Financial Systems and Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Financial Systems and Government - Essay Example Different languages are spoken. Municipalities also register an inevitable growth and they have to provide transportable roads lighting the roads, similarly and should be committed to provide amenities of international standard to Financial system and also for its sustenance. Keeping this aspect in mind the government has to take care of the Financial system activities and support all the states of the country. The role of the government is very vast in the case of the Financial system since no other private or the third part has the rights or the authority to involve itself into the Financial system. Financial system can be developed only when government takes care of the national heritage and the tourist spots. The tourists who visit the country will have faith and will come again only when government takes care of the tourists. Financial system is actually a bilateral and diplomatic relationship between the countries. Financial system can bring success and good future to the country and the role of the government is extensively needed both by the tourists and the people depending on tourists. Large number of tourists bring large foreign currency to the country and there by leveling the import and export. Financial system represents a single ... One shall meat and come across different rest of different nationals represent at one place. Different sets of different nationals represent diversified cultures; different languages are spoken at one and the same place, and at one and the same time. They come to know each other from a closer proximity. The intimacies develop; relationships pave way for greater understanding. The social pavilion of life is set to rolling. Broader outlook develop into more knowledgeable and understanding environment. There will be a great impact on the urban sociology patterns of life. This can be done only when the government initiates the Financial system and takes complete responsibility and responsibility. The world becomes a small place respectively inevitable economical growth, a pleasant knowledge based environment. The world is no bigger, thoughts of seeing the world; the globe on a huge unknown has become so small so much can be felt immensely. T third world, joyous frivolous, sensible, knowledgeable, cultured by urban socialites will cherish. The development may fold big colonies. A lot of big industries and big companies will enter into the market to cater to the needs of the conglomeration. The development shall develop many folds. The economy of the country, government organizations and private sectors will make a rudimental change. Mainly the cities will develop into a small globe with multi faced development in industries and corporate. May be the chief architect of the Financial system is to take enormous pairs to create and design the super structure of the third world. Financial system has its own effects on every aspects of technology. Financial system has changed the way

The Role of the Advanced Practice Nurse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Role of the Advanced Practice Nurse - Essay Example The complexity of the contemporary healthcare environment has significantly changed and the role of nurses has also continued to change due to increased technology advancement. The access to healthcare delivery and nurses offering these services are changing rapidly due to increased demanding needs; therefore, each state is attempting to deal with these increasing healthcare changes through expanding and advancing the roles of nurses. Educators are now required to offer effective training services to graduates in order to prepare them with clear understanding of the Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) roles. APN refers as the nursing interventions that influence healthcare outcomes such as care management, nursing administration, direct clinical care of individual patients and development of healthcare policies. Understanding APN roles, professional and regulatory issues will enable nurses to make reasonable transition in the healthcare market. Educators should employ effective approaches for building APN role content into graduate course units since this can enable nurses to their intended goals effectively. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to offer clear analysis of the roles being played by advanced practice nurses in the contemporary healthcare market. Core APN competencies The core competencies for APN nursing roles arise from role requirements, nursing regulations, nursing principles and practices, as well as, professional behavior standards necessary to offer competent, ethical and safe care. These core competencies offer the basis through which practitioners, human resource managers and educators can determine the acceptance level necessary for practicing in APN role in a certain situational context. The core competences address two significant elements including the professional development and the clinical practice both of which are significant for the APN role to attain the acceptable nursing standards and practices. a) Clinical Practice Competencies Practice core competencies are among the significant APN roles and this includes participating in direct patient care. This is an essential part of clinical practice because it adequately fulfills the role of nursing practitioner. Hamric and Hanson (2003) argue that direct clinical practice is one of the central competencies for APN because it informs and offers a foundation for which to build pillars for expert coaching. It also provides a basis for collaboration, research and ethical decision making vital for meeting the demanding needs of patients. Scholars have attempted to examine critical roles played by APN and the way these roles have tremendously changed in the contemporary healthcare market (Hamric and Hanson, 2003). Th e authors also attempts to offer clear and comprehensive roles of APN nurses in the contemporary society. Nurses employ applicable counseling, interpersonal skills and valuable communication skills; thus they initiate therapeutic relationships. They also work in collaboration with other healthcare professions and employ effective ethical standards in order to meet the demanding needs of their clients. b) Professional Development Competencies The professional development competencies are also significant APN roles because they help individuals to accomplish and maintain the level of proficiencies necessary to practice. They focus on the role of individuals in self governance of their occupation practice and personal development. According to Hamric and Hanson (2003), professional role development takes into considerations the theoretical principles and norms within the specialty practice area for nursing graduates. The content in professional role development should offer the graduat e with clear understandings of nursing profession, regulations, necessary requirements for nurses and APN roles (Hamric and Hanso

The Effects of Early Childhood Intervention

The Effects of Early Childhood Intervention When children and young peoples development is monitored and assessed, it enables practitioners and professionals to notice when children and young people are not progressing as expected. Therefore, if necessary checks can be made to see why children are not developing as expected may be due to impairment. When practitioners and professionals intervene in early years of the children, they will able to get appropriate support they need and their development and their welfare is promoted. Children and young peoples overall outcomes will be promoted significantly when professionals carry out early intervention. There are several methods of monitoring childrens development explained below:- Assessments frameworks Practitioners are required to carry out on going assessments through observations on a diary basis as its integral part of development and learning. Any learning and development needs of children and young people must be addressed by the practitioners with the parent/ carer and relevant professionals. Parents/ carers should be updated regularly with their childrens progress and development. Progress check at two: Practitioners should carry out a progress check when the child is aged between two and three. It should be carried out in the setting where the children spend more time and discuss how childrens learning is supported using the summary of development at home. It is a written summary of the childs development in the prime areas. The practitioner must discuss with the parents and / carers on how to support childrens learning at home using the summary of development. It must reflect on going, regular observation of childrens development. The progress check at two enables practitioners and any other professionals to identify development needs early on in the childs life in order he/she gets the additional support needed. Assessment at the end of the EYFS the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP). EYFSP must be completed for each child in the final term when he/she turns five years old and should be before the 30th of June in that term. School must share profile results with the parents / carers and relevant professionals. The profile provides details of the childs abilities and understanding, knowledge, their progress against expected levels and how ready they are for year 1. Observations. In settings, practitioners watch children play and watch how they are behaving. Some observations do not need the practitioner to interact with the children while in others it may be more appropriate for the practitioner to be involved in order to support learning and development. Observations play a very important part in assessing the childrens development. When practitioners carry out observations, they are able to get information about the childs development, interests and their interactions with friends and adults as well their level of concentrations. Standard measurements Different professionals use various standardized measurements to monitor and assess the childrens development. Growth / healthy assessments. These are used to measure and assess the childrens height, weight and head circumference. Auditory assessments. These assessments are used to monitor and assess the childrens levels of response. Reasoning assessments. These assessments are used to monitor and assess the childrens reasoning and they are carried out by educational psychologists. Cognitive aptitude assessments. These assessments are used to monitor and assess the childrens intelligence and they are widely carried out in schools. All the above tests help professionals to see how a child is performing compared to the large group/ population of other children in the same age group. Information from parents/ carers, colleagues and others. Practitioners should collect as much information as possible from parents/ carers when monitoring and assessing childrens development as the parents/ carers spend more time and are more attune with their children. They see the child in a variety of different situations hence have a lot to contribute and they are aware of their learning and behaviour outside the setting. They always have a different perspective. It is very important to also involve the child whenever possible. Although key workers are the ones mainly responsible to monitor and assess their key children, all practitioners working with them should but consulted as they may have different in put towards the childrens development. CYP 3.1: 3.2 EXPLAIN THE REASONS WHY CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLES DEVELOPMENT MAY NOT FOLLOW THE EXPECTED PATTERN. Children encounter issues in their lives that have a positive or negative influence on their life and hinder them from following the expected pattern of development. As practitioners, we have the duty of care towards the children and young people to ensure that we improve their life chances by following the Every Child Matter outcomes, which are be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution and achieve economic well-being. Physical factors The childrens/ young peoples genetics affects their development, which includes their physical growth and physical strength. Sometimes professionals may be unable to identify why a child is not following the usual development pattern even after thorough investigations on the influences of development. This may possibly be to the fact that it in the genetic makeup of the child to have a slow start or delayed learning. The social, economic and cultural factors Personal choice Families may decide to live in a different way example travelling families. The children/ young peoples education may be affected if their families travel a lot and they may not settle in. This may stop children from following their expected development pattern. Some families bring up their children differently and some bring up boys differently from girls and this can affect the childrens development. Poverty Families live in poverty mostly due to unemployment and low income. Due to lack of money, families may fail to provide enough food to eat, clothes to wears, educational resources outside school and heat for winter for their children, which may affect their health and that of the parent. This might hinder the children/ young people to reach their full potential Housing and Community Children and young peoples development is greatly affected negatively if they live in poor housing conditions like living in a damp condition may cause health problems to the children that may affect their learning. Children and young people living in neighbourhood with anti-social behaviour may be affected negatively as they may be isolated or they may decide to join in and their development will be affected. Poor parental supervision/ neglect Children need guidance to learn how to behave well. If they do not get the guidance from their parent, they will misbehave at school because they do not understand the boundaries. Lack of boundaries may result in the children and young people being involved in crime and anti-social behaviour. Educational Environment If the setting does not reach the statutory requirement, this will affect the children and young peoples development and they will not achieve their full potential therefore they might be un able to follow the expected development pattern. Health status and Disability Children and young people with existing health condition or with disability may find it hard to fit in and if they are discriminated against, this will have a negative impact on their lives. Learning needs. Children and young people with learning difficulties and those with specific learning needs may not follow the expected development pattern as they may need a range of additional support with their learning and development, for example with writing , reading or maths. Children with Dyslexia they need support with their learning and development. Bereavement and loss Losing a loved one or pet can have a great impact on emotional and physical health. Children/ young people may find it hard to cope with the grief and this may affect their well-being. Religious beliefs and customs Children may be excluded from setting to attend specific settings due to their religious beliefs and customs therefore the children may miss out on some activities and this might have a negative impact on their live. Ethnic beliefs Children might feel isolated and discriminated against due to their ethnic belief and this will have a negative impact on their lives. Communication skills. Children and young people who have trouble with their communication, their learning and development will be impacted on and this leads to the children not following their expected development pattern. Communication development is linked closely to social, emotional and behaviour and intellectual/cognitive development. 3.3 EXPLANATION OF HOW DISABILITY MAY AFFECT DEVELOPMENT Practitioner should have a good knowledge of particular impairments and understand that the same impairment can affect each child differently. Therefore, practitioners must understand the children they are working with, how the impairment is affecting them in order to meet their needs appropriately. Practitioners should look for ways of increasing learning and development opportunities for children with disabilities. Social model of disability When society is not set up to meet the needs of people experiencing impairment, this implies that impairments give rise to disability. The society disables them, rather than enabling them (Walker 2011 p.285). There is consideration in the social model of disability that people with disabilities have rights and choices and the change has to be made by the society. Children with learning difficulties and impairment that affect their social and emotional development may find it had to interact with others and they will be unable to make friends and positive relationships. Society should change to give the children with disability an opportunity to participate in society and ensure that it meets the children and young peoples needs so as to achieve positive outcome. Medical model of disability In this model of disability people without a disability, they see the impairment of disabled people as a problem that needs solved or cured whereas some impairments have no cure. Medical model limits the opportunities for children and young people and this impact negatively on their learning and development. The children with long term medical conditions or physical disabilities may not achieve their full potential as they may miss educational opportunities due to their health, having to stay in hospitals and attending medical appointments. Low expectations When people/ societies have low expectations for children and young people with disability, they will be denied the opportunities they need to achieve their full potential. If children and young people with disability have low expectation of themselves they may not want to get involved and they will feel isolated and unable to fit in. Stereotyping. Children with disabilities may develop low self-confidence and self-esteem due to the stereotyping, discrimination and if the family members see them as a burden or have negative attitudes due to their lack of ability to cope with their disability. Cultural differences Children and young people may miss out on the chance to learn, play and work due to discrimination because of their disability as well as their background, hence unable to achieve a positive outcome. People from different cultures should be more understanding, accepting and encouraging to children and young people with disabilities. Due to lack of funds and resources, can hinder the children with disability having opportunities to experiences activities and achieve their full potential as meeting the needs of a child with disability can be very expensive and funded services vary from one local area to another. The benefits of positive attitudes to disability. Positive attitudes to disability helps children with disability develop a positive attitude towards themselves and they will have high expectations for their life. The children and young people will have increased self-esteem and self-confidence, gain their independence and have a purpose in life. They will be able to achieve a positive outcome with their learning and development. Positive attitude to disability will help children/young people with disability be more resilience and handle the negative attitudes towards them from others like discrimination and stereotyping. 3.4 AN EXPLANATION OF HOW DIFFERENT TYPES OF INTERVENATIONS CAN PROMOTE POSITIVE OUTCOMES FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE WHERE DEVELOPMENT IS NOT FOLLOWING THE EXPECTED PATTERN A number of professional agencies may become involved when children are identified as not following the expected developmental pattern. The professionals will all work together to support children and their families to ensure that children and younger people achieve their full potential. Children and young peoples outcomes can be improved when multi-agency approach is involved and this includes the children and young peoples development. Below are the professionals involved in the interventions with children. Professional/Agency Main area of responsibility Impact Types of intervention Behavioural Support Service (BEST) They work in partnership with provisions within the framework to include everyone. They promote good behaviour and provide support to children and young people, parents and settings. Behaviour impact the childrens and young people achievements. When children have positive behaviour they achieve at school. Recognising and managing their emotions and learn about relations. Improved educational outcome. Training of staff Advice on how to develop and review behaviour policies. Speech and language therapists. They are employed by the local Primary Health Trust. They assess and treat speech, language and communication problem to allow children to communicate to the best of their ability. Children being able to communicate with others. Meeting their individual development needs. Improved language skills. Settling better in settings and will to learn. Improved education outcome. They are referred from the GP or concern from the setting. Therapy Educating parents and staff. Promoting speech and language development through songs and rhymes involving children and parents. Physiotherapists. They help children who have problems as a result of injuries to rehabilitate and increase their movement and coordination, illness or for medical reasons. When the children and young people are rehabilitated. Improved movement. Treatment Range of motion exercise Electrical stimulation Strengthening exercise Soft tissue movement. Psychologists They help and support children with social, emotional problem or learning difficulties. They offer advice and giving counseling to children and parents. Being able to enhance the childs learning and enabling practitioners to be more aware of the social factors affecting childrens learning. Improved education outcome. Counselling Training Health Visitors. They are health professionals who help, support and educate parents on the way of preventing diseases through immunizations, good child nutrition, minor illness and behavior issues. They advice parents on health and child development. They do home visits and sometimes, they can be found in the local medical centre at least once a week. They support parents to ensure that children are protected from illness and they achieve their developmental milestones. Improve education and life outcome for children and young people. Identifying mothers suffering from depression. Reduced post-natal depression. Medical advice Training Home visits Parental training Social workers They are employed by social services. They provide assistance and advice to children, young people and families with health need, housing issues, and poverty. They support young people living care and those facing difficulties of any kind. Keep families together by giving them support. Children from care fulfil their full potential. Families getting the help they need. Crisis intervention Anger management Stress management Relaxation training Mid wives They offer health support to parents expecting a child/ children. Parent has a successful pregnancy and birth. Reduce the number of women smoking during pregnancy. Increased breast feeding. Increased parental confidence. Training Antenatal care. Pre- and post natal care. Birth plans Training Breast feeding training. Play specialist They are employed by the local Primary Health Trust. They make observations and assessments through play with children in hospitals to identify their needs and fears while in hospital. The children get full recover and play freely without any problems. Assessments Introduction of play Voluntary agencies and services These include local and national services like NSPCC. They support and give advice to children, young people and their families experiencing threatening situations. The families feel safe, secure and protected. They have a peace of mind knowing that they can get support and advice if they experience ant threatening behaviour. Training Support and advice Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO). Works in the setting They have the responsibility to organise identification and support for children with special education needs Being able identify that a child has special education needs and the child being able to get the help they need early on in time. Referrals to respective professionals Support Psychiatrist They are doctors trained medically. They specialise in mental health. They diagnose and support children and young people with mental health problems. When the child and young person get all the support and treatment the y need. When they are able to lead a normal life afterwards. Counselling Training Awareness Nurse specialist They give advice and support to children, young people and their families on how to manage chronic conditions. They also measure and assess childrens development. When families are able to handle and manage chronic conditions. When families are able to get help in time if there are any underlining problems with their childrens development. Training Raising awareness Measurements and assessment of children development. Young justice teams. They work with children and young people with anti social behaviour in the community. They work hand in hand with the social workers. When the children and young people get the support they need to be model citizens. Recognising and managing their emotions and learn about relationships. Improved social and emotional skills, attitudes, behaviour and academic performance. Target offending behaviour Thorough assessments of children and young peoples individual needs. Offer structured programmes. Offer programmes that can work that meet the families needs. Additional learning support teams They help children with specific educational needs within early years provisions, schools and out of school. Children get the support and education to achieve their development goals. Improved learning outcomes. Training Awareness Support Assistive technology Children and young peoples development can be supported by using a range of technology. A voice activated computer programme will assist children and young people with delayed fine motor skills with writing. Children and young people with difficulties walking may use the latest wheelchairs so as they are able to achieve their development goal and be more independent. Physiotherapists, speech and language therapists and sensory impairment support professionals have the responsibility to choose the right type of assistive technology for children and young people. http://www.ehow.co.uk/socialworkers (16.02.2013) http://www.physiotherapy.notes.com (16.02.2013) http;//www.surreycc.gov.uk/social-careand health (17.02.2013) http://www.nfer.ac.uk/nfer/publications (17.02.2013). Tassoni, P., Beith, K., Bulman, K., Griffin, S. (2010) Children and Young Peoples Workforce. Early Learning and childcare. Level 3 Diploma. Essex: Heinemann. Walker, M. (2011) Children and Young Peoples Workforce. Early Learning and Childcare. Level 3 Diploma. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes.

Conflict in William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet Essay -- Drama Shak

Conflict in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet Conflict meaning 'a state of opposition or a fight or struggle' is used in all good dramas, old and new. It makes the drama interesting. Conflict is mostly used by dramatists and script writers to make audiences interested in the drama, tense and wonder what will happen next. The play 'Romeo and Juliet' has to have a conflict because; it is one of the main themes in the play. The disagreements and fight between the two family, that is Capulet and he Montague, their children Romeo and Juliet who truly were in love with each other end up dying. So, after this incident, the quarrels stop between the two families. The whole play starts because of the mutual hostility and conflict between the Capulet and the Montague and ends with tragedy of two lovers. The abundant swordplay throughout the play affects the theme of conflict used in ?Romeo and Juliet?. In this play, there are spontaneous actions of the characters rather than their thoughts. There are many types of conflicts to be appeared in this play such as family conflicts society conflicts and generation conflicts. When lady Capulet wants Juliet to marry Paris but Juliet wants to marry Romeo, appears to be a conflict between them. There is also conflict in the two families and their general relationship with their children. A prologue is the beginning of a play, books or film that introduces. It gives a warning or indication of the events of the play. The idea of conflict occurs in the prologue where it talks about the two houses of Verona have had a long- standing grudge which will lead to a new conflict, love and death of the lovers. It tells us about how violently the two families fight with each other and ends up doing. It also mentions that the next two hours of the play will be full of conflicts. Many different kinds of language are used in the prologue. Some words that are used in the prologue to express the idea of conflict are ?fight? ?unfortunate death?, ?star-cross lovers? ?fated love? etc. the words that are used in the play makes the audiences feel as if they are also part of the play and feel involved in it. Words like ?star crossed lovers? and ?fated love? are used and the audience know what is going to happen. They feel really tensed to what will happen next to the ancient grudge when two unlucky childre... ...ne 5, the conflict that occurs is mainly within the family where it consists of a parent-child conflict. It is different from act1 scene 1 because the conflict used there were to do with the two different families where in this act, the conflict is to do within the two houses and is private. There is a different kind of violence used in this act where there is no blood or swords. Instead words are used. In this scene, lady Capulet tells Juliet of her meaning with Paris, Juliet?s replies to her mother are filled with double meaning. For example she says.? Madam, I am not well.? By this, lady Capulet believes that this is because of grieving over her cousin, Tybalt. However in Juliet?s sense, she is trying to say that she just parted from her husband and her heart is full of sorrow. So there are double meanings in what Juliet says. So when Juliet hears of her weeding with Paris, she defies her mother and refuses to co-operate. So lady Capulet is furious and threatens her own daughter that if she doesn?t marry Paris then she has to leave the house. Not even her nurse is on her side. She feels shattered but continues to speak when her father, Lord Capulet arrives.

Genetically Modified Foods: Their Benefits and Drawbacks

Dear Senator Cornyn, As a United States Senator representing the state of Texas, you know that representing the best interests of your constituents is a full time job. Perhaps one of the most important items in the lives of Texans is how and where their supply of food is produced. While normal agricultural techniques do provide many of the food in the market today, genetically modified foods, or GM foods are quickly becoming an integral part of America's food system. This letter is being submitted to offer you a brief summary of what genetically modified foods are, their benefits, and their drawbacks. It is our hope that you will use this information to make informed decisions concerning this controversial subject. Specifically speaking, genetic modification is a special set of technologies that alter genetic makeup of organisms such as animals, plants, or bacteria. It is a form of biotechnology in which specific gene sequences are inserted into a specific plant or animal so that the trait exhibited by the gene is manifested in the plant or animal. By allowing specific genes to be re-combined, the value of the recipient organism can be greatly increased. The potential risks attributed to such a genetically engineered crop can also be increased. Based on the available information, there are quite a number of tangible benefits to genetically modified plants. Crops can be genetically engineered to be more resistant to pests, either plant or animal. By making such plants as corn, soybeans or even alfalfa more resistant, the resultant crop yields are larger, and the need for environmentally dangerous pesticides or herbicides are decreased greatly. Other crops, such as rice, have been genetically modified to include iron and Vitamin A to increase their health benefits. There are some risks involved with using genetically modified crops. One of the most far reaching is the possibility of the genetically modified foods harming other organisms. A recent study of Cornell University indicated that a gene for a bacterial toxin inserted into corn was poisonous to monarch butterfly larvae. It is a prime example of the far reaching affects of such alteration in the food system. Another risk inherent in this type of modification is uncontrolled cross-pollination. Once a modified gene is placed within a plant, it is extremely difficult to prevent it spreading to the rest of the crop. There is a strong possibility of a once desirable modification becoming an undesirable trait in another plant. Finally, the modified plants that have an increased resistance to pests and weeds can in time promote the evolution of more resilient weeds and pests through cross breeding or selective evolution. At the time, no medical harm to humans has been traced to ingesting genetically modified foods. It should be remembered, that is not the same as proving that genetically modified organisms pose no potential dangers. It is our hope that this letter will provide you with a very brief overview of the many benefits and potential drawbacks of genetically modified foods. Please feel free to contact us or other industry experts if you require further or more detailed information.

Analytical essay of Raymond Carver’s “Cathedral” Essay

Blindness can manifest itself in many ways. Arguably the most detrimental form of this condition may be the figurative blindness of ones own situations and ignorance towards the feelings of others. In Raymond Carver’s short story â€Å"Cathedral,† the narrator’s emotional and psychological blindness is immediately apparent. The many issues faced by the narrator as well as the turn-around experienced at the culmination of the tale are the main ideas for the theme of this story; and these ideas aid the narrator in eventually succumbing to character transformation by simply regarding the literal blind man in a positive light. The narrators statement at the very beginning of the story explains his own lack of knowledge concerning physical blindness. His lack of knowledge relating to the visitors disability is undeniable, yet he makes it very clear that he is aware of this ignorance, stating that he wasnt enthusiastic about his visit. He was no one I knew. And his being blind bothered me. My idea of blindness came from the movies. In the movies, the blind moved slowly and never laughed. Sometimes they were led by seeing-eye dogs. A blind man in my house was not something I looked forward to.† (90) These statements sum up his entire attitude about Robert (the houseguest) and other blind people in general at the onset of the story, giving the narrator an instant feeling of exactly who the narrator and even what he may turn out to be. While there are many undertones concerning other things about which he is unaware, the specific topic of character awareness is the main thought of the storys plot, ultimat ely developing into a solid theme. The introduction of the story explains the relationship between narrators wife and the blind man, detailing how it evolved to its present status. It is here the reader may see other examples of the figurative blindness from which the narrator suffers because of his knowledge of the relationship between the two, which seem to stem from his own troubled relationship with his wife. His wife gives him an ultimatum for acceptance of the blind man, stating that if her husband loves her, he would do this for me. If you dont love me, okay. (92) Throughout the story the narrator exudes jealousy toward the relationship his wife and the blind man share. Insecurity gives way to a troubled relationship with his wife. The narrator revaluates his suspicious  ideas regarding the troubled relationship; and his ultimate personal transformation gives way to the foreshadowing of a profound epiphany surrounding the entire story. Drug and alcohol usage throughout the entire story significantly adds to another blindness of which the subject is oblivious. Once Robert arrives, he is immediately introduced to social drinking, especially when he is questioned for his choice of drink. The narrator quickly supports this inquiry by further explaining that he and his wife carry a little of everything. It’s one of our pastimes.† (94) From this point on in the plot, drug and alcohol usage is described. The final enlightenment experienced by the narrator is a direct result of the mindset brought upon by his marijuana usage. In fact, many of his described problems may be attributed to his drinking and drug use. The effects of these habits are shown very well as the narrator and Robert converse directly after smoking a marijuana cigarette: â€Å"I reached for my glass. But it was empty. I tried to remember what I could remember.† (98) This exact portion of the dialogue accurately describes that of someo ne who is under the influence of a foreign substance. Once presented, the negative effects of drug usage on the characters are obvious throughout the story. The story climaxes after the wife falls asleep and the two men are finally allowed to converse with each other. It is at this time when the narrator finally gets to see the attitude and thoughts of the blind man, leading directly to his own personal transformation. When Robert asks whether or not the narrator is religious, his ambiguous response â€Å"I guess I dont believe in it. In anything. Sometimes its hard. You know what I’m saying?† (99) leads the reader (and Robert, as well) to see that this man is in need of something which means more than physical blindness. The reader becomes aware that this blind man feels it necessary to help the narrator both mentally and emotionally, bringing justice and understanding to a man filled with petty ideals. Once Robert has fulfilled this deed, the narrator begins to understand that certain positions of his are, and always has been, wrong, leading to an ultimate revelation towards change. Many among society today have a minute understanding of what it is to truly see, that this initiative  is more than physical viewing and bases itself mainly on emotional understanding, for instance, figuratively seeing what is inside other people, what they feel and how they think. Conclusively, the final drawing of the Cathedral truly helps the reader understand the meaning of achievement through working together. The two men hold hands while drawing the Cathedral, which inevitably is the basis for the story being told. If not for this truly life-changing experience, this narrator would simply have continued on his close-minded lifestyle never learning about or accepting other people as they are. The last few sentences of this story paint a beautiful picture of someone coming to the realization that being blind is not an affliction that is limited solely to the body. A person can be blind to the feelings of others and the problems that can affect our everyday life, yet through interaction and tolerance an individual can find both themselves and an awareness for people around them. Work Cited Carver, Raymond. Cathedral Literature and its writers. 4th ed. Ed. Ann Charters and Samuel Charters. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins,2007. 91-113

Free Essays on Brutus & Caesar

and ideas to fit the political climate, betraying Caesar, his country, and eventually himself. Brutus, having no self-assurance, or confidence he resulted to being a follower right down to his death. These are all signs of a weak person. With so much going for him, he lost it all to an easy way out o... Free Essays on Brutus & Caesar Free Essays on Brutus & Caesar Brutus was a trusted friend of Caesar and an honorable man, or so you thought. In William Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Brutus is presented as a loyal companion to Caesar showing himself as honorable only to turn around and betray his friend by death. This to me does not sound like the act of an honorable man. Can a man who is honored, be honorable? Brutus was a noble man in Rome and a good friend to the leader Caesar. Many looked up to Brutus as an honest man, and a person to trust and confide in. Trust is a basis in a friendship, and the one thing that failed to enter the relationship between Caesar and Brutus, leading to the one thing to drive their friendship apart. He may be looked apon as honored but was definitely not an honorable man. Someone who kills one of his own because he was persuaded to by the thoughts and ideas of others is easily manipulated and therefore cannot be thought of as honorable. He does not have strong character if he does not have faith in himself. "Hold then my sword, and turn away thy face while I do run apon it." (Shakespeare The Tragedy of Julius Caesar 5. 3. line 49) These were words Brutus spoke moments before killing himself, dying full of shame. How could a man who does not have the strength to carry on with his life, be considered honorable? Half of having the title of being honorable, is having faith in yourself, a quality which Brutus showed he did not have by timorously taking his own life. Inner weakness portrays itself in an outer manifestations of lies and anger. How can these characteristics be considered honorable? Like a chameleon, Brutus changed his words and ideas to fit the political climate, betraying Caesar, his country, and eventually himself. Brutus, having no self-assurance, or confidence he resulted to being a follower right down to his death. These are all signs of a weak person. With so much going for him, he lost it all to an easy way out o...

Swallow the Air by Tara June Winch Essay Example

Swallow the Air by Tara June Winch Essay Example Swallow the Air by Tara June Winch Essay Swallow the Air by Tara June Winch Essay Discoveries do indeed alter how people perceive their connections with others and the world around them. This statement accurately reflects the ideas present in the novel ‘Swallow the Air’ By Tara June Winch, the film adaptation of ‘Wuthering Heights’ By Coky Giedroyc in 2009 and the poem ‘We are going’ By Oodgeroo of the Noonuccal tribe. Discovery encompasses how perceiving life from various perspectives can empower people into renewed and altered perceptions of others and themselves. The journey to discovery for the protagonists in these three texts emphasises how relationships and significant events have the power to alter the perspective of a persons connections with others and the world around them Relationships In Winch’s ‘Swallow the Air’; the protagonist faces a journey to discovery through her relationships, which have enforced an altered perspective of her connections to the world and others around her. Mays feeling of misplacement and the obstacles she is faced with are the catalyst towards her journey to self-discovery. Obstacles such as her mother suicide in the beginning of the novel, when May was told her mother â€Å"had to leave† allowing her to establish the connection with the emptiness inside the ice cream container helmet, provides a visual metaphor of the dead stingray which May compares to her mother’s death as it was â€Å"floating around in my beating mind†, conveying her discovery that death leaves nothing but â€Å"emptiness†. May soon realises that the violence inflicted upon her mother by ‘white’ men because she was indigenous, was echoed onto her when May was raped. The rapist words- â€Å"This is gonna sh ow ya where ya dont belong dumb black bitch†- emphasises the depth of antagonism she experienced. The violence in the alliterated ‘black bitch’ is felt more painfully by May than the physical injury as it leaves her as an outsider with no sense of self. Thus it can be seen that d

Accounting Analysis of the 2011 Annual Report for Bank of Queensland Limited Essay Example for Free (#2011)

Accounting Analysis of the 2011 Annual Report for Bank of Queensland Limited Essay ? The aim of this report is to provide an accounting analysis of the 2011 annual report for Bank of Queensland Limited (BOQ), and a critique of the reporting of their performance. The report discusses the choice of accounting policies and the flexibility of these policies. The main objective of this report is to evaluate and recognise the possibility of using creative accounting within the company, recognise and questionable accounting numbers within items listed previously. A number of items have been selected from Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Statement. Bank of Queensland Limited (BOQ), has history of 137 years with network of over 280 branches operating in Queensland. It offers core banking (commercial/retail), equipment finance, wealth management and insuranceservices. BOQ is listed on the ASX and uses its unique concept of the Owner-Managed Branch (OMB),a partnership between the Bank of Queensland (franchisor) and experienced bank managers (franchisees) to provide banking services. 3. Description of key accounting policies and standards 3.1 Loans and advances at amortised cost (Asset) As shown on BOQ’s Balance sheet in FY11, loans and advances at amortised cost are big-ticket itemsin its assets accounting for approximately 98 per cent. According to the significant accounting policies explored by BOQ annual report 2011, loans and advances are originated by the bank and are recognised upon cash being advanced to the borrower. Based on AASB13, loans and advances are initially recognised at fair value plus incremental direct transaction cost using the effective interest method. 3.2 Deposits and borrowing (Liability) Deposits, as the one of the most important cash inflows of the bank, follow ruleAASB13 as well. They are initially recognised at fair value plus transaction costs and thenby using the effective interest method, they are measured at amortised cost. It is classified in two concentrations: retail deposits and wholesale deposits. This item follows AASB119Employee Benefits which has been amended in its accounting rules affecting the measurement of its obligations and the timing of recognition of termination benefits. Employee benefits can be classified to four categories: wages, salaries and annual leave; long service leave; superannuation plan and share based payments. 4. Flexibility of Management in Selecting the Key Accounting Policies It is undeniable that having flexiblemanagement can exert positive effects on the presentation of company’s annual financial report. Specifically, from the Bank of Queensland ´s perspective, if mangers have considerable adaptability in selecting the key accounting policies, the financial performance of Bank of Queensland Ltd can be improved; therefore more investors and customers would give priority to cooperating with them in the future. 4.1 Loan and Advances at Amortized Cost 4.1.1 Flexibility Analysis The measurement of loans and advances at amortized cost is extremelyfavourable to commercial banks. From BOQ’s consolidated financial annual report, the loan and advances at amortized cost accounted for around 83.3% of total assets in 2011, it had increased from 31,736,5 million to 33,276,1 million during 2010 to 2011. This change in $1539, 6 million was caused by impairment charges made by managers of the bank. The increase of loans and advances at amortized cost could enhance the customers trust in the bank. Sincefinancial funds, credit business and debts are the core business transaction of the banking industry, this itemappears to increase receivable accounts. Also, as banks could charge a reasonable rate of interest on such future loans/advances, they are able utilizethis income to pay current liabilities, wage and salaries of employees, and also the tax liability of business. Consequently, the BOQ’s managers have selected a flexible accounting policy in this item. Being dominant in the assets, loans and advances at amortized cost carries the burden of generating cash. The way that Bank of Queensland recognizes loans and advances at amortized cost can be separated to two phases. Initially, loans are recognized at fair value plus incremental direct transaction costs. Secondly, BOQ uses effective interest method to measure the amortized cost at each reporting date. The advantage of this accounting policy is that including direct transaction cost in the loan price can offset the actual transaction cost occurred and maximize the profit for the bank. Additionally, the effective interest method is considered as one of the prior methods for amortizing a bond discount. Theoretically, investors require a discount on bonds because the market interest rate at the time of issue is higher than the coupon payments on the bond. Therefore, by amortizing the discount at the market interest rate, accounting statement of Bank of Queensland will exactly reveal the economic reality of the bond issue and its true cost of debt. 4.2.1 Flexibility Analysis Due to the characteristics of banking industry, there is a high flexibility for management in these two liabilities. It is noticeable that deposits and borrowing accounted for about 97% of total liabilities on the balance sheet. Occupying 69% of total deposits, managers pay more attention to Retail Banking Services because of itsattractiveness to customers compared to other types of deposits. This policy states that securitization set-up costs relating to on-balance sheet assets are included with securitization borrowings, and amortization is recorded as interest expense. Initially, excluding off-balance sheet costs makes the liability much smaller and enlarges their net assets. Likewise, interest on debt is a tax-deductible expense and creates a tax shield benefiting Bank of Queensland. The major function for this policy is to save cash flows for BOQ. 4.3.1 Flexibility Analysis Employee expenses mainly consist of share based payments and employee benefits. All of these kinds of financial activities are beneficialto BOQ.The result from increasing incentives to employees applies as it encourages them to performenthusiasticallywhicheventuallyleads to higher profits for the firm. Among Employee Benefits, shared based payments are distinguished. The accounting policy demonstrates that Bank of Queensland allows employees to acquire its shares, options and rights sold recognized in the Employee Benefits Reserve. This expense could be reversed if the loss is not due to a market condition. This is highly beneficial as it encourages employees to purchase shares of their own company but, on the other hand, as more shares are sold, the higher price rises in the stock exchange. 5. Quality of Disclosure Made in BOQ Accounts The quality of disclosure in the BOQ ´s policies, strategy, performance and financial statements and reports is satisfactory as it provides accessible, transparent and fairly justified information. As the BOQ is a listed company, it has to comply with all ASX disclosure policies and reporting but in addition it also complies with the ASX Corporate Governance Recommendations as well as the Australian Prudential Standards (APS) (Profit Announcement 2011). In the profit announcement report for 2011, BOQ discloses a number of disclosure principles which include management, board structure, ethical and responsible decision making, financial reporting, timely and balanced disclosure, respect rights of shareholders, recognize and manage risk, remuneration. 5.1 Business Strategy and Economic Consequences The business strategy and economic consequences are disclosed in the notes to the annual report in terms of the risk management of the company. As it explains in these notes the bank approach is to manage its risk in terms of credit risk, market risk, liquidity, operational risk, compliance policies and capital management. As it states in the annual report there is a high level of assessment and monitoring of these risks in order to follow the company ´s strategy. 5.2 Notes to the Financial Statements – Explanation of Policies The notes to the financial statements and reports do provide an explanation to the bank ´s management policies. According to the 2011 Annual Report these policies provide effectiveness and efficiency in terms of managing the risks described above as well as creating controls to support growth and competitive advantage. An example of these policies in 2011 was a strong expense management which lead them to reduce their cost-to-income ratio from 45.8% to 44.5%. Moreover, these policies provide regulatory compliance as well as performance management. 5.3 Explanation of Current Performance BOQ through its yearly Profit Announcement Report clearly explains its current performance in terms of its principal activities. It states its current level of profitability and the main reasons for any losses. As well as these profit or losses explanations the report shows explanations for changes in expenses, asset growth, retail deposit growth, branch network expansion and capital management. In terms of financial conventions that restrict the firm as a banking institution, the main one is the Basel II Accord in which the bank is obligated to maintain capital adequacy requirements. In the 2011 Annual report is mentioned that Tier 1 capital made up of equity capital and disclosed reserves was higher than required by Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA). Moreover, AASB 124 Related Party Disclosures is additionally disclosed in order to understand the impact on the firm. Moreover it discloses all its consolidated statements for all subsidiaries of the group following all consolidation standards. The quality of the segment disclosure for BOQ is sufficient as it discloses its two operating segments, and since the bank operates only in Queensland, it does not need geographical segmentation. It discloses the high level metrics for both of the banking and insurance segments as well as consolidated totals (Annual Report 2011 pg. 89). Also, following consolidation requirements it eliminates inter-company transactions (Annual Report 2011 pg. 89). The most important and questionable numbers can be seen in the yearly Profit Announcement where BOQ announced a net loss after tax of 90.6 million AUD. The explanation for this loss was attributed to significant impairment charges. As the income analysis shows that the company made a reasonable operating income loss, but the large part of the loss was due to a revision of their commercial loans and provisioning approach. They decided to increase these specific commercial loan provisions more than close to 90 million due to the continuous decline in commercial property in Queensland. Along with loan impairments, the bank also impaired a substantial amount of assets, also because of the decline if commercial property. Furthermore in the Directors Report in 2011 there were some potential red flags regarding remuneration. As the bank went through a restructure last year there were a number of high level managerial positions that changed in this period. During this transition there were a number of payments classified as  ´others` that did not have a clear explanation. An example of this includes a payment of half a million dollars to the previous CEO to  ´ensure a smooth transition` between him and the newly appointed CEO. While taking into account the Director ´s report is audited by KPMG, this payment seemed excessive. Based on previous parts, the conclusion has arrived that BOQ suffered net loss of $90.6 million because of the tremendous growth in impairment loss. The footnote disclosures in the Profit Announcement provide the composition of the impairment loss. According to note 11, loan impairment expenses totalled $327.7 million. $165.7 million of this amount is specific provision impairment and the rest $162 million relates to collective provision. Moreover, impairment loss for assets also amounts to $578.7 million. Note 4suggests that BOQ ´s management increase its impairment loss based on their estimates of dropping commercial property market. However, this estimate comes from historical experience and professional judgment. In contrast, the estimate might be different from actual results. Therefore, distortions may arise resulting from overstated impairment loss. In order to undo the distortion, the impairment loss should have been adjusted to a lower level with fewer provisions. Even before the Profit Announcement of BOQ came out, many financial reporters foresaw the net loss of BOQ resulting from increasing impairment loss. The downturns in tourism and recent natural disasters impacted Queensland’s economy negatively, and the conditions in Queensland were expected to remain challenging in the future because of strong Australian dollar. As a result, for BOQ— a company that is highly exposed to Queensland housing market, the current poor performance of might not change in short term.Following by the poor performance, BOQ isnow struggling to keep regulators happy and keep its capital at acceptable level. On 26 March 2012, BOQ announced aequity rising of $450 million. However, by doing this, the existing shareholders of BOQ will be heavily diluted and it will cause its share price to drop significantly. Accounting Analysis of the 2011 Annual Report for Bank of Queensland Limited. (2017, Feb 07).

Strategic Supply Chain Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Strategic Supply Chain Management - Essay Example on the other hand, are looking for cheap labour oriented countries when they wanted to produce something and wealthy countries when they wanted to sell something. For example, many companies are currently selecting India and China as their manufacturing destinations and America and Europe as their selling destinations. Under such circumstances, strategic supply chain management is getting prominence in the business world at present. Even though industries and academia are giving huge importance to supply chain management (SCM), strategic supply chain management (SSCM) and its principles are taken lightly by the business world until recent times. The definition of SCM is quite familiar to the business world; however, same thing cannot be said about the definition of SSCM. According to Ming-Hon Hwang (2010), â€Å"SSCM refers to a situation in which its members always realize the whole direction and strategy when a  supply chain  carries out various functional activities to achieve a competitive advantage and long-term profit-making position among  supply  chains  in the same industry†(p.127). Automobile industry, especially car industry is currently facing heavy competition. In order to overcome the competition, car manufacturers have to make strategic long-term decisions regarding the location of their principal assembly plants. Such decisions have to account for many factors including, for example, markets, production sequencing, levels of investment and relationships with suppliers. This paper provides a critical assessment of the facility location decisions car manufacturers have to make regarding assembly plants and the level of importance attributed by the manufacturers to the location of their suppliers. â€Å"Supply chains are value-adding relations of partially discrete, yet inter-reliant, units that cooperatively transform raw materials into ï ¬ nished products through sequential, parallel, and/or network structures† (Hult et al., 2007, p.1035). When it

MHE510, Occupational Health and Safety, Mod 5 SLP Essay

MHE510, Occupational Health and Safety, Mod 5 SLP - Essay Example In addition, nonsmokers that are exposed to second hand smoke increase their risk of heart disease by 25% and their risk of lung cancer by 20% (Zellers, et. a. , 2007). There have been studies indicating the difference in air quality and the side effects of second hand smoke. Air filtering does not work so to have them smoke in a separate room is not helpful as smoking in a part of the restaurant with smokers on the other side of a wall does not work. All of these claims are serious and can lead to long term workmans compensation damages. Allowing smoking and protecting non-smokers is a very expensive policy. The CDC tell us that secondhand smoke has 250 toxic chemicals including 50 that cause cancer. Conventional air cleaning systems do not filter the gases in second hand smoke and current heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems do not stop the exposure and negative pressure smoking rooms do not work either (cdc.gov) The only policy that will work for a work situation is to establish a smoke free workplace. This disallows any smoking on campus. Some states have begun to require that all public places be smoke free. This is a difficult and often unpopular policy and there may be some costs attached but the cost of a suit from a very ill employee because of lung cancer from secondhand smoke could be devastating financially. For those reasons the recommendation must be a smoke free policy. CDC provides full kits to allow companies to become smoke free. They are available at no charge and would help to set this new policy up in such a way as to be successful. There will also need to be a steering committee to put the process together and provide everything needed. A kick-off date will need to be chosen and advertising will need to be done ahead of time so that visitor are aware before they arrive on the doorstep. Then administration must support it. In conclusion, second hand smoke is a killer. It is often more detrimental to the non-smoker

The Responsible Leader and Manager Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Responsible Leader and Manager - Essay Example As a team, the managers coordinate the company’s operations with a focus on satisfying customers and the community and maximising profits. This paper will explain how they use their personal, interpersonal and societal values to manage the stakeholders, including how they demonstrate their awareness of social issues and corporate citizenship responsibilities. Stakeholders The manner in which stakeholders are treated and managed is a crucial component in the revenue generation and success of a corporate outfit. It is the managers’ duty to ensure that stakeholders’ interests are met for the sake of creating beneficial relationships for business continuity. Some of the stakeholders of Debenhams are the customers, employees and corporate shareholders. Customers form the core purpose of any business’ existence. Employees bridge the gap between the company’s operations, products and services, and the customers. Schroder PLC, in its corporate shareholding capacity, has 202.9 million shares, representing a 16 percent shareholding (Baker 2010). The managers integrate their personal values with corporate values to lay strategies to manage the unique needs and interests of each group of stakeholder. Customers The managers at Debenhams understand that their customer base, running into millions, works hard to earn and afford their purchases. They know that quality products alone, without personal attention and appreciation, do not represent full value for customers’ money. They are motivated by the virtue of customer satisfaction to improve their services. They aim to be responsible and active participants in their communities of operation, which are basically made up of their customers. As a corporate entity, the company supports both national and local charities towards the well being of their customers. In a bid to acknowledge their customers’ choice to do business with them, the managers put them at the heart of their dec ision making. In an appreciative gesture that works both for the customers and the company, the customers’ shopping experience is made more exciting by modernising stores, introduction of new brands and products and a proactive customer service department. Products are manufactured to meet customers’ expectations in socially ethical environments and an assurance of quality compliance. The managers display their charitable cause by volunteering and fundraising. Reading this gesture as leadership by example, more volunteers and donors are attracted towards the events. In response to the ever increasing customers’ expectations of a fully fledged multi channel offer, the managers proposed an outsourced customer service department to a professional service provider (Irvine 2008). The outsourced service is committed to allow the customers several shopping options, and the company recorded an increase in sales within four months. This shows the managers’ awarene ss of the requirement to respond to customers’ queries promptly, professionally and effectively. In another show of valuing customers, the company apologised publicly to a customer who was given wrong prices for dresses at the Newcastle branch. After paying for the dresses following an

Qualitative methods assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Qualitative methods assignment - Essay Example Findings presented or conceptualised in a way that offers new insights/alternative ways of thinking Discussion of limitations of evidence and what remains unknown/unclear or what further information/research is needed The authors has exhibit a deeper knowledge and understanding on the topic that they are studying with. They were able to mapped out evidences and supported by literatures of previous studies and theories. The main goal of the study is to have a clear comparison between the content and the quantity competitive and organizational stressors in elite athletes. The limit of the discussions was clearly stated that the validated statements shall focus on the stress relating to sports, personal and other matters were not considered. FINDINGS a) Appraisal Questions b) Quality indicators (possible features for consideration) c) Notes on study being appraised 3 How well does the evaluation address its original aims and purpose Clear statement of study aims and objectives; reasons for any changes in objectives Findings clearly linked to the purposes of the study - and to the initiative or policy being studied Summary or conclusions directed towards aims of study Discussion of limitations of study in meeting aims (e.g. are there limitations because of restricted access to study settings or participants, gaps in the sample coverage, missed or unresolved areas of questioning; incomplete analysis; time constraints) The aims of the study were consistent and there were no reasons to alter it at the end. Findings were clearly based on the aims of the study and it clearly nailed down the very core purpose of the study. The concluding statements were clearly cited from the introduction, where aims and purpose... Furthermore, the strong statements in the results were based from previous studies and related literature, which was the cornerstone in their superb conclusions. Although evidence were not fully utilized and presented, the literatures made it credible. Credible/clear discussion of how findings have contributed to knowledge and understanding (e.g. of the policy, programme or theory being reviewed); might be applied to new policy developments, practice or theory The authors has exhibit a deeper knowledge and understanding on the topic that they are studying with. They were able to mapped out evidences and supported by literatures of previous studies and theories. Discussion of limitations of study in meeting aims (e.g. are there limitations because of restricted access to study settings or participants, gaps in the sample coverage, missed or unresolved areas of questioning; incomplete analysis; time constraints) The aims of the study were consistent and there were no reasons to alter it at the end. Findings were clearly based on the aims of the study and it clearly nailed down the very core purpose of the study. The concluding statements were clearly cited from the introduction, where aims and purpose of the study was introduced. Thus, the questions and uncertainties on the preliminaries were clearly answered and re-stated in the conclusions. The samples were taken from

Men and masculinity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Men and masculinity - Essay Example This implies that masculinity is not limited to men. Therefore, women may also display behaviours and characteristics that are masculine, for instance, many women have assumed the role of family providers. According to MensLine Australia (2012) masculinity is perpetuated through social set-up and enhanced through personal interactions. Traditionally, the avenues that made men gain honour included providing for their families and exercising leadership. The traditional family set-up was composed of the father being the breadwinner and the mother acting as the homemaker. Stereotypes about masculinity are often witnessed in many men, for instance, men would describe themselves as sports fanatics while avoiding soap operas that are viewed as feminine. Masculinity is often associated with the male; therefore, there is a big issue of personality in men. In case masculinity is threatened, most men would convey feelings of shame, hostility and guilt: hence they tend to overreact in the defens e of masculinity. It is irrefutable the aspect of masculinity in the contemporary world, has assumed a different perspective, which is contrary to the traditional disposition in matters related to masculinity and sex. Masculinity is viewed as a collective gender identity that is socially constructed rather than a natural attribute. In the modern society, different forms of masculinity exist that reflects factors such as class, race, age, geographical affiliation and religious affiliation (Lee, 2002). Although masculinity is normally identified in pluralistic terms, masculinities differ from one society to another. The hegemonic masculinity emanating from the societal construct is what men measures against. Masculinity directs most aspects of the male behaviour, especially sexual behaviour. The male gender values are constructed through interaction with the men’s lifestyle and his interaction with social environments. The perception of sex as a component of masculinity is depe ndent on the sexual encounters in the early stages of development. The traditional traits associated with masculinity are control, domination, aggressiveness, violence, toughness, emotional repression and competiveness. Masculinity traits are normally acquired at a tender age. For instance, some of the insults that the young school boys commonly use to refer to their weak colleagues are the accusation of being a girl (â€Å"Guys and boys masculine things. (n.d).). Ayers (2008) assert that most men engage in body building to maintain their masculinity. Research has also affirmed that most men think that portraying dominance and power wins them admiration from women. Masculinity tells men that their urge for love and respect can only be attained through being powerful, dominant and ultimately violent. However, Alilunas (2009) posits that such factors are irrelevant to women. Many studies have revealed the problem of sexual violence, sexualised violence and sex-by-violence as products of masculinity. The contemporary society portrays masculinity despite enhanced strategies geared towards minimising or eliminating it through modernization. The first indication is the sprouting of numerous interactive forums in the media that discusses issues related to the male gender while portraying bias towards the female gender. The current modernisation has seen the liberation of women in all aspects of life, ranging from

Persuasive Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Persuasive - Essay Example Indeed, certain basic assumptions about the leadership qualities especially which relates to the individual approach of tackling issues and objectives, may create a vast difference to the results achieved. While leader is endowed with many qualities but exemplary leaders is one who encourages freedom of choice. Leaders are not pre defined and molded into certain stature. They are people who may be in the position to influence and motivate others to give their best. Organizational leadership assumes special meaning because it motivates and encourages others to strive towards common goals with renewed enthusiasm. It is equally important that certain basic assumptions about the organizational leadership qualities especially which relate to the individual approach of tackling issues and objectives, may create a vast difference to the results achieved. Leadership assumes special meaning because it motivates and encourages that target group within the population that plays a crucial part in the future of nation building processes. Through effective communication and dissemination of information, the leadership promotes empowerment. It is vital for leaders to empower other people so that their decision making power is greatly enhanced through exercising informed choices effectively. Empowerment can be broadly defined as freedom to exert one’s choices for their own good by implementing them. In the contemporary time, empowerment has become one of the most crucial issues among the masses as it directly influences the welfare of the individuals and the society at large. Empowerment facilitates realization of self worth, instilling self confidence in one’s ability to make independent decisions about themselves, especially with relation to their socio-economic and political decisions. Hence, an empowered person has more options and freedom to transform those choices into concrete action plans for the betterment of self and the

Men and masculinity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Men and masculinity - Essay Example This implies that masculinity is not limited to men. Therefore, women may also display behaviours and characteristics that are masculine, for instance, many women have assumed the role of family providers. According to MensLine Australia (2012) masculinity is perpetuated through social set-up and enhanced through personal interactions. Traditionally, the avenues that made men gain honour included providing for their families and exercising leadership. The traditional family set-up was composed of the father being the breadwinner and the mother acting as the homemaker. Stereotypes about masculinity are often witnessed in many men, for instance, men would describe themselves as sports fanatics while avoiding soap operas that are viewed as feminine. Masculinity is often associated with the male; therefore, there is a big issue of personality in men. In case masculinity is threatened, most men would convey feelings of shame, hostility and guilt: hence they tend to overreact in the defens e of masculinity. It is irrefutable the aspect of masculinity in the contemporary world, has assumed a different perspective, which is contrary to the traditional disposition in matters related to masculinity and sex. Masculinity is viewed as a collective gender identity that is socially constructed rather than a natural attribute. In the modern society, different forms of masculinity exist that reflects factors such as class, race, age, geographical affiliation and religious affiliation (Lee, 2002). Although masculinity is normally identified in pluralistic terms, masculinities differ from one society to another. The hegemonic masculinity emanating from the societal construct is what men measures against. Masculinity directs most aspects of the male behaviour, especially sexual behaviour. The male gender values are constructed through interaction with the men’s lifestyle and his interaction with social environments. The perception of sex as a component of masculinity is depe ndent on the sexual encounters in the early stages of development. The traditional traits associated with masculinity are control, domination, aggressiveness, violence, toughness, emotional repression and competiveness. Masculinity traits are normally acquired at a tender age. For instance, some of the insults that the young school boys commonly use to refer to their weak colleagues are the accusation of being a girl (â€Å"Guys and boys masculine things. (n.d).). Ayers (2008) assert that most men engage in body building to maintain their masculinity. Research has also affirmed that most men think that portraying dominance and power wins them admiration from women. Masculinity tells men that their urge for love and respect can only be attained through being powerful, dominant and ultimately violent. However, Alilunas (2009) posits that such factors are irrelevant to women. Many studies have revealed the problem of sexual violence, sexualised violence and sex-by-violence as products of masculinity. The contemporary society portrays masculinity despite enhanced strategies geared towards minimising or eliminating it through modernization. The first indication is the sprouting of numerous interactive forums in the media that discusses issues related to the male gender while portraying bias towards the female gender. The current modernisation has seen the liberation of women in all aspects of life, ranging from

Marketing Analysis on Google Inc Essay Example for Free

Marketing Analysis on Google Inc Essay With the objective of â€Å"To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful† (Google, 2012), Google expands its business to strive towards becoming the leader of internet-related provider, in particular in Internet research and advertising technology. The company has expanded nationally and globally, providing its search service in a large number of different languages and countries through its own unique strategy. The report starts with a discussion about the market Google is operating in, how Google smartly manages its internationalisation and globalization strategy according to its own market position in different stage. Followed by the comment on whether its diversification strategy appropriate across the whole international market. The report then will evaluate this strategy mainly focus on the aspect of the potential to damage its own brand, especially based on the case of their failure expansion in the Chinese market. Then the report will look at impact for the market as Google fully enter the Android market, Google’s business model in terms of reating revenue will be described and processed by the critique of whether the model would be sustainable in the long term. The report finally will define the market Google operate in and how it enters into android market will be explained in detail. Additionally, there are some recommendations provided in terms of its sustainable development through the whole report. ? Defining the market which Google Inc’ operates in? The market in which Google operates in is collaborative and interactive; Google has acquired and merged with different companies, which have given it a competitive edge over other firms. It recently acquired Motorola and this brought a lot of speculation as to whether it could handle the hardware business without any prior experience or necessary skills According to the case (Tangirala and Debapratim, 2012), Google had no skills in the supply chain, monitoring physical stock or achieving efficiencies. However such acquisitions have benefited Google because it has been able to have more reach as it can now target mobile users with the new hardware business. Other companies it has collaborated with are HTC and T-Mobile on implementing the Android platform. Competition The environment is also quite competitive. Having to face giants like Apple, Microsoft and Facebook means that Google has to be highly adaptable and maintain their market share by being more aggressive in their marketing strategies. (Tangirala and Debapratim, 2012), Google says that their acquisition of Motorola will be able to intensify the competition. Motorola’s purchase will fully bring Google into the mobile market as they will now have hardware for their operating system Android, Also Motorola will strengthen the patenting of Google as they have more than 17,000 patents in their name. Apple and other mobile providers might feel threatened by this move. (Rusli and Miller, 2011) Diversification More to this, Google has not focused on its core business of being a search engine rather it is diversifying and looking for new opportunities for growth. Google has expanded into other segments such as maps and Google scholar, in the communications section there is Gmail and an enterprise segment where cloud computing and Google docs are involved, social networking among others. This means that Google is not only able to reach a wider audience but that it is able to spread risks. Diversification means that in case one area of their business fails they have an alternative to rely on. (Tangirala and Debapratim, 2012) Innovation Google’s survival could be attributed to its highly innovative structure. It has a culture of being innovative and an atmosphere that encourages employees to bring new ideas and creativity. However, Google must keep on innovating in order to outdo their competitors and to keep at pace with the changes in the highly volatile global environment (Tangirala and Debapratim, 2012) Infrastructure Together with all the companies that Google has acquired, they also have data centers and servers which it uses to create its web presence and to store information. These infrastructures increase reliability and make information access faster. Google Inc’ had a total of 90,000 servers by 2010 and they invested heavily on technology this gives Google a good platform. Pg. 4 Some of it is virtual for example cloud computing. (Tangirala and Debapratim, 2012) ? What’s internationalization and globalization strategy? In which way Google is going? Internationalization strategy is a development strategy that enterprises want to offer their products and services outside their home country, it usually reflected in the form of greater existence in different locations around the world. That is why internationalization also refers as international expansion (Stephen and Karin, 2002). Internationalization strategy is a development planning during the process of internationalized operation and management, which is designed to give the assistance of improving company’s competitiveness and environment adaptability. Corporations have adopted this strategy view overseas market separately. They treat the markets differently due to various markets’ features. Globalization strategy refers to the procedures of global integration, which incorporate the international operations and markets into a united strategic entity (Stephen and Karin, 2002). Corporations that use this strategy are generally powerful multinational enterprises, they attempt to monopolize markets in their own industries. However, if using this strategy inappropriately, it is more likely to have a detrimental effect on the whole company. The merit of globalization strategy is that companies can concentrate their efforts in building competitive advantages by leveraging capabilities and coordinating activities through boundaries. Which like a double-edged sword, the demerit is that it is hard to coordinate between each subsidiary as well as between headquarter and subsidiaries, because each host country has their own business characteristics. According to the collected evidences Google tends to be relying on the globalization strategy. To begin with, as mentioned above, one reason for companies adopting a globalization strategy is that they want to monopolize the market in their own industry. Definitely, Google achieved this goal. In October 2011, Google accounts for 82. 4% of the worldwide desktop search engine market share. Furthermore, in 2008, Google shifts its international marketing structure form representation offices to Research and Development center, and then to partnerships with other enterprises, which reflected that Google gradually integrated the competitive advantages from the alliance partnership and improved its own capabilities (Ronen, 2009). In addition, Google has many RD centers worldwide. For instance, if the software was RD in Israel, this software is not only specialized in Israel market, but also launched globally by using different languages. Therefore it is clear that Google did not focus on localizing their products or services for different markets nowadays. Finally, globalization is focusing on building united competitive advantage. In order to keep its competitive edges, Google transfers and share outcomes of technology innovations within various RD centers, and with alliance partnerships to connect the operation nd management activities from different counties and locations. Google’s retrieval from china, impacts upon globalization plan. According to the list of info-facts (2012), China is the second most powerful country in the world. And in Fleming’s (2010) report, â€Å"U. S. , China, and India will be the three most powerful countries in 2025†. These illustrate that China is a hugely influential nation around the world. Moreover, China has more than 500 million internet users (Efrati Chao 2012), and the number is still increasing. China is a market which cannot be ignored. Google’s retreat from the Chinese market has definitely impacted upon Google’s overall global expansion strategy. Most of the Asian countries have strong regional relationship and China has a widely impact on them. As we all know, eastern countries are in high context cultures, but, Google is from a low context culture which is totally different from high context culture. Their ways of running a business are quite different. It seems that if Google cannot operate successfully in China, it cannot operate well in other Asian countries either, such as Japan and Korea. And this will deeply impact its global expansion strategy. As the picture (adapted from Chardonneau’s slides) shown in appendix 1, Asia owns the biggest internet market, and Google’s coverage in Asia is so weak. If Google still wants to achieve its global expansion strategy, it has to come into the Asian market and first of all, Google needs to solve the problem in China. In fact, Google’s quit in China offers its competitors a good opportunity to enter into the Chinese market. After all, not all the international companies are unable to handle the operation problems in China. Since Google announced its retreat, its market share has declined 5% and its biggest competitor in China, Baidu has increased by 50% (Powell 2010). Other internet companies like Microsoft, Sohu and Tencent where all benefit from this great opportunity which offered by Google (Powell 2010). Cultivating your competitors will obviously diminish your own benefits. More and more powerful competitors will absolutely hamper Google’s global expansion. In addition, they need to keep putting efforts to the beta test before they aunch any new products into new market, especially in the Asian market. It needs to customize it according to different market to satisfy local consumers. As discussed above, one of the main reasons why Google failed in the Chinese market was because it did not use ICP, which is a compulsory for all websites operating in China (Zhou, 2009). ? Diversification strategy working in the international market The multi-diversification strategy is generally appropriate a cross the whole international market. This strategy is being used in different markets, while the only difference is whether it more focus on direct-diversification or indirect-diversification that depends on the intensity of competition on the core products. Briefly, since 2004 Google’s endeavor mainly focuses on encouraging innovation by bottom-up through the whole company. It acquires innovative companies to diversify into new areas or to add value to existing technologies and services (Kotelnikov, 2012). From â€Å"personalized web†, â€Å"Google News†, â€Å"Website Optimizer† to acquire technology to put up online display and banner advertisements by buying out â€Å"DoubleClick†. Followed by the direct diversification, Google, starts to expand its new product line through indirect diversification strategy. For instance, Google enters the social networking space through launching â€Å"Orkut†, â€Å"Google Checkout† then was launched as a payment gateway for online buyers and â€Å"Google Chrome† which is a representor of a desktop browser, see appendix one. Firstly, in the current global market, Google’s diversification strategy take the development of its core products as a priority. It makes a great contribution on perfecting its core competencysearch engine, which is the most profitable product. Additionally, it also increases the reputation of â€Å"innovation† for Google all over the world. Multi-products line adds more values for the consumers will become the main competitive advantages for Google in the long-term in the international market. Therefore, the benefit of diversification strategy is to protect current market share and attract potential customers by World of Mouth. Particularly, Google launches early nd often in small beta tests before releasing new products into the market, with many markets becoming more and more competitive as a result of new competitors from global or deregulated markets, those who innovate best will win in the future (Kotelnikov, 2012). Secondly, while even through the company put great efforts to add more value on its core products, the competitors also come up with substitute products, for example, â€Å"Powerset† from Microsoft and â€Å"Search Monkey† just launched by Yahoo attack the weakness of Google, providing a much flexible search engine. Google needs to add up more new product lines to create and exploit economies scope. In particular, â€Å"Baidu† whose market share in China is up to 78. 3%, while only 16. 7% of â€Å"Google’s Hong Kong Site†(Baidu, 2012). Google can use its direct-diversification strategy, which pays attention on internal growth of search engine to increase its market share in the market, which doesn’t have a strong competition, such as Australia. The indirect diversification strategy should be used in the market that already has some strong competitors such as China, Korea. It is certain that the risk of this diversification strategy is there is a huge investment in the new businesses and the majority of the new businesses haven’t started making profit for Google. However, take current global market trend into consideration, the strategy will work in the long term in the international market. If we look closely at year 2009, revenue from ads on their sites accounted for 83% of the total. Compared to 2008, this item represented 90% of Google’s total income. Nevertheless, the growth rate of these â€Å"windfall† is, so far, relatively modest (Sebastian, 2010). Thinking of Google, what product stands out? But are there too many? Is Google too ubiquitous now is an arguable question in recent years? â€Å"I think that, ultimately, we do have too many products and we need to condense them,† Marissa Mayer, Google’s VP of Search, said Friday at the SXSWi conference in Austin (Matt McGee, 2011). According to the map of Google’s product in the appendix, Google products now covered in many different fields such as search engine, social network, music, mobile system etc. But there is people say As Google Becomes More Ubiquitous, They Get More Sloppy (Jeff Y, 2012) Google is taking information from almost all of your Google services (Tsukayama, 2012). It was very serious privacy issue and been intensely discussed. Google makes its money by selling yourself; by knowing where you live, what videos you like watching, and your entire search and surfing history, Google sells targeted advertising to the tune of tens of billions of dollars per year. Selling you is 96% of Google’s revenue stream. ( Anthony, 2011). Google was not obligated to pay a fine for doing so but the brand was damaged to some extent. Google also faces the risk from failed product or services. It comes down to having too many things going on at once. At Google, quality control is slipping. (Jeff Y, 2012). For example, Google lunched Google Buzz in February 2010, it was considered a threat to Facebook and twitter but its been shut down very soon in November 2011 by Google because of the lack of users and the late show in the market compare with twitter. The failure of Google buzz damaged not only the real money but also the trust and confidence of consumers toward the brand. (Rob, 2010) Besides, with too many successful products, customers may lose what the brand Google really represents which is also a risk of brand damage. Were very aware that our business is based on the trust of users and if damaged then thats the worst thing we could do. The new privacy director said. (Google, 2010) But will all these factors really hurt Google? The answer is uncertain. As we can see from the Googleland map in appendix , Googles main product is always the search engine and they use all the other products to support it. Today, with approximately 70 percent domination of the global search market, the omnipotent, omniscient, omnivorous and ubiquitous Google keeps upping the ante to stay on top of the search engine game. (Callari, 2012) Therefore some people argued that as long as people still use and trust the Google search engine, the Google brand will not be hurts seriously. Google’s foray into Android market, all around impact. In this section, we will focus more on Google’s capability after it has bought Motorola and gain access to becoming one of mobile phone providers with its own Android OS. After Google has bought Motorola, there are a few implications to mention here. First of all Google will be the owner of all patents from and therefore will be of a great support for Google when their mobile phone enters the market where Apple is a dominant player (Reisinger, 2011). During the launch of a new phone company is most likely to be sued by their competitor arguing over the originality of the phone. Therefore after having Motorola as a patent support Google may save a lot of money in this aspect. Secondly is that Google now has a capacity to create and manufacture their own mobile phone and tablet PC. The benefits of buying Motorola also extends to the field of hardware that Motorola has been in for sometimes, what Google has bought to it self is the hardware manufacturing ability, ranging from TV top box, internet TV to internet router and live stream (Bryant, 2011). Therefore again apple will have to be careful since now Google has a potential to fight Apple not just in the field of mobile phone but also as a TV top box provider i. . Google TV (Purdy, 2011). Thirdly it is not clear that when the new Motorola, Google phone is released, it will come with the newest Android OS or not. But move to buy motorolla to gain access to manufacturing capability can really affect Google’s android mobile partner. One clue to this argument is current news about Samsung, which has been Google’s main Android phone provider, has announced that its mobile phone in a short future will also feature the windows operating system (The Sydney Morning Herald, 2012). Although the news said it was all about Samsung providing more variety to the consumer, but it can also be thought of an uncertainty avoidance move by Samsung who might feel an aggressive move by Google coming into the hardware market. Perhaps besides Google and Motorola as the two winners from the incident, Microsoft surprisingly might gain benefit from this incident (Wortham, 2012). This move from Google is actually what Microsoft is hoping for because besides Google, the only well know non-phone maker operating system is the â€Å"windows 8† from Microsoft. The moment of changes to watch out for is the time that Google’s partners feel that they are indeed competing against Google instead of having Google as their partner (Wortham, 2012). Microsoft windows 8 here will then act as a preferable alternative operating system for those ex-Google’s partners to adopt. So what will happen in short-long run for the market? In the short run it will not change much because the majority of the mobile phone relies on Android OS. Breaking off partnership with the OS they rely on is really not a good idea in the short run. Also since by law after closing the deal that Android will still remain free for another five years (Waugh, 2011). In the long run the story may be entirely different. It is expected that mobile phone manufacturers may start thinking about an alternative plan according to Google’s moves. If Google still keeps its promise that buying Motorola is just for its own defense, then it is still a great idea to have such a big company as your support (Wortham, 2012). How does Google create revenue? To scrutinize the business model of Google Inc, one impressive feature in this model is that Google offers free resource to the end user. Analyzing the reasons behind it, Google’s philosophy is to share information universally and make it accessible globally (Google, 2012). Thus, the characteristic of free is a necessary catalyst which accelerates Google to become the largest search engine company around the world. By doing this, advertisers have become the main income rather than the end users.

Marketing Plan For Renault Twingo

Marketing Plan For Renault Twingo According to our class, MC 600, Business Policy, we have to write a business plan about a product of our company. In this case it is supposed we are working for Renault Car Company, and we prepare the business plan for one of our products, which is Renault Twingo, regarding the Greek market. To develop successful strategies and action programs, we need up-to-date information about the environment, the competition, and the market segments to be served. Often, analysis of internal data is the starting point for assessing the current marketing situation, supplemented by marketing intelligence and research investigating the overall market, the competition, key issues, and threats and opportunities issues. As the plan is put into effect, we will use advertising and other forms of research to measure progress toward objectives and identify areas for improvement, if results fall short of projections. Finally, we will use marketing research to learn more about their customers requirements, e xpectations, perceptions, and satisfaction levels. This deeper understanding will provide a foundation for building competitive advantage through well-informed segmenting, targeting, and positioning decisions. Thus, the marketing plan should outline what marketing research will be conducted and how the findings will be applied. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In the first section we have to summarize the main goals, recommendations and points of our project in order to be accepted by the managers. Our project will target in reclaiming Renaults superiority in Segment A by positioning Twingo as one of the best overall proposals in the segment. It will be placed between mainstream, e.g. Fiat Panda and trendy cars such as Smart, and FIAT 500, targeting mainly style-oriented, younger customers, who are more willing to buy a 3-door car. Moreover we can get a competition advantage by differentiate the target groups by multiple versions. Authentic to Expression: Refers to a mainstream target group, practical. Dynamic: Refers to female group with several dynamic characteristics. GT: More Sporty and masculine profile. We will exploit connectivity and customization features to enhance youth appeal and trendy factor (Dynamic, GT).We will promote practicality and versatility to enhance its mainstream appeal (Authentic, Expression).Systematically attract first-time-buyers and exploit opportunities to up-sell them within the brand. Finally we will use competitive fleet policy (10% discount on retail price) to support retail sales (despite lack of 5 doors). Generally we will exploit limited editions for conquest sales and for maintaining trendyness. By these actions we target at about 1500 sales, both retail and fleet, for the year 2010 in Greece. This is a partition of 7, 6% and 1, 4%, respectively, as shown in the image below. CURRENT MARKET SITUATION In order to analyze the current marketing situation, we will discuss about the overall Greek Market, identify the market segments we will target and provide information about the companys current situation. Renault: The Company (briefly) In 1899 Renault Frà ¨res is founded by Marcel and Fernand Renault. In 1903 the sales network expands and the first subsidiaries are set up outside France. In 1975 managed by Bernard Vernier-Palliez, Renault comprises the state-owned Rà ©gie (104,000 employees) and the subsidiaries set up through diversification (118,500 employees) and by 1980 Renault was Europes leading vehicle manufacturer. In 1997 Twingo arrives in the market. Range Segmentation MARKET DESCRIPTION We will examine the target segments and provide context for the marketing strategies. We will examine the economic position and the general situation of Greek Market, MAVA which is the official Renaults representatives, the Purchase Behavior of the target group in which we are interesting in and the current situation of the Competition. EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT: Greek Market Situation Real GDP average growth 4,1% (10yr), 4.2% (3yr). Slowing growth in 2010 reflects weakening growth in fixed investment and exports, due to strong Euro. Consumer spending even if slower growing retains its momentum and will continue to be the main contributor to 2010 GDP growth driven by real wage growth (4%) and employment growth. Spending on consumer durables, in particular, remains strong (sales of household equipment increased by 5.6%, as did car sales). Household debts account for 37.8% of GDP vs 61.6% for EU-13. Consumer credit growth remains strong at a (stabilized) 20%. Deposit growth reached 14.4% in 2007 vs 10.5% in 2006 Greek economic climate index in rise from mid-2005 to September 2007, decreasing slightly in October; remains higher than European index. Greeks more willing to buy a car in 2010 than EU-27 or EU-13 average. The positive effect of direct tax reductions is expected to be compensated by the increase of VAT by 1-2 percentage units in 2010 or 2011. Internet penetration at 40% of ages 13-70 years old (13-24: +60%, 25-44: +30%). Broadband connection penetration currently at 6.9% of households (EU-27avg at 16.2%).Average monthly cost at à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬28.3 (vs à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬25.4 in France and à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬46.8 in Spain). Average speed at 6,6 Mbps (vs 44,1 in France and 6.9 in Spain). A change in the registration tax is not considered feasible for the time being. Liberalization of diesel car market (in Athens and Thessaloniki) remains stagnant, AMVIR (Greek Association of Importers) now pushes for freeing up the diesel LCV market. AMVIRS (Greek Association of Importers) current position to the Government is for a gradual and mid-term alignement of the taxation system with the emissions norms. All data: European Commission, Eurostat, National Bank of Greece, except Internet data (independent surveys). All data: European Commission, (*) Ministry of Economics Finance. INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT: Renault in Greece MAVA Implement ready, in-house software to track real-time MAVA/Dealer stock, order, invoice and registration data. Based on the above, specify and implement a new monthly marketing reporting system, specified with and covering the needs of Management, Renault and Marketing. Exploit Renault-specified PER4 Dealer training program (analytic proposal to be submitted by end of March 2010) to provide a business case for dealers to endorse change, total customer satisfaction and a new culture vis-avis Renaults forthcoming product assault. Budget 50.000à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬. Starting from 2011 (along with new Megane), consider an extensive communication plan to change current perceptions of Renault and gradually establish it among top-of-mind brands in Greece. Given approval, Marketing will provide a comprehensive route map by end of June 2010 to be finalized by end of 2010 and be implemented starting from 2011. This will include a thorough proposal on the approach and process leading to an action plan by end of 2010. Deployment of the new brand identity graphic guidelines within the company and to the dealer network (core elements, stationery, printed forms, advertising, local communication -publications, events etc), starting with the new Twingo launch campaign, including follow-up and evaluation on the extent of deployment, according to time-plan imposed by Renault (12 months). The PURCHASE BEHAVIOR of the target group Stage 1: Initial interaction with the brand At this stage, customer has not fully developed the need to purchase a new car and collects information / perceptions / impressions by various channels that result in top-of-mind awareness of specific brands. Brand Influence at this stage comes from creating impressions and emotional territories through: Advertising: emotional positioning. Press relations: word of mouth is especially important for the small Greek society and especially women, who mostly turn to friends and family for advice. B-T-L Promotions: help relate the brand to values and behaviors. Stage 2: Actual investigation At this stage, customer assesses technical and tangible factors (however still through an emotional process), identifying possible solutions to his/her needs. This results to the shortlist. Provided that the brand has passed the test of the first stage, the choice criteria are: Performance (20-28) Roominess and reliability (29-45), with price and equipment as common denominators. Customers first choose a brand and, subsequently, the model it offers in the segment they need. French Cars in general provides to their customers: Elegance Alternative Focused in comfort Luxury Feminine Unreliable Weak USP Design Progression Affordability Customers Character Twingo Characteristics Renault Twingo differentiates its target group depending on the version: Twingo Authentic to Expression Mainstream, practical Twingo Dynamic Feminine Twingo GT Sporty, masculine In general its target group is men and women 20 35 years old. Twingo means fan, joy, entertainment combined with all the above characteristics of a French Car. PRODUCT REVIEW In continue, we have to outline the main characteristics and summarize extra information needed about our product, Renault Twingo. Renault Twingo is characterized by: Modern, Pleasing Design Roomy, practical and occupant-friendly An assertive personality underpinned by dynamic styling Communicative and occupant-friendly: New Twingo features an Audio Connection Box (in UK we will be calling this system multi-functional Tune Point) which enables personal music collections stored on USB keys, portable MP3 players or iPods ® to be played through the cars audio system and operated via the steering wheel-mounted controls. My Twingo philosophy: buyers can customize their new car inside and out thanks to a range of decorative decals for the exterior and a selection of innovative accessories such as the Organizer Box and Makeup Box for the interior. Appeal to young clientele, essentially urban-dwellers hooked on new technologies Chassis derived from the B-segment and a power train range featuring the new TCE (Turbo Control Efficiency) 100hp petrol engine, which offers class-leading performance and fuel consumption, New Twingos superior dynamics, set it apart from its predecessor. Optimizing cabin space and interior versatility, by making full use of the cars compact dimensions (length: 3.60m). Interior is extremely modular thanks to its four independent sliding seats. Safety was at the forefront of the New Twingo design teams priorities. New Twingo is the first model to be renewed within the framework of Renault Commitment 2011 and had to meet an extremely exacting brief in terms of quality and profitability. Supplementary information about models: A. TWINGO Twingos agile handling makes it perfect for nipping in and out of city traffic. With its compact length of just 3.60 m, Twingo is a cinch to park and a delight to drive. It also stands out with its pure, contemporary styling. Twingo brings drivers a dynamic and pleasant drive. Our primary consumer target is middle- to lower-income people who need a car with pleasing desing but also comfortable and easy to use. All versions of Twingo carry the Renault eco ² signature. They emit less than 140 g/km of CO2, contain renewable materials and recycled plastic, and are produced at the ISO 14001 certified Novo Mesto plant in Slovenia. B. TWINGO SPORT Renault has produced an affordable high-performance car which sits alongside Clio and Mà ©gane Renault Sport in the Renault Sport range. Renault Twingos existing lines are underpinned by a more curvaceous, athletic stance and the newcomers sporty calling is further emphasized by its wider front and rear wings, profiled sills and spoiler. Twingo Renault Sport is the response of Renault Sport Technologies experts to a two-pronged challenge, namely to deliver sports performance while at the same time ensuring that the new car is easy to use on a day-to-day basis. Twingo Renault Sports chassis is both responsive and finely tuned to provide precise, balanced sports handling, while specific work on the pitch of its new 133hp 1,598cc engine reveals its punchy temperament. C. TWINGO GORDINI R.S. The return of the Gordini name is to be marked by the introduction of a new chic and sporty version of Renault Sports pocket rocket which takes a current-day stance on the cues long associated with the Gordini world. Twingo Gordini R.S. features a gleaming Malte Blue lacquered metallic finish, plus two white racing stripes, in keeping with tradition. The front and rear bumpers are enhanced by gloss black details, while the fog lamp surrounds, exterior mirror housings and lip spoiler are all picked out in a contrasting white finish. Gordini Series badging either side refers back to the heyday of the Gordini Cup when the qualifying heats of the different meetings were known as sà ©ries. This exclusive exterior styling package is rounded off by a choice of either blue or black diamond-effect 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels. To ensure that it befits Gordinis glorious motor sport heritage, the latest addition to the Twingo range is based on the same performance/equipment package as the Renault Sport version: Sport chassis with 17-inch wheels for outstanding road-holding performance that is equally suited to everyday motoring, a feisty, responsive 1.6-litre 133hp petrol powerplant with a distinctive, specially-tuned engine pitch under acceleration, precise, incisive steering for even greater fun at the wheel, powerful, durable braking performance. The fashionable and sporty label of the Renault Sport range with its elegant finish and strong design codes, the Gordini label builds on the renowned expertise of Renault Sport, and offers a fresh interpretation of its values. Renault naturally opted to build on the reputation of Renault Sport Technologies (RST) in order to transform the Gordini legend into a reality. Renaults sports branch has prolonged the Gordini heritage through its renowned expertise in motor sport and the development of its sports models. COMPETITIVE REVIEW The direct completion for Renault Twingo in Greece is FIAT Panda, CHEVROLET Matiz, HYUNDAI Atos, PEUGEOT 107, SMART ForTwo, TOYOTA Aygo, KIA Picanto, CITROEN C1, VOLKSWAGEN Fox, DAIHATSU Cuore, FORD Ka, OPEL Agila. The Total Market Sales are showed below: As we can see, the segment dominated by Panda Koreans (low price models, therefore strong in fleet sales) followed by TPCA trio (Toyota, Peugeot, Citroen Automobile), upward indication for ForTwo and Cuore and downward indication for Matiz, Atos and Fox. The 3-Door Sales Direct Competitors VS Renault Twingo 3-door versions appeal to first-time buyers, seeking for looks and style, who are willing to spend more for differentiation. Fleet Sales VS Retail Sales Direct Competitors VS Renault Twingo Segment leaders retain significant contribution on both fleet and retail sales. The ForTwo, Fox and TPCA trio appeal more to retail buyers. Despite drop of fleet sales, Picanto compensated with strong retail sales. MARKETING STRATEGY As a volume carmaker, Renault has long been recognised for the quality and inventiveness of its products in the small car segment and New Twingo is no exception. Since its unveiling at the 1992 Paris Motor Show, Twingo has revolutionised the world of city cars. In response to shifts in customer demand across the span of its 14-year life, Twingo took the form of seven different collections and a long list of striking special and limited editions. The European small car market has been reasonably stable since 2000, yet that hasnt prevented it from being extremely competitive, owing to the presence of the traditional European makes and, more recently, the advent of newcomers from Asia. Even so, Renault stands out as a major player in the segment and New Twingo reinforces the brands line-up with a view to optimising its coverage of this end of the market. With a length of 3.60 metres, New Twingo is a practical, communicative, compact car. New Twingos mission is twofold, the first being to build on its ever-growing reputation as Twingo owners were loyal to the car and replaced it with another Twingo. The second aspect of the models mission involves reaching out to a new clientele seeking a safe, versatile, practical and feisty package with compact dimensions. One-third of European small car buyers are aged under 35, including 11 per cent who are under 25. Amongst its new targets, New Twingo seeks to appeal to this young clientele, essentially urban-dwellers hooked on new technologies and for whom the car is seen as a symbol of freedom, as well as an extension of the world in which they live. New Twingo covers all these criteria thanks to its unique personality and unprecedented connectivity for its segment, not to mention its inherent versatility, driver appeal, travelling comfort and dynamic, reassuring handling. Strategy and Marketing employs 150 people from diverse backgrounds, including 12 different nationalities. The five key functions in Renaults Marketing Department 1. Marketing product and services manager Their role is to develop the most attractive selection of products and services for a given range of vehicles. They adapt their choice to each national market without overlooking the brands identity and sales targets. They help elaborate marketing strategy, analyse sales figures for their models, and constantly look for ways to sell more. 2. Product positioning consultant They draw on different surveys and studies to propose ways to improve the brands positioning and image. Working with the different range managers, they decide how a model should be positioned and what audiences to target. They then adapt this positioning to each country. 3. Price consultant They draft a price strategy for each model in every country. Another of their functions is to examine across-the-board pricing methods and procedures. Strong interpersonal skills are important as they are in daily contact with the markets and other marketing experts. 4. Trend forecaster Their task is to analyse market trends and sales forecasts for each vehicle in a range of countries. Their conclusions help the factories plan production in line with the dealerships probable needs for vehicles to satisfy customer demand. 5. Planning studies manager They pilot the sales and marketing planning system, assess Market Areas needs for economic modelling, and adapt planning tools accordingly. They train the national plan coordinators in the use of planning tools and methods. They also analyse each countrys budget and strategy plans to then compile a group-wide synthesis. Positioning The new Renault Twingo hopes to appeal to the small car segment and the initial first car buyer segment while also appealing to families who wish to acquire a second car, or to those using their car in urban or city areas. This car interests distinct and different groups of car buyers so there is a need for careful product positioning in the mind of the consumer. Some considerations when positioning a new car might include: first car or small car users who expect specific design qualities from a car families who want a second car to get them from A to B or to complete the school run twice a day and who will also want different features young people looking for personality from their car perhaps more sporty features or individual and distinctive design finishes. New Twingos key target market is young dynamic people. Renault has a marked advantage in this area because it is known for its keen pricing and is also an established, highly recognisable brand that young people can relate too. Price Strategy Renault has a clear understanding of its key target market (young people and other price-conscious car buyers) and has designed pricing strategies to best address their needs and the positioning of the New Twingo. In the case of the New Twingo it is imperative that it be keenly priced and also that running costs are low. The price quoted by Renault is the price you will pay at the dealership. The starting price is 8790à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ and it can reach the 13100à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ depending to the model and the equipment included. All the dealers provide the option to buy the car with a small amount in advance and then with monthly installments. Price Positioning by Model Direct Competitors VS Renault Twingo 8k: Koreans (high contribution of fleet sales). 9k: Panda (has also the widest coverage). 9-11k: Twingos core competition. 12k: Smart. 13-14k: Twingo GTs main competition (Panda 100 C2 VTS). Distribution Review In this level we have to analyze Renaults distribution network around the world and specifically in Greece. Renault its an international industrial organization with 38 industrial sites in 17 countries which ensure that production occurs close to markets and unique standardization which guarantees the same level of quality throughout the world. International production capacities are expanding rapidly. Major projects of development are in Russia (a partnership signed with the AvtoVAZ automaker), and Morocco (work began on a new industrial complex in Tangiers). A launch to the dealers is different to launching a car to the public. Increased demand for a car is also known as a pull factor as it essentially pulls the product through the distribution channel from the manufacturer toward the consumer. In order to succeed at getting the product to the consumer, Renault has an International network of agents or dealers who carry its cars in the companies stable. This means that support is given to the Renault dealers around the world to promote the new model in a way that generates demand for the new car. Our channel strategy is to use selective distribution all over Greece. During the first year, we will add channel partners until we have coverage in all major greek markets and the product is included in the major car catalogs and even Web sites. The Renault Production Way: Guarantees the same quality standards throughout the world, Enhances Group performance (plant specialization according to car segment, development of plant capacity to produce different vehicles on the same production line, continuous improvement of the workstation, etc.), Ensures the Groups commitments to the environment (100% of Renaults production sites are committed to ISO 14001 (environmental management standard) certification processes), Reinforces safety throughout the world. Renault has a distribution network all over the world-Americas, Europe, Eurasia, Asia and Africa. The official sales partnership in Greece is PGA motors at Marousi, Athens. Moreover Renault motors are sold by almost 31 agents-sales points all over the country. SWOT ANALYSIS In the next step of our marketing plan, is the SWOT analysis. SWOT analysis is a strategic planning method used to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats involved in our project. It involves identification of the internal and external factors that are favorable and unfavorable to achieve our objective. Strengths: Strengths and strong points of our car. Weaknesses: Internal weaknesses of Renault Twingo. Opportunities: external conditions which are helpful to achieving our objective. Threats: external conditions which could do damage to the objective. Identification of SWOTs is essential because subsequent steps in the process of planning for achievement of the selected objective may be derived from the SWOTs. STRENGHTS My Twingo philosophy-Modern, Pleasing Design Roomly, Vertisile interior 1.2-litre TCE (Turbo Control Efficiency) engine. WEAKNESSES Evidence of cost cutting Thrashy, and engine noise is intrusive at motorway speeds. Disputed wheel positioning OPPORTUNITIES Increase fleet sales Are there emerging trends on which we can capitalize? Increased demand in segment A THREATS Pure fleet sales Extreme competition in segment A- Fiat 500, C2, Smart Many offers and uprising Car industries with cheap products Marketing Communication Strategy Pre-publicity in the form of motoring reviews and test drives are critical to the success of a trade launch as this activity must generate sufficient consumer curiosity and interest in the new model. In this way, we will give the opportunity to experts and driving correspondents or journalists, to assess the merits of the new Twingo before the rest car-buying public. We will also try to hold open weekends in dealers garages where customers can come along to test drive the new car. By getting potential car buyers to test drive a car, product usage increases. This will have a knock on sales of the new car. The primary above the line medium we are going to use to promote and communicate the new car is through advertising. In the case of the New Twingo, the main advertising mediums going to be used, aside for those used when communicating with the trade, are outdoor billboard advertising and TV and radio advertising. New Twingo advertising themes and images include ideas of surprise, independence, spontaneity and versatility. Key factual messages that need to be also included are the smart design of the car, the value for money and cost of the car and the low running costs. Advertising Expenditure Evolution During Jan-Oct 2010, the advertising expenditure of the segment has decreased by 33,3% since all major competitors launches have been conducted before 2010. Share of Spending Chevrolet Matiz is, by far, the leader of the segment. Smart has no TV investment (only magazines and BTL activities). MediaMix TV and Magazines are the main media during Jan-Oct 2011 Large increase of TV against Magazines in 2011 is due to launches having taken place in 2010, reflects tactical advertising in 2010. Share of Voice Adults 18-34 8 Matiz acquire, by far, the highest SOV due to small average duration of spots. COMMUNICATION OBJECTIVES 2010 Create a buz among young potential customers to support Twingos positioning as a trendy choice. Differentiate creative and media mix according to target group ( mainstream, women, men). Draw on the values of Twingo I to retain existing customers (modular design, simplicity of entry versions). Implement an integrated launch campaign (adaptation of international launch) to fight clutter by competitors launches and spice-up brand image. Media Use Use of TV as main medium (MAD TV included as the only youth music channel). Use short TVCs to increase SOV. Creative use of magazines (lifestyle advertorials photo shootings etc): lifestyle, womens, youth titles. Creative use of radio (lifestyle testimonials). Joint events (Asterix movie sponsorship). Use of Internet and New Media with creative penetration (ambient media). Use of outdoor at urban regions (5 major cities). Content Communicate the accessories youth-targeting features (personalization connectivity). Communicate price affordability. Use GT version to communicate TCE USPs. Press Maintain a Press test-drive fleet of 2 cars (Dynamique GT). 2011: Communicate RS and limited editions (ATL and Press). 2012: Introduce tactical communication. Competition Launching Media Plans 2010 2012 Media Plan Marketing research Using research, we are identifying the specific features and benefits that our target market segments value. Feedback from market tests, surveys, and focus groups will help us develop the next model of the new Twingo. We are also measuring and analyzing customers attitudes toward competing brands and products. Brand awareness research will help us determine the effectiveness and efficiency of our advertising and promotion. Finally, we will use customer satisfaction studies to provoke positive reactions to future buyers. Controls There is no planning without control. Marketing control is the process of monitoring the proposed plans as they proceed and adjusting where necessary. If an objective states where you want to be and the plan sets out a road map to your destination, then control tells you if you are on the right route or if you have arrived at your destination. Control involves measurement, evaluation, and monitoring. Resources are scarce and costly so it is important to control our marketing plans. Control involves setting standards. We are planning tight control measures to closely monitor quality and customer service satisfaction. This will enable us to react very quickly in correcting any problems that may occur. GLOBAL Quality and profitability at the core of the X44 project As part of the new model offensive set out in Renault Commitment 2009, New Twingo had to meet an extremely specific brief in terms of quality and profitability. Renaults latest small car will be produced at the Novo Mesto factory in Slovenia. Upon his arrival as President of Renault in May 2005, Carlos Ghosn instructed engineers to optimise the cost effectiveness of the X44 project. Twingos replacement needed to meet a raft of quality- and appeal-related targets at an extremely competitive cost. Initially delayed to ensure it responded even more closely to customer demand, the project then picked up speed and the cars development was completed within 21 months of the new designs approval. Controlled production-related costs The technique of carry-over served as a powerful lever in achieving this feat. Certain components from previous projects noted for their reliability and effectiveness were incorporated into the new vehicle. In addition to being a pledge of quality, this approach also eliminated unnecessary design costs and lead-times. Although an entirely new car in its own right, New Twingo incorporates parts from the chassis used for Clio II whose quality earned it recognition in 2006. Constraints associated with the adaptation of production plant were similarly m