S XYZ Co. Able to Identify and Exploit Sources of Competitive Dissertation

S XYZ Co. Able to Identify and Exploit Sources of Competitive Advantage to Sustain The Emerging Competition - Dissertation Example Other changes followed the implementation of the first Saudi Insurance company's services, which were evident in the increased awareness of the people in regards to insurance policies, as well as the substantial increased risk in accordance with the introduction of compulsory motor third party liability (BMI, 2011). Other changes included the legislation passed which made health insurance on expatriates and their families mandatory and the increase in oil prices had also been reflected on the citizens of the country's personal incomes in accordance with classes that includes travel insurance (Ansari, 2011). Other insurances include life and property, which was subsequently followed by the increase in house loans, the amplified boost of the insurance market, as reinforced by the registration of more than 15 new insurance companies, thus fortifying the competition within the market. The growth in competition led to enjoining new entrants in the industry, which was supported by the gove rnment's efforts to open the chance for foreign capital to investment in Saudi's insurance sector (Ansari, 2011). 1.1. The Significance of Competitive Advantage among business firms A firm is equipped with competitive advantage when it has the means to edge out rivals when vying for the favour of customers. In that regard, a firm is considered to possess competitive advantage by implementing strategies that produce value that are not simultaneously being implemented by any current or potential competitors (De Wit and Meyer, 2005). However, the defined subject of competitive advantage in financial service has a wide existence in the body of literature. The complexity and intangibility focusing on financial service products that include insurance limited the understanding of the average customer in regards to the features and benefits provided by such service. This then implies the complexity of identifying and achieving competitive edge (Barney, 1991). The study of competitive advant age in the field of insurance as an aspect of financial service imposes the process of collecting literature in the context of competitive advantage that is particular to financial service in order to deliberately construct a theoretical model of attributes or features against the perception of the subject of the study, which is the company management to be evaluated. For instance, Delvin (1997a) had made use of a detailed questionnaire, which he had distributed widely among marketing personnel. The context of the questionnaire delved on the strategy employed by relevant senior personnel in UK retail financial services. Delvin (1997a) investigated the factors which managers emphasise when attempting to formulate strategies to add value to service offerings and, hence, achieve competitive advantage in services markets. The study was able to conclude that the features and quality of the core service, inclusive of the price, image and reputation, functional service quality, support ele ments, and location and service recovery are the factors crucial in adding value to service offerings (Delvin, 1998). In comparison to the findings of Delvin's study, it would be noted that in a study conducted by Gronroos (2001) pertaining to service quality, the latter confirmed the importance of the functional quality on the basis of his perspective, as a very vital factor in order to maintain the gap between the expected service and the perceived service

Brose Case Study Essay Example for Free

Brose Case Study Essay What is the Brose Groups business and what are the critical success factors (CSF’s) in a business like Brose’s? [lists] * International automobile industry and delivery mechatronic system and electric drives to automotive manufacturers and suppliers * Brose standardize their operation, and uses ERP application. * Well-established Information technology management * Hire professional consultants to train employees * to better use ERP application system 2. What operational, management and control, and corporate learning/innovation challenges were faced by Brose during its rapid expansion over the last two decades? table] Operational | Management and control| The implementation of ERP system may cause a significant number of change within an organization | Lower total costs of information management information technology investment | The potential lake of in house skills and users’ resistance | 5. What steps did they take to minimize the risks associated with this kind of deployment? [list] * Reengineer business process, develop a detailed requirements specification, conduct system prior to the system implementation and closely monitor the system’s performance * Formulation of he steering committee, appointment of project sponsor, and internal audit’s involvement * Train project team, the establishment of a close working relationship between consultant and project team * Management support, user’s involvement.

Improving Concentration And Memory Skills

Improving Concentration And Memory Skills If you wish to improve your memory skills, i.e. your ability to remember information and recollect it when you so desire, it is imperative that you improve your concentration. Concentration requires you to focus intently on whatever you are trying to remember. Concentration enables you to: learn new facts recall information that you have already memorised It is obvious that you need to focus on the information to be learnt if you want to remember it. So you must improve your concentration to improve your memory. You cannot claim that your powers of concentration are weak and hence you suffer from a weak memory. Concentration is a mental skill. It can be developed by you, just like any other skill. There are several exciting ways in which you can boost your concentration power. Step 1: Power Your Brain If you really wish to improve your concentration, try the following tips and you will find a marked improvement in a relatively short time period. There have been several books that have been written on the subject of how the brain works and how you can use this knowledge to improve its functioning. In Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain, Sharon Begley explains that the structure and function of the adult brain is not set in stone. The connections between the neurons in your brain grow and change all the time. When you learn to play the guitar, study the human anatomy, read a book, practise the Chinese style of cutting vegetables, or develop a new habit, you are increasing the networking in the brain. As with any other muscle in the body, the more you use the brain, the better it becomes. You need to exercise a muscle regularly to develop it. In the same manner, you must exercise your brain regularly to develop and keep it in good shape. Your brain has the ability to change and grow all the time. This is a continuous process and does not happen overnight. With continuous and consistent effort, you can improve your brains ability to concentrate. Build into your daily regime the following habits: Mindfulness meditation: Begin by meditating for five minutes in the morning and for five minutes again at night before going to bed. If you do this everyday, you will notice that your power of concentration is improving. Mindfulness means to be aware or conscious. Meditation sharpens your focus and memory. Studies at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston have proved that regular meditation creates changes in the physical structure of the brain by thickening the cortex. Then thickening of the cortex happens because of increased blood flow to that area. The cortex is that area of the brain that deals with the higher mental functions. So, meditation and memory are inextricably linked to each other. By meditating regularly, you improve your brains power to focus. It also helps bring clarity in your thinking. I found mindfulness meditation is the best way to meditate. In this way you have to do the reverse of other meditation methods commonly used. Here you will not try to empty your mind but you will try to fill your mind with as much as information you can. But it should be from the present only not from the past and the future. E.g. sit comfortably and try to focus on your breathing sound, listen the sound of it. Feel it, try to imagine that air going in and out. I mean make your all the senses/ perception busy enough in receiving information from the present moment. It will make busy your mind in the present passing movement and you will not get the time to wonder in past and future. And concentration is all about staying in present. You can do the same thing while eating, bathing, walking by making your senses busy in receiving the information in the present movement. Like what is the temperature of water you are using for bath or what are the ingredients of the food you are eating also try to analyse their quantity. Proper sleep: It is a well known fact that sleep contributes to the long-term consolidation of new memories (Nature journal, November 2006). Going by this, any new memories that are formed require enough sleep to enable the brain to organize and retain them. If a night has been slept in tossing and turning (if its due to an old mattress, throw it out and get a new one), the brain is not fresh and ready to face a new day of work. It is foggy and sleepy, and it will not function with clarity and sharpness. Its ability to retain anything will be reduced. Both concentration and memory will suffer because of poor sleep. To improve the quality of your sleep have a hot cup of milk before going to bed, remove stressful thoughts from your mind, darken the room, have warm shower, put on some light music and read a boring book. All these things are aimed at ensuring that you get a good nights rest. It will help your brain boost its energy levels. This in turn will lead to improved concentration. Eat healthier: There is a direct correlation between your diet and your concentration and memory. The nutrients and energy needed by your brain are supplied by the food you eat. The brain uses glucose, a sugar, as fuel, so your blood sugar needs to be regulated. To help improve your memory, cut back on fast foods which are high in saturated fats and salt, both of which block your carotid arteries. Such blockages reduce the supply of oxygenated blood to the brain. The focusing power of the brain is then diminished. Reduce your weight to the normal levels, for being overweight makes your physical body and your mental capacities sluggish. Eat foods that enrich your brain to help in improving its functionality. Brain foods include apples, bananas, dark green vegetables such as spinach, eggs, flaxseed, and fish, and some essential fatty acids like Omega -3. Drinking at least one liter of water a day per 23 24 kg of body weight will also help. To keep your blood sugar steady, take five or six small meals throughout the day. Limit your calorie intake to what is essential. Vitamins and other supplements: Brain enhancement supplements do not do much and can be avoided. Taking a multi-vitamin tablet everyday as a supplement does help. It may fill in the lacuna created by any kind of vitamin deficiency in your diet. Cod liver oil capsules, Vitamin B and vitamin C tablets help in supplementing the vitamins that you get from your regular diet. Vitamins are essential for the proper functioning of your brain. Brain games: You need to play the games that ask for greater focus. These should be played often to improve your concentration levels. This is because the brain becomes better at whatever it exercises on a regular basis. By playing those games that require concentrated effort, the brains ability to focus increases. Step 2. Optimize your Environment: A proper environment, conducive to studies, also helps in improving your concentration. A Study Area: It is good to have a designated spot for studying. You will get in the habit of studying there. Make sure its not the bed that you use for studies, for the bed relates to sleep. Have a desk in a quiet and secluded place away from noise to enable you to concentrate. Try Different Coloured Lights: Recent studies indicate that the use of a green light bulb in the study lamp improves concentration. You could try this out to see if it works for you. Red light is also supposed to improve concentration and memory. You may also decorate your study area with artifacts and items which are red in colour and see whether this helps in improving your concentration. Remove Distractions: Radio, television, and telephone are all distractions. They should be switched off during your study time. This will help you focus. Make sure that when you study, you are not disturbed by friends who call or drop in unexpectedly. Your study time should be clear to you as well as others. By demarcating your study hours, you will prevent the distractions that otherwise eat into your time. Use Time Boxes: For a particular portion of study, set a reasonable time limit. If you wish to learn a new chapter, set forty minutes for reading it and another twenty minutes for learning it. You should be able to complete the chapter in one hour. By doing this, you ensure that there is a deadline to be met and this helps you to focus on the work. Stay Motivated: To stay motivated you can promise yourself a reward at the end of a certain period of focused studying. For example, you may tell yourself that after a couple of hours of study, you will have earned the reward of watching your favourite T.V. show at night. Take a Regular Break: Every hour, take a five minute break, to prevent your energy levels from lagging. You should get up from the chair, walk a bit and stretch your legs. Have a glass of water or a light snack. Do some eye exercises to relax your eyes. Change your Breathing: Change your breathing to activate your alpha waves. Switch your breathing pattern to deeper and slower. This helps your brain to switch to alpha waves, which mentally prepare your brain to concentrate on new facts. The alpha waves bring your mind to readiness to learn new facts. This is the cool and relax state of mind. Any learning requires concentration. Without focusing on the information, the brain will not be able to learn or remember. If your brain wanders, it will not recall a lesson. So concentration is a must for learning and retaining. Improvement in concentration will lead to improvement in the memory since learning, remembering and recollecting are all inter- related. If you have not learnt, how will you remember? Hence, improve your concentration and this will lead to an improved memory.

Ku Klux Klan :: Ku Klux Klan

In the spring of 1866, A year after the civil war had ended; Six confederate veterans formed a social club in the town of Pulaski, Tennessee. Just out of the war and looking for excitement they formed a secret society which they named the Ku Klux Klan. The name came from the Greek word Kuklos, meaning circle. This small group started as a harmless fun loving group, developed into one of the largest, most violent groups in American History. The original group only lasted a few years, and left a permanent impression, rituals that people today still use. Klan supporters saw the group as a protector of a certain way of life and the white race. The original Klan shut down in 1872. On Thanksgiving Night 1915, The Klan struck again. Sixteen men from Atlanta, Georgia went to the top of the mountain and set up for a Klan ritual. They built an altar of stones, on which they placed on American Flag, a bible and a sword. Then the men erected a sixteen-foot high cross and lit it on fire. William Joseph Simmons was the leader of the new Klan. William, son of an ex Klan member, heard his dad speck of Klan stories and wanted to â€Å"Frighten the Dark people† himself. In the early 1920’s the Klan traveled on a wave of terror in the south and southwest. As the violence spread a pattern appeared. The majority of the Victorian’s were whites who had broken some kind of moral code. Such as Bootleggers, Gamblers, were favorite targets. The Klan would parade the streets at night as a reminder of the constant terror they haunted a southern town with. By taking the law into their own hands the Klan made sure the laws were respected. Hooded Klansmen sometimes took their victims in brood daylight but mostly they piled into cars and went â€Å"nightriding†. Klansmen used whips to punish those victims. Once they finished whipping they would pour hot tar on them and sprinkle feathers on them. This would add insult to injury. I n 1921, the Klan was brought to trial for the murder of a black man who had been a known drunk in his hometown. Simmons, Klan leader, stepped up in front of congress and swore on the holy bible that the Klan â€Å"never had been and never will be involved in violent acts†. In 1922, the Klan used its anti-Catholic appeal to capture control of the Oregon St. Ku Klux Klan :: Ku Klux Klan In the spring of 1866, A year after the civil war had ended; Six confederate veterans formed a social club in the town of Pulaski, Tennessee. Just out of the war and looking for excitement they formed a secret society which they named the Ku Klux Klan. The name came from the Greek word Kuklos, meaning circle. This small group started as a harmless fun loving group, developed into one of the largest, most violent groups in American History. The original group only lasted a few years, and left a permanent impression, rituals that people today still use. Klan supporters saw the group as a protector of a certain way of life and the white race. The original Klan shut down in 1872. On Thanksgiving Night 1915, The Klan struck again. Sixteen men from Atlanta, Georgia went to the top of the mountain and set up for a Klan ritual. They built an altar of stones, on which they placed on American Flag, a bible and a sword. Then the men erected a sixteen-foot high cross and lit it on fire. William Joseph Simmons was the leader of the new Klan. William, son of an ex Klan member, heard his dad speck of Klan stories and wanted to â€Å"Frighten the Dark people† himself. In the early 1920’s the Klan traveled on a wave of terror in the south and southwest. As the violence spread a pattern appeared. The majority of the Victorian’s were whites who had broken some kind of moral code. Such as Bootleggers, Gamblers, were favorite targets. The Klan would parade the streets at night as a reminder of the constant terror they haunted a southern town with. By taking the law into their own hands the Klan made sure the laws were respected. Hooded Klansmen sometimes took their victims in brood daylight but mostly they piled into cars and went â€Å"nightriding†. Klansmen used whips to punish those victims. Once they finished whipping they would pour hot tar on them and sprinkle feathers on them. This would add insult to injury. I n 1921, the Klan was brought to trial for the murder of a black man who had been a known drunk in his hometown. Simmons, Klan leader, stepped up in front of congress and swore on the holy bible that the Klan â€Å"never had been and never will be involved in violent acts†. In 1922, the Klan used its anti-Catholic appeal to capture control of the Oregon St.

Deep Zone Book Report

Kyle Duncan 12-7-11 Book Report (Deep Zone) 3rd Block Plot Summary The characters are Thane, Ty, Troy, Tate, and Agent Sutherland. Ty is this story’s main character. Thane is his older brother and an NFL star. Ty meets Troy and Tate in Miami at the football tournament. Agent Sutherland is an FBI agent protecting Ty from the mob while Thane is away. The setting is in Miami and in the swamp. At the beginning of the story, they are at a football game, when Thane is going up for a touchdown pass to win the game. He gets taken down by three people and tears his ACL. They are taken to the hospital and Ty is sad. They let Ty stay the night, but he has to go to school the next morning. He leaves the hospital and gets in his limo driver’s car. (Considering his brother is a professional football player). When he gets in, he notices a big man in a dark suit. He automatically thinks it is someone from the mob trying to hurt him to get to his uncle. He tries to jump out of the car fast but the man grabs him by the collar and yanked him back in cutting Ty’s hand open. The man then explains that he is Agent Sutherland and apologizes for scaring him and cutting his hand. Agent Sutherland says that he’ll be watching Ty while his brother is in the hospital. In a few weeks Thane got out. Ty had 7-on-7 tryouts and he made the team. If the team won all of their playoff games they would get to play in Miami on Super Bowl Sunday. They won most of their games and got to go to Miami to play their playoff games. While down there, he met a girl that he liked named Tate. Unfortunately, Troy, her best friend, didn’t like Ty. Troy was on a team that Ty would have to play if his team made it to the championship. One night, Tate and Troy were going to a party, so Ty begged Thane to let him go. Thane let him. They got dressed up and left. While there, Troy thought he saw his dad, who left him at a young age, and ran after him. Being curios, Ty ran after them. He ran until he saw them standing near the coast. Ty recognized one of the men with Troy and his dad as one of the mob members that he was being protected from. He started running back to the party, but someone grabbed him. They threw him and Troy in to the boat and took them out into the swamp. While there, Tate tried to rescue them by bringing a boat that the two of them would drop down out of the window to. It was only a little canoe though. The two got into the canoe and started paddling back. They got halfway back and they heard a motor. It was the people from the mob, and they brought the three of them back to the swamp house. They sat there for a long time, and Ty knew he was going to die. Then, the door squeaked open, and a man with a knife entered. Ty started freaking out, and when the blade touched his skin he started twitching uncontrollably. Then he heard Troy’s dad say, â€Å"Shh. I’m getting you out of here. † The four of them got in the boat while the two mobsters were asleep and went back to the beach. The next day Ty’s team played Troy’s team in the championship. Ty’s team won, but Troy was not upset. The two were good friends now and talked a lot now. Troy talks about his uncle, who would have been a great NFL player if he hadn’t died his junior year of college in a car crash. Ty tells how his mother had a brother that fits that description. Troy told him his name and they figured out they were cousins. At the end of the story, everyone says their goodbyes and they all go home. Character Analysis I am comparing Ty and Troy. Both of them play football, and both played on Super Bowl Sunday. Unfortunately, both boys have some connection with the mob. In football, Ty plays wide receiver, and Troy plays quarter back and safety. Ty is faster and has better hands, but Troy is still fast and he has football smarts. He can read what you’re going to do before you know what you’re going to do. Both boys are from African descent. They both care greatly for Tate. Theme Analysis I think one theme of this story could be: do not judge a book by its cover. Troy didn’t like Ty when they first met, and it was for no reason. Once they went through the swamp experience, they grew closer and became good friends. Another example is Troy’s dad. Ty looked at him with those mobsters and thought he was going to kill him. But, after Troy’s dad saved them from the mobsters, he realized that he was a good guy in a bad position.

Unilever Product Life Cycle

Introduction †¢William Hesketh Lever founded lever Brothers in 1885. †¢In the beginning as soap manufacturer but later diversified in to food and personal care products. †¢Unilever's corporate centers are London and Rotterdam. Walls’ Introduction †¢Walls introduced in Pakistan in 1997-98. The product line consists from lollies to ice creams. This includes Cornetto, Callipo, Max, Kulfis, Top Ten Choc Bars, Feast, Milky Way and etc. †¢Unilever committed its own resources to acquire ‘Polka' and consolidate the ice cream market for Lever Brothers Pakistan. Low gearing and reputation as a multinational blue chip give Lever ready access to capital at good terms to fund growth †¢Magnum! huuuuuuuuuuuuu †¢Magnum was introduced in 15th of June,2001 †¢Effective weights of mass audience advertising publicly displayed in the summer landscape, would strengthen consumer attachment to the brand and develop strong associations with the summer season †¢The first premium-quality ice cream to enter the adult impulse market.. ;l †¢Product Life Cycle If one looks at a category, the product life cycle seems to be an important determinant for all sorts of decisions †¢Generally a product should be kept in the growth stage as long as possible. †¢Magnum’s Life cycle †¢Magnum is in the growth stage. Due to the amount of awareness in the market, and the sales figures crossing targets, the product can be seen in the growth stage. On the PLC, market growth is also associated with increase in sales. This leads to the market becoming more attractive. Cycle-Recycle Pattern †¢The Cycle –Recycle Pattern is adopted because of seasonality of the sale. In Eid,Happy New year, Valentines day,Christmas and other seasonal events the sales follow pleasant upward trend due to the new flavors and varieties introduced by the firm. †¢Total Quality Management †¢Its all about ever barricading eminence i. e ever improving quality. †¢The quality of the product should be increase with the passage of time to keep customers as well induce new customers. Magnum’s TQM Introduction of new Magnum’s Cup will certainly improve the quality because of inclusion of â€Å"choco-topings†. The new Cup will increase the value to the customer because of its â€Å"take away† facility. pricing? † †¢Magnum’s TQM Again †¢Since Magnum is a premium choc bar and people are paying the premium to get this premium choc bar ,the TQM does have a great vitality in th is context. †¢Magnum is thought as a superb quality choc bar that’s why people wouldn’t compromise on the quality . †¢They know â€Å"they are paying for the best† †¢Forecasting and Demand Management †¢The ice cream market is particularly influenced by the weather and Wall uses a weather index to gauge conditions for sales †¢Also during peak seasons like Eids, Happy New Year and Independence Day demand is high and rices are lowered so as to compete with the other rivals prevailing in the industry . Magnum’s sales forecast †¢In terms of Magnum, this seasonality is relatively low. This is because Magnum is an impulse buying item . †¢In examining the seasonality one must consider the target market of Magnum. Will these people refrain from having a magnum in cold weather? †¢The variation in sales will not be as high or drastic as other ice creams or categories. †¢Positive Aspects for Sales †¢Pakistan’s population growth rate is almost 2% per annum. †¢Urbanization trend on the boom i. people are inducing towards higher life standards of living in cities. †¢Growth in GDP/capita reflects in the consumption pattern of the people. †¢Improved level of law and order conditions results in more FDI’s hence an attractive market. Product and Product Mix †¢A product is anything that can be offered to a market to satisfy a need and and want of the customer. †¢Product includes different product levels which are, †¢Core benefit: The fundamental service or benefit that the customer is really buying †¢Basic product: the marketer has to turn the core benefit into basic product. Levels of Product †¢Expected product: A set of attributes and conditions buyers normally expect when they purchase the product. †¢Augmented product: Augmented product means things beyond the expectation. †¢Potential product: which encompasses all the possible augmentation and transformation Magnum’ Levels †¢The core benefit of the Magnum are satisfaction and the indulgence †¢The basic product is the premium Choc Bar †¢Expectations are related with the Magnum is that it would provide that quality others can not. †¢Potential product,introduction of Magnum in new jar. Product mix †¢Product mix is the set of products the company is offering to the customer. †¢Product mix includes, width, length, depth and consistency. †¢Magnum’s Product Mix †¢Unilever is the parent company and it operates in many businesses like tea, soaps, shampoos etc. this includes in width †¢Length includes different products of the walls like Magnum, Feast ,Cornetto etc. †¢Depth includes variants of the similar product like Magnum, Feast, Sunday all are chocolate related items. †¢Unilever product lines are consistent because most of them are consumer goods. SBU Strategies †¢Almost every business unit of Unilever including Walls holds a lion’ share in their respective markets. †¢For Magnum. hold strategy is appropriate and its holding by the firm. Corporate and division Strategic planning †¢Mission Statement †¢The Mission Statement underlines the dedication to the satisfaction of the everyday needs of the customers. †¢Quality is priority in all senses. †¢We are the part of the society in which we operate. †¢Our Vision is â€Å"Touching hearts changing life† Boston Consulting Growth Matrix †¢Star †¢Question Mark †¢Cash Cow Dog Internal Environment Analysis †¢Strengths †¢- Brand Image †¢- †¢Brand recall is high †¢- †¢Qual ity is one of the best in the market †¢Weaknesses †¢Multiple Brands therefore lack of focus †¢Unhealthy competition in the corporate culture External Environment Analysis Opportunities: – Westernization of Pakistani Society – No DIRECT competition except Quanta Relatively good growth of market †¢Threats: †¢- Threat of bigger competition in the next two years †¢- Instability of Pakistani Political system Marketing Alliances Promotional Alliances The strategic alliance by the Walls with leading fast food corners like KFC and Pizza Hut outlets was an attempt to promote their product. †¢ Marketing Channel †¢These channels are essential to move product from the manufacturer’s warehouse to the consumer’s house. †¢Firms have options to decide levels of channels I. e how many channels does it want to include in the distribution of its product. †¢Walls’ Channels †¢Walls’ uses multi level channel marketing. †¢Walls uses backward integration. †¢Walls’ sales men whirl in the streets of the city on their lorries ,I. e direct marketing. Walls’ own supplier make its product available to consumers. †¢Pull and Push Strategies †¢The painstaking music produce by the whirling lorries of WALLS let its voice count ,pulling the kids to pull their parents. †¢The usage of billboards and print media is a device to push up the target customer. †¢Promotion al Tools †¢In Pakistan, Ice-Cream industry competition may be healthy but there are very few brands to name. †¢Companies have to fight for their market share and use various strategies from price to promotional, which could make them leader in the market. †¢Firms try to compete on the basis of quality, uniqueness and brand name Magnum’s Promotion †¢The most commonly used are the major media that includes billboards and posters in the display media †¢The retailers were provided with free refrigerators by the Walls to motivate them †¢Since the logo of Walls was endorsed on these refrigerators,the brand was promoted as well. †¢Pricing †¢ Historically, for most products price has been the major factor affecting the buyer choice †¢Ice cream companies’ pricing decisions are influenced by both internal as well as external factors. †¢Pricing †¢Internal Factors †¢Survival †¢Company’s objectives †¢Marke t Profit Maximization Market Leadership †¢Product Quality †¢External Factors †¢Economic Factors †¢Governmental rules and regulations. †¢Social concerns. †¢Resellers. †¢Pricing Strategies †¢The management of the Magnum uses â€Å"Price Premium Strategy†. †¢The notion of â€Å"Self Indulgence†transferred the brand advertising doctrine to brand experience I. e â€Å"have a bite please†. †¢Price doesn’t matter to target consumer of Magnum. †¢What's wrong with the Price! †¢Its is said that â€Å"Magnum is too expensive† †¢It is thoughts as a reason of minimal sales. †¢There are relatively inexpensive choc bar exists. †¢Price is not the problem! The Magnum is targeted to the people of elite class ,higher in the socio-economic ranks. †¢The target set for Magnum’s sales have achieved up to maximum extent. †¢Lowering the price will usurp its supremacy and satisfactio n level may decline because of this move. †¢Marketing Management Philosophies †¢The philosophies speak about the different strategic behavior adopted by the firm to sell their product. †¢The philosophies are adopted in the foremost interests of consumers. †¢Magnum’s Marketing Philosophies †¢Product concept , better the quality and the product attributes the better will be the sales. Selling Concept,pushing and pulling consumers time and again , inducing them to buy Magnum, otherwise it will be left †¢un noticed. †¢Marketing Concept,better than that of competitors in satisfying customers’ needs the better will be you share in the market. Magnum’s Marketing Philosophies Customer concept,provide customer what he wants at the price you want The customers decide what we serve to them. Societal Marketing,Walls started a campaign to keep the environment clean in the northern areas to preserve them †¢Brand Decision †¢Creation ,maintenance ,protection and enhancement of a brand is an art. Brand is a symbol,name,term,design or a system or amalgamation of them. †¢It’s a marketing tool and tactic. †¢A promise by seller to deliver specific set of features and values to the buyer †¢Brand Equity †¢High brand awareness of Magnum as a member of Walls’ family. †¢Magnum possess high degree of brand preference. †¢Customer is satisfied with the brand and devoted to it . †¢Customer doesn’t want to change the brand over price issue. Brand Building Tools The campaign inaugurated by the Walls to â€Å"Save the environment† added privileged to the Walls as well its family. Wall’s â€Å"Heart Branding† captures the enthusiasm of the young and the young-at-heart, laying claim to 72% of the frozen desserts market share in Pakistan. Analyzing Competitors †¢By knowing our Competitors we may be able to predict their next moves, exploit their weaknesses and undermine their strengths †¢Who are your competitors? †¢What customer needs and preferences are you competing to meet? †¢What are the similarities and differences between their products/services and yours? Magnum’s Competitors †¢Competitors for walls in general are many; in fact they include all the ice cream providers. For Magnum we would like to define our competition strictly in terms of the target market. In this definition we would consider the product category level. Major Competitors †¢In this list we consider Igloo Quanta to be our main competitor due to similar attributes of the product and a very similar target market. †¢For the purpose of a nalysis we will group the competitors into two. First we would discuss our main competitor i. e. Igloo Quanta and then the rest in one group Who Is The Competitor †¢Igloo Quanta †¢Moven Pick Ice cream †¢Snoopy Ice cream parlor †¢Gelato Affairs Ice cream parlor †¢Igloo Dip Shop Imported Ice creams like Hagen Dazz, Dove, and Galaxy available at places like Aghas Stake Holders †¢At Unilever we are dedicated to meeting the everyday needs of people everywhere. †¢We participate in the well being of the society ,we live and work †¢Touching hearts by changing lives RESOURCES †¢Unilever committed its own resources to acquire ‘Polka' and consolidate the ice cream market for Lever Brothers Pakistan †¢Low gearing and reputation as a multinational blue chip give Lever ready access to capital at good terms to fund growth. †¢In the local ice cream market not many have the capability to invest in completely new technologies. Financial ass ets of more than RS. 7 BILLION. Human Resources †¢People are the driving force for success. †¢HR initiatives focused on encouraging empowerment and transparency in the organization. †¢E-town project brought the Chairman and top team to everyone’s desktops via live streaming video and allowed employees to address their concerns to the panel via a chat server. Resources †¢Me and U,an interactive HR portal that brings employee information to to everyone’s desktop. †¢Child Day Care center allowing employees to have their infants in close proximity under very best care Resources †¢Distinctive Capabilities advantage. †¢Walls has a weather index that helps in describing peak seasons for selling ice creams. †¢Sharp market sensing. †¢Intimate linking with the customers. †¢Strong channel bonding. Organization and it’s Culture †¢Uni Lever ,a visionary organization. †¢Highly professional Organization with the highly professional people. †¢The society is the family and look after of family is my own responsibility Market Segmentation The Magnum has segmented the market on the basis of income ,social and economic class and esteem level. Nice marketing strategy has been adopted focusing on the smaller but elite segment of the society as well as of market. Psychographics Segmentation Life style The people from the A/A+ class are considered for customer ship. Personality People having high level of esteem ,standing high on the need hierarchy pyramid. Behavioral Segmentation Occasions The Magnum focuses on the occasions when somebody wants to rejoice himself by himself. â€Å"I hate somebody nobody hates me! I love somebody no body loves me† Self Indulgence is the underlining theory. Loyalty Status Hard Core Loyals. TARGET MARKET †¢Magnum focuses on the upper niche market. The upper class segment is whom we want to buy our product. †¢These are people who wouldn’t mind spending †¢Rs 25 for an ice cream; rather they would impulsively buy the product whenever they go out for a drive or something. †¢Magnum is â€Å"Just for You† †¢The concept of sharing is not embedded Target Market †¢Target market people from the ages of 18-30, upper class, possessing a very high set of self esteem people †¢People who have style and don’t mind spending more for better quality, brand value etc Market Positioning An art of designing the product of the company and it’s image to occupy a distinctive place in the mind of the target market. Positioning is not what you do to the product. Its what you do to the mind of the panorama Market Positioning †¢Marketing positioning means how the customer rate your product in comparison with your competitors. †¢The firm should offer a substantial value to its customers to sustain the positioning of its product. Magnum’s Positioning Attribute Positioning For self immoderation User Positioning Appealing to stylish people Quality and Price Positioning High price for the higher quality Magnum’s Positioning Since a Rs 25 choc bar is quite prestigious bar,so people feel good when buying the Magnum. The higher the price the higher will be the quality & the higher will be the satisfaction level. People rank it as a premium brand with priceless quality Marketing Research System †¢Walls has its own department for Marketing Research. †¢Primary Data is provided by Sales team. †¢Secondary Data is gathered from publications and other sources.

Government Internet Intervention essays

Government Internet Intervention essays The Internet is a method of communication and a source of information that is becoming more popular among those who are interested in, and have the time to surf the information superhighway. The problem with much information being accessible to this many people is that some of it is deemed inappropriate for minors. The government wants censorship, but a segment of the population does not. The Internet should not be considered a bad source for people, considering all the uses and information it distributes. During the past decade, our society has become based solely on the ability to move large amounts of information across large distances quickly. Computerization has influenced everyone's life. The natural evolution of computers and this need for ultra-fast communications has caused a global network of interconnected computers to develop. This global net allows a person to send E-mail across the world in mere fractions of a second, and enables even the common person to access information worldwide. With the advances with software that allows users with a sound card to use the Internet as a carrier for long distance voice calls and video conferencing, this network is the key to the future development of technologies. At present this net is the image of the First Amendment: freedom of speech. It is a place where people can speak their mind without being reprimanded for what they say, or how they choose to say it. Recently, Congress has been considering passing laws that will make it a crime punishable by jail to send "vulgar" language over the net. The government wants to maintain control over this new form of communication, and they are trying to use the protection of children as a smoke screen to pass laws that will allow them to regulate and censor the Internet, while banning techniques that could eliminate the need for regulation. Censorship of the Internet threatens to destroy its freelance atmosphere, while metho...

The Critical Reader - Erica Meltzer Full Review

The Critical Reader - Erica Meltzer Full Review SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Erica Meltzer's books have come onto the scene in the past few years with great reviews. Her books are fantastic for the subjects they cover - Reading and Writing. She's published two books for the SAT - The Complete Guide to SAT Critical Reading, and The Ultimate Guide to SAT Grammar. While these are high quality books, they're not perfect, for reasons we'll explain in this article. Keep reading to figure out whether these books are appropriate for you, and whether you should integrate these as part of your personal prep program. Why trust this review? When you get advice on the internet, it's important to understand why you should believe the advice you're receiving. Because your SAT score is important, follow the wrong advice, and it might be too late to improve your score. To be transparent, here’s why you might be able to trust this review more than others: I like to think that I know what I’m talking about.I scoredtwo perfect scores on the SATand have worked personally with thousands of students prepping for the SAT. I’ve worked with students at all levels, from people at a 1200 level to people aiming for a 2300+. Other writers often don't have the expertise to differentiate between books, and they recommend books as an afterthought (and you can probably tell). I don’t get paid for these recommendations, and I don’t get paid if you buy these books.I’ve studied dozens of books for SAT prep, and I review the books that I come across. Other sites, especially about.com and reviews.com, get paid for featuring books and get a kickback when you buy a book they recommend. One disclaimer: I’m co-founder ofPrepScholar, an online SAT/ACT prep program. I believe we’ve built the best prep program available right now. Itdiagnoses your strengths and weaknessesand gives you a structured all-in-one program, combining the best aspects of the books below, so you know exactly what you need to study at every point. But I want to stress that you don’t need a program to excel at the SAT. In fact, writing this guide may lose us some customers, since you might decide that you don’t need a program at all. But if you decide that you don’t want to manage 10 books and want an integrated complete program that customizes to your learning,check PrepScholar SAT out. The Critical Reader Book Review When I consider the quality of a book, I think about a few important questions: Who's the author, and what is his or her experience with the subject matter? How effective is the book, and why? What are the book's main pros and cons? Erica's books are clearly high quality - they made my list of Best SAT Prep Books 2015. But they do have their shortcomings, which we'll discuss below. About the Author: Erica Meltzer Erica Meltzerstarted as a tutor and eventually published her SAT and ACT prep books in the past few years.Erica also graduated from Wellesley College,which is a prestigious college ranked #4 of all liberal arts colleges in the country. While she seems not to tutor much currently, her books show that she has a great deal of expertise on the SAT and ACT. How Effective is the Book? In my experience with thousands of students, SAT Reading is the most difficult section to improve. It uses logical reasoning skills that aren’t as easily mastered as math concepts or grammar rules. It’s very important to drill down on what types of questions are asked, and how to approach these questions in a systematic way. Erica's book dissects the SAT Reading section by question type and skill. She does a great job of teaching the core of what the question is asking, and how to work with the passage to arrive at the correct answer. Of all writers, Erica Meltzer aligns most closely with my personal philosophy of drilling questions skill-by-skill to recognize patterns to questions. The book is very thorough - in fact, it's too thorough for the average student. It goes into every nook and cranny, and if you're scoring below a 650, this is NOT the best book to use.If you're a student gunning for a perfect SAT score, though, this is a good book to drill comprehensively and to perfection. Furthermore, this book requires a lot of work to get through. At 350 large pages, it'll take most students 15 hours or more to get through this book. If you don't have a lot of time to prep, you won't be able to get the most out of this book. Pros and Cons of the Critical Reader Pros: Great breakdown of the Reading section on a skill-by-skill level. Helpful strategies for every type of question, from main point questions to inference questions. Lots of high-quality, realistic passages and questions. She uses passages similar to those you’ll see on the SAT and has spent a lot of time licensing high-quality passages. Has a helpful guide listing the questions on the SAT by skill, so you can get even more focused practice using the Official SAT Study Guide. Cons: Expensive for a book that covers just one section ($30-40) The writing style is dry and clinical, like an academic textbook. I personally prefer this – cut out the fluff – but it can be quite dense for the average student. The thoroughness doesn't point you in the right direction depending on your strengths and weaknesses. If you're scoring at a lower level, you need to concentrate on some skills more than others, and this book can lead you astray. Lack of creative page layouts and a lot of text on large pages can get tiresome. Overall Rating This is currently my favorite book for the SAT Reading section. If you're planning on scoring a 700 or above on the Reading section and prefer to study by books, this is a great option. It's more expensive than average and it's too thorough for many students, but it's a great choice that will teach you a lot. Overall Rating: 88/100 What's next? Read our detailed guide to theBest SAT Prep Booksto put together your own study program based on the best SAT books available now. What's a good SAT score for you?Figure it out with our step by step guide based on the colleges you're applying to. Aiming for a high score? Read ourguide to scoring a perfect SAT score, written by me, a perfect SAT scorer. Check out our industry-leading online SAT program. We've designed it to cover all the advantages of books and tutors at an affordable price. Featuring in-depth strategy lessons and thousands of practice questions, we have the content from the leading books. Beyond that, the programacts like your personal tutor. It guides you step-by-step through what you should be working on at every moment to best improve your score. Itcustomizes to your strengths and weaknesses, then gives you focused practice so you learn the patterns on the SAT. Furthermore, it motivates you to study so that you put in enough time. There's a 240 point guarantee - if you don'timprove your score by 240 points, you get all your money back.

The propensity of people to steal items from hotel rooms linked to Dissertation

The propensity of people to steal items from hotel rooms linked to cost of room, education level or age of guests Why do people - Dissertation Example The objectives have been achieved based on qualitative primary data gathered through survey of consumers from two different cultures – The Turkish and the British. While studies have been conducted on consumer stealing habits in the western countries, no study has been found that compares the consumer behaviour of the Turks with the consumer behaviour in the West. Literature review (McGregor, 2000) suggests that culture has very little impact on consumer behaviour primarily because social and consumption values are different. The only noticeable difference that culture has an impact on is on the items that are stolen from hotel rooms. Economic background of the residents and the category of hotels in which the guests stay, make a difference in consumer theft. However, this too cannot be generalized because the emotional state of consumers also influences behaviour. Consumers may not even be aware that removing some items are considered theft or consumers who steal consciously may not be conscious of the implications of their action. The study highlights the limitations of the study and makes recommendations for further study based on the subject. Table of Contents Chapter I Introduction 1.1 Background 1 1.2 Rationale for the Study 2 1.3 Research Aims & Objectives 2 1.4 Structure of the Study 3 Chapter II Literature Review 2.1 Consumer Behaviour 4 2.2 Personality of Guests 5 2.3 Types of Consumer Misbehaviour 6 2.4 Consumer Behaviour and Emotional State 7 2.5 Consumer Behaviour and Morality 7 2.6 Consumer Behaviour and Technology 9 Chapter III Methodology 3.1 Research Philosophy 11 3.2 Research Design 11 3.3 Choice of Method 11 3.4 Research Approach 12 3.5 Data Collection 12 3.6 Sampling 13 3.7 Data Analysis 14 3.8 Ethical concerns 14 Chapter IV Findings & Discussions 4.1 Findings Overview 15 4.2 Findings from Primary Data 16 4.3 Discussion 19 Chapter V Conclusion & Recommendations 5.1 Conclusion 23 5.2 Recommendations for Hotels to reduce theft 24 5.3 Li mitations of the Study 24 5.4 Recommendation for further research on the subject 25 References 26 Appendix 29 Charts Chart 4.1 Demographics of the Respondents 16 Chart 4.2 Hotel rates in ? 16 Chart 4.3 Most Stolen Items 17 Chart 4.4 Items taken away but not considered stolen 18 Chart 4.5 Motive for theft from hotel rooms 19 Chapter I Introduction 1.1 Background Consumer behaviour has been of immense interest to marketers because it has been associated with how consumers make decision to spend their valuable resources such as time, money and effort on consumption related items (Schiffman and Kanuk, 1997 cited in Abdallat & El-Emam, 2005). However, the field of consumer behaviour stretches beyond purchase decisions. For instance, it is also the study of processes involved when individuals or groups have to select, purchase, use, or dispose of products, services, ideas, or experiences to satisfy needs and desires. As Abdallat and El-Emam, citing Belch (1998), explained it also involves disposing of products and services and is not limited to purchase of goods and services. While the hospitality industry places consumers at a pedestal and all services geared towards his satisfaction (Harris & Reynolds, 2004; Aslan & Kozak, 2012), not all customers are functional and some behave in a dysfunctional manner to customer-oriented initiatives (Harris & Reynold

Comparison between the Number of Websites of the Gulf Cooperation Research Paper

Comparison between the Number of Websites of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Its Services and E-government Website - Research Paper Example However, in order to distribute information on the internet, an interface is used, which is known as a Web site. A Web site contains a lot of hyperlinks and contents conveying the message of that particular Web site (Norton, 2001; Shelly et al., 2005). For instance, a web site of a university contains information about that university. In the same way, the Hukoomi is a Web Portal, which offers the people access to information regarding the State of Qatar. It links us with government programs, services, initiatives and events (Government of Qatar, 2012). In addition, through cooperation with government organizations and public service suppliers, the Hukoomi has appeared to build online information more readily accessible at our fingertips. Additionally, the online national web portal hosts a number of significant e-services, and government service application, documents, forms and general information (Government of Qatar, 2012). This report presents a detailed comparison between a num ber of Web sites of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and their services and other e-government websites to know the country and the needs of the Country Website development and optimization and preference. This report will present a detailed analysis of a wide variety of aspects of the Hukoomi, in comparison with rest of the Gulf States in terms of electronic services and e-government support. The basic purpose of this comparison is to determine the needs and requirements that are necessary to know for building an effective and informative web site. This analysis will determine what should be included in the web site to make it more perfect, with the intention that it could better serve its community. A detailed Comparison This section presents a detailed comparison between different web sites. For this purpose, I have divided this comparison into different parts (depending on the features of a web site). In this scenario, I will compare different features and services which are a vailable or should be available at Hukoomi but it is not there and what services are available on other portals: 1- National Overview The first feature or support that we will analyze in this comparison is about presentation of national overview. In this scenario, the Hukoomi offers a good national overview; however at this web site comprehensive national overview is missing. The national overview of Hukoomi can include information regarding national resources, population, geography and tourism. On the other hand, the Main Page of existing website does not contain such details. As this web site is aimed at presenting a detailed overview of the country so it needs to offer a brief but comprehensive overview of the State of Qatar. In this scenario, we need to add some links in a small portion of the Main Page of the website so

Progressive Period Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Progressive Period - Research Paper Example The researcher states that during the progressive period several people stand steadily to find solutions of the problems, that were faced by America and these people were called as Progressive people. The progressive people worked to create awareness among the general public regarding different problems like alcohol abuse, child labour, food purity and government corruption etc. As a result of evolving public awareness then government had to pass several laws and acts to solve the problems of the people. The progressive movement was mainly aimed at eliminating corruption within the city government with the help of prohibition that worked for the destruction of political power of the local bosses that used to be based in saloons. The activists also worked for the promotion of women’s suffrage and eventually purer female vote was brought into the arena. During the progressive era efforts were also made to achieve high productivity and efficiency in different sectors by fostering modernization process. There were different scientific, economic, medical and engineering solutions invented during this era to support the performance of different sectors. The progressive movement was initiated at local level during the early stages, however soon it was expanded and spread to the national and state levels as well. It was also discussed how the progressive people had great support from the middle class and many lawyers, teachers; physicians became the supporters of the progressive movement. ... As a part of application of the scientific methods it was realized that the old fashioned ways of running the economics, industries and government are highly inefficient and waste the time and resources. To avoid this wastage the progressive movement worked for adaptation of different policies like banking laws that resulted in the creation of Federal Reserve System in 1914 (Leuchtenburg, p504). The progressive period activities proved them dedicatedly committed to bring reforms and changes within the country. They expect that the changes they sought could significantly improve the American society. Some of the major changes enacted during the progressive era include the income tax imposition with the Sixteenth Amendment, direct election of Senators through the Seventeenth Amendment Prohibition ad the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S constitution that was meant to enact women’s suffrage. The journalist played an important role during the progressive movement as they worked to m ake people aware and informed about the corruptions being committed at the government level. These journalists were called with the names of Muckrakers who worked for exposing the waste, corruption and scandals of the authorities and government officials. They use the medium of highly influential and popular national magazines like McClure Magazine, Brand Whitlock and George Creel and published the stories and facts to uncover the wrong deeds and corruption of the government at local and state level. There were several frauds and corruption cases uncovered in these magazines. The progressive movement was also led by the motive of modernization implementation within the society. The

Matching Objectives to Instruction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Matching Objectives to Instruction - Essay Example For students to learn and remember a concept, they need to see multiple examples.They also need to gain generalization knowledge, and apply the concept via application activity, which is very close to the real world. The lecture and test approach requires students to memorize facts as the main objective (Beirne and Velsor, 2012). The strategy helps the instructor to evaluate the students’ understanding of the lesson content. It fits well in administering history classes and other classes that do not require other activities apart from memorizing facts. If the lecture objective is to make the learners to apply lecture content, then the teacher has several activities to do (Rawlins and Metzger, 2014). After presenting the facts through reading and lecturing, the instructor must show the learners how to make knowledge generalizations from background knowledge. The background knowledge presents itself from discussions, study problems or assignments and provides the students with opportunities to apply the learned principles in papers, laboratory experiments, case studies, examinations and small group projects. The application of the strategy is in teaching mathematics, sciences and other associated subjects that require content

Request for letter of recommendation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Request for letter of recommendation - Essay Example As the class representative for the labor relations course, I consulted with you personally one several occasions. Besides my good academic performance and active leadership roles in your class, I also received your commendations on my punctuality. It is my hope that you will explicitly mention these positive attributes in my recommendation letter. Deadline for submission of the recommendation letter is in exactly three weeks from the date on this letter’s addresses. Expectedly, failure to meet the submission deadline will result in rejection of my graduate school application. Therefore, kindly complete formulating the letter approximately one week before the mentioned deadline. In case of any other relevant requirements for the graduate school application in future, I will rely on your sincere willingness to assist me. All the urgent details concerning the requested recommendation letter are contained therein. However, I will be available for response through my email or on phone whenever necessary. Kindly find time out of your tight schedule to facilitate the materialization of my request. Thank you for your efforts and understanding, and I am looking forward to receiving your confirmation to assist me. Best

International Business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

International Business - Assignment Example The strategy that keeps IKEA to its position is through refreshing and renewing their service model. IKEA has a unique approach to deal with its customers as it employs a self-serving method. Customers make choices on the product, picks them from the shelves and assembles them at their at home on their own. Self-service is a rare approach in the furniture businesses, but the customers choose to apply the approach due the low prices offered. IKEA is a corporation often described as the prototypical Teflon multinational. Some describes the company as quintessential global cult brand which has a democratic culture. For instance, at a company dinner employees take dinner first, followed by the managers, directors and lastly Ingvar Kamprad. Kamprad emphasized on a matrix form of organization which is an informal, nonhierarchical and team-based organization. This kind of an organization has an open flow of information and knowledge within all stages of management. The current organizational structure can be described as highly functional, with an international market strategy. Therefore, IKEA maintains a centralized control over functional activities as well as taking advantage of low cost and good quality furniture from the international suppliers. In addition, control over strategic direction has been developed, and functional layoffs are minimized. To ensure the effectiveness of the logistics process, IKEA has integrated distribution and purchasing process under one umbrella function. The significance of centralized strategic direction will rise as IKEA continue to expand overseas (Capell, 2005). IKEA has found its strength in providing highly functional and quality products at a low price. Moreover, the company has been able to establish a market brand name and a goodwill that is essentially instrumental to the performance of the organization. On top of that, the company has an efficient value

Matching Objectives to Instruction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Matching Objectives to Instruction - Essay Example For students to learn and remember a concept, they need to see multiple examples.They also need to gain generalization knowledge, and apply the concept via application activity, which is very close to the real world. The lecture and test approach requires students to memorize facts as the main objective (Beirne and Velsor, 2012). The strategy helps the instructor to evaluate the students’ understanding of the lesson content. It fits well in administering history classes and other classes that do not require other activities apart from memorizing facts. If the lecture objective is to make the learners to apply lecture content, then the teacher has several activities to do (Rawlins and Metzger, 2014). After presenting the facts through reading and lecturing, the instructor must show the learners how to make knowledge generalizations from background knowledge. The background knowledge presents itself from discussions, study problems or assignments and provides the students with opportunities to apply the learned principles in papers, laboratory experiments, case studies, examinations and small group projects. The application of the strategy is in teaching mathematics, sciences and other associated subjects that require content

International Business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

International Business - Assignment Example The strategy that keeps IKEA to its position is through refreshing and renewing their service model. IKEA has a unique approach to deal with its customers as it employs a self-serving method. Customers make choices on the product, picks them from the shelves and assembles them at their at home on their own. Self-service is a rare approach in the furniture businesses, but the customers choose to apply the approach due the low prices offered. IKEA is a corporation often described as the prototypical Teflon multinational. Some describes the company as quintessential global cult brand which has a democratic culture. For instance, at a company dinner employees take dinner first, followed by the managers, directors and lastly Ingvar Kamprad. Kamprad emphasized on a matrix form of organization which is an informal, nonhierarchical and team-based organization. This kind of an organization has an open flow of information and knowledge within all stages of management. The current organizational structure can be described as highly functional, with an international market strategy. Therefore, IKEA maintains a centralized control over functional activities as well as taking advantage of low cost and good quality furniture from the international suppliers. In addition, control over strategic direction has been developed, and functional layoffs are minimized. To ensure the effectiveness of the logistics process, IKEA has integrated distribution and purchasing process under one umbrella function. The significance of centralized strategic direction will rise as IKEA continue to expand overseas (Capell, 2005). IKEA has found its strength in providing highly functional and quality products at a low price. Moreover, the company has been able to establish a market brand name and a goodwill that is essentially instrumental to the performance of the organization. On top of that, the company has an efficient value

“The Yellow Wall-Paper” Character Analysis Essay Example for Free

â€Å"The Yellow Wall-Paper† Character Analysis Essay The heroine’s belief that her husband did not believe she was ill in â€Å"The Yellow Wall-Paper† was accurate. As mentioned, John is a doctor and â€Å"John is practical in the extreme. He has no patience with faith, an intense horror of superstition, and he scoffs openly at any talk of thing not to be felt and seen and put down in figures†(639). Since psychological disorders are not â€Å"seen,† John dismisses his wife’s warnings throughout the story, â€Å"John does not know how much I really suffer. He knows there is no reason to suffer and that satisfies him† (641). John simply feels that all she had to do was not think, â€Å"He says no one buy myself can help me out of it, that I must use my will and self-control and not let any silly fancies run away with me† (644). In addition, John was â€Å"kept in town very often by serious cases† (643) – as if her case wasn’t. When she tried to talk to him, for him to take her away because she was not getting better, he simply explained to her that she was better, â€Å"†¦whether you can see it or not. I am a doctor, dear, and I know† (645) and even mocked her, â€Å"Bless her little heart! She shall be as sick as she pleases† (645). It is confirmed that John didn’t believe his wife when he finally realized how mentally disturbed she really was at the end of the story; when he saw her â€Å"creeping† around and he fainted. One great example of the Christian cruelty as well as the humanity of the Indians is when they sent Morton off to an island to fend for himself and the Indians were the ones that came to his aid â€Å"relieved by savages that took notice that mine host was a sachem of Passonagessit, and would bring bottles of strong liquor to him and unite themselves into a league of brotherhood with mine host, so full of humanity are these infidels before those Christians†(113). Add to this the fact that the separatists burned down Morton’s Maypole because they saw it as sacrilegious bad behavior. The setting up of this Maypole was a lamentable spectacle to the precise separatists that lived at new Plymouth. They termed it an idol; yea, they called it the Calf of Horeb and stood at defiance with the place, naming it Mount Dagon, threatening to make it a woeful mount and not a merry mount† (107).

Inclusion of Children With Disabilities

Inclusion of Children With Disabilities Contemporary research and theoretical perspectives concerning the best way to cater for children with Special Educational Needs in early childhood years in the United Kingdom favour inclusion of children with most kinds of disability within the mainstream educational setting. This position is strongly leveraged by English legislation which has strengthened the endorsement of inclusion over the past 20 years, as will be seen in the body of this paper. The sense in which ‘inclusion is meant when used in Ofsted position papers or policy documents or embraced by Local Educational Authorities and espoused on local Council websites, is for children with reported emotional, physical or psychological disadvantage, to be accommodated within the existing structures of early childhood and primary school settings. The term ‘inclusion has been noted for its susceptibility to ambiguous usage, as it may refer to enhancing partnerships between children and parents in the educational process, or â€Å"concerned with minimising all barriers to learning and participation, whoever experiences them and wherever they are located within the cultures, policies and practices of a school.† In this view, â€Å"there is an emphasis on mobilising under-used resources within staff, students, governors, parents and other members of the schools communities. The diversity of students is stressed as a rich resource for supporting teaching and learning.† Moreover, more recently inclusive education has been viewed as â€Å"disabled and non-disabled children and young people learning together in ordinary pre-school provision, schools, colleges and universities, with appropriate networks of support.† The tension between the more precise usage referring to provision of mainstream educational access for children with special educational needs (SEN), and the broader sense of the term as a reference to removing all types of exclusion on the basis of class, gender, race or religion, has been noted in a report averring that â€Å"whilst schools at the time the project began were increasingly being encouraged to become more inclusive and were able to access guidance on approaches to developing inclusive practices, this required them to make sense of often different and frequently nebulous definitions of ‘becoming inclusive in various texts. Some of these texts, for example, understood inclusion specifically in relation to children identified as having special educational needs. Others saw it as an issue not simply in special needs education, but in provision for all groups of children who had historically under-achieved in the education system, a version of inclusive education related directly to the governments wider ‘social inclusion agenda concerned with ensuring that all social groups participated in the opportunities and activities of ‘mainstream society. Nonetheless, The Centre for Inclusive Education has outlined attributes of an educational setting marked by an ‘inclusive ethos. Some notable features include: â€Å"valuing all students and staff equally; increasing the participation of students in, and reducing their exclusion from, the cultures, curricula and communities of local schools; restructuring the cultures, policies and practices in schools so that they respond to the diversity of students in the locality; reducing barriers to learning and participation for all students, not only those with impairments or those who are categorised as `having special educational needs; learning from attempts to overcome barriers to the access and participation of particular students to make changes for the benefit of students more widely; viewing the difference between students as resources to support learning, rather than as problems to be overcome; acknowledging the right of students to an education in their locality; improving schools for staff as well as for students; emphasising the role of schools in building community and developing values, as well as in increasing achievement; fostering mutually sustaining relationships between schools and communities and recognising that inclusion in education is one aspect of inclusion in society.† In addition to this helpful delineation, this charitable research body has distinguished the social model of disability, (which they favour as more equitable), from the medical model of disability, (which they deem to be outmoded and more prone to promote exclusion). The charter states, that â€Å"according to the social model of disability, barriers to learning and participation arise from the interactions between learners and the learning environment or from the nature of the setting itself. This contrasts with a medical model in which disabilities and difficulties are attributed to inherent ‘deficits in individuals to be identified and treated as ‘abnormal in segregated settings.† The rationale for inclusion is usually posited â€Å"because children whatever their disability or learning difficulty have a part to play in society after school. An early start in mainstream playgroups or nursery schools, followed by education in ordinary schools and colleges, is the best preparation for an integrated life. Education is part of, not separate from, the rest of childrens lives. Disabled children can, and are, being educated in mainstream schools with appropriate support.† The imperative for Special Educational Needs children, from an early childhood age on, to be accommodated within mainstream educational settings, is also supported by its representation as a matter of human rights. The assertion that all children have a right to learn and not be discriminated against is endorsed by disabled adults who demand an end to segregation right across the social spectrum. Further arguments to support the current political posture with regard to mainstreaming SEN children, focus upon the educational benefits to those with special needs, suggesting they do better academically and socially, as well as assisting educational resources on the whole to be used more efficiently. Moreover, the social imperatives include the conviction that segregation and exclusion teaches children to be ignorant and prejudiced, making the bridge building process of normal relationships beyond their grasp and therefore more difficult in later adult life. Finally, it is noted that inclusion confronts â€Å"deeply held, false beliefs about the impossibility of ever including all children in mainstream, the supposedly ‘huge expense of full inclusion, and the so-called sanctity of parental choice.† Recent legislation since approximately 1990 has had a profound effect upon the educational policies and provision of education for early childhood years SEN children. The Education Act 1993 (section 160) was subsequently consolidated into the Education Act 1996 (section 316). In 1993 the general principle that children with special educational needs should, (where this is what parents wanted), normally be educated at mainstream schools was enshrined into law, conditional on school to accommodate needs of both SEN children and mainstreamed children. Moreover, the statement emanating from the UNESCO world conference in Salamanca, Spain in 1994, urged all governments to â€Å"adopt as a matter of law or policy the principle of inclusive education, enrolling all children in regular schools, unless there are compelling reasons for doing other wise.† The new British government in 1997 published ‘Excellence for All Children Meeting Special Educational Needs, which embodied a strategy to improve standards for pupils with specials educational needs. The policy, ‘Meeting Special Educational Needs A Programme of Action was published in 1998. It undertook to review the statutory framework for inclusion in conjunction with the Disability Rights Task Force. The Task Forces report ‘From Exclusion to Inclusion published in 1999 recommended â€Å"a strengthened right for parents of children with statements of special educational needs to a place at a mainstream school†. The Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 apparently delivered a strengthened right to a mainstream education for children with special educational needs. The Act has amended the Education Act 1996 and transformed the statutory framework for inclusion into a positive endorsement of inclusion. The Act seeks to enable more pupils who have special educational needs to be included successfully within mainstream education. One implication is that in theory at least, parents who have early childhood SEN children have a genuine right to choose either mainstreaming or dedicated SEN schooling for their child. In addition to the implementation of these legislative measures, the SEN specialist standards have been designed as an audit tool to help teachers and headteachers to identify specific training and development needs in relation to the effective teaching of pupils with severe and/or complex SEN. The statutory framework for SEN leaves no doubt that the presumption of the law is that children with special educational needs should be educated in mainstream schools. The Education Act 1996, reinforced through an amended regulation inserted by the SEN and Disability Discrimination Act 2001, makes this principle clear: ‘Where a statement of special educational needs is maintained for a child, then he or she must be educated in a mainstream school, unless that is incompatible with the wishes of his or her parents, or the provision of efficient education for other children. In so stating, the law formalises what has been increasingly the practice in the majority of LEAs over the last decade. In this context, use of the word ‘inclusion leads frequently to confusion, since the same noun is also applied to a raft of policies designed to secure the full participation in society (social inclusion) of people deemed for a variety of reasons to be ‘at risk. Clearly, not all pupils with SEN are at risk of social exclusion, though some are; equally clearly, not all children at risk of social exclusion have SEN. The process of diagnosis of children for SEN classification is is some ways problematic. According to the Audit Commission (2002), â€Å"One in five children a total of 1.9 million in England and Wales are considered by their school to have special educational needs (SEN). Despite the significant numbers involved, they have remained low profile in education policymaking and public awareness. National targets and performance tables fail to reflect schools work with them and a lack of systematic monitoring by schools and local education authorities (LEAs) means that poor practice may go unchallenged.† The Wrexham County Borough Council website illustrates the process of diagnosis. â€Å"Only a small percentage of children with special needs require a statutory assessment and a statement. The SEN Code of Practice identifies a staged approach to meeting the special needs of children. Schools are required to adopt a graduated response to special needs that include a range of strategies and varying levels of intervention. As a parent you should be informed by school if your child has special educational needs and how these needs are being met. The SEN Code of Practice identifies the stages of identification and meeting special educational needs as follows: Monitoring, Early Years Action/School Action , Early Year Action Plus/School Action Plus, Statutory Assessment and Statement of Special Educational Needs.† The existence of an annual review is heartening from a stigmatization and needs equity perspective. Ones childs â€Å"statement will be reviewed annually. The LEA will notify the school when your childs review should take place and the school will set the date and organise the review. The purpose of the review is to look at the progress made over the previous twelve months in relation to the objectives on the statement.† The Derby LEA illustrates the role of statutory authorities. â€Å"A statutory assessment is a detailed investigation to find out exactly what your childs special educational needs are and what special help your child needs. It is only necessary if a mainstream school or early education setting cant provide all the help that your child needs.† Issues pertaining to gender, social class, culture and language have been well addressed byu Topping. â€Å"Despite the focus on social and educational inclusion and on ‘joined-up thinking the discourses of SEN and of equal opportunities, in terms of race and gender, have remained distinctly discrete. Although the literature on learning difficulties and disability sometimes makes reference to ‘social class, the gender or ethnicity (‘race) of pupils is rarely mentioned. Similarly, research on ethnicity and gender issues rarely acknowledges Special Educational Needs (SEN) and disabilities.†

The Role of Religion in Elementary & Secondary Education Essay

Freedom of Religion is a liberty considered by many Americans to be one of the defining aspects of their country, but a line is drawn when one person’s freedom infringes upon another's. â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.† â€Å"With those words, in the First Amendment to the Constitution, the fledgling United States of America became the first nation to place into law the notion that religious beliefs were a private matter for individuals who had the legal right to freedom of conscience, and that no government had the right or authority to dictate what religious opinions people shall or shall not hold.†1 â€Å"What schools need is a moment of science†. I laugh at the bumper sticker as I pull into my high school’s parking lot. The controversy of public school prayer has not struck my particular school, but it is still prominent in my mind. For decades, many schools have allowed for a moment of silent prayer in the beginning of the day – a time for reflection or meditation – and some have even led deliberately Christian-oriented prayer services over the PA systems. My school would open each class with a recitation of â€Å"Let us remember that we are in the holy presence of God†, and then offer prayers to anyone who had intentions. Then again, my school is a private, Catholic organization, and can pray however it wants to. Public schools are another question. Prayer was largely removed from public schools back in 1967 – but the influence still remained, it seems. Nowadays, lobbyists are convinced that freedom of religion also implies freedom fr om religion, should the individual choose it, and so they are working towards erasing the â€Å"under God† from the Pledge of Allegia... ...consisting entirely of a profound natural respect), the purpose of environmental service learning in religion courses becomes lost in somewhat muddled metaphors. Theoretically, this entire debacle could be avoided if biology teachers simply said, â€Å"evolution happened. Now, whether or not there was a god behind it depends on your personal preference†. Specific religions, as mandated by the notion of separation of church and state, should not play any role in public education. To compensate, schools should facilitate spiritual, environmental projects to bolster the students’ appreciation for nature without the convoluted religious facet. While Congress can make no law infringing on a citizen’s right to believe, it can limit a religion’s practices, and therefore has every Constitutional right to explicitly forbid the mention of divinity in a public school classroom.

media avoidance Essay -- essays research papers

In my everyday life I use all sorts of media, they range from cable television, Internet, radio, and the newspaper. For myself media, is the form and technology I use to receive and communicate information. The different forms of media I was trying to avoid were cable television, the internet and radio. I figured if I could avoid those things I would be doing well in avoiding most obvious forms of mass media. What I realized as I began this whole experience this whole experience is that the mass media is an important if not the most important part of my everyday life. I use it for almost everything I do and it surrounds me. On my first day of avoiding the media, which was on a Saturday, my plan going into was not check my e-mail, not watch television and not listen to the radio. This was not as easy as I thought, that morning when I woke up my first instinct was to check my e-mail. After I couldn’t do that I felt all this anxiety that I was missing out on something. But I went without, and was able to get to work without reading the newspaper or listening to the radio. It was easy for me to avoid media at work because I work at Enterprise Rent-A-Car and all I do there is check people into cars and drive around the city all day. If I don’t turn on the radio when I’m driving cars then I pretty much avoid most media. The only problem I had at work is when I would be talking to some customers and they would be talking about things they heard in the news, sports etc†¦ and I could...

Jails and Prisons Essay

Jails and prisons are corrective institutions which are meant to curb criminal activities in the society. They are also meant to punish the offenders. Prisons execute imprisonment which involves legal penalties. Jails and prisons should basically be aimed at punishing and rehabilitating the offender so as he/she will not repeat the crime which he/she was convicted of. The federal spending on correctional activities has also been gradually increasing. In the recent past federal government has been enhancing its efforts to improve jails and prisons conditions as a sign of recognizing some human rights entitled to criminals. Nowadays, those serving imprisonment sentences can access various facilities. These include religious services, education facilities, and recreational facilities in the exercise yard. The prisoners’ health is also well taken care of. Prisoners are also trained and imparted with some skills which may be helpful in their future life. In our contemporary prisons, prisoners are provided with entertainment facilities such as pool tables and TV. (Cavadino & Dignan 2006) USA jails and prisons are both meant to rehabilitate and punish the offenders. Rehabilitation is an effective method of ensuring no re-offence so as to reduce the number of prisoners’ population. This program seeks to address the casual links to offending, and employ cognitive behavioral approach towards modifying the prisoners’ behaviors. Counselors are used to ensure success of such programs. Those involved in use of prohibited substances and a number of civil crimes are usually rehabilitated. On the other hand, some criminal activities necessitate punishments such as fines, strokes and capital punishment. Capital punishment is applied to serious criminal activities such as terrorism, espionage, treason or mass destruction. (McGuire 2002; Cavadino & Dignan 2006)

Hewlett-Packard Swot Analysis Essay

Hewlett-Packard Company or HP is an American multinational hardware and software corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, California, United States. (from Wikipedia) And HP product lines include personal computing devices, enterprise servers, related storage devices, printers and imaging products. At the same time, HP markets products to household, small- and medium-sized businesses and large enterprises. HP’s mission statement is that to provide product, services and solution of highest quality and deliver more value to our customers that earn their respect and loyalty. We can see that HP really concern about consumers’ satisfactions from their mission. On Fortune 500, HP ranks 10 in 2012 and ranked 11 in 2011. SWOT analysis tool provides a structure for analyzing the internal strengths and weaknesses of an organization, any external opportunities and threats it faces. Band name can be a strength for HP which will make people think good quality. Also , HP provides wide range of innovative products which attract many people to use their products. And HP don’t use other companies’ technologies, they develop their own hardware and software. It can benefit HP because HP will be not limited by other companies. At the same time, HP’s sales are very high. They use different kinds of ways to promote products, like web technology, advertisement and so on. In financial part, HP has robust financials which contains low debt. In addition, HP also has weaknesses. The first one is that no aggressive investment in research and development. No innovative technology and products will be developed. As a hardware and software corporation, HP must increase the investment in R&D to keep pace with the development of technology. No good people retention policies and weak controls are taken by HP. Only with good managers, technicists and workers can a company succeed. The external environment consists of opportunities and threats. Firstly, we discuss the opportunities. With the development of the economy, HP has expended their retailed stores for customer convenience. Customers have easier access to the HP product. Also, the software and hardware of computer and cell phone are very popular and are developed quickly. The threats are very huge because many competitors are appearing, such as Dell, Lenovo and Acer. The competitor’s technology and pricing force HP to innovate their technologies and to take many measures to low price. HP also has less coverage than competitor and low compatibility with non-HP product..

Challenges which organisations and managers face

Challenges which organisations and managers face This report aims at understanding the challenges that managers and organisations face in going international, and will offer some recommendations and possible solutions that can be considered by the organisations. The number of corporations that are going international is on a steady increase, as the world is opening up for foreign firms and there is more opportunity to expand to new destinations across the globe. Most times, multinational companies operating abroad face much more difficult tasks than before, due to high competition. A lot of companies form partnerships with foreign distributors in order to expand internationally, but they might not have the necessary resources and international experience it takes to sustain an international presence as the whole process can be a very demanding task, especially on the part of the managers Countries of the world are now interacting more rapidly in the globalized business environment of today. Thus the problems involved in managing a cross diverse cultures affects not only the multinational corporations, but also domestic companies, as a large number of domestic corporations also face multi-cultural environments because they seem to be constantly selling their good or making purchases in the international markets. Some domestic corporations also employ a lot of staff and management who are from different cultures. Thus when managers fail to fully appreciate and deal with the resulting differences in behavior, attitudes and values of those with whom they work or interact, especially in international business transactions, then that would be a major source of difficulties. According to Charles Perrow â€Å"Interactive complexity is the measure of the degree to which we cannot foresee all the ways things can go wrong. This may be because there are just too many interactions to keep track of. More likely, it is because our various theories are simply not up to the task of modeling socio-technical interactions. Seco nd, coupling is a measure of the degree to which we cannot stop an impending disaster once it starts.† (Perrow, C 2000) This might be as a result of managers not having ample time, or maybe because it is not physically possible, or due to a lack of experience. The capacity of managers to prevent any surprises that may arise from doing business on an international scale diminishes as the interactive complexity increases. Therefore, as the level of interactive coupling and interactive complexity continues to increase in a corporation. Then the whole system can be seen as an accident waiting to occur. This is what Charles Perrow refers to as â€Å"normal accident† in the sense that errors of operation will merely serve to trigger the events. Therefore, the management techniques and strategies employed to resolve international business problems have to differ from the management techniques for resolving local and domestic problems. As such mangers are to improve upon their managerial capacity to prevent unanticipated interactions and components, the system has to be firstly simplified, then there has to be and effort to increase the capacity to handle international problems, building in longer response times, and decoupling of major components. Apart from convergent problems which are problems which show promise for solution, multicultural corporations also face divergent problems. Divergent problems don’t promise a solution and tend to lead to more differences. According to Tylor (1977)

Urban Growth Policy within your Community Research Paper

Urban Growth Policy within your Community - Research Paper Example Development of good policies to govern cities would ensure a strategic and conducive business environment, better infrastructural services to the residence and better standards of living to the residents. The relationship between the policy makers and the residence of different cities fluctuates depending on the policies, government development and behavior. The urban policies in the cities are aimed at ensuring job creation and housing to the residence, this is achieved through an urban based development policy from the federal government. Policies are made in such a way that employers in the urban areas do not suffer (Gottlieb, 2007). This done by ensuring that they benefit from the incentives based on their places of business. The urban policies have ensured that important facilities such as the places for markets, cultural centers and other important facilities are integrated in specific locations so as to maximize the use of space and ensure creativity within the cities. Though development advancement as well as the management of public properties in the cities has proved to be crucial to its economic prosperity, the vulnerable groups in the society face a stiff challenge in copi ng with these policies. This is basically attributed by the urban policies that privatized public properties thus criminating them when these policies are applied. Sprawl growth The urban Sprawl is attracted by the opportunities in the markets, therefore making it difficult it difficult to be controlled by a single city policy. Control of the Sprawl growth is both a responsibility of the local and the federal government. The coordination between the rural and the urban authorities should be enhanced to ensure that pressure on land use meant for development of industries does not encourage development of Sprawls. Los Angeles is one of the cities that have embraced smart growth at the expense of Sprawl growth with the aim of a future sustainability (Gottlieb, 2007). Los Angeles Land Use Policy The strategic position of Los Angeles city makes it one of the most important international trade centers. The market forces and the policies governing land are some of challenges that the indus trial development in the city face. The market trends and policies governing the public properties are regionally and nationally influenced. Some policies and business activities in the port of Los Angeles may not be handled by the city. However continuous conversion of industrial land to residential places has prompted the city’s policy makers to develop policies that would protect industrial Land from being depleted. Citing from the city policy on land use, the city would be able to handle the trend of unemployment and low standards of living by developing industries that would sustain the residents. The policy is aimed at developing criteria of limiting the construction of residential areas at the expense of industrialization. The policy also aims at preserving and increasing the number of jobs in the city by attracting and increasing investments in the industrial sector through the land use policy. From statistics, the city added over a million new residents and in a span of twenty five years, contrary to this over 50, 000 jobs were lost (Estolano, 2008). Development of real estates was the major driving force towards the high population increase with less concern in job creation.

Comparison Paper about three works of art that depict a common theme Essay

Comparison Paper about three works of art that depict a common theme or subject in distinct and different ways - Essay Example pression with the Egyptian focus on content and developed an artistic approach intended to inspire and celebrate their cultural and individual achievements. The art of the Middle Ages sought to replace the Paganism of the fallen Roman Empire with themes of Christian religious myths, giving the practice of art religious, political and educational purposes. This gave way to the explosion of art during the Renaissance which was inspired by the re-discovery of ancient art forms and practices (Gombrich, 1995). This skip through history illustrates how art can be used for many purposes and is often inspired or developed to build on the past. These ideas can be found in a comparison of paintings created on a similar theme such as Boticelli’s â€Å"Birth of Venus,† Titian’s â€Å"Venus of Urbino† and Edouard Manet’s â€Å"Olympia,† all of which seek to reflect and define their culture’s conception of beauty and expectations of the female gende r ideal. The period of the Renaissance is generally recognized as occurring between 1300 and 1500 in Italy. In the years between the collapse of the Roman Empire and the birth of the Renaissance, artworks typically had a very religious theme, focusing almost exclusively on figures from the Bible. With the discovery of some of the classic art and architecture of Rome, there was renewed interest in the deities that had once been important to these people. Venus, the goddess of love, was reborn in statues and paintings throughout this period. Perhaps one of the most well-known of these resurrections is Botticelli’s â€Å"Birth of Venus† (1485). Although this wasn’t the first image of Venus created during the Renaissance, Botticelli chose to display Venus in the nude in deliberate reference to her classical poses. However, he is wisely not so blatant as to have her standing with no discretion. In Botticelli’s highly Christianized society, the only nudes generally acce pted by the powers that be were Adam, Eve or the crucified