characteristics of these styles? What is commitment and how can commitment be measured? How can leaders improve the commitment of their employees? Methodology This literature review will be a exploratory research. This is done on a descriptive basis. The typical approach for this thesis will be to rely on available literature: existing theses and studies from well-known scientists. (Sekaran and Bougie, 2009) For this research it is necessary to investigate the following variables: commitment and the different leadership styles and his characteristics. The results of this research will be the basis for further empirical research. Further empirical research will consist about the link between the variables commitment and leadership. The scientific papers that will be discussed are located on websites or the Tilburg Universitys library. Structure To give an answer to the main question of this thesis, how does leadership influence the organization with respect to work motivation, you first need to find an answer on the two sub questions. To give an answer on the sub questions, it is necessary to investigate the variables leadership and motivation. Regarding motivation it is important to know all the factors that may have an influence on the work motivation of employees. Leadership will be examined using two different styles. Namely transactional and transformational leadership. After that it is possible to connect leadership with work motivation. This will be the last chapter of the this thesis and will give you a clear and proper answer on the main question. Chapter 1: Leadership In the following chapter different leadership styles will be analyzed. What are the different leaderships styles and what are the characteristics of these styles? This question is the main question that will be answered in this chapter. Although several approaches to leadership, the distinction made between transformational and transactional leadership is the most prominent in the literature (Keegan and Den Hartog, 2004). Firstly, the different leadership styles will be described. After that transformational and transactional leaders will be further explained. Finally, a short conclusion will be made. 1.1 Leadership styles In this paragraph will be analyzed which leadership styles are mainly used by prominent researchers. In the second part of this paragraph these leadership styles will be further analyzed. A distinction between transformational and transactional leadership will be made. In the past, there have been several studies on leadership. So did Alice H. Eagly, Mary C. Johannesen-Schmidt (2001) research about the difference between the leadership styles of men and women. Eagly and Johannesen-Schmidt (2001) argued that women face more barriers to become leaders than men do. They try to make a distinction between female and male managers using transactional, transformational and Laissez-Faires leadership. Researcher Weber (1947) described four different leadership styles. He was one of the first who made a distinction between transformational and transactional leadership. Also prominent researchers did further research with respect to transformational and transactional leadership. Bass (1985) and Burns (1978) developed new thoughts on transformational and transactional leadership. Therefore is chosen only to discuss transformational and transactional leadership in this literature review. In the next paragraph these two styles will be further analyzed. 1.1.1 Transactional leadership Transactional leadership occurs when the initiative of one person towards others to make contact for an exchange of something valuable. (Burns,1978) (Bass, 1985) (Kuhnert and Lewis, 1987) Bass (1990) made a distinction between four types of transactional leaders. Contingent reward: The manager gives rewards if employees perform well by giving pay increases and advancement. But he also gives penalties if they do not perform well. Management by exception (active): A transactional leader only takes action when things went wrong. He is constantly looking for deviant behavior and then he takes corrective action. (Bass,1990) Management by exception (passive): In this typology the manager intervenes only if the standards are not met. Laissez-Faire: Some researches argued that this is a separate leadership style (Eagly and Johannesen-Schmidt, 2001), but Bass (1990) argued that this is a part of transactional leadership. A Laissez-Faire manager constantly avoids decision making, he takes no responsibility. Bass (1990) find this kind of leadership ineffective and, in the long run, counterproductive. Also he found out that the effectiveness of this style depends on the control that the leader has on the rewards or penalties. 1.1.2 Transformational leadership Transformational leaders are charismatic leaders, that is why they inspire their employees. Employees wants to identify with this leaders. They give each employee personal attention and treat them individually. He intellectually stimulates his followers and gives advice and coaches them individually. He gains respect and trust. He tries to solve each problem carefully (Bass, 1990). This is a general description of a transformational leader. In a more recent attempt to define a transformational leader, Avolio, B.J., Bass, B.M., Jung, D.I. and Berson, Y. (2003) made a distinction between four different types of transformational leaders: Idealized influence: These leaders are admired, respected and trusted. Followers identify with and want to emulate their leaders. Among the things the leader does to earn credit with followers is to consider followers needs over his or her own needs. The leader shares risks with followers and is consistent in conduct with underlying ethics, principles and values. (Avolio et al., 2003) Inspirational motivation: Leaders behave in ways that motivate those around them by providing meaning and challenge to their followers work. Individual and team spirit is aroused. Enthusiasm and optimism are displayed. The leader encourages followers to envision attractive future states, which they can ultimately envision for themselves. (Avolio et al., 2003) Intellectual stimulation: Leaders stimulate their followers effort to be innovative and creative by questioning assumptions, reframing problems and approaching old situations in new ways. There is no ridicule or public criticism of individual members mistakes. New ideas and creative solutions to problems are solicited from followers, who are included in the process of addressing problems and finding solutions. (Avolio et al., 2003) Individualized consideration: Leaders pay attention to each individuals need for achievement and growth by acting as a coach or mentor. Followers are developed to successively higher levers of potential. New learning opportunities are created along with a supportive climate in which to grow. Individual differences in terms of needs and desires are recognized. (Avolio et al., 2003) 1.1.3 LMX Leadership In the available literature there is done a lot of research with regard to the relationship between LMX and commitment. Howell en Hall-Merenda (1999) argued that LMX and transformational leadership can be seen as complementary. The effects of transformational leadership and LMX on the commitment of employees are equal. Consequently, when the term transformational leadership is used in this review it is also applicable to LMX. For this reason, in this thesis only the term transformational leadership will be used. Furthermore in this paragraph, LMX leadership will be shortly explained. The theory of a LMX is based on the fact that not every employee receives the same treatment from his leader. Every leader develops his own unique relationship with every individual employee. (Liden Maslyn, 1998). Every relationship of leaders and subordinates has his own characteristics with respect to the interaction between the leader and the subordinate. There are four different components who describe the relationship between a leader and his subordinate. Affection, loyalty, task-related behavior and respect. Affection is related to the like-factor. Loyalty means that the employee and leader publicly support each others behavior and character. Task-related behavior is related to the performance in the organization. Finally, respect is related to respect for each others professional knowledge and skills. (Liden Maslyn, 1998). Every relationship can have each of the different components. But it is also possible that all of the components are applicable on the relation. Close rel ationships can be characterized with confidence, respect, mutual influence and likeability. These relationships, with a high LMX, are called in-group. Opposite relations, thus not a close relationship, is just a work relationship because of the contract that is signed. These relations, with a low LMX, are called out-group. (Dansereau, Graen, Haga, 1975). Thus, the theory of Leader-Member Exchange argued that every relationship between a leader and a subordinate is unique and develops in course of time. 1.4 Conclusion This paragraph is a short conclusion about leadership. In the foregoing paragraphs there is an overview of what types are mainly used and most successful. In this paragraph a comparison between transformational and transactional leadership will be made. There is much literature available about leadership. As mentioned above Howell en Hall-Merenda (1999) argued that LMX and transformational leadership can be seen as complementary. For this reason, only transformational leadership will be discussed in this thesis. However, there is no clear agreement with reference to transactional and transformational leadership. Bass (1985) suggested that the best way of leadership is a combination between these two styles. But actually all researchers agree with the fact that only transactional leadership is outdated. Managers who behave like transformational leaders are more likely to be seen by their colleagues and employees as satisfaction and effective leaders than are those who behave like transactional leaders (Bass,1990). As mentioned above transactional leaders can be effective in clarifying the expectations and organizational objectives, but in the long run its ineffective and counterproductive. Bass (1990) also argued that you need to operate as a transformational leader to improve the performance of employees. Several researchers pointed out that there is a positive relationship between transformational leadership and performance, reported in the literature. (Avolio et al., 2003). As mentioned above, in the introduction, commitment is one of the factors that has an influence on the performance. Chapter 2: Commitment This chapter will cover the concept of commitment. Mowday, Porter, and Dubin (1974) suggested that highly committed employees may perform better than less committed ones This further demonstrates that commitment needs to be investigated. In the first paragraph will be explained what commitment actually is according to several researchers. In the second paragraph, the question that will be answered is how commitment can be measured. Finally, a short conclusion about commitment will be given. 2.1 What is commitment? There is a great amount of research done about commitment. It is impossible to give one definition about commitment. Every researcher has his own approach towards commitment, they all have their own interpretation. In this research commitment will be described using uni-dimensional commitment and multi-dimensional commitment. 2.1.1 Uni-dimensional commitment One of the first researches from Mowday, R.T. , Steers, R.M. and Porter, L.W. (1979) argued that many of these definitions focus on commitment-related behaviors. For example when we talk about someone becoming bound by his actions or behaviors that exceed formal and/or normative expectations, we are in effect focusing on overt manifestations of commitment (Mowday et al., 1979). Several researchers described affective commitment in terms of an attitude, as mentioned in the introduction. The identity of the person (is linked) to the organization (Sheldon, 1971, p. 143) or when the goals of the organization and those of the individual become increasingly integrated or congruent ( Hall et al., 1970 p. 176) Cohen (2007) argued that affective commitment is highest and deepest form of the organizational commitment. Further on in this paper commitment will be measured, so only the definition of Porter will be discussed. According to Porter an employee is committed to an organization when he or she identifies themselves with the organization and he or she is involved in the organization. Mowday et al. ( 1979) defined three characteristics related to commitment: a strong belief in and acceptance of the organizations goals and values. a willingness to exert considerable effort on behalf of the organization. a strong desire to maintain membership in the organization. 2.1.2 Multi-dimensional commitment The description of uni-dimensional commitment is the classical approach of commitment and made years ago. More recent attempts to give a clear insight commitment points out that uni-dimensional commitment, as earlier described not covers the whole part of commitment. It only covers the part of affective commitment. (Hackett, Bycio Hausdorf, 1994) There are three distinct types of commitment (Meyer Allen, 1991) : Affective commitment Continuance commitment Normative commitment Affective commitment refers to the employees emotional attachment to, identification with, and involvement in the organization. If an employee has a strong affective commitment, he wants to continue his employment because he want it to do. (Meyer Allen, 1991). This is the part as mentioned above in affective commitment. Continuance commitment and normative commitment complete the multi-dimensional commitment. Continuance commitment refers to an awareness of the costs associated with leaving the organization. Employees who primary link to the organization is based on continuance commitment remain because they need to so. (Meyer Allen, 1991). Normative commitment reflects a feeling of obligation to continue employment. Employees with a high level of normative commitment feel that they ought to remain with the organization. (Meyer Allen, 1991) Thus, employees with a strong affective commitment remains with the organization because they want it. Employees with a strong continuance commitment wants to remain with the organization because they need it. And employees with a strong normative commitment remains with the organization because they ought it. Meyer Allen (1991) argued that affective, continuance and normative commitment will be seen as components and not as different types of commitment. Each component is influenced by his own antecedents. The rate of affective commitment is related with your personal characteristics and work experience. Continuance commitment is determined by personal characteristics, alternatives and investments. Thus, when a employee has no other alternatives for what he is doing now he will continue with the organization. Investments, also known as side bets, means everything that an individual invests in a relationship, such as efforts, time and money, that would be lost or decreased when the individual would end the relationship. The rate of normative commitment is related with the antecedents personal characteristics, socialization experience and organizational investments. Normative commitment develops as a result of socialization experience that gives morale pressure to remain with the organization. Organizational investments comes from the receiving of much advantage by the employee. The employee wants to pay it back (Bovenlander, 2007). In the appendix is shown a figure the relationships between the expected antecedents, forms of commitment and the expected results according to Meyer Allen. 2.2 How can commitment be measured? The main question of this paragraph is how commitment can be measured. Researchers did several approaches to measure commitment. There is a large amount of approaches to measure commitment, but in the foregoing paragraph commitment is defined as uni-dimensional commitment and multi-dimensional commitment. These two explanations will be used to measure commitment. To measure commitment, Mowday, Steers and Porter (1979) developed the Organizational Commitment Questionnarie (OCQ). This questionnaire consists of fifteen different statements, which try to measure the three commitment related characteristics as mentioned in the foregoing paragraph. In the appendix are the fifteen statements according to Mowday et al., (1979). More Meyer Allen argued that this approach to measure commitment only measures the part of affective commitment. To measure the three parts of commitment, affective commitment, continuance commitment and normative commitment, they developed the Three-Component Organizational Commitment Scale. This scale consists of several statements, each component of commitment can be measured by his own statements. Listed below are some examples of the Three-Component Organizational Commitment scale according to Meyer Allen in several studies. Affective Commitment I would be very happy to spend the rest of my career with this organization I really feel as if this organizations problems are my own Continuance Commitment Right now, staying with my organization is a matter of necessity as much as desire It would be very hard for me to leave my organization right now, even if I wanted to Normative Commitment I do not feel any obligation to remain with my current employer Even if it were to my advantage, I do not feel it would be right to leave my organization now The Three-Component Organizational Commitment Scale appears to be a reliable scale to measure affective, calculative and normative commitment. The model and the measurement instrument focus especially on the commitment of a whole organization. In a later stage this model is also translated towards other objects of commitment, such as the appeal to test the generalization of the model. How an employee behave on his work depends on the organizational commitment and the occupational level. The occupational level is the level of commitment with reference to the profession itself. The three components of commitment with the profession are associated with variables who measure the antecedents of commitment as mentioned above. Meanwhile it point out to be that a high organizational and occupational commitment lead to performance improvements and low staff turnover. (Meyer Allen, 1993) 2.3 Conclusion In this paragraph a short conclusion about commitment will be given. The most complete form to describe commitment is the Multi-Dimensional way. According to this description of Meyer Allen commitment consists of three components. The affective component, the continuance component and the normative component. In fact, employees with a strong affective commitment remains with the organization because they want it. Employees with a strong continuance commitment wants to remain with the organization because they need it. And employees with a strong normative commitment remains with the organization because they ought it. These components where influenced by the different antecedents as shown in the figure of paragraph 2.1. In an approach to measure affective commitment Mowday et al., (1979) developed a Organizational Commitment Questionnarie (OCQ). To measure affective, continuance and normative commitment, Meyer Allen developed the Three-Component Organizational Commitment Scale. It measures the three different components of the Multi-dimensional commitment. This model appears to be a reliable scale to measure commitment. A positive organizational and occupational commitment lead to performance improvements and low staff turnover. This could be a very interesting outcome for organizations and managers. Chapter 3: Commitment and leadership As mentioned in the introduction transformational leadership has a positive connection with organizational commitment. (Avolio et al., 2004). In the two foregoing chapters of this research leadership and commitment is discussed. In the first paragraph the connection between leadership and commitment will be described. Additionally will be explained what exactly this connection is and an answer on the main question of this research will be given: What is the influence of leadership on the commitment of employees? 3.1 Connection between leadership and commitment The following chapter will provide information about the link between commitment and leadership. First, shortly will be explained which connection there is between leadership and commitment according to the two foregoing chapters. Commitment is one of the factors that have an influence on the performance. And as mentioned in a foregoing chapter, several researches pointed out that there is a positive relationship between transformational leadership and performance, reported in the literature (Avolio et al., 2003, 2004). Bass (1990) also argued that you need to operate as a transformational leader to improve the performance of employees. Thus, the conclusion that transformational leadership has an influence on the organizational commitment can be made. Transactional leadership will not be discussed in this chapter, because researches cannot find a positive connection between transactional leadership and organizational commitment. As mentioned above transactional leadership is ineffective en counterproductive on the long run. 3.2 Transformational leadership and affective commitment Earlier research points out that it is mainly the part of affective commitment of an employee who is related to various organizational issues as leadership. (Purcell Hutchingson, 2007). As mentioned in the foregoing paragraph there is only a positive connection between transformational leadership and commitment. Thus, this review will only cover the part of transformational leadership and his connection with affective commitment. According to Truckenbrodt (2000) appears that a high quality of exchange between leader and employee lead to a high organizational commitment. And a low quality of exchange lead to a low organizational commitment. In practice, a high quality of exchange means that a leader gives an employee responsibility. A leader involves the employee in the decision making and gives him autonomy. Several researchers pointed out that a high quality relationship between a leader and an employee creates more commitment among the employees. (Gernster and Day, 1997) (Basu en Green, 1997) As mentioned earlier in this paragraph, there is a positive connection between affective commitment and transformational leadership. Which means that when a leader operate as a transformational leader and the quality of exchange is high, it creates high affective commitment among employees. The rate of affective commitment is related with personal and organizational factors and characteristics and work experience of an employee. So, now it is clear that there is a relation, and what that relation is. However, it is interesting to know how leaders can have an influence on this and so create a high quality of exchange. According to Shamir, House, Arthur (1993) transformational leaders are capable to have an influence on the organizational commitment of employees by promoting higher levels of intrinsic value associated with goal accomplishment, emphasizing the linkages between follower effort and goal achievement, and by creating a higher level of personal commitment on the part of the leader and followers to a common vision, mission, and organizational goals. But how can transformational achieve these goals. Avolio (1999) argued that transformational leaders influence followers organizational commitment by encouraging followers to think critically by using novel approaches, involving followers in decision-making processes, inspiring loyalty, while recognizing and appreciating the different needs of each follower to develop his or her personal potential. In summary, transformational leaders can have an influence on the affective part of commitment. They need to get their employees involved by the organization. There are different components that has an influence on the commitment. For example, the involvement of an employee in the decision-making is an important issue to create commitment among employees. 3.3 Psychological influence on commitment of employees Another issue that cannot be underestimate is the psychological influence that transformational leaders can have on organizational commitment. In this paragraph will be explained what several researches suggested about this subject. Transformational leaders can have an influence on several aspects such that employees are capable to get everything out of themselves (Lowe et al., 1996). Aspirations, identities, needs and preferences are some of these aspects that Lowe et al. (1996) argued about in his literature review. Transformational leaders are able to ensure that employees wants to identify with them. Transformational leaders have the potential to make clear towards their employees how essential a wealthy career and future is. That is how they can create committed and motivated employees, because their employees want to meet this expectations (Avolio et al., 2004). As mentioned earlier commitment is one of the factors that has an great influence on performance. Several researches pointed out that these leaders try to create a working climate which results in good performances. They try to do it with their enthusiasm, high moral standards, integrity, and optimism and provide meaning and challenge to their followers work, enhancing followers level of self-efficacy, confidence, meaning, and self-determination (Avolio et al., 2004). Leaders are constant seeking for different ways to let employees perform well. Transformational leaders wants give their subordinates new insight of getting things done. They try to intellectual stimulate them. (Bass Avolio, 1997). As mentioned earlier it is from great importance to give employees responsibility and getting them involved in the decision-making. The more committed an employee is, the better the performance. Hughes, Ginnett, Curphy (1999) argued that an intensive supervision by means of coaching, giving feedback and encouragement, ensure that the self-confidence of an employee in his performance increases. This occurs through a transformational leader, who try to have close ties with every employee, so that he or she knows exactly what is in the employees mind. Shamir (1995) suggested that physically close leaders have a greater opportunity to show individualized consideration, sensitivity to followers needs, and support for the development of employees. Transformational leaders, as mentioned above, who knows exactly what is in the mind of an employee, give intense supervision, give feedback and so on, are called close leaders. Leaders with a less close relationship, which are on distant of their employees are named, as the term suggest, distant leaders. Close leaders have a very positive effect on organizational issues as performance and commitment. Thus, when an employee believes that their leader involves them in the organization, due to the foregoing ways, they feel a high commitment towards the organization. 3.4 Conclusion In this paragraph a conclusion about the connection between commitment will be summarized. In fact, an answer on the main question of this research will be given. How does leadership influence the commitment of employees? Avolio et al. (2004), suggested that transformational leadership has a positive connection with organizational commitment. Commitment is one of the factors that have an influence on the performance. So commitment could be a very interesting organizational issue for transformational leaders. Earlier research points out that it is mainly the part of affective commitment of an employee who is related to various organizational issues as leadership. (Purcell Hutchingson, 2007). Thus, transformational leaders can have an influence on the affective commitment of employees. Several researchers pointed out that a high quality relationship between a leader and an employee creates more commitment among the employees. (Truckenbrodt, 2000) (Gernster and Day, 1997) (Basu and Green, 1997) An interesting question that now arises is, how transformational leaders can ens