Marketing Research Objectives and marketing theory Essay

Marketing Research Objectives and marketing theory - Essay Example The simplest definition of marketing is however, the process of influencing consumer behaviour in a number of ways into purchasing a product according to a marketer’s agenda. The ways used to influence consumer behaviour vary but the commonality amongst all of them is to convey to the audience that the product is an object of necessity. Nowadays, communication of this sort is done between a marketer and its consumers through mediums such as advertising through the radio, print and the vibrant electronic media (Pride & Ferrell, 2011). Having had a general idea about the concept of marketing, in order to orchestrate it, marketers all around the world need to carry out some planning through researching to guide themselves and this is called marketing research. The American marketing association defines marketing research as being the means of creating a link between the consumer, customer, as well as public to the marketer with information which would enable him to identify marketing opportunities as well as issues, and lead towards making them more efficient and productive in every way (Malhotra, 2008). If this is so then it is understandable that in order to proceed towards conducting a marketing research a set of research objectives would be needed to make sure the effort is headed in the right direction (McDaniel & Gates, 1998); (Berkowitz, 2011)? The research objectives would and can be directly tailored according to the goal expected to be achieved through the process of the marketing research (McDaniel & Gates, 1998). If the aim of the marketing research by a marketer was to determine whether his food and drinks company for example should introduce a new ‘energy drink’, the research objectives of that specific marketing research campaign could be; Identify the differences between the tastes of the various drinks being offered by the competitors and compare them with their respective

The Argument of Elite Theorists Essay Example for Free

The Argument of Elite Theorists Essay In order to assess how useful this view is, we must first look at the differing factions operating within the framework of elite theory. On doing this it will become apparent within the scope of Government, that this view is outdated and riddled with flaws. Elite theory originally developed from the work of Gaetano Mosca and Vilfredo Pareto, two italian sociologists writing at the turn of the last century. Pareto argued that, in the course of history, different leadership qualities are required in order to adapt society to changed circumstances. Essentially, two types of person can be distinguished, lions and foxes, the former, according to Pareto are stolid and forceful, willing to use violence. The latter are basically sly, wheeler-dealer types. One or other type will rule as long as it can cope with the political and economic problems facing it; but in certain circumstances their particular qualities will be insufficient for the task in hand, and they will be deposed by the other group. Pareto describes this process as the circulation of elites, which rise and fall through a combination of psychological aptitudes and historical circumstances, irrespective of the economic or social structure of society. There are many flaws in Paretos work, but the main ones must centre on his inability to explain the origins of the elites rise to power, and his classification of people into two -and only two-psychological types (S.MOORE,1995). The belief that a superior group forms a ruling elite underlies Moscas(1939) writings too, and it is this superiority that he sees leading the elite to power in the first place. Once there, the elite continues to rule, not solely because it is superior but also through its relatively small membership, which makes it far better organised than the mass of the population. Pareto fails to provide a method of measuring and distinguishing betwwen the supposedly superior qualities of elites. He simply assumes that the qualities of the elite are superior to those of the mass. His criterion for distinguishing between lions and foxes is merely his own interpretation of the style of elite rule (HARALAMBOS HOLBORN,1990). Whereas Pareto and Mosca attempted to provide a general theory to explain the  nature and distribution of power in all societies, the American sociologist C.Wright Mills presents a less ambitious and wide-ranging version of elite theory. He limits his analysis to American society in the 1950s. Unlike the early elite theorists, Mills does not believe that elite rule is inevitable: in fact he sees it as a fairly recent development in the U.S.A. Unlike Pareto, who rather cynically accepts the domination of the masses by elites, Mills soundly condemns it. Since he sees elite rule as based upon the exploitation of the masses, he adopts a conflict version of elite theory (HARALAMBOS HOLBORN,1990). Robert A.Dahl has criticised Mills from a pluralist perspective. He has claimed that Mills has simply shown that the power elite has potential for control. Dahl argues, the potential for control is not equivalent to actual control. Dahl maintains that actual control can only be shown to exist by examination of a series of concrete cases where key decisions are made: decisions on taxation and expenditures, subsidies, welfare progrmas, military policy and so on. Dahl claims that by omitting to investigate a range of key decisions, Mills and also like-minded British sociologists have failed to establish where actual control lies. As a result Dahl argues that the case for a power elite remains unproven (HARALAMBOS HOLBORN, 1990). Since the British variant of power elite theory(the idea of a socially and culturally cohesive establishment) was first asserted in the 1950s, it has decreased rather than gained in plausibility. This is first, because British politics has become more polarised, more open and more democratic. It became more polarised in the 1970s, as large differences between major parties displaced consensus. In these circumstances, it became virtually impossible to maintain that elections did not alter things much, and even more difficult after the general election of 1979. Clearly, the advent of Mrs Thatcher changed things a great deal. Second, British government became more open and less secretive. This happened more by inadvertence than design and it was usually resisted by governments of the day. Nonetheless by the 1980s, the public were far more aware of what went on in the inner counsels of the  Cabinet and in the Whitehall village than was the case a generation previously. The publication of politicians diaries and memoirs(Richard Crossman, Barbara Castle), leaks by civil servants(Clive Ponting) and the revelations of goings-on within the secret services by people like Peter Wright provided fascinating if somewhat selective glimpses of power in the inner sanctums of government and made its mysteries less mysterious. Finally, as we have seen, certain important sectors of British society became more democratic. In political parties, members played an increasing role in the election of leaders and the selection of party candidates; in trade unions, balloting on the choice of leaders and on strike decisions became the norm. The increasing hold of television on society tended to promote both greater openess and greater democracy -not least by providing continual public demonstrations that, far from being cohesive and untied, the so-called establishment spoke with many, often sharply divergent, voices (COXALL ROBINS,1989). The overall count against the notion of an establishment in Britain is clear; it is neither united, nor -in an age of revelations and media coverage- mysterious, nor-and most important of all -free from popular control. It is a myth.

The Diet Dr Pepper Campaign Paper Marketing Essay

The Diet Dr Pepper Campaign Paper Marketing Essay The taste of Dr Pepper is the well-known to be oldest soft drink over the world. The taste is unmatched and it is 23 delicious flavours have withstood the test of time. The competition in trying to take a firm hold a firm hold of potential customers is a never-ending, ascending battle in any industry. This is a fight that takes place in the product market. In the U.S. soft drink market is a highly competitive. In order to command market share a brand should be able to differentiate itself from its rivals. In this point, Dr Pepper has always been finding position itself in the world unique soft drink market since it is comprised of 23 flavours. The current slogan is One Taste and You Get It (Dr Pepper Snapple Group, 2008). Currently Dr Pepper holds the third place in market share for the U.S. They fall behind major players Pepsi-Cola and Coca-Cola which account for 74 % of the market. With consumers embracing the current health trends, diet Dr. Pepper was named one of the top 10 soft drink in 2002 due to health conscious attitudes. This market is predicted to continue its growth worldwide. Diet Dr. Pepper is a yummy drink, and indeed it does, as its ads assure us, taste more like regular Dr. Pepper [assuming we understand: than Diet Coke tastes like Coke or Diet Pepsi like Pepsi, though 7-UP and Sprite might give it a run for its money on that account. Not to mention that the slogan as it stands is nonsensical. Tastes more like regular Dr. Pepper. Of course it does! It is Diet Dr. Pepper, and thus is bound to taste more like regular Dr. Pepper than, say, Pepsi, coffee or mustard! ike a vegetarian who still wants a burger and so eats BOCA, the diet soda drinker longs for the days when 140 calories meant nothing and so diet drinks function as a kind of bubbly nostalgia for youth, even when the consumer has long since convinced him- or herself that he or she prefers diet sodas According to marketline research, the global diet food and drink market is forecasted to reach $113 billion by 2010. As well as Diet Dr. Peppers growth among users, Dr Pepper is one of the few non-diet soda brand to gain market share Diet Dr Pepper Diet Dr. Pepper is liked for its unique, non- cola taste, its ability to maintain its carbonation, and its zero calorie content. More than anything, Diet Dr. Pepper is the absence of cola flavour that seems to turn reviewers on, since there are already so many diet colas on the market. Diet Dr. Pepper is sometimes the only diet soft drink some can tolerate, like Finally Found a Diet Soda That Tastes Good and anther reviewer who also likes the unique qualities and uses for Diet Dr. Pepper and says When Im Feeling Under the Weather, I Reach for a Dr. Pepper. (www.viewpoints.com) Campaign Objectives and Marketing Situation When considering a marketing objective it begins with the companys financial objectives. Profitability, return on investment, and cash flow are the most common elements. The financial objectives are converted into marketing objectives. After marketing objectives are determined, then the company creates new marketing strategies, strategic marketing plan. Marketing strategy is the process of evaluating the options for achieving the marketing goals. Consumer in a market are seldom uniform and often have different needs and wants (Rodengen, 1995). Diet Dr. Peppers advertising campaign is based on an assumed nostalgia for days when drinking regular soft drinks did not reflect some form of moral failure to avoid excess calorie intake. Not only that. The form of this nostalgia is telling: a sleazy lawyer-type makes faulty arguments based on the assumption that Diet Dr. Pepper tastes so much like regular Dr. Pepper that any legal claim brought to bear with regard to Diet Dr. Pepper must be w rong because it has mistaken it for a diet beverage when it clearly tastes like a non-diet beverage. Therefore consumers need to be segmented. That called market segmentation strategy. From this segments marketer identifies, evaluates and select target market based on similarities of needs. Diet Dr Pepper competes in a dynamic and constantly changing category that makes it difficult to increase market share and sustain long-term brand growth. Main factors that challenge the brands growth include the following: Sluggish category growth. The diet, carbonated-soft drink category was growing at an average annual rate of only 1.4 percent. Growth of new-age beverages. The new-age segment-consisting of sparkling juices, natural sodas, flavoured sodas, and other items-was growing at a rapid rate (10 percent annual growth), posing a strong challenge to diet Dr Pepper and other diet soft drinks. Price sensitivity of soft-drink category. Price is a main brand-choice determinant in this category, but Diet Dr Pepper is at a competitive disadvantage inasmuch as it is priced higher on a cents-per-ounce basis than Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola brands. Lack of bottler attention and focus. Approximately three-fourth of Diet Dr Peppers volume is distributed via the Coke and Pepsi bottler distribution network, which in many instances causes Diet Dr Pepper to be a low-priority item with insufficient retailer support. Inadequate distribution. Relative to its larger competitors, Diet Dr Peppers distribution is insufficient in trial-inducing outlets such as food service/fountain and vending machines. Greater spending by main competitors. Diet Dr Peppers share of voice at the onset of the advertising campaign was only 4.8 percent in this highly competitive and advertising sensitive category. Campaign Target and Objectives The target audience for Diet Dr Pepper consists primarily of adults aged 18-49 who are present or prospective diet soft-drink consumers. In view of the above marketing challenges, the objectives for the Diet Dr Pepper advertising campaign (titled The Taste Youve Been Looking For) are as follows: To increase Diet Dr Pepper sales by 4 percent and improve its growth rate to at least 1.5 times that of the diet-soft drink category. To heighten consumers evaluations of the key product benefits and image factors that influence brand choice in this category: it is refreshing, tastes as good as regular Dr Pepper, is a good product to drink at any time, and is a fun brand to drink. To enhance those key brand-personality dimensions that differentiate Diet Dr Pepper from other diet drinks-particularly that Diet Dr Pepper is a unique, fun, entertaining, clever, and interesting brand to drink. The Proposition The proposition strategy for Diet Dr Pepper is The Taste Youve Been Looking For. The Competition The success of Dr Pepper in the soft drink industry illustrates the coupling of realistic knowledge of corporate strengths with sound industry analysis to yield a superior bussiens strategy.The major competitors of Diet Dr Pepper are; Coca-Cola products (Diet Coke), Pepsi-Cola Products (Diet Pepsi) dominates Dr Peppers industry. According to Porter (1998), Dr Pepper choose a strategy of avoiding the largest-selling drink segment, maintaining a narrow flavour line, forgoing development of a captive bottler network, and marketing heavily. The company positioned itself so as to be least vulnerable to its competitive forces while it exploited its small size. The U.S. beverage market is a highly competitive and crowded field. In order to command market share a brand must be differentiate itself from is competitors. To make this differentiations, Dr.Pepper positioned itself as the the wolds uniqe soft drink since it is comprised of 23 flavours. Dr Pepper currently controls 15% of sales volume in the beverage market and has a market value of $6.5 billion. Creative Strategy and Supportive Promotions The creative strategy for Diet Dr Pepper positioned the brand as tasting more like regular Dr Pepper. This is a key claim based on research revealing that nearly 60 percent of initial trial users of Diet Dr Pepper are motivated by the desire to have a diet soft drink that tasted like regular Dr Pepper. The cornerstone of the campaign entailed the heavy use of 15 second commercials, which historically had not been used by Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola, which instead preferred the entertainment value of longer commercials. The aggressive use of 15 seconds commercials enabled Diet Dr Pepper to simply convey its key taste claim (tasting more like regular Dr Pepper and differentiate the brand from competitive diet drinks. Moreover, by employing cheaper 15 seconds commercials, it was possible to buy many more commercial spots and hence to achieve greater reach, frequency, and GPRs for the same advertising budget. Diet Dr Peppers advertising expenditures totalled  £10 million. In addition to advertising campaign, the brand marketers for Diet Dr Pepper implemented several sales promotion programs to achieve their lofty goals. From January through April, a trade promotion called The Pepper Advantage provided bottlers with  £20 gift certificates that they could distribute to retailers to encourage greater display space for Diet Dr Pepper. In additional, attractive coupons were placed on 2- and 3- litre bottles of Diet Dr Pepper to encourage repeat purchasing by consumers. From April to September, during baseball season, the Pepper Pastime promotion was run to enhance sales of Diet Dr Pepper to consumers in convenience stores. Promotions included free bottles of Diet Dr Pepper and Premium objects, including autographed baseballs and baseball jerseys emblazoned with the Diet Dr Pepper brand name. During May through August, a promotional tie-in with the Foot Locker chain of athletic stores was undertaken. Purchasers of 12- and 24- packs of Diet Dr Pepper received Foot Locker gift certificates if their pack contained a winning game card inside. Collectively, these sales promotion programs were designed to complement the advertising campaign and substantially boots immediate sales of Diet Dr Pepper products. We can see that selection of advertising media is one of the most important and complicated of all marketing communications decisions. Media planning must be coordinated with marketing strategy and with other aspects of advertising strategy. The strategic aspects of media planning involves include four steps: (1) selecting the target audience toward which all subsequent efforts will be directed; (2) specifying media objectives, which typically are stated in terms of reach, frequency, gross rating points (GRPs), or effective rating points (ERPs); (3) selecting general media categories and specific product within each medium; (4) buying a media. Media selection are influenced by a variety of factors such as most important are target audience, cost, and creative consideration. Media planners should select media vehicles by identifying those that will reach the designated target audience, satisfy budgetary constraints, and be compatible with and enhance the advertisers creative message. Basically, companies must market their products with creative, informative, and interesting messages that show how the products meet the needs and wants of consumers. A key factor in marketing a product is communication.

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder ( PMDD ) Essay -- Biology Essays Resea

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder ( PMDD ) Everyone experiences some unhappiness in his or her lifetime whether it is a specific situation or not. It becomes more serious when the cause is a form of "depression." It is a fact that women experience depression about twice as much as men (1). These causes specifically for women can be complex and so are the solutions (3). A common syndrome affecting an estimated 3% to 8% of women in their reproductive years is called Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) (4). PMDD is specifically known as a mood disorder of severe depression, irritability, and tension with symptoms worsening a week or so before a woman's menstrual period and usually settling out afterwards (5). PMDD can be devastating to all areas of a woman's everyday life, including family relationships, friendships, and the ability to work or go to school (3). Many people still believe that the emotional symptoms caused by PMDD are not real, and that a woman should be able to shake off the symptoms if only she tried hard enough. Because of these inaccurate beliefs, women with this depression either may not recognize that they have a treatable disorder or may be discouraged from seeking or staying on treatment. Often, women's concerns regarding their condition are not taken seriously which leads to feelings of self-doubt, frustration and hopelessness (6). Feeling sad or stressed during a menstrual period doesn't necessarily mean a woman is suffering from PMDD. This is a common assumption made by women who are confused about their emotional state. As a female suffering from PMS monthly, I can admit that PMDD has become questionable in my mind. There have been many times that I have suffered anything from constant tiredne... ...uffering so women can continue to live prosperous and fulfilling lives without the burden of PMDD's awful symptoms. Sources 1) Did you know? Depression, http://www.depression-net.com/dep.html 2) Information and Treatment for Depression, http://www.psychologyinfo.com/depression/index.html 3) Women and Depressive Episodes, http://www.womens-health.com/health_center/mental/depress_pms.html 4) Recognizing the range of mood disorders in Women, http://mentalhelp.net/articles/women.htm 5) Health Advice For Women, http://health.indiahit.com/ 6) Quick Self-Test, http://www.womens-health.com/health_center/mental/depress_pms.html 7) Symptoms and Treatment for PMDD, http://my.webmd.com/content/article/39/1663_52557 8) Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro01/web2/www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010221/msgs/55293.html

Psychology and Coon

Interview Interpretation Sheet Your Name: Mickey Beaty Directions: Please provide substantive answers to the following questions regarding the information you gathered from your interviewees. Plan on at least 150–300 words per question written in complete sentences and full paragraphs. You may use a separate Word document instead of this worksheet if you prefer to complete your answers in a paper format (including a title page to identify your work). Please submit either this completed sheet or your Word document paper as your assignment. 1.Describe any common elements among the statements made by your subjects. I interviewed three different subjects on the definition of psychology and the role of psychologists. During the interviews I conducted all of the subjects shared the same belief of psychology being the study of behavior. Two of the subjects were of the same belief that psychologist record data accurately or inaccurately and waste resources. 2. How do the notions about psychology shared by your subjects differ from the definition of psychology described by Coon and Mitterer?Although all the subjects I interviewed said psychology is the study of behavior that differs from the definition of psychology according to Coon and Mitterer in the introduction to Psychology textbook. The textbook defines psychology as the scientific study of behavior and mental processes (Coon & Mitterer 2010). The subjects I interviewed were partially correct in there description of psychology but they did not describe it as a scientific study just a study of behavior. 3.Describe any major misconceptions your subjects may have about psychology based on what they shared during their interviews. The subjects I interviewed had very different beliefs on what the role of psychologists was or the functions of their position. Some of the subjects were very skeptical of the work that psychologists do and their effectiveness at their position. Another subject had a misconception of a psychologist being just a psychiatrist who sits and listens to problems and talks people through their issues.There are many different forms of psychology that the subjects didn’t mention. They had notion of psychologists just siting and taking notes on people’s behavior instead of recognizing the scientific studies and experiments that lead to factual findings. I think the biggest misconception of psychologists among my subjects was the inability to look past just the study of behavior and inject the scientific method to the study. 4. Describe how your subjects’ perceptions of psychology related to the four goals of psychology as described in the Coon and Mitterer text.The four goals stated in psychology gateways to the mind by Coon and Mitterer are description, understanding, prediction, and control. The subjects that I interviewed all had the description portion of the four goals correct. Answering psychological questions often begins with a careful descri ption of behavior ( Coon & Mitterer). The way you get a description of behavior is by studying the behavior in which all the subjects agreed upon.I think the some of the subjects related to the control aspect of the goals because they had been in teaching profession in which it is a controlled environment to get results. Although I was not able to gage the perceptions on understanding and prediction I predict that they had knowledge of these elements do to their educational backgrounds. 5. How do your subjects’ views relate to the main ideas of the theories and contemporary views (such as the biological perspective, cognitive view, sociocultural perspective, et cetera) introduced in Chapter 1 of the Coon and Mitterer text?The subjects I interviewed were I believe the subjects I interviewed relate to the biological perspective. Two of the subjects I interviewed were teachers and they indicated genetics playing a role in behavior. They had seen a variety of different students f rom different backgrounds and concluded that the genetic make-up of students have an effect on behavior. That also speaks to the psychological perspective behavioristic view. The key idea in this view as stated by (Coon & Mitterer) Behavior is shaped and controlled by ones environment.These subjects taught kids in different environments and seen behaviors change with the use of control. 6. Describe your subjects’ demographics, such as gender, age, and education level. Identify any differences and similarities in their responses that may be based on these demographic factors. Out of the subjects I interviewed two were women and one was a male. All three subjects were in the age range between 45-65. All of these subjects have attended college and two of them obtained master’s degrees in different fields outside of psychology.All of these subjects that I interviewed stated that they believed psychology was the study of behavior. The differences that these subjects had wer e on the role of the psychologist. Two of these subjects had very cynical ideas on how effective and important a psychologist is. Some of the statements by these two subjects were along the lines of psychologist’s being a waste of resources or interpreting data incorrectly. The third subject was from the belief of a psychologist role as being able to assist a client by building relationships and trust to resolve issues.Although these subjects had similar educational backgrounds as well as being relatively in the same age group I believe there could be different elements that give them different prospective. The two cynical subjects are racially different from the third party which may have an effect on the different prospective. They also come from a different class which may give them a different prospective or preconceived notion on psychologists. References Coon, D. , & Mitterer, J, (2010). Introduction to Psychology: Gateways To Mind And Behavior (12 ed. ) Belmont, CA :wa dsworth

Technology Headaches essays

Technology Headaches essays Have you ever been frustrated with your computer? Misplaced you cell phone? Or could not program a VCR? Well thanks to technology we have all these modern day convinces. Unfortunately the downside, to the fast pace world of technology, are the high stress levels and even more dangerous the growing dependences. Like most people I have had the urge to smash my computer with a bat, or throw it out a window. At one time or another everyone has the urge to beat their computer, for me it is more often than most. Although the computer is a great tool that allows us to do so many different thing such as chatting online, email, shopping, and researching, the thing it does best is frustrate us. Being a computer systems information major, I have trouble shot the many problems that can occur with computers. I know the pain one feels when losing that long important essay on the computer, or having a computer freeze while chatting or playing games, or the having the computer crash, and the one program that just will not work. Computer problems can be very stressful to many people, including myself. As many people deal with technology today it is all too easy to become stressed out. With each advance in technology, which is supposed to make life easier, our daily lives get slightly more complicated. Unfortunately, it cannot be escaped. Technology is becoming apart of our ever day lives. As computers are incorporated into your everyday lives one must be careful of the health problems. High stress can lead to high blood pressure, or long hours at the computer screen can cause eye strain, improper posture which can cause back problems, and even repetitive typing may lead to carpel tunnel syndrome. When working with computers or any technology one should take be patient and try not to stress out. Every so often take a break from the computer, step away stretch and get a breath of fresh air outside. ...

Verbs Like Know

Verbs Like Know Verbs Like Know Verbs Like Know By Maeve Maddox Reader Nancy has noticed the following use of know: If Id know this years ago. This is a non-standard use of the verb, possibly an example of dialect. In standard usage known is the past participle called for in this clause: If Id known this years ago†¦ Know belongs to a small group of verbs that have retained their irregular forms: know-knew-(have) known blow-blew-(have) blown grow-grew-(have) grown throw threw (have) thrown The third form in each example is the past participle form used with the helping verbs have and has. The past participle can also be used as an adjective. Here are some examples: Verb use If Id known this years ago, I would have changed my behavior. The wind has blown without cease for three days. I have grown these tomatoes from seed. Billy has thrown a perfect curve ball. Adjective use Elizabeth George is a well-known author. The youth has no known arrests. My car has a blown gasket. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:30 Synonyms for â€Å"Meeting†How Long Should a Paragraph Be?50 Synonyms for â€Å"Villain†

Chronic Absenteeism Related to Drop-out Rates

Chronic Absenteeism Related to Drop-out Rates While most educators, students, and parents  think of September as back-to-school month, that same  month recently has been given another important education designation. Attendance Works, a national initiative that is  dedicated to improving the policy, practice and research around school attendance has named September as National Attendance Awareness Month.  Ã‚   Student absences are at crisis levels. A September 2016 report Preventing Missed Opportunity: Taking Collective Action to Confront Chronic Absence using data provided by the  U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) reveals that, the  promise of an equal opportunity to learn is being broken for far too many children. More than 6.5 million students, or about 13 percent, miss three or more weeks of school, which is enough time to erode their achievement and threaten their chance of graduating.  Nine out of 10 U.S. school districts experience some level of chronic absenteeism among students. To counter this problem,  Attendance Works,  a fiscally-sponsored project of the Child and Family Policy Center non-profit organization, is working as a  national and state initiative that  promotes better policy and practice around school attendance. According to the organizations  website, We [Attendance Works]  promote tracking chronic absence data for each student beginning in kindergarten, or ideally earlier, and partnering with families and community agencies to intervene when poor attendance is a problem for students or schools. Attendance is a critically important factor in education, from developing national funding formulas  to predicting graduation outcomes.   Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which guides federal investments in elementary and secondary education for states, has chronic absenteeism as  reporting element.   At every grade level, in every school district, across the nation,  educators know first hand that too many absences can  disrupt  a students learning and the learning of others. Research on Attendance A student is considered chronically absent if they miss only  two days of school per month  (18 days in a year), whether the absences are excused or unexcused.  Research shows that by  middle and high school, chronic absence is a leading warning sign that a student will drop out. This research from the National Center on Educational Statistics noted that differences  in absentee rates and projections for graduation  were observed as early as kindergarten.  Those students who eventually dropped out of high school had missed significantly more days of school in first grade than their peers who later graduated from high school. Moreover, in a study by E.  Allensworth  and J. Q. Easton, (2005) called  The On-Track Indicator as a Predictor of High School Graduation: In eighth grade, this [attendance]  pattern was even more apparent and, by ninth grade, attendance was shown to be a key indicator significantly correlated with high school graduation (Allenworth/Easton). Their study  found attendance and studying more predictive of dropout than test scores or other student characteristics. In fact, 9th grade attendance was a better predictor of [student] dropout than 8th grade test scores. Steps can be taken at at the upper  grade levels, grades 7-12, and  Attendance Works offers  several suggestions to counter attitudes that prevent students from attending school. These suggestions include: incentives/rewards/recognition provided  for good attendance;personal calls (to home, to students) as reminders;  adult mentors and after  school leaders trained to reinforce the importance of attendance;curriculum that features engaging, team-based activities that students do not want to miss;  Ã‚  academic support provided to students who are struggling;  efforts to make  school a place of success rather than a negative experience; engaging community partners, such as, health providers and criminal justice agencies. National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP) Test Data A state-by-state analysis of NAEP   testing data shows that students who miss more school than their peers score lower on the NAEP tests in grades 4 and 8. These lower scores were found to be consistently true in every racial and ethnic group and in every state and city examined. In many cases,  the students with more absences have skill levels one to two years below their peers. In addition, While students from low-income families are more likely to be chronically absent, the ill effects of missing too much school hold true for all socio-economic groups. Grade 4 test data,   absentee students scored an average 12 points lower on the reading assessment than those with no absences - more than a full grade level on the NAEP achievement scale. Supporting the theory that academic loss is cumulative,   Grade 8  absentee students scored an average 18 points lower on the math assessment.   Mobile Apps Connectto Parents and Other Stakeholders Communication is one way educators can work to reduce student absenteeism. There are a growing number of mobile  apps educators can use to connect educators with students and parents. These software platforms share the daily classroom activities (EX:  Collaborize Classroom, Google Classroom,  Edmodo). Many of these platforms allow parents and authorized stakeholders to see short and long term  assignments and individual student work. Other mobile messaging apps (Remind,  Bloomz,  Classpager,  Class Dojo,  Parent Square)  are great resources  to increase regular communication between a students  home and school.  Ã‚  These messaging platforms can  allow teachers to emphasize  attendance from day one. These mobile apps can be tailored to providing student updates on individual attendance or used to sharing data about the importance of attendance in order to promote  a culture of attendance all year long. Conferences:Traditional Connections to Parents and Other Stakeholders There are also more traditional methods to share the importance  of regular attendance with all stakeholders. At the beginning of the school year, teachers can leverage the time during a  parent-teacher conference to talk about attendance if there are already signs or a pattern to a student missing school. Mid-year conferences or conference requests can be helpful in making face-to-face connections that   Teachers  can take the opportunity to make suggestions to parents or guardians that  older students need routines for  homework and  sleep. Cell phones, video games and computers should not be part of a bedtime routine. Too tired to go to school should not be an excuse. Teachers and school administrators  should also  encourage families to  avoid extended vacations during the school year, and to try to line up vacations with the school’s schedule of days off or holidays. Finally, teachers and school administrators   should remind parents and guardians the academic importance of planning doctor and dentist appointments during  after school hours. Announcements regarding a schools attendance policy should be made at the beginning of the school year, and repeated regularly throughout the school year.   Newsletters, Flyers, Postersand Websites The school website should promote daily attendance. Updates on daily school attendance should be displayed on the home pages of every school. The high visibility of this information will help to reinfrce the importance of school attendance. Information about the negative impact of absenteeism and the positive role daily attendance has on academic achievement can be placed in newsletters, on posters and circulated on flyers. Placement of these flyers and posters are not limited to the school property. Chronic absenteeism is a community problem, particularly at the upper grade levels, as well. A coordinated effort to share information about academic damage caused by chronic absenteeism should be shared throughout the local community. Business and political leaders in the community should receive regular updates on how well students are meeting the goal of improving daily attendance. Additional information should feature the  importance of attending  school as a students most important job. Anecdotal information such as the facts listedon this flyer for high school parentsor  listed below can be promoted in schools and throughout the community: Missing one or two days a month can add up to nearly 10 percent of the school year.  Students who attend school set up the routines for future employment and showing up for for work on time every day.Students who attend school regularly are more likely to graduate and find good jobs. High school  graduates make, on average, a million dollars more than a dropout over a lifetime.School only gets harder when students  stay home.  Too many absent students can affect the whole classroom, creating redundant instruction and slowing down other students. Conclusion Students who miss school, whether the absences are  sporadic or on consecutive days of school, miss academic time in their classrooms that cannot be made up. While some absences are unavoidable, it is critically important to have students in school for learning. Their academic success depends on daily attendance at every grade level. NOTE: An infographic with additional statistics to share with students and families with younger students is offered by Attendance Works on this link.

Synthesis paper Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Synthesis - Term Paper Example Taking this course has enabled me to fully appreciate the various facets of leadership and to realize that leadership is an art in itself. The 9100 class required me to participate in a leadership simulation program online. I assumed two main roles: a state representative in economic development to head of funds distribution. Being in the economic development board, I was exposed to the myriad of challenges one faces when he or she has been granted the power and authority to make decisions. Before taking the course, I, like many other people, used to avoid discussing power since each one has a different opinion about it. However by this course, I came to understand that it is the trait which distinguishes leaders from followers and using it the right way is a very challenging task. This course has equipped me with the necessary qualities needed to be a good leader by making me work my way through problem-based experiences. In this paper, I will reflect upon how the leadership simulat ion course has helped me develop leadership traits and how the concepts of leadership apply to my experiences and learning. Being a member of the economic development board in the leadership simulation program allowed me to develop and hone my leadership skills. The program was a platform for me to come across the experiences that senior leaders face in their respective disciplines. By assuming a placement position in the economic department, I was exposed to the brunt of real responsibilities. The various skills that the simulation experience honed included better communication ability, making decisions in the spur of the moment as well as putting them to the test of thoughts and brainstorming, solving conflicts that may arise in the course of activities and performing other responsibilities of a board member. Being a simulated board member also opened the opportunity to interact with my peers and to work as a team. I realized the importance of team work and the importance of each and every member in interprofessional teams. This not only helped me to direct the decisions taken towards the optimal performance of the board but also to develop value-generating strategies which served to improve the efficiency of the processes. In the program, I came to identify my leadership style and to create a leadership plan2. The leadership program helped me to make my way through the problem-based scenarios in an organized and structured way. I was given different situations. In one such situation, being a member of the economic development board, I was required to evaluate the feasibility of a funding proposal. A lump sum of $1 million was proposed to be given to an economic development group, over a course of three years. My job was to investigate and decide whether the investment was worth it and if it contributed towards the betterment of the community as a whole. $1 million is a lot of money and in order to make such a decision, I had to evaluate the aims of the econ omic development group in detail. The situation allowed me to further upon my accounting skills and to weigh the profits against the possible losses. Discussing the situation with other board members allowed to me to diversify my communication and negotiation skills and to use the collective opinion in making a decision which is for the greater good of the community. Moreover, since I had a senior role and the amount of money being invested was large, my responsibility of keeping an

Republic Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Republic Government - Essay Example The great French Revolution, although short-term, roused a new spirit of independence in Europeans. Later, in the 19th century, many countries outside Europe attained independence through continuous struggle; but the major turn out came after the 2nd World War, of which most of the countries developed a trend away from democracy. (Carey, 2007) Even though colonial life has almost ended, some parts of the world are still fighting for a proper government according to their own views. Two of these major parts are Palestine and Kashmir. What's ironical is that countries involved in these disputes are republics themselves; but look at the years of struggle these areas have gone through. Theoretically, the United States is a democratic republic nation where people exercise control over their rulers through elections and lobbying; but since implementation of the new constitution, the government has been facing extensive difficulties. Financial problem was the main worry of the new government. They were in huge debt due to the Revolutionary War, which was a threat to their economy. The need for roads and bridges was inevitable, but they could not be afforded. Enforcing new taxes was also a problem, which lead to the Whiskey Rebellion.

Three Es of Sustainable Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Three Es of Sustainable Marketing - Essay Example This essay discusses that the company organizes its internal and external processes in a way that helps it to maintain value for its stakeholders. Internal process includes the management of resources and external process includes activities of the firm that is suitable for the environment. Stakeholder includes people which are directly or indirectly connected with the organization like owner, employees, shareholders and value chain partners etc. This method is known as Sustainable Marketing. Companies who want to establish and maintain its value and have clearly defined goals related to its activities and its effect not only on their economical condition but also on the people around and environment in which they operate. Importance of Sustainable Marketing can be understood by the company when they start realizing that they are dealing with finite resources, so they have some responsibilities towards its existing and potential stakeholders, and by focusing on fulfilling its respons ibilities they can gain benefit for short as well as long term. Thompson, explained the different methods or thoughts of sustainable marketing, any resource that is lacking can be a problem, as a valuable way of learning to perform, and problems related to moral values and integrity. Organizations’ marketing can become more sustainable by means of three important strategies, commonly known as three E’s. Following are the ‘E’s of sustainable marketing: ecology; economy and ethnology.... ether the requirements or necessity of its customer through all its aspects, similar to SMO that bring together the objectives and values for sustainability of the firm, and every decision they takes, is always based on its goals for sustainability. Burgerville - A Sustainable Organization Burgerville, a U.S.A based company with headquarter is in Tacoma, is a fast food chain and a good example to Sustainable Marketing. This company named Burgerville can be considered as a sustainable marketing company, their strategy of marketing is based on sustainable marketing, and this is the main factor to consider. This fast food restaurant's marketing strategy is based on the promise of development, contribution in the betterment of the location where they are placed, plus decreasing their negative environmental affects, as well as for profitability and growth of the corporation. Burgerville's main factor of attention is towards its value chain process, they try to deal with the producers clos ely to domestically source, to maximize efficiency (Needham 2009). Burgerville is trying to utilize wind power efficiently, and to recycle their waste to minimize wastage of their material. Their waste diversion program is a relevant example of Burgerville’s promise for sustainable activities. To manage the large amount of use less cooking oil produced in its store, Burgerville begin a biodiesel production and marketing program with collaborative work with a small local company which was at its start-up stage. Burgerville provides its every employee, safe atmosphere to work and healthcare which is afforded by them, in addition they also have started program to build and improve leadership skills, these all efforts is a part of their internal marketing program. Suggestion for the

Curriculum Foundations and Theory, Design, Development, and Essay

Curriculum Foundations and Theory, Design, Development, and Implementation - Essay Example tween instruction and curriculum is important in the design of any curriculum (Mooney & Mausbach, 2008).This paper will analyze the process of curriculum development and various educational philosophies that associate with it. The paper will also highlight the educational philosophy in the school that makes it stand out from the rest. Curriculum development and design borrows the analogy behind building strong buildings. A house will stand the tests of time only if the foundation thereof is strong. Similarly, improved school performance will occur when there is a proper ground on education and curriculum. There are two main approaches to curriculum development. The first method involves coming up with a sound and clear standards that merge with appropriate school assessments. Lack of well-defined curriculum impedes schools performance and results to a curriculum chaos. Next is the training of professional school personnel. Teachers need to undergo training that will enable them to meet periodically and review the curriculum and assessments (Mooney & Mausbach, 2008). Teachers have a high responsibility in continuous revision of curriculum that majors on instructions. Due attention must be placed on the â€Å"what† and â€Å"how† of the curriculum. Learn then Do is one important fundamental concept to curriculum development. Highly qualified professionals should oversee the development process of the curriculum. Proper strategies need to be in place to allow smooth curriculum development between the various stakeholders in curriculum development (Mooney & Mausbach, 2008). The love of wisdom is philosophy. Philosophy is instrumental in that it helps teachers to focus and reflect on the major educational concepts. The study of philosophy triggers questions such as what is to be educated, what knowledge is and the nature of learning to take place. Philosophical education deals with beliefs about what, why and how you teach and the mode of training. It acts as a

English Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

English Literature - Essay Example of the creative element inherent in it, but also because of the manifestation of the imagination that could be found within it in the sense that we create what we see, beginning to recognize how the representation of social issues might help to bring about change in these same social issues. The world was full of symbols and signs that would portend future events and actions which were knowable through their relationship to the myths and legends of antiquity. Many of the concepts that emerged as a part of Romanticism were reactions to the social upheaval that was taking place at this time coupled with a shifting economic structure. During the ‘Romantic Period’, the poets took part in a movement against the Industrial Revolution and the Enlightenment, where they protested (with their poetry) the ideals of those Europeans who sought to bring reason and ‘Enlightenment’ to the world. The Romantics expressed their defiance of the so-called ‘reason’ that both the Industrial Revolution and the Enlightenment brought to society. Throughout this period, women’s appearances in literature are characterized as dependent upon men for any outward action. Most of the principle female characters are white and invariably subservient to men. While this is often understood as a male-dominated and defined society in which women had no voice at all, the degree of truth in this idea is largely dependent upon the au thor and his background. It has been said of Romantic literature that ‘The tendency to portray women as binary opposites suggests a misogynistic perception of the inadequacy of female character’. While this may be true of much Romantic literature, Lord Byron’s poetry, such as his most famous work ‘The Corsair’, illustrates a more even-handed approach. The three cantos of â€Å"The Corsair† tell the story of a pirate chief named Conrad. The poem opens with Conrad on his pirate island, described in terms that convey the sort of haunted, lonely

Strategic Analysis of Sainsbury Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Strategic Analysis of Sainsbury - Essay Example In spite of the prevailing issues, the UK market has been able to acquire a stable and reasonable growth rate (Li, 2008, p.1). There are about 92,796 grocery stores in UK which is further divided into four sections, Convenience store; super markets, hypermarkets and superstores; Traditional retails and online channels (IGD, 2011). The biggest retail grocery chain in UK comprises of Tesco, Sainsbury, Morrison and ASDA, accounts for 67.9% of the total grocery market of UK (Li, 2008, p.2). Strategic Analysis Strategy is defined as the scope and direction of an organisation for long term, which is set to achieve advantage for the organisation by way of configuring its resources within a changing environment and to fulfil the demands of the stakeholders (Paul, et.al, 2010, p.36). SWOT Analysis Strength: Sainsbury ranks third in the supermarket chain of UK with about 14.30% of market share. This company has a strong market position in UK and was a pioneered in self service relating and in the development of private label goods. Sainsbury initiatives have kept the company at the number 3 position. Sainsbury strength lies on its strap line which states to try something new each day (Li, 2008, p. 4). The Business Model of Sainsbury, which comprises of five headings, great food offered at fair price, accelerating the growth of non food items, reaching customers by way of traditional means of channels, expanding supermarket space and property management is one of the important strengths of Sainsbury. Major strength of Sainsbury, is that the brand believes in providing the customers with sage, healthy, tasty and fresh food. The company emphasise more on fresh food and continues to innovate products according to the requirements of its customers. The company currently transact 21 million customers per week and have captured a market share of 16% which further adds to the strength of the company. The company offers about 30,000 products and also offers a wide range of non fo od products and services. The internet based home delivery service also adds to the advantage of the company (J Sainsbury Plc, 2011, p.3). Weakness: A major weakness of Sainsbury is that the company deals only in two types of store formats, the traditional supermarket and the convenience stores. As compared to other grocery retail outlet, Sainsbury has the least number of types of stores. Tesco has six different store formats which have greatly contributed to the success of Tesco. Another weakness for Sainsbury would be recession. It has been reported that the company has shown signs of poor sales figure with the warnings of recession. Sainsbury has recorded the slowest sales growth ever since 2005 and its share price dip to 327.7p which was analysed that the company was lagging behind its competitors. The company has the weakest operating margin in the food retail sector as compared to its competitors such as Tesco (Finch, 2010).Thus the company must overcome the weakness by using its strength. Opportunities: A huge opportunity lies with Sainsbury to grow as the UK retail market is growing at a steady rate, it provides ample opportunity for the company to utilise its resources and capabilities and grow and achieve a decent market share. With its five main areas of growth, this includes great food at great price, increasing the number of complimentary food, reaching customers by home deliver, and by active property manageme

Curriculum Foundations and Theory, Design, Development, and Essay

Curriculum Foundations and Theory, Design, Development, and Implementation - Essay Example tween instruction and curriculum is important in the design of any curriculum (Mooney & Mausbach, 2008).This paper will analyze the process of curriculum development and various educational philosophies that associate with it. The paper will also highlight the educational philosophy in the school that makes it stand out from the rest. Curriculum development and design borrows the analogy behind building strong buildings. A house will stand the tests of time only if the foundation thereof is strong. Similarly, improved school performance will occur when there is a proper ground on education and curriculum. There are two main approaches to curriculum development. The first method involves coming up with a sound and clear standards that merge with appropriate school assessments. Lack of well-defined curriculum impedes schools performance and results to a curriculum chaos. Next is the training of professional school personnel. Teachers need to undergo training that will enable them to meet periodically and review the curriculum and assessments (Mooney & Mausbach, 2008). Teachers have a high responsibility in continuous revision of curriculum that majors on instructions. Due attention must be placed on the â€Å"what† and â€Å"how† of the curriculum. Learn then Do is one important fundamental concept to curriculum development. Highly qualified professionals should oversee the development process of the curriculum. Proper strategies need to be in place to allow smooth curriculum development between the various stakeholders in curriculum development (Mooney & Mausbach, 2008). The love of wisdom is philosophy. Philosophy is instrumental in that it helps teachers to focus and reflect on the major educational concepts. The study of philosophy triggers questions such as what is to be educated, what knowledge is and the nature of learning to take place. Philosophical education deals with beliefs about what, why and how you teach and the mode of training. It acts as a

Strategic Analysis of Sainsbury Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Strategic Analysis of Sainsbury - Essay Example In spite of the prevailing issues, the UK market has been able to acquire a stable and reasonable growth rate (Li, 2008, p.1). There are about 92,796 grocery stores in UK which is further divided into four sections, Convenience store; super markets, hypermarkets and superstores; Traditional retails and online channels (IGD, 2011). The biggest retail grocery chain in UK comprises of Tesco, Sainsbury, Morrison and ASDA, accounts for 67.9% of the total grocery market of UK (Li, 2008, p.2). Strategic Analysis Strategy is defined as the scope and direction of an organisation for long term, which is set to achieve advantage for the organisation by way of configuring its resources within a changing environment and to fulfil the demands of the stakeholders (Paul, et.al, 2010, p.36). SWOT Analysis Strength: Sainsbury ranks third in the supermarket chain of UK with about 14.30% of market share. This company has a strong market position in UK and was a pioneered in self service relating and in the development of private label goods. Sainsbury initiatives have kept the company at the number 3 position. Sainsbury strength lies on its strap line which states to try something new each day (Li, 2008, p. 4). The Business Model of Sainsbury, which comprises of five headings, great food offered at fair price, accelerating the growth of non food items, reaching customers by way of traditional means of channels, expanding supermarket space and property management is one of the important strengths of Sainsbury. Major strength of Sainsbury, is that the brand believes in providing the customers with sage, healthy, tasty and fresh food. The company emphasise more on fresh food and continues to innovate products according to the requirements of its customers. The company currently transact 21 million customers per week and have captured a market share of 16% which further adds to the strength of the company. The company offers about 30,000 products and also offers a wide range of non fo od products and services. The internet based home delivery service also adds to the advantage of the company (J Sainsbury Plc, 2011, p.3). Weakness: A major weakness of Sainsbury is that the company deals only in two types of store formats, the traditional supermarket and the convenience stores. As compared to other grocery retail outlet, Sainsbury has the least number of types of stores. Tesco has six different store formats which have greatly contributed to the success of Tesco. Another weakness for Sainsbury would be recession. It has been reported that the company has shown signs of poor sales figure with the warnings of recession. Sainsbury has recorded the slowest sales growth ever since 2005 and its share price dip to 327.7p which was analysed that the company was lagging behind its competitors. The company has the weakest operating margin in the food retail sector as compared to its competitors such as Tesco (Finch, 2010).Thus the company must overcome the weakness by using its strength. Opportunities: A huge opportunity lies with Sainsbury to grow as the UK retail market is growing at a steady rate, it provides ample opportunity for the company to utilise its resources and capabilities and grow and achieve a decent market share. With its five main areas of growth, this includes great food at great price, increasing the number of complimentary food, reaching customers by home deliver, and by active property manageme

Of Water and the Spirit by Malidoma Patrice Somé Essay Example for Free

Of Water and the Spirit by Malidoma Patrice Somà © Essay With Of Water and Spirit Malidoma Patrice Some has written a very interesting, engaging autobiography in which he details his life as a man living between two different lifestyles: the traditional life of his people, the Dagara, who live in rural Burkina Faso, the former French Colony known as the Upper Volta, and the life of a highly educated African man with two PhDs who travels throughout the western nations writing, lecturing, and teaching about his people and their relationship between the normal world and the spirit world. According to Some his first name Malidoma means be friends with the stranger/enemy. The Dagara believe a persons name has an affect on the his life so they name their children something that will always remind them of their mission in life. Some, then, is here in the West to tell the world about my people any way I can, and to take back to my people the knowledge I gain about this world (Some 1994, 1). Some was named Patrice when he was baptized by Jesuit priests at the insistence of his father who had converted to Catholicism. The attitude of Some and the Dagara people is very interesting. Instead of feeling hatred against the white men who had colonized the country and basically enslaved the people while stealing their land and resources, the Dagara are concerned about all people, including the white people and are convinced that the West is as endangered as the indigenous cultures it has decimated in the name of colonialism (Some 1994, 1). They believe that western cultures abandonment of functional spiritual values has made the West sick with a sickness of the soul (Some 1994, 1). Some was basically kidnapped from his tribe at the age of four when he was taken away to study at the Jesuit school. At the time the Jesuits were trying create a native missionary force to help in converting the people of Upper Volta. Prior to being kidnapped Some had spent much of his childhood with his grandfather, a great leader of the Dagara. His grandfather taught him many of the stories of the Dagara people, their spiritual beliefs, and their history. Somes grandfather emphasized the close spiritual relationship of the Dagara with the world, the land, and the spirits of their deceased ancestors. The Dagara believe there is an important connection between an individual, his people, his land, and his god. Somes grandfather could not understand the Catholic Churchs attempts at missionary work throughout the world, . . . let me tell you that a God who would send his people away from their land must be drinking a very strong wine all the time (Some 1994, 29). At the time of his death, Somes grandfather told Some that the ancestors had designated Some to follow the white man so that you may serve as the eye of the compound, the ear of your many brothers, and the mouth of your tribe (Some 1994, 40). Somes grandfather also told him that he came back to the tribe he would appear strange to the Dagara, he would only be part Dagara and would have to undergo the month long initiation in the wilderness to become a member of the tribe. Somes time at the Jesuit school was unpleasant. The priests often beat him while they were teaching him as if the beatings would reinforce the lessons and make him confirm to the Jesuit teachings. When he graduated to the seminary school at Nansi he had similar experiences and often found that he lived outside of himself. He would make his thoughts go away from my body so that when the first blow fell, I [he] was not even aware of it (Some 1994, 114). Some resented the way he was treated and found himself rebelling against the method of instruction. This rebellion reached its climax when Some was twenty and became involved in a physical altercation with one of the priests. During the struggle the priest fell through the window and landed in the dirt outside. Consequently, Some ran away from the school to return to his home. His journey home took him eleven days since he was forced to walk the entire way. Ironically, on his journey, Some learned that the country had gained its independence from France in 1960 and such forced schooling had come to an end. Since Some was about four-years-old both when independence occurred and when he was taken away from his people to attend school, he could have returned to his people long before (Some 1994, 153; 99-156). By the time he returned to his village, the Jesuit missionary priests on the hill were gone, although a day school still existed. Once Some was in his home compound, he found he no longer fit it with his people. He had forgotten how to speak the language; the village had changed with independence. His people were not comfortable with him there, nor was he comfortable with them. Consequently the elders decided he should undergo the Baor, the month long initiation, to quiet the white man in your soul . . . so that his soul [would] come back home and . . . stop being a stranger to yourself and to us (Some 1994, 178). Some describes his spiritual initiation in detail and tells how he was able to return to the Dagara. Once he had returned fully to the Dagara, Some found that he was again not comfortable living with his people because he had not yet completed his mission that his grandfather had told him about and that his ancestors had assigned him. Once again it became necessary to leave his people so the he might be friends with the stranger/enemy. This is what Some continues to do today through his writings and lecturing. However, he is careful to return to his home every year to make certain he reconnects with his home and people. Bibliography Some, Malidoma Patrice. Of Water and the Spirit: Ritual, Magic, and Initiation in the Life of an African Shaman. New York: G. P. Putnams Sons, A Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam Book, 1994.

Strategic Business Management And Planning Bentley Security Company Marketing Essay

Strategic Business Management And Planning Bentley Security Company Marketing Essay Business is a dynamic field, (education 1951) where things change fast way. If some company makes mistake in its decisions either short terms or long terms it is always on losing side, and sometimes there is no come back from a dog position in a dynamic market. In this case study we will learn how process models and other tools help to analyze the situation of any business and how companies can effectively use these analysis tools to help them in bad situation as in this case study Bentley Security Company is facing. For answering the three questions of the case study we will go into analysis of the situation using by use of process model analysis, porter five analyses and SWOT analysis, while answering to first question. We will also analyze through the analysis of corporate finance, expansion matrix for company, its product life cycle, its product positioning, its value chain and its competitive position. For answering second question we will analyze why company was fail to realize its core competency related to its value productions. In final question we will answer analyze the expected future profits as said by the CEO of the company that if they will be capable of overcoming the issue of bargain price, return over equity, rising debts, changing security Inc into profit generating component of business and by gaining the confidence of the market . In the end we will conclude the study and will sum it up towards some concrete learning outcome, which can be practical in real business situations which we can face as business strategist working with any company. We will see how any company which facing problems like Bentley Security, can make good strategic choices? 1.1 Background of the study: Bentley is a Security Company that has been trading in Gotham City for twenty five years. Recently, the senior management team met to review progress. Finance Director: I am concerned about our recent financial performance and it seems to me that we are in danger of being taken over at a bargain price. Our return on owners equity is 2% below the industry average and we have a large debt arising from the leverage purchase of Security Services Inc. What we can do to improve our financial results as soon as possible and, at the same time, convince the market that we have a long term viable future? Marketing Manager: In my view we have an excellent portfolio and our problem are mainly due to poor cost control. We progressed from our base in producing domestic alarm systems into commercial systems and then acquired Security Services Inc which provides guard and watch services for commercial premises that capitalized on our core skills at each stage. We decided into diversify because the domestic market was saturated and there have been large increases in the number of suppliers because it is now an easy business to get into as the technology has become standardized. The commercial sector was growing due to the current economic boom; but we have been stuck at 12% market share in the commercial systems market and while Security Services Inc had over 300 service contracts when we acquired it, we have not yet been able to attract any new customers. Human Resource Manager: I should point out that I find it difficult dealing with security personnel and this could be one reason for the fact that we dont make much profit on the security contracts. CEO: If we address the short and long term issues mentioned by the finance director, then we shall remove the incentive for anyone to take us over. But in the meantime, we should investigate the possibility of undertaking a management buy-out (MBO). Issues: Others companies have competing price Finance situation is poor 2% less profits /returns on investors equity Increasing debt Poor cost control Increasing saturation in domestic market Growing new rivals No new customer for security Inc Poor performance of security staff Turning point: Before acquisition of Security Inc Bentley was performing well in alarms production, after acquisition of that company things went poor as Bentley was unable to win new customers. Accounts issues: More expenses at corporate HQ More interest payments on debts Effective use of product development Less expenditure on marketing Control of cash flow that is negative Control of loaning Commercial alarms and security Inc required improvement Product development required as more expenses and attentions on warranty demands Price is far less than market in commercial alarm its 500 as compare to 600 and in security personal its 17000 as compare to 20000 per annum Plus Points: 25 years of experience Good performance in domestic and commercial alarm productions Targets: New targets that could make Bentley again in growth can be its financial targets of increasing the profits and reduction of debts and other costs. Further it also required to win investor confidence over its performance in the market. Suggestions by CEO: Removal of incentives for competitors Management buy-out 2 Question One: Use strategic models to identify the actions the management team might take to deal with Bentleys short term and long term problems. 2 Answer: Bentley is an ideal case study to see how a business that was making progress in last twenty five years suddenly started a decline that brought management to sit and analyze the situation before it is too late. To make a better analysis of situation and get solutions for Bentleys short term and long term problems we need to make following analysis 2.1 Corporate Finance As the study shows that Bentley is suffering from financial problems. So, Bentley management required urgent attention and for that there can be few short term and other long term strategies to control over the finance issues. Short Term Choices: Bentley should make right sizing at its head quarter as it has extra staffing on its head office. It should stop debt as its costing more on payments. Bentley should adjust more on marketing their alarms. Long Term Choices Bentley should get more investment than loan by developing its market position. It should put some finance on product development. It should put finance on marketing. It should invest more on its human resource to get competent staff for security Inc. It should utilize its assets and inventories more into alarm production. Expansion matrix Ansoffs Product and Market Matrix Figure 1: Ansoff Matrix Market Penetration: As it is the strength of the Bentley they must try to recapture and get advantage of the existing market by promoting their domestic alarms and commercial alarms and try to get some repositioning of the brand. Market penetration for Bentley required covering of the four main objectives: Maintain or increase the market share of current products this can be achieved by a combination of competitive pricing strategies, advertising, sales promotion and perhaps more resources dedicated to personal selling Increase usage by existing customers. For example by introducing loyalty schemes. Market Development: They can also go for new markets with the existing product range in these new markets. This means that the product will remains the same, but it is marketed to a new customers. Exporting the product, or marketing it in a new region. There are many possible ways of approaching this strategy, including: New geographical markets; for example exporting the product to a new country New product dimensions or packaging: for example, New distribution channels New pricing policies to attract different customers or create new market segment Product Development: This is a new product to be marketed to existing customers. Here they can develop and innovate new product offerings to replace existing ones. Such products are then marketed to our existing customers. Diversification: Bentley can go for the diversification which can be separated into horizontal and vertical. The horizontal diversification is the addition into the production program like new kind of alarms. The vertical diversification is at the sales stage where company needs to store products according to demand. Product Life Cycle If we compare the two alarms developed by the Bentley we can find that these products are on maturity stage and looking towards a decline as Bentley fail to keep the innovation accordingly. They need more efforts to bring innovation changes and effectiveness of the products so they can put the product back on its growth. Figure 2: Bentley product life cycle Similarly their door supervisors company or security Inc is complete in decline as they fail to generate new customers and now form here it seems total dog stage in a market. Still they can either decide to keep it or they can go back to their core competencies of alarm production. If they want to retain it they need to redesign the human resource management which is completely fail to produce any result since they acquired this company. Figure 3: PLC possibility for Bentley 2.4 Value Chain We can better understand the actions of Bentley through it developed a competitive advantage and create shareholder value by a value chain analysis. In his 1985 book Competitive Advantage, Michael Porter introduced a generic value chain model (M. E. Porter 1998) that comprises a sequence of activities found to be common to a wide range of firms. The aim of these actions is to put forward to the customer a value of product that exceeds the cost of the process, and easily brings in a profit margin. As it can be analyze in value chain model that Bentley have some core competencies and the activities in which it can pursue a competitive advantage as follows: Cost advantage: by better understanding costs and squeezing them out of the value-adding activities. Differentiation: by focusing on those activities associated with core competencies and capabilities in order to perform them better than do competitors. Cost Advantage A firm may create a cost advantage either by reducing the cost of individual value chain activities or by reconfiguring the value chain. As Porter identified ten cost drivers related to value chain activities, So Bentley can go through each and seek what is workable for them in this process: Economies of scale in production of alarms Capacity utilization thats in alarm production Linkages among activities at the company Interrelationships among business units by aligning security inc with alarm business Institutional factors must be controlled especially in security Inc(regulation, union activity, taxes, etc.) At Bentley cost advantage also can be pursued by reconfiguring the value chain. Reconfiguration means structural changes such a new production process, new distribution channels, or a different sales approach. For example, FedEx structurally redefined express freight service by acquiring its own planes and implementing a hub and spoke system. (Fedex 1995-2000) Differentiation Bentley can achieve a differentiation advantage either by shifting individual value chain actions to add to distinctiveness in its alarms or it can get it by reconfiguring the value chain. It can go into forward integration in order to carry out some functions that were performed by its customers like categorization of its alarm systems and models according to customers need. It can adopt a backward integrate to manage over its inputs. It can implement new process technology or utilize a new supply channel. Technology Because technology is in use to some degree in every value creating action, changes in technology can bring competitive advantage. Bentley is using various technologies in both primary activities and support activities as its given below: Inbound Logistics Technologies Transportation of materials Material handling inside production place Material storage at stores Operations Technologies Process of production Machine tools used for production and handling Packaging of the alarms Maintenance of finished goods Testing of alarms Building design operation Outbound Logistics Technologies Transportation of alarms supply to supply stores Material handling inside stores Packaging for supply Communications between all departments involved Marketing and Sales Technologies Media utilization ( Print/electronic/Audio/video) Communications Service Technologies Testing Communications Linkages of Activities Bentley can redesign the alarms for with different shapes and qualities for different customers. This way even it can reduce manufacturing costs. If it is be able to reduce cost in one activity and as a result benefit from a cost reduction in another, from a design change and successfully reduces manufacturing costs and it also further improves due to this costs reduction. Thus it can such improvements the firm has the potential to develop a competitive advantage. Business Units Interrelationships Tangible interrelationships offer direct opportunities to create a synergy among business units. For example, Bentley can make its multiple units share whatever its possible among the business units to share for cost reduction. This sharing of the procurement activity can result in cost reduction. Outsourcing To decide which activities to outsource, managers of Bentley must understand the firms strengths and weaknesses in each activity, both in terms of cost and capacity to differentiate. Managers may consider the following things when selecting activities to outsource. Competitive position Bentley has good track record of twenty five years in alarm business. It is one of good company in market. After it tried to expand its business into security provision (door supervisors) it facing more problem as this new acquisition is not performing well. If we closely analyze the investment situation it still putting les s on alarm business and getting more compare to its security personals business. Company is selling all its products on fair price as compare to market even if they decide to raise price in all precuts still they have advantage over their rivals in the market. They can easily attract customers on this pricing advantage and by creating new innovation in designing or promotions they can still come back into competitive position in the market. 3 Question Two: Is the CEO correct to conclude that these actions will remove all incentive for another company to take over Bentley? 3 Answer: 3.1 Porter Five Analysis of Company In his book Competitive Strategy, Harvard professor Michael Porter describes five forces affecting the profitability of companies. (Porter 1998) These five forces, taken together, give us insight into a companys competitive position, and its profitability. Rivals For Bentley rival is competitor within industry, this rivalry in the industry is very high for Bentley. As these rivals are competing with Bentley over following factors:- à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Number of rivals in market à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Fixed costs à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Product differentiation New Entrants One of the defining characteristics of competitive advantage is the industrys barrier to entry. In security industry its very low for every one starting security firm as there are many barriers from government and its security regulating agencies. Bentley can enjoy benefits of common barriers to entry: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Patents patented technology can be a huge barrier preventing other firms from joining the market. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ High cost of entry the more it will cost to get started in an industry the higher the barrier to entry. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Brand loyalty As Bentley is in market since 25 years its definatley have some worth related to its products specially its alarm systems. Substitute Products Bently should look keenly for what the companys other competitors are doing, and what other types of products are available in the market as there is advancement in technology so there is high risk from others competitors for Bentley. As is the case dealing with new entrants, company can go into an aggressively price to its products to keep people from switching. Buyer Power There are two types of buyer power. The first is related to the customers price sensitivity. The other type of buyer power relates to negotiating power.Conversely, if a company sells to a few large buyers, those buyers will have significant leverage to negotiate better pricing. Some factors affecting buyer power are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Size of buyer à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Number of buyers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Purchase quantity Bentley have advantage in its price and durability of products it have less buyers power broblem. Supplier Power When multiple suppliers are producing a commoditized product, the company will make its purchase decision based mainly on price, which tends to lower costs. On the other hand, if a single supplier is producing something the company has to have, the company will have little leverage to negotiate a better price. Here for Bentley things are favorable with less suppliers power as they depend less over the raw materials. A few factors that determine supplier power include: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Supplier à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Switching costs à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Uniqueness of product 4 Question Three: If the team decides on MBO, how much should they be prepared to pay? 4 Answer: 4.1 Management Buyouts (MBOs) A management buyout MBO is the purchase of a business by its management. Some time owners or the shareholders of any business want to sell the shares of the business or company. For that they give opportunity to the existing management to buy the business. As they know the details of the business and are in a strong position both to worth it and also run it. One can assume that they will make good effort for themselves than for other people. A management buyout is a rare thing in business likely to be a great test of any company and its managements skills in business. Bentley can sell its security Inc as its not performing well and putting problem for the business. For a successful MBO Bentley team may require to focus on some pre MBO arrangement. They not only have to secure their own money and career, but they have to show that they have the vision and proper ability to change their organization and to deliver better outcome as results. Another requirement is their enthusiasm and commitment to convince the management who will buy it that their MBO will work. There are following procedures that required to be followed for a successful MBO. Decision to proceed Managers as investors will be keen to invest in Bentley with predictions which offer the chances of gaining the profits they will invest for. As potential returns maybe higher than current returns because people in new setup will work harder. An understanding of the factors affecting Bentley can help to set forward actions properly. Business plan MBOs are normally highly geared, so the Bentley needs to be able to produce cash and success in the short term. They may have tactics which are practical in the long term, though it will be tricky to assure the investors among management that their future is on growth side. Form the management team A very significant part of a successful MBO is to put a management team that has a high-quality record. Possible investors will like to know how they can make adjustments in than the present team. Bentley must therefore put a clear deliberate plan for the business. Arranging the funding Valuing Bentley Company is complex matter and here is no set rule. Whatever investor will give that will be relate to many things. Those are the balance sheet and current profits. The future potential of the business will be vital but sometimes want of the present owners to sell can be important. Agreeing terms The financing for an MBO normally include the decision-making board and its own interest, its equity and debt position. Different management investors will be looking for diverse returns from this deal, base on the assumed risk they will be taking. Deal co-ordination There can be no set rule for the management to invest into the management buyout. Still, they will require showing the guarantee to the company by creation a major asset of their money, although there can be a massive strain resting on their time and skills. Completion Negotiating for buyout is not always very simple, as there is some concern of unsatisfactory present relations as company is going for MBO. Some management buyout teams can pretense their advisers to take opening move toward success. A talk to buy any business is always a complex activity, and there is fact that seller has vital test. The information contain in the factsheets must never be relied lying on top. 5 Conclusion of Study: We can see that Bentley was handling alarm systems selling effectively but after adopting the security firm it went into many problems. Now it is necessary for them to try a successful management buy-out for that, which can make such arrangements that will help it to get maximum future investment to cover its problems related to other products. Furthermore they can go for a right sizing and downsizing to control the gap of expenses and profits. This way Bentley can go back to its profit position as it was in past before adaptation of the security firm.

Why Is Monopolies Harmful And How Can Regulation Ameliorate These Harm :: essays research papers

Why Is Monopolies Harmful and How Can Regulation Ameliorate These Harmful Effects? Why is monopoly ‘harmful? How can regulation ameliorate these harmful effects? What problems confront the regulators? In order to deduce that a monopoly is ‘harmful', there must be another market system which is preferable to monopoly so as to offer greater benefits to the public. A monopoly can therefore be compared to perfect competition. If the benefits of perfect competition outweigh the benefits of monopoly then a monopoly can be regarded as ‘harmful' since the consumers are not receiving the maximum possible utility for their purchases. Monopolies are criticised for their high prices, high profits and insensitivity to the public. Some governments therefore, in the light of these protests, advocate policies relating to monopolies, in order to regulate their power in favour of the public's interest. There are several reasons why monopolies may be against the public interest. It is claimed that monopolies produce at a lower level output and charge a higher price than under perfect competition in both the short run and the long run. Consider the diagram above. Assume that this monopolist attempts to maximise profits. Equating MC=MR yields an output of Qm and a price of Pm. If the same industry existed under perfect competition however, the price would be Ppc and output would be Qpc since under perfect competition P=MC=AR. The price in such a situation would thus be lower than under monopoly and output would be greater. Consumers obviously benefit if this is the case since P=MC implies P=Marginal utility so that consumers are maximising their total utility(Under monopoly P>MC and therefore arguably, not the optimum). In the long run under monopoly, supernormal profits persist. Under perfect competition complete freedom of entry leads to the elimination of these profits and forces firms to produce at the bottom of the long run average cost curve. Under monopoly however, there are barriers to entry so as to prevent new firms from entering the industry and reducing the monopolist's profits to the normal level. Higher prices and lower output thus continue to persist in the long run. Due to lack of competition, it is argued, a monopolist has no incentive to develop new techniques in order to survive. A monopolist can therefore make supernormal profits without using the most efficient techniques. Under perfect competition, in order for firms to survive, the most efficient techniques must be adopted or developed whenever possible or else the firm which fails to do so will be forced to shutdown. This argument leads to the conclusion that monopolies have higher cost curves than firms under perfect competition(Assuming

Understanding Mental Illness :: essays research papers fc

Understanding Mental Illness: Means for Lifting the Stigma As a victim of the debilitating mental illness clinical depression, I have a first hand knowledge of the terrible stigma attached to seeking medical help for this and similar problems. When the diagnosis was made, I told no one that I was seeing a psychologist. I feared what people would think of me and how they would react to one of their friends seeing a "shrink". Because mental illnesses are not well known and even less well understood, people tend to fear them. People who may be afflicted with mental illnesses often shy away from treatment because they fear that they will be labeled "crazy" or sent to an institution. I think that the stigma attached to mental health care could be easily lifted if regular psychiatric examinations were instituted, much the same as regular physicals. As people are exposed to the illnesses and begin to understand their origins and ways to help, this fear of people afflicted with the diseases should shrink (ha ha) and eventual ly disappear. As our country moves from a society made up of mainly manual laborers, to a society of white-collar workers, Americans find themselves with more and more leisure time. Often, if everything is going well in the world, society will look for problems to take the place of those that have been eliminated. For example, during the past ten years, Americans have had few really big problems, there have been no close to home wars, the economy is doing well, and unemployment has been dramatically down. Because of this, people have had large amounts of free time and energy, which was previously spent trying to work out larger problems and issues. For many people, this time is spent looking within themselves and often noticing things within their personality and psyche that would have been overlooked by earlier generations (onhealth.com/ conditions/cause). Statistics of today would lead one to believe that the occurrence of these illnesses has increased, however; awareness and the willingnes s of the victim to receive help has increased instead. There is less of a stigma attached to seeking mental health care than there has ever been before in this country. People are more willing to recognize and obtain help for their problems instead of ignoring them and going on with their lives as if nothing is wrong. With the continual exposure of the general public to these diseases, society is sure to place even a lesser degree of shame on the sufferer and his or her family.

“Lord of the Flies”: Qualities of a Good Leader Essay

What qualities does it take to make a good leader? People have always pondered this question especially when electing leaders. They may say that a good leader should be charismatic, intelligent and perhaps good-natured. Their idea of good leadership qualities usually comes from books and movies. In Lord of the Flies there were many various leadership qualities exhibited by the boys, but how can one decide on a leader out of so many boys that would make the society work? Only a leader with the best of the boys’ character traits would have made the society work. For example, we can see that Ralph was logical, but lacked the ability to make quick decisions. On the contrary, Jack was decisive, yet not very logical or civil. Finally, Piggy was the intelligent advisor, however he lacked the charisma and appearance to get his ideas accepted by the group. Ralph was a logical and influential leader, but lacked the ability to quickly enforce the directions. His logical reasoning process helped in identifying the necessities for life. For example, he valued such necessities as fire and shelter above everything else. These were the necessities that would have led them to a stable and civilized society on the island. However, although Ralph had the right ideas, he was not too quick or efficient in getting them done. In fact, the fire was often let out. Similarly, the shelters were something that seemed there to be done until there was something more exciting, at which point the shelters were left uncompleted. Without direction, the boys on the island often went to do things that were fun. This lack of direction was not at all due to a lack of power. The boys instantly viewed Ralph as a leader with his influential looks and speech. For instance, when Ralph said â€Å"fire†, the boys went running towards the woods to build a fire. This kind of authority over the boys was exceptionally important for getting things done, unfortunately Ralph did not use his authority to its fullest. As can be seen, Ralph had the power and logic to do things, yet he lacked the decisiveness to do them quickly. In contrast to Ralph, Jack was an aggressive instigator, who was always quick to act. Jack was an intimidating figure. The boys often feared what he would do should they not listen to him. Similar to Ralph, this control would enable Jack to get things done. Contrary to Ralph, however, Jack used this control. He took his choir with him hunting whenever he saw fit. By being decisive, he could quickly and efficiently get things done. However, his decisiveness was not necessarily a good thing, as Jack was very aggressive in nature. His savage nature influenced the others to let their savage sides come out, most noticeably when they were hunting. They would all paint their faces and carry as little as possible. Since Jack was doing it, it was the thing to do. A good leader would not encourage or intimidate people to let out their aggression. Simply put, Jack was decisive and intimidating, but encouraged the wrong actions in the boys. Last but not least, Piggy was the intelligent advisor to Ralph, yet lacked some important qualities. Piggy’s intelligence was a very important asset to the boys. He knew how things had to be done. Additionally, he had many ideas that would lead the boys to a civilized and safe society. This kind of intelligence is important to any good leadership. Unfortunately, Piggy was not a good public speaker. Not only did he lack the breath to complete a long speech, but he was very shy being a minority group on the island. It is this disadvantage that would prevent him from ever leading, because a good leader must be able to communicate his ideas clearly. Despite not being good at communicating his own ideas, he was open to others’ ideas. He would consider them and give his own constructive criticism. For example, he agreed with Ralph that fire was important, and suggested that if they could not have a fire on top of the mountain, then to have it by the shore. Any good leader must listen to others’ ideas as any one person can not have all of the best ideas. Piggy’s intelligence is vital to good leadership. As can be seen, the combined leadership qualities of Ralph, Jack and Piggy would have most likely worked in creating a civilization on the island. Ralph’s logic, appearance, and influential speeches can guide the group to do what is important. Jack’s decisiveness can get the important things done quickly and efficiently. Finally Piggy’s intelligence would provide important information as to how to accomplish various goals, and would keep the island in a civilized manner. None of the boys could have led the group towards a working society by themselves. In conclusion, after understanding this dispersement of leadership qualities in Lord of the Flies, can it  really be said that any single person is a good leader?