My First School Memories

My first memory of school is the first day of primary school. It is my first day without the toys and a dress with a nice style. Primary school was far larger than my small kindergarten had been. It was a nice day, with hope and happiness and a lot of fun. I pretended to be a good kid, sitting on my seat carefully. Listening to the teacher, a kind beautiful woman called Miss Zhou talking softly to us.I observed the small tables and the small chairs change into the desks, without the colors; the piano in the classroom had disappeared, the big screen and the computer is in the front of the classroom. Suddenly, a girl with a Snow White style dress was pushed into the classroom, crying loudly, by her grandparents, and made the classroom’s serious mood become funny. The teacher gave us a card with our name and gave us some stickers for the prices. I thought, †It is just like our kindergarten. † Then, the teacher brought us to look around the school.  Like read about m emories? Read also  Flashbulb memory!It was an interesting trip, though it’s was tiring. The feeling of the new place and new life is the most valuable thing. Though lunch began later than the kindergarteners’, and there was no teacher to give us rice and soup, the lunch was still delightful. We can have an adventure in the school after lunch, though at that time we were not familiar with each other, but we still played happily and found some interesting places like the small garden to hide behind the teaching building and the sandy land beside the bike shed.I remember Angle saying that the small shells in the sand were put there by her. We had lessons in the afternoon; the textbooks were new, not like the old fairy tales books on the shelf in kindergarten. With the smiles and laughs, we left our school. This is my first school memory, it is full of new things and happiness, when I think about my first day in school, I feel that day is one of the most interesting thi ngs happened in my life.

Four Contextual Factors

1. Four Contextual Fators Apple have shown an ample example that they have implemented the four contextual factors in the organization which then lead to their organization successfulness. i. Culture – Steve Jobs, the founder of the organization have a clear vision and yet simple that he wants the whole organization to know. â€Å"Bringing the best personal computing, mobile communication, and portable digital music and video experience to consumers, students, educators, businesses, and government agencies through its innovative hardware, software, peripherals, services, and Internet offerings. Steve Jobs. ii. Strategy – Apple Inc. also spends a fair time of training and or re-training its employees on a global scale and comes up with many new devices to not only keep the shareholders happy, but also by braining storming and coming up with new technology so in which Apple Inc. can hire new employees; thus helping the global economy. Apple Inc. understands, as new ventu re grows, there can be a need for more and more administration. (Hisrich, Peters, 2010, p. p. 127) iii.Culture – Team building and team sustaining with repositioning is and can be a gruesome task, however ‘Time heals all wounds unless you pick at them. ’ (Shawn Alexander www. bellaonl ine. com/articles/art11602. asp) Managers worldwide can look at Apple Inc and learn that with any type of conflict; where it is by internal or external nature; can be maintained and or healed if the organization has a team willing to work and learn together if the team is willing to collaborate systematically. v. Enviroment – People believe that the leaders in the organization, especially Steve Jobs are one of the reasons for the organizational success; Human resources are a very important. Apple has been known to be a good employer. Its employees are appreciated and valued. They are provided with a healthy work culture that comes from learning organization, some of them feel that Apple has a wrong human resource strategy as they maintain secrecy.

Acceptance of refugees

Acceptance of refugees After World War II, the United Nations was instituted and one of their tasks was to set up universal regulations and laws to define the status and rights of refugees. The U.N. High Commission for Refugees organized in 1951 received a three-year mandate to solve postwar refugee problems and was renewed thereafter for five-year periods. Nevertheless, new scope of responsibilities, definitions and restrictions followed with the institution of new conventions and proposals. As of today, the number of refugees remains at an increasing rate and laws have never been stricter and tougher. The refugee crisis remains an ongoing and delicate issue. It encompasses a global predicament that leaves humanity physically and emotionally scarred. Laws that deal with refugee issues are firmer and concerning from different political groups. There were so many real and reel concerns that has been raised and the negative reactions from different nations has become contagious. Throughout history, acceptance of refugees revolved around issues of morality, economics, security and political delineations. We have yet to bypass these obstacles to continue to preserve the unity that has once been restored. Anne Frank is an ordinary girl living her prime as a teenager in a place that other girls of her age would never imagine to be; a place void of fun, dignity, freedom and normalcy. In spite of the living situation she and her family is in, Anne kept abreast of the horror outside of the four walls of the hidden annex and put her perception and unfaltering hope into writing. The diary that was given to her as a gift on her 13th birthday linked the dreads and fears of her own and the outside world during her time. She hang on to that flicker of hope that someday, it will all come to pass. Little did anyone know that a thirteen year old girl will turn out to be a representation of a universal message and her diary an instrument of appeal for equality in dignity and acceptance of each other regardless of our differences. One would have thought after witnessing and/or reading about the horrors of the one of the most devastating part of history, that the world has learned its lesson. The holocaust may now be a thing of the past, a part of history; however, there still are many Anne Frank and her family in different parts of the world being judged, discriminated upon and maltreated. Desperately trying to search for humane treatment, they chose to seek shelter in other nations hoping for a newfound home. Anne Frank’s legacy through her diary stirred an awakening on one of the most distressing part in history and a reflection on how we can make a change to prevent its recurrence. Anne Frank finds freedom in her diary. It is in her writings that silence is broken and autonomy sets in. Reading between the lines, one can find a soulful account of the joy, fear, hope, desperation and a plea. Anne Franks story calls for respect to dignity and equality. Having the courage to face our fears will set the trend in breaking the stigma attached to the refugees. No one ever has to face being judged and discriminated upon based on gender, race, beliefs and faith. The best gift you can give the future is to do something worthwhile in the present. The Catalyst program of Regis supports humanitarian causes through downright expression in words and deeds. We reach out to different countries in need raising funds and awareness to ensure optimization of health and education for those in need. With passion for a great cause, we hope to expand the mission and express the vision worldwide. Together, let us open our minds and listen to our hearts in promoting an attitude of universal acceptance and continue to advocate for the preservation of democracy and human rights for all.

Water Pollution in the Arabian Gulf (Persian Gulf) Article

Water Pollution in the Arabian Gulf (Persian Gulf) - Article Example Also the three tankers of crude oil were poured in the Kuwait’s port of Mina Al-Ahmadi as a result of the infiltration of combats engaged in Gulf War. This oil spill of 1991 is referred as the largest incident in the history ever owing to the magnitude of its consequences . The Arabian Gulf (Persian Gulf), located between the Iran and Arabian Peninsula, holds considerable geographic and economic significance. One of its prime significances exhibits it to be listed among the top ranked hydrocarbon reserves of the world. This gulf region is often regarded as one of the prime locations for the extraction of oil and planned waterways in the world. The area is rich in water resources and is driven by various gradients. The water of normal salinity enters through different water surfaces into the Arabian Gulf nurturing unique bio diversity in the water region. Before the occurrence of this incident, the water of the Arabian Gulf was considered to have the highest evaporation rate in comparison to the other water sources in the world, adding to its ecological significance .For instance, the oil spill accident of 1991 created severe water pollution along the coastal areas due to which, not only the marine life but also the health of the population was witnessed to be obstructed. It was estimated by the experts that around 700 oil wells were destroyed and set on fire by the Iraqi soldiers . 3. The crude oil and large quantity of petroleum products were released in the water due to the oil spill, which affected the marine life causing water pollution and also created serious hazards in respect to human health. The tidal currents in the sea further carried the crude oil towards the coast of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States affecting the life of many marine birds, which to an extent, also obstructed the free flow of the biological system on the land close to the coastal areas. Around 30000 marine birds were killed due to the crude oil exposure in the Gulf. It was al so observed that about 20% of mangroves and 50% of coral reefs were affected due to water pollution caused by the oil spill accident that had a strong adverse effect on the eco system of the region. The most affected areas because of the oil spill were the northern coast of Saudi Arabia and the Bay of Kuwait4. The discussion henceforth thus focuses on the consequences of the oil spill in those areas and the steps taken by the government in the mitigation process of the pollution caused from the incident from a critical perspective. Consequences of Oil Spill on Marine Life around Arabian Gulf Components of the Gulf Coast Oil Spill Crude oil contains many harmful toxic components, which are capable of affecting the marine life causing water pollution and thus, in turn leads to deteriorating human health. Likewise, the oil spill in t

Team Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Team Communication - Essay Example Thus, members must be able to use both written and verbal communication patterns to their full advantages. The same communication media could likewise be utilized for offshore teams. Aside from those that were mentioned, team members across different countries should frequently correspond through mobile phones, sending relevant documents through facsimile, Skype, video conferencing, or other more advanced technological applications. Whatever technological advances in communication resources that are similarly available in both countries could assist in enhancing the communication process. However, there are challenges in addressing barriers of communication across offshore teams in terms of language and cultural barriers. Thus, aside from ensuring that members of offshore teams share similar understanding of the universal language, English, for instance; both parties must have some knowledge on addressing cultural disparities, especially with regards to business practices. As aptly recommended by All (2011), â€Å"team members with limited proficiency may be more comfortable communicating in writing, as they can make use of online translation services† (p. 1). Likewise, the members of offshore teams must be able to respect local times in their respective time zones and should expect correspondences to be answered in the earlist possible and accessible time frame. All, A. (2011, April 21). More Tips on Communicating with Offshore Teams. Retrieved from IT Business Edge:

Consequences of the Peloponnesian War Research Paper

Consequences of the Peloponnesian War - Research Paper Example Although this observation by Thucydides lacked the advantage of hindsight, his statement now carries validity, as the Peloponnesian War had many immediate and lasting effects, which this paper will attempt to determine. In order to properly understand the consequences of the Peloponnesian War, the causes and course of the war must be known. In Donald Kagan’s On the Origins of War and Preservation of Peace, he argues that the causes of all war are sourced from â€Å"fear, honor, and interest† (On the Origins 6), and this holds true with the Peloponnesian War. Athens and Sparta were two of the most powerful Greek city-states in the 5th century B.C., and they were on opposite sides of the â€Å"power bloc† due to the formation of the Delian League and the Peloponnesian League. The Delian League eventually became the Athenian Empire, was originally made to combat the threat of the Persian Empire (The Outbreak 2); the Peloponnesian League was formed by Sparta to comba t the rising threat of Athens (Thucydides, Hammond, Rhodes 476). Rather than combining their respective power and influence, the two city states became opposed factions within the Hellenic World. While there are many intricate and underlying causes to the Peloponnesian War, Thucydides and numerous modern historians agree, to the best of their knowledge, that the main cause of the war was â€Å"Spartan fear of Athenian power† (Thucydides, Hammond, Rhodes 477). Because of the threat of the growing Athenian Empire, in hindsight it became evident that the war was inevitable – the Athenian power became an object of fear that the Spartans could not ignore. The Peloponnesian War spanned across a period of twenty seven years, encompassing numerous theaters, battles and campaigns that cannot be explained entirely in this paper. This paper will outline a brief summary of the war that will be used to help determine the consequences of the conflict. Athens was aware of the fact th at they could not outright defeat the Spartan army, thus, they built a walled corridor between their city and their port of Piraeus, which the Athenians resided within in an attempt to wait out the Spartan army and outlast them in a war of attrition (Daniel 74). Since the Spartans could not breach the walls of their enemy and the Athenians could not outlast the Spartans, the war resulted to a series of Athenian naval raids and Spartan attacks into Athenian land with the goal of destroying vital crops and resources (Daniel 74). After a plague within the Athenian walls that led to the death of the Athenian war leader Pericles, Alcibiades, a new Athenian leader, took the reins of the Athenian forces, and drastically altered the Athenian plan of action for the war. Alcibiades decided to change from a defensive strategy to an offensive one, and thus ordered an invasion of the city of Syracuse on the island of Sicily, which, due to bad leadership, organization, and excellent Spartan defen se, turned out to be a failure (Daniel 75). The failed campaign resulted in the destruction of the Athenian fleet and army, and ultimately resulted in the Athenians losing the war that they had started (Gombrich 63). First, this paper will analyze the immediate effects of the war on both Athens and Sparta. As history has seen in numerous instances, being defeated in a war has seemingly endless and perpetual

Question repository and test paper generator Literature review

Question repository and test paper generator - Literature review Example The online examination system provides a user friendly interface with all the features of any original examination system. The online examination system conducts exams using multiple-choice questions, gap-fills and open questions. The online examination system provides a platform where the teachers can easily conduct tests as they do not have to waste time on checking the test of each individual student and students can easily give exams. The system is convenient for students as they don’t need to worry about things like pens and teachers will only need to prepare the basic question-bank once with the system allowing addition of additional questions later.The online examination system has two users classified as Administrators and the students. (Jin & Lin, 2012) The administrators are the typical examiners and are responsible for the management of users, tests to be conducted, subjects, questions and results. These administrators also manage system backup and recovery strategi es. The second user of the system is the student who uses it to sit for examinations. The students take exams in the front desk using usernames and passwords given to them by the administrators. The system shall distribute questions to the student automatically and start the countdown for the students to complete the test within the stipulated time, and submit answers to the server. Depending on the type of exam, the system divides the questions into objective and subjective questions, with papers being corrected by the system and the teachers. The system shall aggregate final results, and students can check their scores on the system breaking the time and space constraints of traditional test, and achieve paperless office. The online examination system supports the management of users, questions, subjects and results of course. The system is fully automated and it evaluates thoroughly and does calculations of the tests done providing test summary and results summary to both the tes t conductor and the student. Students can check their results online. The online examination system shall be all browsers compatible to give all its users the best experience with different browsers. In each management section there shall be a provision of a searching option providing a ‘what you see is what you’ get editor to make preparations of questions easier. The system shall also provide some Indic language support. Advantages of online exam system The advantage of the online examination is that it can be conducted for candidates in remote areas and evaluation of answers can be fully automated for multiple choice questions. Depending on the type of the questions and the requirements, essay type questions can be evaluated through the system. The system allows for examinations to be conducted at any time as per the availability and convenience of the users and reduction of costs substantially since there is no paper work involved like printing exam papers and prepa ring paper admissions. (Peter, 2004) The examination results could be viewed just after the exams and there is an option to display the correct answer or hints, for formative testing. There are no distribution expenses for the question papers since the papers would not be distributed to different locations. There are no invigilators involved and also there is no

The Employment Relations Environment in France Essay

The Employment Relations Environment in France - Essay Example France is characterized by heterogeneous employment relations prevailing in different firms, yet unionization has achieved significant status and recognition in the country (â€Å"Eurofound†). The French government has provided full legislative and legal support to its workforce in the form of strict and enforceable laws. Essential elements of French employment relations structure are: Employment is provided on written contract based agreements and minimal wages are authorized. Employment is also guaranteed and no worker can be thrown out of a job without sound reasons. Employees are also guaranteed sick and paid leaves with maternity leaves for women in addition. France is faced with many serious problems and challenges with respect to its employment relations structure due to some inherent shortcomings and governance loopholes which are discussed as below (Jenkins 17): There is no provision of either insurance or hygienic working conditions. In addition to this, women do not get proper representation in the workplace as they should get. The communication gap between management and union with respect to recruitment policy and other information details is a common problem. Collective bargaining is a well known and established tool of dispute and grievance handling which is not implemented in its entirety in France. People are either not aware of their roles or possess little knowledge of the legislative remedies available to them. Employees feel fearful of losing their job and so do not raise their voice and similarly, managers are hesitant in delegating decision making authority to others to avoid any hassles. This has resulted in many stark conflicts and battles between union and management in bigger firms.

Knowledge Management Foundations of IT Systems HW Research Paper

Knowledge Management Foundations of IT Systems HW - Research Paper Example In this scenario, the basic purpose of a knowledge management system should be the assurance that the approved clients will be able to access information. Moreover, just using a straightforward information management, recovery system and document cataloging is the beginning. Since gathering business knowledge does not only engage software and technology but it also necessitates a powerful document management software and intellectual change of how data and information are produced, managed, dispersed, stored and developed into modernization (infoRouter, 1998), (TechTarget, 1998) and (Bellinger, 2004). This paper discusses some novel aspects of knowledge management (KM) discipline for organizational innovation. In this paper I will analyze some of the prime areas of KM system for our organization. I will discuss some advantages along with significant factors regarding this new technology application at different levels of our corporation. CURRENT PROBLEMS WITH ORGANIZATION With curren t business practice at the corporation we are facing some critical problems regarding corporate operational arrangement. In this scenario the major issue is due to the traditional and inflexible working structure of the business. Seeing that, currently corporation is running its operations using traditional business practices (without knowledge management system) thus, below are some possible issues: (Laudon & Laudon, 1999) and (Turban, Leidner, McLean, & Wetherbe, 2005) Long time required for processing information Difficulties in managing records using paper based approach Difficult to manage business processes A lot of time required to search for the business information Absolutely no or least data sharing More workers required to handle business information Information gathered can include dirty data Business reports are complex and not offering better contribution for the effective decision making about business KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SIGNIFICANCE Knowledge management outlines th e major concerns of organizational efforts, change and ability beside fundamental and irregular environmental changes. Additionally, it represents organizational procedures that look for synergistic grouping of information and data processing capability of information technologies, and the modern and inspired competence of various individuals. Moreover, the knowledge management is related to the practical and thoughtful implementation for the reason that it does not exist in the hypothetical description however in the actual world implementation where the maximum confronts and prospects recline (Global Risk Management Network LLC,, 2011) and (Laudon & Laudon, 1999). IMPORTANCE KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Knowledge management system is an innovative concept that is used to illustrate the creation of knowledge warehouses, knowledge availability and distribution, communication through teamwork, improving the knowledge framework and organizing knowledge as a plus point for an enterprise . Normally, knowledge management system encompasses a variety of applications and techniques those

Quality management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Quality management - Assignment Example In this experiment, a one half fractional experiment was conducted. It was done in k – 1 runs. The experiment was conducted to assess the effect of five factors on a coil spring. The free height of the spring was denoted as y. The goal of the experiment was to obtain a height of eight inches or a height as close to eight inches as possible. The number of factors used was five, while the number of runs was sixteen with three replicates for each run. The experiment was a 2k – 1 design, thus it was a one half fractional factorial experiment. It was denoted as 25 – 1. Based on the evaluation of the cause and effects, the following factors and factor levels were chosen for the experiment. Below is a table of the factors and the factor levels for both high denoted by a plus sign and low depicted by a minus sign. From the determined factors and factor levels the fractional factorial experiment was conducted. This was because the number of runs needed for a full factorial experiment would have been a lot. Because the resources at hand coupled with the knowledge that the relations would not be of concern, a 25 – 1 fractional factorial was used. The design matrix and the height data are given in the table below. Thus, the design was not able to differentiate D from ABC. Effect D which was the main effect was aliased with the interaction ABC. Hence, D was equal to ABC which meant that I was equal ABCD. I was the column of plus’s which was the characteristic element in the set of multiplications. I is equal to ABCD was the characterizing relation for the 25-1 design experiment. This means that all the effect aliasing relations are: A = BCD, B = ACD, C = ABD, D = ABC, AB = CD, AC = BD, AD = BC, E = ABCDE, AE = BCDE, BE = ACDE, CE = ABDE, DE = ABCE, ABE = CDE, ACE = BDE, BDE = BCE. The main effect is named clear if it is not aliased with other main

Dr Nick Mercer Essay Example for Free

Dr Nick Mercer Essay 1. Explain the logical positivism principle and how it leads Ayer to reject claims about values, God, and the afterlife. The cornerstone of LP beliefs was the principle of verification. This claims that a statement only has meaning if it is either analytic or empirically verifiable. An analytic statement is true (or false) just in virtue of the meaning of the words; â€Å"a bachelor is an unmarried man† is an analytically true, while â€Å"a square has three sides† is analytically false. A statement is empirically verifiable if empirical evidence would go towards establishing that the statement is true or false. For example, if I say â€Å"The moon is made of green cheese†, we can check this by scientific investigation. If I say â€Å"The universe has 600 trillion planets†, we can’t check this by scientific investigation in practice, but we can do so in principle. We know how to show whether it is true or false, so it is â€Å"verifiable† even if we can’t verify it. The principle of verification entails that claims about values, about what is right or wrong are meaningless. They are neither true nor false because they do not actually state anything. If I say â€Å"murder is wrong†, this is not analytic,  nor can any empirical investigation show this. We can show that murder causes grief and pain, or that it is often done out of anger. But we cannot demonstrate, in the same way, that is wrong. 2. What objection to logical positivism is based on ethics? â€Å"Statements of value† are empirical propositions – they are statements about our psychology or sociology. For instance, let’s try a though experiment. This one is from Jonathan Haidt. Julie and Mark are brother and sister and they go up to a cabin they know and spend the night there. While spending the night there they have sex with  each other, Julie in on the pill and Mark uses a condom so there is no chance that Julie will have a baby. The next morning they felt pretty good, they don’t feel shameful at all. Is what they did wrong? Incest thought experiment: people have in-built ‘yuck’ instinctive reaction towards incest (evolutionary psychology: evolved to have certain responses that lead to rapid judgments without being subject to reason). This statement of value describes a fact about our evolutionary psychology. 3. What four parts does a typical â€Å"system of ethics† have? State which parts are  philosophical and which are not, and explain why. 1. Definitions of ethical terms (i. e. the â€Å"good†, the â€Å"right†) 2. Descriptions of moral experience (feelings of approbation and disapprobation towards certain acts and certain people) 3. Exhortations to moral virtue (prescriptive commands that commend you to act in a certain way or have a certain character) 4. Ethical judgments (the process by which we come to decisions on whether an act or person is moral) Only the first one is philosophical. This is because in defining ethical terms one is an attempt to establish foundations for the claim that there is moral  knowledge. Defining the â€Å"good† in terms of the â€Å"right† or in terms of â€Å"value† is a properly philosophical inquiry because Descriptions of moral experience can be assigned to psychology and sociology. Exhortations to moral virtues are not propositions, they are commands designed to provoke the person into action. Ethical judgments have yet to be classified. 4. Why does Ayer reject the idea that â€Å"good† is definable in empirical terms? If we try and define the â€Å"good† in empirical terms, i. e. , the â€Å"good† is what is pleasurable (what is pleasurable can be empirically verified), or the â€Å"good† is  what is desired (what we feel towards people and acts can be empirically verified), in both cases we can show that some pleasant things are not good and that bad things are desired. By doing so we are demonstrating that it is not self-contradictory to say that pleasant things are not good. Empirical statements can be show to be true or false – X is Y, or X is not Y, but they can’t be both true and false – this is a contradiction. Pleasure can be both good and bad; desire can be both good and bad; without contradiction, so it is not definable in empirical terms. 5. Why does Ayer reject the idea that moral judgments can be known by intuition as self-evident truths? Intuitionism is moral theory that claims that basic judgments about what is good are intuitions. A self-evident judgment has no other evidence or proof but its own plausibility. Intuitionism is a form of moral foundationalism; our intuitions about what is good are self-evident judgments that require no other beliefs to support them. G. E. Moore argued that the â€Å"good† cannot be defined in any other terms as this would be committing the naturalistic fallacy: equating â€Å"good† with any natural  property like â€Å"happiness† Ayer rejects intuitionism on the basis that people disagree about what is intuitively self-evident. 6. How does Ayer analyse moral judgments? What does â€Å"Stealing is wrong mean†? Are such judgments true or false? â€Å"Stealing money is wrong† has no factual content. It is like exclaiming â€Å"stealing money! † It is an emotional expression, like saying â€Å"boo† to a team you don’t like. Expressions of moral sentiments can’t be true or false, just as feeling in love is not something that can be said to be true or false – your feelings can be misguided but they are not false. 7. Besides expressing feelings, what do moral judgments do? Arouse feeling on others. They can be prescriptive: â€Å"It is your duty to tell the truth† is both an emotive expression and an expression of the command â€Å"Tell the truth†. 8. What is the proper citation for determining the validity of a moral judgment? Moral judgments have no objective validity. They are not propositional and cannot be said to be valid or invalid, true or false. The correct citation for a moral judgment is to think of them as emotional exclamations: â€Å"Boo-hurrah! † 9. On Ayer’s view, does â€Å"Stealing is wrong† mean â€Å"I disapprove of stealing† or â€Å"I  dislike stealing†? To say â€Å"I disapprove of stealing† or â€Å"I dislike stealing† are subjectivist positions. To say â€Å"stealing is wrong† is to assert how you feel about stealing, and these statements are propositions about the speaker’s feelings (it is true or false whether the speaker has these feelings or not). For Ayer, the statement â€Å"Stealing is wrong† has no propositional content. It gives no indication of the truth of the speaker’s feelings but rather it is just an emotive expression. 10. To what extent are ethical disagreements resolvable by rational means? We attempt to show that someone is mistaken about facts. Emotivists suggest that we can argue over facts. For instance, I had an argument with my father when he came to Singapore as he refused to eat in a restaurant that was selling Shark Fin soup. His reasoning was that the practice of cutting fins of sharks and throwing them back into the water is cruel and causes great suffering to the shark. I then asked him if he shops at Woolworths which stock eggs laid by battery hens: hens kept in tiny cages their whole lives which is cruel and causes great suffering. The disagreement could be potentially resolved if my dad excepted that it was  logically inconsistent to say that he wouldn’t eat at a restaurant that sold shark fin soup but he would shop at a supermarket that sold eggs laid by battery hens. But once we agree on all the facts in a moral disagreement there still might be a dispute over attitudes. For example, I might hold the attitude that human beings are much more sophisticated animals than sharks or hens and so the suffering of these animals for our purposes is justified. You might hold the attitude that while human being are more sophisticated animals than sharks or hens this does not justify the suffering of these animals for our purposes.

Strategies to Develop Communication in Healthcare

Strategies to Develop Communication in Healthcare Numerous human services associations are utilizing social networking to captivate with patients and buyers. The essential centre for most associations online networking projects is showcasing and interchanges. Social networking is moving individuals far from a dependence on publicizing in settling on acquiring choices; buyers are depending all the more on the data they discover on the web. For medicinal services, this gets to be progressively applicable as the general population has entry to quality and expense appraisals. Purchasers additionally are utilizing the sentiments they discover online to educate their buys. Organizations are utilizing social networking to showcase their messages and urge their clients to advertise their items and administrations. Medicinal services associations that offer a venue for patients to impart their constructive encounters and particular stories can send an effective message to buyers who are figuring out where to get their social insurance administrations. Medicinal services associations likewise utilize online networking to convey their mission and vision, depict the administrations they offer, and give wellbeing training. A few associations use social networking to advertise health and backer online help discussions where people who are managing unending wellbeing issues or disastrous conditions can discover help from other people who are having comparable encounters. On a few destinations, doctors and different clinicians teach general society on basic ailments, what is possible to adapt to conditions, and how to augment the personal satisfaction for the person who is experiencing the ailment. Many organizations use social media to encourage philanthropy. By publicizing their services, promoting patient advocacy, displaying credentials, and describing the tangible and intangible community benefits they provide, organizations can encourage benefactors to invest in their mission. Finally, many organizations including healthcare are using social media for recruitment. They advertise their available positions and also search social media sites to determine the integrity and trustworthiness of potential hires. Human resources departments must be fully aware of labor laws when accessing social media on new hires or current employees. Social media are not the answer to everything, but do afford opportunities for people to keep in touch, increase their networks and reduce isolation. I believe they provide a useful additional tool in the practitioner’s tool kit. The culture of a health care organization, whether big or small, plays an important role in the ethical decision-making it undertakes. When small businesses serving the health care industry place more emphasis on profit, they risk losing their integrity. Health care practices that are more concerned with their place in the market often face greater challenges in maintaining ethical standards. On the other hand, an organization that promotes a thoughtful culture fosters decision-making based on what’s best for your patients, your staff and the community as a whole. The key components for organisation culture like performance measurement, leader ship, coordinating. The culture of a health care organization, whether big or small, plays an important role in the ethical decision-making it undertakes, according to the Ethics Resource Centre. When small businesses serving the health care industry place more emphasis on profit, they risk losing their integrity. Health care practices that are more concerned with their place in the market often face greater challenges in maintaining ethical standards. On the other hand, an organization that promotes a thoughtful culture fosters decision-making based on what’s best for your patients, your staff and the community as a whole. There are three leadership characteristics that potentially affect leadership effectiveness. These include the leader’s background and training; leader autonomy; and position formality. Coordinating comprise of six ways mechanism, mutual understand. direct supervision. Training and education. standardisation of routine and programme. Standardisation of output goals. standardisation of organisational norms and values. Decision-making is the two-way communication process between a patient and one or more health practitioners that is central to patient-centred healthcare. It reflects the ethical principle that a patient has the right to decide what is appropriate for them, taking into account their personal circumstances, beliefs and priorities. This includes the right to accept or to decline the offer of certain healthcare and to change that decision. In order for a patient to exercise this right to decide, they require the information that is relevant to them. Certain principles need to be fulfilled: Patient ability to make decision Patient can clearly understand medical language Transparent communication between patient and healthcare provider Providing information and education improves patient, family and carer capacity for involvement, understanding, participation and partnership in an individual’s care. It can also build an individual’s engagement with health practitioners. Key steps that required in decision making process: identify and obtain existing care instructions clarify relevant medical issues define decision making capacity identify the primary decision maker certify the existence of any qualifying conditions define and present relevant health care issues update care instructions, as needed implement choices related to health care decisions review situation and continue or modify approaches Firstly, as with so many aspects of organisational management, developing plans, system, pathways, and a conductive climate for internal communication is only the beginning. In order to maintain internal communication and continue to make it better I have to look at it regularly to see how I am doing. Monitoring it on a regular basis will help me identify where it’s working and where it’s not, and to keep working toward my communication goals. Check staff satisfaction on the level, speed and inclusiveness of the information and other communication they received. I will feel that they are working in organisation and they are important to the organisation always. I will feel them more comfortable in organisation so they can easily communicate with each other employees in the organisation and will give outcomes. I will provide accessibility to everyone to speak in organisation without taking permission from anyone else. To mitigate communication obstacles, occasionally celebrate social activity, arrange party for employees to get relaxation. Celebrating birthdays, organisational anniversary and particularly success is another way to bring people together. The goal is not necessary to make staff member’s best friends who spend all their time together out of work but rather to make people comfortable with one another. Second strategy to mitigate communication obstacles in given case study, as a manager I should do regular meetings of his staff once in a week or monthly. Meetings are very essential to achieve a goal in organisation so in meetings every staff members can share their idea and problems. As a manager I should hear that what’s going in the hospital in the staff. After listening all issues I will make one chart of rescheduling the duty between title supervisor so nobody can suffer from heavy duty role and workload. Whenever I know that work load is growing, immediately I will arrange other supervisor from my group to help the transcription supervisor to reduce the burden of work. In given situation, I personally arranged meeting with transcription supervisor to discuss about problems so that we can negotiate about it and reached towards a solution. Meetings can arrange in any time like lunch or breakfast meetings so it change the tone of employees. For improving team work as a man ager of health information I will provide all key tasks and training to each team member to better communication between them.

Cultural determinants of Japan and United States

Cultural determinants of Japan and United States The purpose of this report is to explore the cultural determinants of both Japan and United States. The report elucidates the differences between the two countries in terms of leadership styles as influenced by their respective different cultures. The reason in selecting Japan as one of the research countries is because of its deep rooted strong cultural beliefs and group centered style in a business perspective. It is well known to the world that Japan is a closed economy but at the same time, extremely competitive. On the other hand, United States make a good contrast in terms of its open culture and individualistic style of doing business. Despite the differences, both are amongst the most competitive and successful nations in the world. The compromising Japanese and confrontational Americans do make this research journey an exciting and interesting one. Different cultures exist in the world and their impact on leadership styles in their respective countries is significant. As defined by Luthans and Doh (2009, p96), Culture is the acquired knowledge that people use to interpret experience and generate social behaviour. And culture is gained through transmissions between individuals in forms of symbols, rituals, languages, stories told and etc. It will be interesting to find out that the countries cultures do in fact influence their leadership styles to quite a great extent. In this report, two entirely different cultures; Japan and United States will be explored in depth to provide a better understanding of their background. The seven determinants of culture in these two countries will be individually discussed as well. Leadership styles in these two countries will also be examined to establish a relationship with their respective cultures. In the later part of the report, an analysis on the cultural and leadership differences between Japan and United States will give the readers a clear outline of the contrasts which exist currently. 2. Overview of Theories 2.1 Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions Geert Hofstede developed five dimensions of national culture. He had specifically examined the role of national culture in work related values and information system design (Hofstede, 1980). National culture can be defined as a collection of relatively uniform and enduring values, beliefs, customs, practices and traditions that are shared by a countrys members, learned by new members and transmitted from one to the next (Huczynski and Buchanan, 2001). According to Hofstede (1984), culture is a kind of mental programming that lies between human nature on one side and personality on the other. Through the completion of his study in 1980, it was found that the differences between cultures can be understood by the following four distinctive dimensions: Power Distance Individualism Vs Collectivism Uncertainty Avoidance Masculinity Vs Femininity Power Distance It is the extent to which people expect and accept unequal power distribution. These people are usually the ones with less power and control. Countries can be referred to as either having High power distance or Low power distance. The former has a tall and centralised structure, instructions and orders (from superiors) are obeyed without queries or rather, heedlessly. The latter, on the other hand, has a flat and decentralised structure. Superiors give lots of respect and trust to subordinates. Individualism vs. Collectivism In an individualistic culture, people look after themselves and are more self-centred. The ties between people are not strong as each person is focused on their own goals. This type of culture is mostly found in western countries. In a collectivist culture, great emphasis is placed on groups. It is more of a We culture instead of I. This type of culture can be described as harmonious and there is almost zero confrontation in times of conflict. As opposed to the individualistic culture, collectivist is more common in Asian countries. Uncertainty Avoidance It is the preference of a society for unambiguous and risk free situations. In a high uncertainty avoidance country, there are more regulations and policies to adhere to and they tend to reduce risk to the minimum. Whereas in a low uncertainty avoidance country, people are tend to push boundaries and are more daring to take risks. Masculinity vs. Femininity In simple terms, when a societys most important social values are associated with money and success, it is said to be highly masculine. It is highly stressful to be working in such environments. Feminine societies, in contrast, believe in quality of life and helping others over anything else. 2.2 Leadership in the International Context Leadership is the process of influencing people to direct their efforts toward achievement of organization goals. A good leader takes ownership over projects, while simultaneously empowering everyone in his or her team to contribute according to their key strengths. They are accountable for any mistakes made, but ensure each is a learning experience for everyone, and capable of drawing their own intuitive conclusions on the progress or outcome of a project, or foresee any roadblocks which may arise. Initiative is another key leadership trait. Successful leaders jump to their feet and run the extra mile to exceed expectations. They are two comparative areas provide a foundation for understanding leadership in the international: 1) the philosophical grounding of how leaders view their subordinates and 2) leadership approaches as reflected through use of autocratic-participative characteristics and behaviours of leaders. Douglas McGregor, an American social psychologist, proposed his famous X-Y theory in his 1960 book The Human Side Of Enterprise. The specific philosophical assumptions of Theory X leaders are humans inherently dislike working and will try to avoid it if they can. Because people dislike work they have to be coerced or controlled by management and threatened so they work hard enough. Average employees want to be directed and dont like responsibility. Average humans are clear and unambiguous and need security at work. Theory X leaders conducive to large scale efficient operations and apply to mass manufacturing Production Workers. This classify as Authoritarian, a hard management style. The specific philosophical assumptions of Theory Y leaders described people view work as being as natural as play and rest. Humans expend the same amount of physical and mental effort in their work as in their private lives. Provided people are motivated, they will be self-directing to the aims of the organization. Control and punishment are not the only mechanisms to make people work. Job satisfaction is the key to engaging employees and ensuring their commitment. People learn to accept and seek responsibility. Average humans, under the proper conditions, will not only accept but even naturally seek responsibility. People are imaginative and creative. Their ingenuity should be used to solve problems at work. This apply to professional services workers for participative complex problem solving. This classify as Participative, a soft management style. McGregor sees Theory Y as the preferable model and management method, however he felt Theory Y was difficult to use in large-scale operations. In 1981, William Ouchi came up with a variant that combined American and Japanese management practices together to form Theory Z, Theory Z essentially advocates a combination of all thats best about theory Y and modern Japanese management, which places a large amount of freedom and trust with workers, and assumes that workers have a strong loyalty and interest in team-working and the organisation. Authoritarian Leadership (Autocratic) leaders provide clear expectations for what are need to be done, when it should be done, and how it should be done. There is also a clear division between the leaders and the followers. Some of the appropriate conditions are to be use when you have all the information to solve the problem, you are short on time, and your employees are well motivated. Participative Leadership (Democratic) leaders offer guidance to group members, but they also participate in the group and allow input from other group members. Participative leaders encourage group members to participate, but retain the final say over the decision-making process. Group members feel engaged in the process and are more motivated and creative. Delegative (Laissez-Faire) leaders offer little or no guidance to group members and leave decision-making up to group members. While this style can be effective in situations where group members are highly qualified in an area of expertise, it often leads to poorly defined roles and a lack of motivation. 3. Overview of Japan Japan is an industrialised, and one of the most efficient countries in Asia, in terms of its economy and trades. Due to the limitation of natural resources, Japan has turned to international trades for its constant supplies. The people of Japan are well educated and worldly known as extremely well mannered. Japan has strived to achieve and maintain very high health standards surpassing many other countries in the world, with its life expectancy rate exceeding that of the United States. (US Department of State, 2010) 3.1 Determinants of Japanese Culture The ancient Japanese culture has cast a massive impression on many people over centuries for being one of the most homogeneous countries in the world. Traditional, indirect, seniority based, collectivist, are some of the various terms associated with the Japanese. Their national culture is so strongly rooted that till this day, it is one of the very few countries in the world which operates in a total different and unique way with traditional customs and feudal values, and still clinging firm to them. It surely has left many people wondering and pondering, having in mind that globalisation and internationalisation is so common these days. The below are some determinants of the Japanese culture which is worth to understand. Existing Feudal Values Founded in 600 B.C and having its roots in Buddhism and Confucianism, the Japanese believes in tall hierarchical structures with strong importance placed on seniority, respect, loyalty and family. One of the feudal values is the unequal treatment of women. Women are regarded as low status in the highly masculine society of Japan. However, there are researches which shows that there has been some change to that, women are slowly paving their way up and even successful in their careers. (Bucknall, 2005) Interesting to know from Bucknalls (2005, p16) study is that the Japanese culture has a strong central core which sees things as being either right or totally wrong, nothing in between. To the Japanese, losing is unacceptable and disgraceful because losing is just totally wrong. Hence, since the ancient Japan, they have regarded themselves as being a highly superior cast of people who just cannot lose to anyone, to Conquer is what they aim to achieve. (Recall World War II) Another ancient value of the Japanese is that the seniors (in terms of age), are treated with reverence. The young people could only patiently wait for their turns for promotions. No way could they rise fast in an organisation even though they are out-performing or outstanding. Religion According to Lee and Trim (2008), the Japanese adopted Buddhism and then merged it with Shintoism. It led to the ability of the rulers of Japan to develop government ceremonies in accordance with Shinto rituals. (Osumi, 1992) Buddhism teachings emphasise on doing the right actions and making right decisions. It also involves three elements; mental culture, wisdom and morality. (Lee and Trim, 1999) Besides the above, the Japanese have also been deeply influenced by Confucian thought. (Mei, 1967) Confucianism focuses on 4 main elements; benevolence, wisdom, righteousness and decorum. It is important for foreigners to note that religion in Japan has played a crucial part in shaping their national identity. Buddhism and Shintoism intertwined, evolving their central government system. Hence, understanding religions of Japan would be highly recommended and should not be regarded lightly. Social Structure A study by Levy, (1992) showed that there are six social classes which can be distinguished in modern Japan. They are namely; The Imperial Family Consists of the Emperor and his relatives (Sacred objects mentioned by Levy, 1992, p3), unlike the King and royal family in England, the Japanese Emperor holds a symbolic position in Japans social system and extremely significant. Nobility Consists of descendents of the Kuge, Samurais, Dukes and counts. (Nobilities in ancient Japan). Highly respected group in Japan. Upper Middle Class Consists of people who are not necessarily descendents of any nobility, but have high status in modern Japan. i.e Directors of large corporations, high ranking civil servants, etc. Lower Middle Class They are the normal working class people in modern Japan. Most of the people fall under this category. Industrial Proletariat They are the blue collared workers. Peasants The rest of the population with lower than average income. Political Philosophy There are seven political parties in Japan, namely Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the Peoples New Party (PNP), the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), the New Clean Government Party (Komeito), the Japan Communist Party (JCP), and Your Party (YP). Japan is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government (US Department of State, 2010). Economy Japan is the second largest free-market economy in the world following United States. (US Department of State, 2010) It has a highly competitive and efficient economy with few natural resources. The wages in Japan are the highest in the world (EconomyWatch, 2010), but fact that the living conditions/standards are extremely high has to be considered as well. Language Almost all Japanese people converse and use Japanese as a business language. Even though they know English, they would be too shy to speak in that. Silence would be the answers in the case of dealing with foreigners. It may seem strange to many foreigners, but this is the typical behaviour of many Japanese people. Very restricted use of English (despite being an international language) would be seen in most business meetings, limited to simply Good mornings and Good Byes. They do not show willingness to converse to foreigners in another language other than Japanese, perhaps due to their extreme shyness. Education As mentioned earlier, Japanese are a group of homogeneous people. As such, their education system is highly uniformed. Hence, it can be perceived that almost all Japanese share the same ideas and beliefs. In Japan, all children are taught the same things in school, freedom to customise the curriculum is near impossible as the Ministry of Education in Japan closely supervises the education system. The Japanese government places significant importance in the education system. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in Japan introduced five policies in January 2002 to improve the quality of education system. One of which is to increase the number of teaching personnel so as to achieve smaller teaching groups for more focus on each student. 3.2 Leadership style and relationship to Culture in Japan Japanese leadership style is unique and differs from the convention X-Y theory proposed by Douglas McGregor. In 1981, William Ouchi came up with a variant theory Z which is essentially a combination of Theory Y and Japanese management. Buddhism has been around since Japan feudal era, practices by samurais and bushi (warrior) as Zen Buddhism. When the samurai class unified the country under the leadership of shogun Tokugawa Leyasu in the Edo period (1600-1868), the sects encouraged values of hard work and patience according to their Buddhism teachings. Today, Buddhism is the most popular religion in Japan with some 85% of the population professing the faith.This forms the hardworking culture of Japanese and shapes the foundations of their leadership behaviour. Most Japanese managers believe that their employees are hard-working and are self-motivated by teamwork, that they want to share responsibility for attaining group goals and therefore seek participation in management process. Due to the participative approach of employees, Japanese managers use a blend of both task-centered and people-centered approach to lead subordinates. Both leaders and subordinates are motivated by a powerful sense of commitment to be a part of a greater whole. This is contributed by the social structure and educational system of Japan. The social structure hierarchy of Japan which consist of the Royal family down to the peasants and their strong sense of loyalty due to their Shinto teachings resulted in the Japanese believe that they are part of a greater whole, in country context Japan as a whole. Japan has one of the most successful and renowned education system. In recent years, there is a rise in higher education of Japanese in both private and government sector. Thorough its education system, it has reach attain a 99% literacy population. It has the highest literacy rates in Asia. Most Under theory Z leaders, Japanese employees seek out responsibility and strive for opportunities to advance in organisations. They work towards the goal to be in the upper middle class of their social structure. Japanese leaders believe that the employees are self-satisfied when they contribute to organisational success through teamwork. In return for their organisations long-term commitment to providing job security (often for life), workers develop strong bonds of loyalty towards their employer. Communication Flows As theory Z Seniority Leadership Due to the Japanese Feudal value, Japanese leaders are mostly base on their seniority. Evaluation of work and promotion is very slow and promotions are not base on individual performance. Seniority and age are much more important factors in Japan. Because of their emphasis on seniority, some of the major organisations in Japan are still family owned. They are managed and passed down to the Head of the family, usually the Male eldest of the descendants instead of the most capable of the family. The concept of family owned business may not work out on many other countries with different culture but miraculously organisations that are family owned showed great performance results. It is recognized in Japan to decide the heir of the business base on seniority and it is right that all others of the family must obey all instruction that the head has pass down to them. Any subjugation towards the family head will be deemed as wrong and will not be accepted by the Japanese society. This is also due to the Japanese National Religion of Shinto. They are loyal to their familiar way of life and places, therefore able to maintain their practice. Guideline: Leadership style should relate to culture determinants in 3.1. To show how the culture had influenced the kind of leadership style in Japan 3.3 Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions in the Japanese context Power Distance Japan has a score of 54 on power-distance index (PDI) and a ranking of 44 out of 69 countries (Refer to Appendix 1). Japan is considered as a high power distance although the score is slightly below the world average of 55. Having a high power distance index, this will influence the leadership style of Japan. According to Hofstede, G. et al (2010), in high power distance circumstances; subordinate acknowledges the existence of inequity. Thus, hierarchical system was the result of it. With a centralized and tall structure, the power is not evenly distributed and mainly control by the people from the top management (mostly seniors). Hofstede, G. et al (2010) suggested that it is essential for management to identify the strength of local culture and make use of it to complete certain tasks. Japanese leader would delegate tasks which require subordinates discipline in order to get the work done in an orderly manner. Tasks would be completed with less conflict and disputes as subordinates would normally do what they are instructed to do. However, this would result in no or minimal initiative by the Japanese subordinates at work. Individualism Vs Collectivism Japan has a score of 46 on Individualism Index (IDV) and a ranking of 31-33 out of 69 countries (Refer to Appendix 1). The Individualism score for Japan is slightly above the world average of 43. However, Japan belongs to the group of collectivism. This is because Japan has the tendency to handle stuffs based on the relationship and believe that they have responsibility to one another. Hofstede, G. et al (2010, p120) stated that Poor performance of an employee in this relationship is no reason for dismissal: one does not dismiss ones child. Therefore, Japanese leaders would first establish a relationship and some form of trust instead of demanding work to be done. Hofstede, G. et al (2010) stated that collectivist individual has a one of the culture norm with strong concept of face where one should not embarrass another. Thus, Japanese leaders would need to opt for a correct method to disseminate the negative news instead of criticise and give negative feedback openly. Furthermore, under collectivist society, collectivist individual tends to perform the best in group and badly on individual basis. Therefore, Japanese leaders would tend to allocate more group works to their subordinates. However, when a group of employees completed their work, rewards should be given to the group as a whole and not individual. Uncertainty Avoidance Japan has a score of 92 on Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI) and a ranking of 10-11 out of 69 countries (Refer to Appendix 1). Japan has a considerably high Uncertainty Avoidance Index. According to Hofstede, G. et al (2010, p213), Britain has produced more noble Prize winners than Japan, but Japan has put more new products on the world market. Japanese prefer to develop ideas which are established rather than to move ahead to supply new ideas. Furthermore, they have a systematic way to get things done which is good as this lead to actual products being produced. According to Luthan and Doh (2009), high uncertainty avoidance also implies that subordinates are less ambitious. They have low risk appetite and because of this there is an emotional need to create rules. However, not all the rules work. Therefore, leader would have to find ways to lead and motivate their subordinates to achieve excellent result. Masculinity Vs Femininity Japan has a score of 95 on Masculinity Index (MAS) and a ranking of 2 out of 69 countries (Refer to Appendix 1). Japan has the second highest Masculinity Index. Therefore, Japan emphasises the importance of having the main values which are associated with money and success. According to Hofstede, G. et al (2010), work goals such as earnings, recognition, advancement and challenge are deemed to play an important role. After identifying Japanese having a high masculine culture and background of what they want to achieve, leaders can based on the criteria and lead the team effectively. The main items that Japanese are seeking for is money and success. Therefore, leaders should provide opportunities and encourage high performance from their Japanese subordinates in order for them to achieve their goals. Leaders should also note that incentives and rewards are based on equity and not equality. 4. Overview of USA The United States of America, one of the worlds largest developed countries located between the North Atlantic Ocean and North Pacific Ocean. USA is highly abundant with natural resources, providing the world with its largest coal reserves. Apart from the lands and resources, USA is also considered having the worlds strongest and leading technological economy. Being one of the developed countries, USA is currently facing environmental issues like air, land and sea pollution cause by factories, mines and other industrial developments (The World Factbook, 2010). 4.1 Determinants of US Culture USA, the largest economy, deals massive trades among the rest of the world. Studying the culture norms and values of would be important to businessman and entrepreneur that are boarding the shore of the US economy. American possess a strong believe in the concept of equality. Each individual should have equal rights, equal employment opportunity and equal social obligation no matter which ethnic or gender the individual belongs to. Individualism, direct, high uncertainties are some values that are tagged to American by numerous studies. Somehow these values have its roots related to the culture of the country. Religion Although USA has a wide diversity of ethnics namely the North American, South American, Alaska native, Hawaiian native, Asian and others races; Christianity still remains as their largest form of religious belief. Among the Christian, Protestant (including Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, and Presbyterian) outnumber the Roman Catholic with 51.3% of the total population and the later 23.9%. Followed by Jewish, Islamic, Muslim and others reported by World Factbook (2010). Social Structure In USA, most American would believe that there is equal opportunity and economic mobility and social classes does not exist. Moreover, Dennis Gilbert (1998) did defined USA social structure into 6 different classes; Capitalist Class American upper class These are the minute top notch individual that has high influence in the economy of USA, example Warren Buffett and Bill Gates. Upper Middle Class These are highly educated professional that has a high annual household income, example Lawyers, professor, and dentist. Middle Class These are college graduates that are employed for white collar position in an organization, examples managerial position. Lower Middle Class These usually consist of blue collar workers or those performing clerical position. Lower Class These refer to the working individual that draws minimal annual household income, example farmers. Under Class These refer to individual that are unemployed. Political Philosophy A national government with 50 states government, USA is considered as a federal republic country. Democrats and Republicans are 2 major parties dominating the political systems of USA. The government can be divided into three different branches. The government is headed by the Executive branch which comprises of the president and its appointed cabinet. Each state has a different government constitution, the Legislative branch consist of Senate from each state and its House of Representatives. Each state have two Senates elect by the citizen of the state. Senates will need to be re-elect after six years of service Lastly the Judiciary branch is headed by the US Supreme Court. This is the highest court that reviews and maintains the interpretative of the whole nations constitution (USA Country Brief, 2006). Economy USA has the largest and most important market in the world (EconomyWatch (2010). Even though it is the largest economy, government have much regulation protecting certain home-grown sectors. Two thirds of US economy is highly driven by its own consumer and therefore US economy can also be regard as Consumer Economy. According to World FactBook (2010), USA GDP rose to about 14 trillion in end of 2009. It is about 3 times as higher than the next largest economy, which is Japan. Despite of that, USA have also top the chart for its private and public debts owned. This could be possibly due to the economic depression in 2008 where there is an acute rose of oil prices putting the country in a state of inflation with high unemployment rate. In 2009, USA government borrowed billions to purchases equity from banks and Industrial Corporation, in order to perform additional injection to the economy for jobs creation and stabilizing the global economic downturn. Language There is actually no official language stated by Law in USA, English and Spanish are 2 most common languages. In addition, English is the language use in legislation and a main form of business communication. Hawaiian is the official state language for Hawaii (Grimes, 2000). Communication style of an American can sometimes be regarded as straight forward and aggressive. Going around the bush in meetings or discussion is considered time wasting. American has its own style of name format which is different from Asian, they would address First Name (given name) followed by Last Name (family name) as in Julia Roberts where Roberts is the family name and Julia is the given name. Whereas for Asian, we would address Last Name (family name) followed by First Name (given name). Politeness is highly valued in USA. When meeting someone for the first time, it is always polite to address them with a salutation of Mr, Miss, Madam or Dr. Please and Thank You are two most common words heard in a conversation with American. Education Slight differences can be spotted in the education system in different states but generally they are still common. For most children in USA, education starts at an earlier age of 5 and graduated from high school at the age of 17. Parents can choose to send their kids to public schools which are funded by public tax; these would be the common choice for most US citizen. In another hand, if the parents thinks that the public education systems does not suit their kids, they can still send them to private schools owned by churches, individuals and private groups (WorldWidelearn, 2010) 4.2 Leadership style and relationship to Culture in United States Guideline: Leadership style should relate to culture determinants in 4.1. To show how the culture had influenced the kind of leadership style in United States The U.S. is one of the most religious of all the large nations of the world. Gallup International reports that 57 percent of American citizens regularly attend religious services. Politicians frequently discuss their religion when campaigning, and many churches and religious figures are highly politically active. Most American religious take concrete form as congregational voluntary associations. They provide their members with multiple and continuous opportunities to observe, learn and practice the skills of community life and leadership. By doing so, religious members are exposed to have chance to acquire and practice a series of useful capacities and skills. These include group decision making, raising and budgeting funds, leading discussion, mobilization consens

Purloined Letter Essay -- essays research papers

A Critical Analysis of â€Å"The Purloined Letter† by Edgar Allan Poe  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Edgar Allan Poe’s background influenced him to write the short story â€Å"The Purloined Letter†. One important influence on the story is that Poe seem to feel inferior to his class mates while in college, which may have been why he wrote Dupin to be seen as superior to his colleagues. While at the University of Virginia he owed others high amounts of money because of gambling, he would drink excessively to help hide his feelings of inadequacy. (Taylor) The second influence on this short story I believe is Poe’s extent in the United States Army. He time in the military was unsuccessful. Because of his experience he made the Perfect of the police a little lacking in intelligence. This background, together with a believable plot, convincing characterization, and important literary devices, enables Edgar Allan Poe in â€Å"The Purloined Letter† to develop the them that characteristic of the human animal to overlook the obvious.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This story does not have a surprise ending nor does is really have a sense of suspense. You know from the beginning who took the letter, but you do not know what information was contained in the letter and how that information would have affect the queen. The only surprise may be in where the letter was keep throughout the story, in plain site. The Perfect of the police searched the Minister’s lodgings many nigh...

Literature and Experience :: Free Essays Online

Literature and Experience When I wrote my first work, The Naked Tree, I was an ordinary housewife. I had been a passionate literature lover, but I had never practiced writing or studied literature. The Naked Tree began as non-fiction. One day I saw a posthumous show of artist Pak Su-gun, and I found myself swept by an incomprehensible confusion. He suffered from poverty all his life, but after his death, he became the artist whose works commanded the highest prices in the ROK. During the Korean war, he eked out a living by painting cheap portraits in the PX of US Forces, and I worked there trying to talk US soldiers into having their portraits made. In order to maintain a hand-to-mouth existence, both he and I led a life of the bottom, in which the least level of self-esteem could not be maintained. After the war, he was never free of poverty; he struggled to make a living and died at the young age of 51. When I saw that he was evaluated as the best artist in Korea and treated as such, I was swept by complicated emotions, a mixture of fury, sadness, and joy. Such feelings gradually developed into a passion that I wanted to bear witness to how he had lived. I wanted to write a good biography, which would help understand everything about him, and I wanted to shock art dealers, who were intent on making profits by trading his works at high prices without knowing anything about how he had lived. That was how I began to write a biography, hoping to apply for an annual open competition for nonfiction works held by Sindong-a, a monthly magazine. The deadline approached, but my writing did not progress. There were spurts of good writing, though, and in those moments I was elated. However, next day I would read the parts that had gone particularly well, and discover that they were the lies I had made up, not real episodes. I was not supposed to make up stories in the name of writing a biography. I had no choice but to throw them away, and I would be back to the slow- progressing stage. In writing his biography, there was another difficulty, aside from the battle with lies. I wanted to talk about my own stories. Literature and Experience :: Free Essays Online Literature and Experience When I wrote my first work, The Naked Tree, I was an ordinary housewife. I had been a passionate literature lover, but I had never practiced writing or studied literature. The Naked Tree began as non-fiction. One day I saw a posthumous show of artist Pak Su-gun, and I found myself swept by an incomprehensible confusion. He suffered from poverty all his life, but after his death, he became the artist whose works commanded the highest prices in the ROK. During the Korean war, he eked out a living by painting cheap portraits in the PX of US Forces, and I worked there trying to talk US soldiers into having their portraits made. In order to maintain a hand-to-mouth existence, both he and I led a life of the bottom, in which the least level of self-esteem could not be maintained. After the war, he was never free of poverty; he struggled to make a living and died at the young age of 51. When I saw that he was evaluated as the best artist in Korea and treated as such, I was swept by complicated emotions, a mixture of fury, sadness, and joy. Such feelings gradually developed into a passion that I wanted to bear witness to how he had lived. I wanted to write a good biography, which would help understand everything about him, and I wanted to shock art dealers, who were intent on making profits by trading his works at high prices without knowing anything about how he had lived. That was how I began to write a biography, hoping to apply for an annual open competition for nonfiction works held by Sindong-a, a monthly magazine. The deadline approached, but my writing did not progress. There were spurts of good writing, though, and in those moments I was elated. However, next day I would read the parts that had gone particularly well, and discover that they were the lies I had made up, not real episodes. I was not supposed to make up stories in the name of writing a biography. I had no choice but to throw them away, and I would be back to the slow- progressing stage. In writing his biography, there was another difficulty, aside from the battle with lies. I wanted to talk about my own stories.

Placebo and Justinus :: Papers

Placebo and Justinus After discussing the dangers and advantages of marrying young women, January asks friends for advice. Placebo [Latin, "I will please"] flatters him, telling him he is right to marry a young woman. Justinus [L. "just one"] warns him of the dangers he risks and counsels him not to marry, based on his own experience as a married man. January does what he wants, in the end, and suffers for it. Their speeches are almost a little play about bad and good advice. Are they played for satiric/comic effect, or do they seem to tend toward tragedy? Especially note the way January responds to their advice (IV.1566-1571). January then discussed his problem with his friends and expressed his desire to marry a very young maiden of not more than twenty years old. This led to a great debate and a dispute between the Knight’s brothers named Placebo and Justinus. While Placebo told January to take his own decision without taking anybody’s opinion into consideration, Justinus counseled against marriage since women are fickle. January then decided to get married. January, wished to have a young wife of no older than thirty, for a young wife would be more pliable, but Placebo warned him that it takes great courage for such an aged man to take a young wife. He warned him of the misery that can come from taking a wife, for she could be shrewish or a drunkard, facts that a husband will not learn until well into the marriage. Despite the common opinion that Placebo has a wonderful wife, he knows what faults she has. They argue about the merits of marriage, with Placebo predicting that January will not please his wife for more than three years, but Placebo eventually assents to January's plan. January finally decided to take a young and pretty wife, foolishly believing that nobody would find fault with his choice. He spoke to Placebo and his friends about his choice, praising his intended wife. January, however, worries that a man who finds

Club Med: Making a Comeback

Club Mediterranee (Club Med) is a corporation in the all-inclusive resort market that manages over 140 resort villages in Mediterranean, snow, inland and tropical locales in over 40 countries. It was founded by a group of travelers, headed by Gerald blitz, in 1950However over the years they realized that all-inclusive system does not work anymore. People are not willing to spend large amounts of money for vacations. Its competitors have been able to customize travel packages for each customer.Even though it seems easy for Club Med to do the same but because it has so many resorts all over the world the currency devaluation and political boycotts are causing Club Med problems with these decisions. These external factors are reducing the company’s ability to increase sales and gain new customers. The Club Med style can be best described by the sense of closeness found among the managers. Because they are all former village chiefs they know the company’s everyday operation s. The difference between Club med and other hotels is that, it is much simpler.Even the room decorations are simple and spares. Also its distinguished feature is that it is a place where one can â€Å"escape†. However in 2004 they introduced a new strategy that gave consumers a differentiated product that was more chic and luxurious, especially in the Americas. Until 1986 Club Med had a very strong position in the all-inclusive resort market. If one wanted to go to a resort but use another company it had to pay 50-100% more. Internet accounts more than 20% of its sales.Finding a labor was never a problem for this resort either. In 1986 competition began because other companies adopted its style. The only difference was that Club Med’s service included drinks. In 2004 it reverted to and all-inclusive deal. In 2005 it declared the Alps area that attracted thousands of tourists. Jack Tar Village is one of the competitors of Club Med. It operates mostly in Caribbean. Its resorts are positioned as more glamorous and modern. Another competitor is SuperClubs Organization, which operates 4 resorts on Jamaica.Those resorts have the reputation for being uninhibited and sexually oriented. The activities that Club Med and their competitors offer is similar but the way it is offered may be different. The original mission statement includes the idea that the company’s goal is to take a group of strangers away from their everyday lives and bring them together in a relaxing and fun atmosphere in different parts of the world. They create brand loyalty by asking the consumers to join the Club Med Club, they send them newsletters, discounts, thus making people feel special.Each resort is accommodated with all the necessary facilities like, sailing, volleyball, tennis and basketball fields and so on. There are no phones, TVs radios; this is done in order to separate individuals form civilization so that they could relax. Club Med organizes everything to enco urage social interaction between guests. Everything is included in the price except bar drink and items purchased in the small shops. There are different activities every day. After 1996 Club Med does not have as large of a sales increase as it had anticipated.It is due to economic and ecological disasters in countries where Club Med has resorts. It has a signed contract with the government of the country it enters stating that the firm will increase the tourism in the area. And the government instead will provide the financial aid to help maintain the new resort facilities. However the joint ventures have not proven to be profitable. After September 11, 2001 Club Med had to close down 15 of its villages. It only reopened 6 and opened 4 new ones.Tsunami in south East Asia devoured most of its coastline and Club Med properties in Malaysia, Phuket and so on. Happenings in one area where it is based often indirectly affect other resorts as well. Club Med fell on hard financial times th rough much of 1990s. In 1998 Philippe Bourguignon was brought in a new chairman to stem the decline. He instigated $500 million three year rescue program. Unprofitable villages were closed. Thanks to the new chairman Club Med is making a comeback. Attendance is rising and company made a modest profit last year.Even though they still have problem their revenue rises and it seems to be on track to success. In 2005 it reported a net revenue of $3 million Euros, compared to its $4 million loss year before. In 2202 a new chairman was appointed. Henri Giscard d’Estaing knows the brand recognition the company has and uses hat for the benefit. Club Med plans to enter China, U. S, France and so on. U. S. is Club Meds Number 1 target. It plans to open 3 new resorts around U. S it spends large amount of money on advertising, renewing facilities and adding new ones.

Body and gender representation Essay

The general public is also the intended audience for this movie. Here, woman is represented as a jobless, single mother, a situation that many women in society find themselves in. Out of desperation, Brokovich presses her lawyer to give her a job in his firm and was given a clerical position. However, she was not treated with seriousness because she did not conform to the dress and manners required of an office employee. In the course of her work, she came across information about a company depositing toxic chemicals that polluted the local water supply. She takes an active role in building a case against the company. Gender representation is consistent with cultural norms in that women are mothers whose role is to nurture their children. However, the strength, assertiveness, intelligence, efforts to control and direct life and active involvement in social issues portrayed by Brokovich departs from cultural norms which dictate that women be passive, dependent or should focus their time on domestic affairs. This female representation is very positive. Les Miserables (1998) An adaptation of the French classic novel, the movie is again for general patronage. In line with the novel, the film portrays an ex-convict Jean Valjean who commits crime but soon establishes a new life under a new identity. He builds a business employing the poor and disadvantaged and upon the dying wishes of a prostitute whom he defended from unjust imprisonment and whom he took care of while sick, raises her daughter as his own. He does everything to ensure her safety, education, home, social standing and financial security. Gender representation in this film is positive. Male representation moves away from the cultural norm of detached and not domestically inclined father. Here, Valjean takes on the nurturing role, selfless with a strong stance against the oppression of both women and men. However, this was not carried out in the traditional manner of knight in shining armor or as a male holding a position of power but rather as a struggling person helping his fellow poor. The representation of women was through Fantine, an unwed mother whom poverty forced into prostitution and her daughter who was enslaved and abused by the family to whom she was initially entrusted. The woman in this family was particularly cruel. This portrayal of women as traditionally helpless, discriminated and taken advantage of but who can also take on the role of oppressor provides a realistic view of the variety of roles that women take on in society. Pictures 1. This photo in a magazine’s swim suit edition portrays femininity in terms of physical beauty. This is defined as flawless hair, clear skin with an excellent tone, slimness and curves. This representation is consistent with society and male’s standard of femininity and beauty to which a woman’s worth may be judged. Because women’s bodies are different and the average woman does not look like her at all, its impact on women is negative. It leads them to become dissatisfied with their bodies which results in a poor body image and low self-esteem. It also reinforces women’s gender roles of preoccupation with beauty. In regarding themselves as defective and in cultivating the desire to attain the model’s looks and body, women will spend much time, effort and money. The target audience of the magazine includes teen-agers and young women who are potential buyers of the product being advertised. 2. The strong, muscular and aggressive stance of the male in this photo, which appeared in a magazine for women, represents current cultural norms regarding masculinity which encompasses male gender roles of taking the active part, dominant, capable and powerful. It reflects traditional views that men cannot be soft, weak, puny or vulnerable. Men are affected negatively by this representation because it also establishes a standard that they have to conform to. It establishes that these physical characteristics are what women would find appealing but like women, men are also different. Hence, those men who do not possess the physical attributes portrayed by this model will feel insecure and would also attempt to build their physique and the matching attitude. 3. The intended audience for this picture is also women. Aside from portraying femininity in terms of beauty, femininity is also represented as youth and sensuality. The dress, the body parts revealed and position of the model are both sexy and seductive. It reflects the traditional view of women as sex objects and their role as a source of male sexual fantasy and satisfaction. Similarly, this representation is negative because it implies that in order to be desired by men, women have to have the proper physical attributes of breasts, legs and buttocks such as portrayed. It impacts most especially on the self-esteem of older women since age diminishes the physical characteristics perceived as desirable. Wrinkles, age spots and decreasing muscle tone, which occur within the normal course of an older woman’s life, are now regarded as their adversary.

Brand and Dairy Milk

The story of Cadbury Dairy Milk started way back in 1905 at Bournville, U. K. , but the journey with chocolate lovers in India began in 1948. Currently Cadbury India operates in five categories, which are Chocolate Confectionery, Milk Food Drinks, Candy, Gum and Snacks category. In the Chocolate Confectionery business, Cadbury has maintained its undisputed leadership over the years. Some of the key brands are Cadbury Dairy Milk, 5 Star, Perk, Éclairs, Celebrations, Temptations and Gems. Cadbury enjoys a value market share of over 70% – the highest Cadbury brand share in the world!Their flagship brand Cadbury Dairy Milk is considered the â€Å"gold standard† for chocolates in India. The pure taste of CDM defines the chocolate taste for the Indian consumer. Earlier Cadbury Dairy Milk had positioned itself as a chocolate for kids . Later it was repositioned as a chocolate meant for all age groups emphasizing on the children hidden in us. The model that we have used is Customer Based Brand Equity Model and with the help of this model we have analyzed that how Cadbury Dairy milk has evolved since years and its perception has changed in the minds of consumer overtime.Cadbury Dairy Milk has done this perception evolving process with the help of aggressive advertising and they have been very successful in achieving their target.COMPANY OVERVIEW HISTORY (CADBURY)In 1824, John Cadbury opened a shop in Birmingham. This one-man business, trading mainly in Tea & Coffee was to be the foundation of Cadbury Limited. For over 100 years Cadbury was a family business. In 1943 non family directors were appointed. In 1847, the enterprise had prospered to a large factory in Bridge Street, Birmingham. John Cadbury took his brother Benjamin into partnership and the family business became Cadbury Brothers Birmingham.The business moved to Bourneville after outgrowing the Bridge Street Factory. The Workforce had risen up to 200 after 32 years at Bridge Street. After the death of two brothers in 1899, the company was privatized. It entered the era of scientific management; it introduced new ideas for their department like: Advertisement & Cost Analytical Laboratories Sales Department Offices Education & Training for Works Committee Medical Department employees On 2nd February, Kraft Foods took over 71% shares of Cadbury. They acquired it totally. But still Cadbury was on top in the market.This acquisition did not changed people’s mind and their craze for Cadbury Dairy Milk. Cadbury began its operation in 1948 by importing chocolates and then re-packing them before distributing it in the Indian market. After 62 years, it is having five companies at Thane, Induri (Pune), Malanpur (Gwalior), Bangalore, Baddi (Himachal Pradesh) and 4 sales offices in (New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai). The corporate office is in Mumbai. The company’s main purpose is â€Å"Working together to create brands people love† capture the spirit of wh at we are trying to achieve as a business.We collaborate and work as team to convert products into brand. Simply, â€Å"we spread happiness†! Currently Cadbury India operates in three sectors viz. Chocolate Confectionery, Milk Food Drinks and in the Candy category. In the Chocolate Confectionery business, Cadbury has maintained its undisputed leadership over the years. Some of the key brands are Cadbury Dairy Milk, 5 Star, Perk, Éclairs and Celebrations. Cadbury enjoys a value market share of over 70% – the highest Cadbury brand share in the world! Cadbury is the â€Å"gold standard† for chocolates in India.The pure taste of CDM defines the chocolate taste for the Indian consumer. In the Milk Food drinks segment our main product is Bourn vita – the leading Malted Food Drink (MFD) in the country. Similarly in the medicated candy category Halls is the undisputed leader. The Cadbury India Brand Strategy has received consistent support through simple but imaginative extensions to product categories and distribution. A good example of this is the development of Bytes. Crispy wafers filled with coca cream in the form of a bagged snack, Bytes is positioned as â€Å"The new concept of sweet snacking†.It delivers the taste of chocolate in the form of a light snack, and thus heralds the entry of Cadbury India into the growing bagged Snack Market, which has been dominated until now by Salted Bagged Snack Brands. Byte was first launched in South India in 2003. Since 1965 Cadbury has also pioneered the development of cocoa cultivation in India. For over two decades, we have worked with the Kerala Agriculture University to undertake cocoa research and released clones, hybrids that improve the cocoa yield. Our Cocoa team visits farmers and advises them on the cultivation aspects from planting to harvesting.We also conduct farmers meetings & seminars to educate them on Cocoa cultivation aspects. Our efforts have increased cocoa productiv ity and touched the lives of thousands of farmers. Cadbury Milestones The Cadbury story is a fascinating study of industrial and social developments. From a one man business in 1824, Cadbury has grown to be one of the world's largest producers of chocolate. A small family business developed into an international company and the high standards of the Cadbury brothers were combined with the most sophisticated technology, skills and innovation.VisionThe governing objective for Cadbury India is to deliver Superior Shareholder value.Cadbury in every pocket.Sustain growth of Cadbury’s market through aggressive product development.Focusing on cost competitiveness & productivity in operations and innovative utilization of assets.Investing to develop people.Missionâ€Å"To provide customers with a tempting and exquisite taste† as enticing treats means a mouth watering treat which is simply irresistible.â€Å"Cadbury means quality† this is the promise of Cadbury. Its repu tation is to built upon quality.Its commitment to continuous improvement will ensure that promise.CADBURY PRODUCTSChocolateCadbury Dairy MilkCadbury CelebrationsBournville5 StarPerkGemsTobleroneBRAND ELEMENTSDairy Milk has been meticulously built around the world by Cadbury. It has been able to sustain a strong position in the market. There are many branding elements which have resulted into consistent result of its success. In India and across the world, the only chocolate wrapped in Purple with the logo of Cadbury written on it. Color of all other products of Cadbury like Gems which is so colorful.Packaging which introduces slight of milk splash shows the relation of milk with Cadbury. Insignia Logo which comes on the packaging in bold vintage Dairy font in white which also shows the relation of milk with the product. Logo Not only the above three, But there are many more elements due to which the consistent Branding of Dairy Milk is so very popular. Its different Advertisements, its punch lines etc†¦ It has always kept a strong association with Milk, with slogans such as â€Å"a glass and half of full cream milk in every half pound. And also advertisement which featured a glass of milk pouring out and forming the Dairy Milk bar.Also the ad campaigns are also the important element of Dairy Milk. It made chocolate an eating habit among the consumers, especially the adults. Long back it was a belief that chocolate is only for kids. But Dairy Milk changed this belief. Also they changed the trend of Sweets (Mithai) during the occasions like Diwali, New Year etc†¦ Dairy Milk brought a new trend that whether any occasion, Dairy Milk is best for all. Tolani It also gave some famous dialogues from the ads which people remember always.They were also the core brand elements of Dairy Milk. Let us see them below:The Real Taste of Life- A girl Dancing on Cricket FieldKhane walo ko Khane ka Bahana ChahiyeKuch Meetha Ho JayePappu Paas ho GayaAaj Pehli Tareekh Ha iShubh AarambhAll these above dialogues were form the very famous and popular ad’s of Dairy Milk. By this ad they wanted to covey to the people that for eating Dairy Milk they do not haveto wait for any occasion. They can just have it. Whether they are happy or Sad, But Dairy Milk can be taken in any of the mood.BRAND PORTFOLIOWorldwide In June 1905, Cadbury launched its first Dairy Milk bar, with a higher proportion of milk and it became the best selling product of the company by 1913. Fruit and Nut was introduced in 1928. In 2003, Cadbury made Dairy Milk into a family brand by taking the brands like Caramel, Whole Nut, and Wispa and marketed them as the sub-brands of Dairy Milk. By2006, there were 15 Dairy Milk sub-brands produced in UK including Shortcake Biscuit, Wafer, Orange Chips, Mint Chips, Crispies and Cream Egg. In following two years these brands were discontinued as they were not successful.Indian Market The Dairy Milk Brand alone accounts for approximately 33% o f total Cadbury’s sales. It has made Cadbury the number one confectionery brand in the market. Currently in India, Dairy Milk has following sub-brands under its name.BRAND POSITIONING AND REPOSITIONINGCadbury Dairy Milk has been the market leader in the chocolate category for years and has participated and been a part of every Indian's moments of happiness, joy and celebration. Today, Cadbury Dairy Milk alone holds 30% value share of the Indian chocolate market. In the early 90's, chocolates were seen as ‘meant for kids', usually a reward or a bribe for children.In the Mid 90's the category was re-defined by the very popular `Real Taste of Life' campaign, shifting the focus from `just for kids' to the `kid in all of us'. It appealed to the child in every adult and Cadbury Dairy Milk became the perfect expression of ‘spontaneity' and ‘shared good feelings'. The ‘Real Taste of Life' campaign had many memorable executions, which people still fondly rememb er. However, the one with the â€Å"girl dancing on the cricket field† has remained etched in everyone's memory, as the most spontaneous & uninhibited expression of happiness.This campaign went on to be awarded ‘The Campaign of the Century', in India at the Abby (Ad Club, Mumbai) awards. In the late 90's, to further expand the category, the focus shifted towards widening chocolate consumption amongst the masses, through the ‘Khanewalon Ko Khane Ka Bahana Chahiye' campaign. This campaign built social acceptance for chocolate consumption amongst adults, by showcasing collective and shared moments. More recently, the ‘Kuch Meetha Ho Jaaye' campaign associated Cadbury Dairy Milk with celebratory occasions and the phrase â€Å"Pappu Pass Ho Gaya† became part of street language.It has been adopted by consumers and today is used extensively to express joy in a moment of achievement and success. The interactive campaign for â€Å"Pappu Pass Ho Gaya† ba gged a Bronze Lion at the prestigious Cannes Advertising Festival 2006 for ‘Best use of internet and new media'. The idea involved a tie-up with Reliance India Mobile service and allowed students to check their exam results using their mobile service and encouraged those who passed their examinations to celebrate with Cadbury Dairy Milk.The ‘Pappu Pass Ho Gaya' campaign also went on to win Silver for The Best Integrated Marketing Campaign and Gold in the Consumer Products category at the EFFIES 2006 (global benchmark for effective advertising campaigns) awards.SOME INTERESTING FACTSCadbury Dairy Milk emerged as the No. 1 most trusted brand in Mumbai for the 2005 edition of Brand Equity's Most Trusted Brands survey. Cadbury Dairy Milk & Bournvita have been declared a â€Å"Consumer Superbrand† for 2006-7 by Superbrands India. During the First World War, Cadbury Dairy Milk supported the war effort.Over 2,000 male employees joined the armed forces and Cadbury sent bo oks, warm clothes and chocolates to the front.CHANGING PERCEPTIONDairy Milk has regular users. They do not have any particular occasion. They just have it. Children and youngsters play an important role Decision Roles in deciding when to have dairy milk. And now old age people also are slowly are in decision making. Dairy Milk has changed the scenario of having Occasions sweet sometimes. They say have it anytime including Diwali, Raksha bandhan, Weddings Dairy Milk have absolute loylaty status.Loyalty Status As we know that Dairy Milk is the only Brand who is the only one to promote chocolate as an important part of Festivals as well as it changed the mind sets of the people that chocolate is not only for kids but for all. The strategy to target adults was taken further with the help of a brand new positioning â€Å"Kuch Meetha Ho Jaye†. For Indians occasions and festivals have utmost importance and Dairy Milk rigorously focused on this point and set a new trend of having Dai ry Milk in place of â€Å"Mithai† during the occasions.CHANGING PERCEPTION OVERTIME THROUGH ADVERTISEMENTCadbury is a brand that all of us have literally grown up with. Though it has been immensely successful in its operations in the USA, UK, Australia, etc. from the 1800s, it entered the Indian market only in 1948. Since then, it has used a variety of strategies and a string of ad campaigns to reach out to the Indian consumer. Initially, Cadbury ads targeted children – they showed a loving father bringing chocolates home for the children as a surprise. The ads were formulated keeping in mind the Indian society then, where the children didn’t have money with themselves to buy sweets and chocolates.With this, Cadbury was able to capture a substantial part of its target segment – the kids. Next, it launched its famous ad where a teenage girl watches her friend play cricket and jumps into the cricket field, eating a Cadbury chocolate as soon as he hits a cen tury. Another advertisement showed a prospective bride with mehndi on her hands, prying open the wrapping of Cadbury chocolate with her elbows. It showed that teenagers too can enjoy the Cadbury chocolate. Girl in the cricket field Mehndi Next came the much talked about ad featuring Cyrus Broacha. It showed people from all age groups – a housewife in her 40s, a couple well into their 60s, and a teenager – enjoying the chocolate as Cyrus sang in the background â€Å"Khaane walon ko khaane ka bahaana chahiye†. In this way, Cadbury created inroads into all possible age groups. Post this, Cadbury changed its strategy. Having tapped all age-groups, it wanted to project Cadbury chocolates as a meetha – thereby trying to eat into the market of traditional Indian sweets.Advertisements were doled out showing Cadbury chocolate being enjoyed at every possible instance- before a good task (Shubh kaam ke aarambh se pehle), after dinner (Khaane ke baad meethe mein k ya hai), on payday (Khush hai zamaana aaj pehli taariq hai), after passing exams (Pappu pass ho gaya) or while just having a good day (Main khush hun aaj khamakha). Apart from this, Cadbury always comes out with special advertisements before important festivals like Diwali (toh iss Diwali aap kise khush karenge) and Rakshabandhan (Cadbury Celebrations- Pyar ka shagun).Cadbury was projected as the chocolate to eat on important as well as happy occasions. Kuch meetha ho jaaye Shubh Aarambh Khaane ke baad Khush hai zamana Pappu pass ho gaya Main khush hun Diwali Rakshabandhan It is because of such intelligent and innovative marketing strategies that Cadbury is the most successful chocolate brand in the India. Even now it posts a revenue growth of 30% annually, which is amazing.COMMUNICATION STRATEGYCadbury was the one having 70 % market shares in chocolate industry. Out of which 30% was the Dairy Milk alone. This is because of constant re-invention of the brand & bombarding comm unication towards the consumers consistently to maintain the top position in mind recall in confectionery segment.Dairy Milk was awarded as No. 1most trusted brand in Mumbai 2005 for the edition of Brand Equity’s most trusted Brand Survey. Dairy Milk targeted all the aspects as possible to get into the heart of all the people, ofall age groups. For this they communicated with people through different Ad’s &Campaigns. Let us see few of them below: Khane walo KO Khane ka Bahana Chahiye Pappu Paas Ho Gaya Shubh Aarambh was one of successful campaigns of Dairy Milk. This means Auspicious Beginning. With this campaign they said that for whatever you start, start it with Dairy Milk and it will be successful.For this they chose the best to advertise: Amitabh Bacchhan.TOOLS FOR COMMUNICATIONDairy Milk used different media options to communicate different campaigns and promote Dairy milk. They are: Outdoor Television Radio Internet TV Advertisements is the most popular method f or Dairy Milk to show their new campaigns to people so that they can more and more relate it with their personal lives. They also have ground promotions in different malls. They arrange some contests also to promote their brand.DISTRIBUTION STRATEGYAs we know that Dairy Milk holds 30% value share of chocolate market. The demand of chocolate is increasing day by day. And Dairy Milk is no. 1 in that race. Indian market &specifically where the penetration of chocolates is increasing, brings a need for efficiencyin logistics and distribution. There is stiff competition in the confectionery market due to large exposure of foreign currency rate risk, mainly on account of import of cocoa beans, cocoa butter. Cadbury Dairy Milk is easily available anywhere in the market. Cadbury’ success of proper distribution is their efficiency.PRICING STRATEGYDairy Milk is positioned towards age group of 4-50, and thus the price is accordingly kept affordable. Also it is easily accessible to all c ategories. Price range starts from Rs. 5to Rs. 20 in different sizes. Cadbury Dairy Milk fruit and nut starts from Rs. 30. Dairy Milk Silk is a premium brand and thus the price of it is little higher that is Rs. 50.MARKET SHARECadbury Dairy Milk has launched some very creative advertisements in India over the years. More than innovative, the ads have been very relevant to the Indian ethos.The ‘shubh aarambh’ ads which captured the Indian tradition of having something sweet before an important occasion or ‘kuch meetha ho jaye’ which associated Cadbury Dairy Milk with celebratory occasions. Recently, Cadbury Dairy Milk has been airing the ‘meethe mein kuch meetha ho jaye’ campaigns which have found a lot of favour with the audience. The ads, in typical Cadbury style, are very heartwarming and creative. If we look through the years, we can clearly see that Cadbury is doing everything possible to maintain a strong hold on the Indian chocolate marke t.While it remains a dominant leader with over 70% of the market share, this has eroded over the years as competitors like Nestle, Amul and CAMPCO have made strong forays. There was a time before and during the early 90s when Cadbury’s enjoyed an even higher market share. This was the time when chocolates were very clearly positioned for children. However, with the entry of global giant Nestle, two things happened. Firstly, there was a sudden spurt of competition for Cadbury. But more importantly, the market began to grow at a faster pace.Cadbury seized this opportunity and started creating advertisements that were targeted towards the ‘kids in all of us’. This was a very smart move as they already had the children’s segment all tied up. Moreover, the children of the 90s have now grown up, and Cadbury still offers them reasons to eat Dairy Milk. Hence, while their market share has eroded by a few points, Cadbury has significantly improved its revenues in a bsolute terms by evolving a long term advertising plan and one that is very relevant to the Indian context.With predominantly Indian themes, special moments (remember the girl dancing on the cricket field) and soulful music, Cadbury has really managed to connect with the audience. The recent ‘meethe mein kuch meetha ho jaye’ campaign is simply a continuation of this strategy to expand the market. In conclusion, Cadbury Dairy Milk has managed to take a simple chocolate bar and create numerous associations with it over the years. It has built up different audiences over the years, and to every audience it offers a different meaning but one that is very relevant.COMPETITOR’S ANALYSISIn Indian Market, the main players in the confectionery market are Cadbury, Nestle, Candico, ITC and Parle. Let us see the competitors of Cadbury Dairy Milk in detail below Company Founded in Brand Portfolio Kraft Foods 1903 Cadbury Dairy Milk & Variants, Éclairs, Bourn vita etc†¦Nestle 1860 Kitkat, Smarties Ferrero 1940 Rocher, Raffaelo, Nutella Amul 1945 Milk Chocolate, Fruit and Nut chocolate Candico 1997 Loco Poco Gum, Big Bubble ITC 2002(Confectionery Minto and Candy man Segment)Parle 1929 Melody, Mango Bite, Poppins, Kismi, Orange Candy.POINT OF PARITY (POP) & POINT OF DIFFERENCE (POD)POPs PODs Point of Parity Point of Difference Attributes or benefits Attributes which are which are strongly not unique but associate with somewhat same as competitive brand. compared to other They make the brand brands. something different from the other.POP’s & POD’s OF CADBURY DAIRY MILKPoint of Parity Point of Difference Chocolate manufacturing Legacy GoodwillVariants such as Fruit & Nut, Dark Emotional connect with customers Chocolate Constant innovation in ads Generic name in Indian chocolate market Good quality products Campaigns targeting from kids to adults Association with milk Excellent distribution systems 2 Layer packaging Dairy Milk is the on ly one chocolate which says that in occasions also it can be used as sweet.BRAND EXPLORATORYCustomer Knowledge Cadbury dairy Milk has been trying to get out of the image of† Just another chocolate† and become something special in the minds of the people.They have also been trying to position themselves as chocolates for all age groups and not just kids. The campaign has successfully created a picture in the mind of the customers that Cadbury is not just a chocolate but means of celebrations. Sources of Brand Equity There are two main sources of Brand Equity and they are: Brand Brand Image Awareness It is customers ability to It is consumers identify under different perception about the situations. brand. Brnad Image has three Two things form Brand main pillars: How Awareness: Brand strong it is, Is it Recognition and Brand Favourable and what Recall are the unique brand associations.BRAND AMBASSADORSAs we know that previously Dairy Milk was only considered as Chocolate, but their new campaign has changed this perception of consumers. As discussed above now Dairy Milk is considered as Traditional sweet of Indian culture(Mithai) which people give to their near and dear ones on the occasions and now they use Dairy Milk as sweet (Mithai). Brand Ambassador chosen for Dairy Milk is none other than Megastar Amitabh Bacchhan. He endorsed the brand so successfully that everyone loved the brand much more than they did.The endorsement has successfully captured the Indian festivals like Raksha bandhan, Diwali, Wedding, Birthdays etc†¦ Now people give Dairy Milk as token of love, care and affection to their friends and family.BRAND MANTRA OF DAIRY MILKDairy Milk also enjoys a great – Brand Recall value when comes to chocolates with Milk. Dairy Milk has huge command over – its distribution network spanning across India. Certain segment feel that price of innovations with crafted Dairy Milk is high and compared to communication campaign that Am ul Milk chocolate is preferred.It offers quality product with Dairy Milk is somewhat lacking in establish a clear and consistent other emerging markets. It has Brand Image over the years. Strong command over its brand image in India and Europe But other places it is lacking. Dairy Milk has been able to the recent acquisition of Cadbury which is a globally established by Kraft Foods may result in brand name known for its somewhat negative effect on the manufacturing competency and brand.CUSTOMER-BASED BRAND EQUITY PYRAMIDRationale of CBBE model:Basic premise: The power of a brand resides in the minds of the customers. The challenge is to ensure that the customers have the right kind of experiences with the products and services and their marketing program to create the right brand knowledge structures i. e. Thoughts Feelings Images Perception & Attitudes Building a strong brand involves a series of steps as part of a â€Å"branding ladder†. It is characterized by a logically c onstructed set of brand â€Å"building blocks†. We need to identify the areas of strength and weakness and to provide guidance to marketing activities.BRAND SALIENCEBrand Salience measures awareness of the brand, how often and how easily the brand is evoked under various situations or circumstances. It is the same as brand identity i. e. Who are you?DEPTH OF AWARENESSIt measures how likely it is for a brand element to come in mind i. e. ease of recognition and the ease with which it does so i. e. recall value. The Cadbury brand is associated with best tasting chocolate which includes from everything from solid blocks to chocolate filled bars and novelties. For many people , chocolate is Cadbury and no other brand will do.The core values of quality, taste and emotion supports the Cadbury brand. Consumers know that they can trust a chocolate bar that carries Cadbury branding. The swirling chocolate and „glass and a half? are powerful images. They both portray a desire for chocolate while the half full glass suggest core values of goodness and quality. The brand has been successful in establishing the link, in the mind of the consumer ,that Cadbury equals chocolate.BREADTH OF AWARENESSIt measures the range of purchase and usage situations in which the brand element comes to mind.Branded products command premium prices. Consumers are willing to pay the premium if they believe that the brand offers levels of quality and satisfaction that competing brands do not. Now Dairy Milk comes in Rs. 5 The campaigns of „Pappu pass ho gaya? and „Miss Palampur? aim to popularize Dairy Milk connecting it to various usage situations. Three consumer segments of „impulse? , „take home? and „gift? has been identified. Impulse purchases are usually products bought for immediate consumption. Take Home confectionary is generally bought in supermarket and is often driven by specific need.The specific need or usage can be an occasion. The consum ers make more rational decisions like brand influence, price/value relationship. These areas are further subdivided for e. g. the gift sector comprises special occasions (B?days or festivals) and token or spontaneous gift.BRAND PERFORMANCEIt describes how well the product meets customers? more functional needs. It transcends the product?s ingredients and features to include dimensions that differentiate the brand. The Cadbury brand name has been existence since 1824 when John Cadbury opened his shop in Birmingham, England.Over the years it has survived in a highly competitive market and developed its competitive advantage. It is successful in communicating the customers that it is still the ultimate in chocolate pleasure. It has shown the consistency in performance. The strength of the umbrella brand supports the brand value of each chocolate bar, thus implying how reliable the brand is. Cadbury’s packaging on the functional level, the pack was structurally sound to protect t he product quality in distribution and storage conditions, thus the consumers can acknowledge the durability of the product.The economic life of the product was mentioned in the product as per the respective food regulatory body. Cadbury’s world famous packaging is comprised of four key elements:1. Distinctive packaging design.2. The Cadbury corporate purple color.3. The glass and a half full of full cream milk logo.4. The Cadbury script logo.These elements convey to consumers the memorability, distinctiveness and high quality of Cadbury products. The attractiveness of packaging alone can be instrumental in stimulating a purchase specially impulse buyers.The brand also comes in various attractive packages for different occasion like „Diwali?, „Raksha Bandhan?, „Christmas? etc.BRAND IMAGERYIt depends on the extrinsic properties of the product including the ways in which the brand attempts to meet customer?s psychological or social needs. The intangible associ ation to Cadbury includes family experiences, childhood memories. The product could be bought from supermarket on the insistence of the child to its parents or from department store or specialty store through impulse buying or for little pleasures.The Cadbury as a person is able to create a feeling of warmth, the togetherness of family & friends on special occasions, to hold those relationships in life which are of prime importance and to savor the sweet success of winning. The core values of quality, taste and emotion are the pillars of the brand. The milk pouring on the chocolate bar, the icon represents the unique production process in Cadbury?s Dairy Milk chocolate which uses a glass and a half of full cream Irish milk in every half-pound, hence the unique taste of the chocolate.It serves to identify the product, its contents and the manufacturer. The heritage that has been passed down from the past.BRAND JUDGMENTSThese are customer’s personal opinions about and evaluatio ns of the brand, which consumers form by putting together all the different brand performance and imagery associations. Brand Quality: Consumers trust the brand because there is certain level of quality attached to it. The people buy chocolates during the auspicious occasion as a token of their love tells the level of trust that the people have.Brand Credibility: The brands like Five Star, Perk derive benefit from the Cadbury parentage including quality and taste credentials. The flagship chocolate brand, Cadbury Dairy Milk which is over 100 years old, is the third largest largest chocolate brand globally with retail sales of $2 billion. Its revenue grew by 5% in the year 2007 and by further 9% in the first half. Brand Consideration: The brand has been considered for possible purchase and use not only as a chocolate but it has become a substitute for sweet. The punchline „Kuch Meetha Ho Jaye? justifies this.The campaign has been highly successful with the brand endorsement of Amitabh Bachchan and consumers buy it for occasions like â€Å"Diwali† and â€Å"Raksha Bandhan† Brand Superiority: The unique taste of chocolate which comes in a pure form.BRAND FEELINGSThese are customers? special responses and reactions to the brand. The feelings that are evoked by the marketing program or by other means. Warmth The brand evokes a soothing type of feeling. As the chocolate melts inside our mouths, a similar soothing effect is felt inside our hearts.The commercial for the cricket match shows how sweet success of winning can be savored by the sweet taste of Cadbury. It also depicts fun and excitement. Passion It is reflected in the impulse buying nature of consumers. The commercial featuring a girl with „mehndi? put on her palms has a strong desire to have chocolates and she is adamant to have it. Bond of love & relationships The brand provides the consumers with an opportunity to express their love to their family and friends. It is a time to c elebrate and have few precious moments of togetherness.Enthusiasm The cricket match commercial also reflects the fun & the excitement. The brand makes the consumers feel excited.BRAND RESONANCEIt describes the nature of this relationship and the extent to which customers feel that they are â€Å"in sync† with the brand. It is characterized in terms of intensity, or the depth of psychological bond that customers have with the brand, also the level of activity engendered by this loyalty ( repeat purchase rates and extent to which customers seek out brand information). Attitudinal attachmentThe level of attachment can be judged by the fact that the consumers feel that is a perfect gift for special occasions. It could be used to express their token of love. The â€Å"little pleasures† that can be derived from the moments of family get-together. The moment consumers think about celebration they think about the brand. Sense of community The consumers feel a kinship or affili ation with other people associated with the brand. The commercial in which BigB and his childhood friend exchange their gifts they feel how much their choices resemble and automatically a feeling of kinship is developed.The sense of belongingness to that particular brand is generated. Behavioral loyalty The repeat purchases on various occasion be it Diwali, Christmas or to express their love or vote of thanks, only this brand comes to the consumers mind. This is the level of loyalty that the Cadbury brand shares with it consumers.RECOMMENDATIONSMaintain dominance in chocolate segment.Many new players are trying to enter Indian market so it should formulate new strategies so as not to lose market share.New channels such as gifting, child connectivity and value for money offering to be the key growth drives. Grow volume sales at least 20% p. a. over the next years.One new major product launch every year.FDI will bring in many new products and competitors so Cadbury will have to mainta in there strong market distribution channel so as not to lose market share.They need to maintain high standards and should be careful that there product remains sterile. And is not effected by insects.They should change packaging of Dairy Milk. Conclusion Will lose market share with globalization (a la Maruti) but will remain brand leader.Pest Analysis P: since the budget range is decontrolled, no political effects are envisaged.E:1) increasing per capita income resulting in higher Disposable income2) Growing middle class/urban population – increase in Demand3) Low cost of production – better penetrationS:1) Per capita consumption expected to increase – fashion2) Increasing gifts culture – increase in demand3) Lower cholesterol than â€Å"mithais† (sweet meat) – Substitute demandT: Will have to reinforce technology to international levels once India is a â€Å"free† economy .