Evaluate costa customers service approach through observation and a Assignment

Evaluate costa customers service approach through observation and a Mystery shop (report ) - Assignment Example The report outlines the â€Å"push and pull† theory as a method of addressing customer concerns; it further evaluates the validity of this approach in handling customer issues in modern day business environment that is getting increasingly competitive. This theory is applied in supporting my arguments that place customer care as a vital component of business processes. The relationship between good customer relationships and business success is explored with an aim of giving you the justifications for adopting a customer oriented strategy that contributes to overall business sustainability over time. Customer service training is vital in making the employees responsive to customer needs and in establishing it as part of the firm’s culture. If a firm owner wants to be successful in achieving the objectives set forth, then customer service is of paramount importance because positive responses increase client numbers. In Adam Smith’s basic theory of competition, he says that businesses need to be very involved in this initiative to satisfy individual customer needs. Clients treated in a humane way and in a respectful manner have a high chance of coming back to the premises. Costa Coffee is a business outlet in the hospitality industry; this is a highly competitive field with new shops opening at city corners every day (Brody, 2009)1. In order to remain competitive in this growing field, customer relationship building initiatives is therefore of vital importance to keep them coming. This is enhanced by offering them the best services at a reasonable cost and maintaining a feedback mechanism that ensures their specific needs are met. For instance, coffee is available in a variety of grades and types; we have the Arabica and Robusta coffee varieties which also have different tastes. Giving clients these brew options provides a one stop shop where different taste needs are met. We used

Arthurian and Grail Poetry Essay Example for Free

Arthurian and Grail Poetry Essay In 1871, Swinburne produced a new collection of poems which he entitled â€Å"Songs Before Sunrise†, which echoed a whole generation’s sentiments about Italy’s struggle for freedom. The poet’s stellar piece, â€Å"Hertha†, was yet another offering to the pagan altar upon which he worshipped. Hertha, the goddess of fertility, is written as the speaker of a dramatic monologue that aims to declare her superiority and immortality over the Christian God, a tactic Swinburne used to get the attention of the Victorian audience. He emphasizes, through Hertha, the significance and importance of Mother Nature over God, and provides line after line of physical representations of a â€Å"mother† that gives life and nourishment to her offspring, compared to a God who, in Swinburne’s logic, false and provisional. Also, by centering on the â€Å"body† of Hertha, Swinburne stays true to his established tradition of sensuality and passion. He ends the poem with Hertha saying â€Å"I am man†Ã¢â‚¬â€completing the ultimate pagan principle of man’s harmony and unity with nature. Swinburne’s most celebrated work, among his legendary pieces, is 1882’s â€Å"Tristram of Lyonesse†. A veritable triumph in the technical sense, the poem was skillfully written to feature long romantic couplets punctuated with a brilliant arrangement of vowel sounds, rhythm, and alliteration. Swinburne exposes his concept of passion masterfully in this tale of lovers who care for nothing else but their love, and would go to any length to keep the fire burning. Often referred to as Swinburne’s ode to the English dramatists, â€Å"Tristram† is, to this day, the most exemplary rendition of the English couplet. IV. Other Literary Accomplishments As much as Swinburne was known as an exceptional poet was his reputation as an excellent critic. From 1868, he managed to produce a number of volumes of literary criticism, with the best contained in Miscellanies and Essays and Studies. In this series, the genius and poetics of Swinburne are satisfyingly revealed and explored. He also published A Study of Shakespeare, in which he expressed his own great technical competencies and proficiencies in the areas of music and rhythm in poetry, by praising the iconic master of story, song, and technical excellence. It is quite apparent that Swinburne had intentionally limited his paganistic and atheistic principles to his poetry—the literary criticism that bears his name almost always stays firmly on the positive side, with nary a mention of technical or thematic shortcomings of the authors he discusses. With Swinburne’s passing in 1909, the Victorian society of England lost one of its greatest masters in lyric poetry, whose genius and brilliance were quite overflowing that he found it necessary to go against the tide, and stand by the least accepted constructs of society. V. Conclusion The question regarding Swinburne’s religious influences in his poetry has been clearly answered, and has validated the original logic proposed. There are indeed references to Christianity and traditional beliefs in almost all his poetry, which he strategically decided to use to disprove many of the paradigms established by the Church. With his declared propensity to explore the ideals of physical pain and pleasure, sexual passion, and excessive living, through a great deal of wit, sarcasm, and morbidity, the reading audience is left shocked and astonished way beyond their accepted levels. However, it takes one as talented as Swinburne to effectively realize the relationship between two opposing poles—Christianity and immorality—and use the commonalities to create an ideology that is all at once controversial and unacceptable, but also incredible and brilliant. Bibliography Apiryon, T. ‘Algernon Charles Swinburne’, The Hermetic Library, 1995, retrieved 12 July 2008 from http://www. hermetic. com/sabazius/swinburne. htm Bartleby, ‘The Rossettis, William Morries, Swinburne, and Others’. Bartleby. com, retrieved on 12 July 2008 from http://www. bartleby. com/223/0508. html Cymru, Gordd. ‘Arthurian and Grail Poetry’, Celtic Twilight, 2000, retireved 12 July 2008 from http://celtic-twilight. com/camelot/poetry/swinburne/index. htm Representative Poetry Online, ‘Selected Poetry of Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837- 1909), retrieved on 12 July 2008 from http://rpo. library. utoronto. ca/poet/319. html Sawhney, Paramvir, ‘Gestalt Paganism in AC Swinburne’s Hertha’ The Victorian Web, 2006, retrieved on 12 July 2008 from http://victorianweb. org/authors/swinburne/sawhney9. html Thomas, Edward, ‘A Modern Bacchant’, The New York Times, 29 December 1912.

Essay --

The Juvenile Justices System: How Does It Really Work For Our Girls? Girls become delinquent for many different reasons then boys based on biological, social and cultural differences in each gender. From hormones and brain development, to the child’s upbringing by families, to the way girls are expected to act in public compared to boys; a different set of circumstances exists for the reasons why girls become delinquent compared to boys. Siegel, (2007, p.174) explains this by stating. â€Å"There are indications that gender differences in socialization and development do exist and that they may have an effect on juvenile offending patterns.† Girls react differently to most situations, so it’s important to take gender into consideration when evaluating a youth’s past. For example, peer and romantic relationships often have opposite effects on young girls and boys. While boys are less likely to be involved in criminal activity when in a romantic relationship, girls tend to commit more offenses. Girls are also more likely to be afflicted with mental health disorders than boys, because of the numerous differences between male and female juvenile offenders, the ways that they need to be treated should be different as well. According to a study done by the Girls Justice Initiative, 89% of the 118 attorneys and 61% of the 97 judges interviewed across the county agree that girls in the juvenile justice system do not receive adequate services. This report offers best practices starting from how to communicate with girls when first enter to the juvenile justice system to how to best serve them after they leave in ord er to reduce recidivism rates and address the circumstances that led to their incarceration. (Bolton, 2012) Boys an... ... family time, have an open and honest communication line and never be afraid or embarrassed to seek out aid from professionals in your school, community and neighborhood. By doing some of these little things, you prevent the negative socialization that can lead to deviant behavior, at the same time you will model good behavior and keep those biological and psychological factors at bay so that you have time to deal with issues before they become real problems. As the current information exists, both boys and girls are racing towards delinquency faster and faster and though it may be a tie between the genders, the girls may be pulling in front of the boys. In any event, there are way too many participants in the race and we as parents and members of society need to help in reducing the number of racers in the sprint towards juvenile hall and ultimately adult prison. Essay -- The Juvenile Justices System: How Does It Really Work For Our Girls? Girls become delinquent for many different reasons then boys based on biological, social and cultural differences in each gender. From hormones and brain development, to the child’s upbringing by families, to the way girls are expected to act in public compared to boys; a different set of circumstances exists for the reasons why girls become delinquent compared to boys. Siegel, (2007, p.174) explains this by stating. â€Å"There are indications that gender differences in socialization and development do exist and that they may have an effect on juvenile offending patterns.† Girls react differently to most situations, so it’s important to take gender into consideration when evaluating a youth’s past. For example, peer and romantic relationships often have opposite effects on young girls and boys. While boys are less likely to be involved in criminal activity when in a romantic relationship, girls tend to commit more offenses. Girls are also more likely to be afflicted with mental health disorders than boys, because of the numerous differences between male and female juvenile offenders, the ways that they need to be treated should be different as well. According to a study done by the Girls Justice Initiative, 89% of the 118 attorneys and 61% of the 97 judges interviewed across the county agree that girls in the juvenile justice system do not receive adequate services. This report offers best practices starting from how to communicate with girls when first enter to the juvenile justice system to how to best serve them after they leave in ord er to reduce recidivism rates and address the circumstances that led to their incarceration. (Bolton, 2012) Boys an... ... family time, have an open and honest communication line and never be afraid or embarrassed to seek out aid from professionals in your school, community and neighborhood. By doing some of these little things, you prevent the negative socialization that can lead to deviant behavior, at the same time you will model good behavior and keep those biological and psychological factors at bay so that you have time to deal with issues before they become real problems. As the current information exists, both boys and girls are racing towards delinquency faster and faster and though it may be a tie between the genders, the girls may be pulling in front of the boys. In any event, there are way too many participants in the race and we as parents and members of society need to help in reducing the number of racers in the sprint towards juvenile hall and ultimately adult prison.

Hollywood moves influence in society Essay

Hollywood movies have had an important effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period. Is clear that Hollywood movies have an impact and influence in society. From my point of view the Hollywood movies are not a bad influence to society. Most of these movies are made after books and we don’t say that books have a bad influence on us. The combinations of themes that have these movies are magnificent so we can’t say that because they have some violent movies the whole industry is bad. Also the movies that contain violence tell us that violence is not the right way of doing things. Almost every movie has his good teaching. Even that they have some of this kind of movies that people can understand are a bad influence from society these haven’t been proved. Movies should be taken as what they are not reality. Movies are just a way of entertainment. I personally think that Hollywood films can be positive as they offer different views and concepts to many people and in turn allow people to think over certain ideas and formulate their own ones. The main objective of these movies is entertainment. People choose the stars of these movies as a role model, and these movies became a part of or life. Also I don’t agree with the ideal of beauty the media does obviously show, but you can’t really blame them when is just the reality, these ideal is show not only in movies but everywhere. Hollywood produces are in fact a mixture of our life or of some of us. It is a mixture of biographies, love stories, dramas, science fiction, horror stories, action films and documentaries. If some people get bad habits from seeing these movies we can blame the movie because they are not maid to cause any problem.

Cerjugo SA

Per capita beer consumption in the country had been stable for many years. In order to find new opportunities for growth, Courage management decided to expand their product lines into juices. They recognized early on that the juice business was very different from that of beer. In beer, there was little competition and profit margins were high, close to 40 percent. The profit margins for juice would be much lower and there were a number of competitors but they felt they could create a competitive advantage by (1) sousing on â€Å"freshness,† I. E. All natural ingredients; (2) by leveraging their deep knowledge of their consumers; and (3) by capitalizing on an already strong retail customer base, which would triple as a result of adding juice products. The Organizational Structure The president of Courage is Manuel Preparer. He currently has three key executives reporting to him: Jose Gunman, Felid Razor, and Maria Santiago. Jose is the director of Production; Felid is the vice president of Sales, Marketing and Distribution; and Maria is the director of Finance and Administration. Each executive worked closely with Manuel and are involved in all major company decisions. The country is not named to protect the anonymity of the company on which this case is based. At the time of the expansion into juice, a new $50 million production facility was built across the street from the current juice plant. Organizationally, management assumed that the manufacturing, sales, and distribution of the new product lines could be fitted into the existing structure by adding new positions and employees. They added a production manager of juice manufacturing, juice production providers and employees, additional sales supervisors, and over 900 salespeople.Existing salespeople were trained to sell the new juice products in addition to the beer products that they were used to, and the sales compensation plan was modified so that a higher percentage of the pay would be variable based on total beer and juice revenues. We focus on Grouse's two main divisions: the production division and the sales, marketing, and distribution division. Until a few years ago, the executive team had worked very well together with few major difficulties. The Production Division: Jose GunmanJose Gunman, the director of production, has four senior managers reporting to him: Carols Mange, manager, beer manufacturing Dolores Abide, quality control manager; Antonio Ben, the production planning manager; and George Nevada, manager, juice manufacturing. Carols, Dolores, and Antonio have all been with Courage for the past 15 years. George was hired two years ago when Courage moved into the juice business. George is Harvard educated and had extensive experience in the juice business in North America before accepting Manual's offer to join Courage.The production division has a strict research with many layers of management. Front-line employees such as assemblers and maintenance staff rep ort to team leaders, who report to plant supervisors. Plant supervisors report to either Carols or George. The jobs in the production division are highly specialized. Formal procedures have been documented and all new employees go through extensive training so that quality standards, safety standards, and efficiencies are maintained. The Sales, Marketing and Distribution Division: Felid Razor Felid Razor, the vice president of Sales, Marketing and Distribution, has beenManual's second-in-command for many years. He is in charge of four departments, each headed up by a senior manager. These departments are distribution, trade marketing, market research, and sales. The sales department, which has 1400 employees, is further divided into urban sales and rural sales, and there are 13 rural sales managers reporting to the head of rural sales. Each sales representative serves a territory that usually consists of both licensed and non-licensed establishments. They supply retailers with produ ct information and storefront displays.They also offer discounts and promotions, where appropriate, in an attempt to win limited retailer shelf space. A partial organization chart is shown in Exhibit A. The Current Situation Manuel is very concerned since the forecasted sales and profit targets for the juice business have not been met for the second year in a row. Perceptions in the market are that Courage juice is not of a high quality, and consumers do not appear to be aware of the degree of â€Å"freshness† in the products. In addition, the sales force does not seem to fully understand the juice product attributes and tends to focus on selling beer rather than juice products.Turnover in the sales force has increased dramatically and there has been a great deal of in-fighting between Jose, Felid, and Maria. They always seem to be at opposing ends of an issue and Manuel has to make decisions that inevitably angers one or other of them. The last straw came yesterday when Manu el heard rumors that George Nevada, his Harvard-educated manager Of juice manufacturing, had received another job offer and was planning to resign. Last week, Manuel individually asked Felid and Jose to give him their suggestions for how to improve the juice business.Joke's response was as follows: â€Å"We need to continue to improve efficiencies, keep production and inventory costs to a minimum, and maintain a consistent and high-quality product. Have been doing this successfully for a very long time and I know that the most important success factors are to reduce changeover times on the bottling lines, keep my line capacities to a maximum, my inventory and storage costs down, and the shelf-life of my ingredients up. On the people side, the key to my success has been to have clear rules and work procedures o that we can keep errors and waste to a minimum.What need to do now is the following: (1) Replace the natural vitamin C extract with artificial ascorbic acid. This will increa se the shelf-life of the juices, which will increase its profitability. (2) Eliminate the mill packaging size. This will reduce the changeover times on the line and reduce our costs of production. † Felid's response was as follows: ‘We need to create more customer demand and strengthen our competitive advantage. I have been doing this for a very long time and I haven't let you down yet. We do not have enough variety in either our flavors or our bottle sizes.Juice retailers and consumers are different from Our beer customers. Our competitive advantage in this market is ‘freshness. ‘ That is our niche. What we need to do now is the following: (1 ) We currently have only two bottle sizes (mill and mill). We need to introduce mill and 1. ALL bottle sizes in order to be able to compete with the other players in the market. While these are unique sizes and packaging formats, they are essential to building the unique image of our brand. (2) We currently have only 12 juice flavors.

The Practice of Loving Kindness or Metta Defined

The Practice of Loving Kindness or Metta Defined Loving kindness is defined in English dictionaries as a feeling of benevolent affection. But in Buddhism, loving kindness (in Pali, Metta; in Sanskrit, Maitri) is thought of as a mental state or attitude, cultivated and maintained by practice. This cultivation of loving kindness is an essential part of Buddhism. The Theravadin scholar Acharya Buddharakkhita said of Metta, The Pali word metta is a multi-significant term meaning loving-kindness, friendliness, goodwill, benevolence, fellowship, amity, concord, inoffensiveness and non-violence. The Pali commentators define metta as the strong wish for the welfare and happiness of others (parahita-parasukha-kamana). ... True metta is devoid of self-interest. It evokes within a warm-hearted feeling of fellowship, sympathy and love, which grows boundless with practice and overcomes all social, religious, racial, political and economic barriers. Metta is indeed a universal, unselfish and all-embracing love. Metta often is paired with Karuna, compassion. They are not exactly the same, although the difference is subtle. The classic explanation is that Metta is a wish for all beings to be happy, and Karuna is a wish for all beings to be free from suffering. Wish is probably not the right word, though, because wishing seems passive. It might be more accurate to say directing ones attention or concern to the happiness or suffering of others. Developing loving kindness is essential to doing away with the self-clinging that binds us to suffering (dukkha). Metta is the antidote to selfishness, anger, and fear. Dont Be Nice One of the biggest misunderstandings people have about Buddhists is that Buddhists are always supposed to be nice. But, usually, niceness is only a social convention. Being nice often is about self-preservation and maintaining a sense of belonging in a group. We are nice because we want people to like us, or at least not get angry with us. Theres nothing wrong with being nice, most of the time, but its not the same thing as loving kindness. Remember, Metta is concerned with the genuine happiness of others. Sometimes when people are behaving badly, the last thing they need for their own happiness is someone politely enabling their destructive behavior. Sometimes people need to be told things they dont want to hear; sometimes they need to be shown that what they are doing is not okay. Cultivating Metta His Holiness the Dalai Lama is supposed to have said, This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple. The philosophy is kindness. Thats great, but remember that were talking about a guy who gets up at 3:30 a.m. to make time for meditation and prayers before breakfast. Simple isnt necessarily easy. Sometimes people new to Buddhism will hear about loving kindness, and think, No sweat. I can do that. And they wrap themselves in the persona of a lovingly kind person and go about being very, very nice. This lasts until the first encounter with a rude driver or surly store clerk. As long as your practice is about you being a nice person, you are just play-acting. This may seem paradoxical, but unselfishness begins by gaining insight into yourself and understanding the source of your ill will, irritations, and insensitivity. This takes us to the basics of Buddhist practice, beginning with the Four Noble Truths and the practice of the Eightfold Path. Metta Meditation The Buddhas best-known teaching on Metta is in the Metta Sutta, a sermon in the Sutta Pitaka. Scholars say the sutta (or sutra) presents three ways to practice Metta. The first is applying Metta to day-to-day conduct. The second is Metta meditation. The third is a commitment to embody Metta with full body and mind. The third practice grows from the first two. The several schools of Buddhism have developed several approaches to Metta meditation, often involving visualization or recitation. A common practice is to begin by offering Metta to oneself. Then (over a period of time) Metta is offered to someone in trouble. Then to a loved one, and so on, progressing to someone you dont know well, to someone you dislike, and eventually to all beings. Why begin with yourself? Buddhist teacher Sharon Salzberg said, To reteach a thing its loveliness is the nature of Metta. Through loving kindness, everyone and everything can flower again from within. Because so many of us struggle with doubts and self-loathing, we must not leave ourselves out. Flower from within, for yourself and for everyone.

School Crime Essays

School Crime Essays School Crime Essay School Crime Essay According to the National School Safety Center, the rate of violent school crime has dropped between 2003 and 2004.   The rate of violent crime victimization at school remained lower than the rate of victimization away from school.   Younger children were more likely to be victims of violent crime at school, while older students were more likely to be victims of violent crime away from school.   Although there was some movement in other crime statistics, those for fighting and drinking at school remained flat (National School Safety Center, 2006, p. 2).Some of these findings are also reflected by the findings of the Departments of Education and Justice between 2005 and 2006.   However, the second report indicates that an increase in homicides occurred between 2004 and 2005 over the figures reported between 2000 and 2001.   An average of 55 victimizations were reported per 1000 students during the 2004-2005 school year, with approximately one homicide or suicide school-age youth at school per 2 million students.   Regardless, these figures are still down from the same block of figures from the 1990s (Departments of Education and Justice, 2006, Executive Summary).The media, however, chooses to report school violence as if it is a steadily growing wave, with an increasing number of increasingly more violent occurrence every year.   Despite the steady decrease of the incidence of violent crimes in schools, the media chooses to report that violent crime remains a problem in schools, despite the use of safety devices such as metal detectors and despite the presence of security guards.   The media tends to focus on reporting the sensational occurrences and speculating on why so many Columbine-like shootings seem to be occurring, rather than reporting the actual decline in school homicides.   This presentation detracts from the efforts that have been made to correct the incidence of school violence.ReferencesDepartments of Educ ation and Justice.   (2006).   NSSC review of school safety research.   Retrieved March 31, 2007 from schoolsafety.us/pubfiles/school_crime_and_violence_statistics.pdfNational School Safety Center. (2006).   Indicators of school crime and safety: 2006. Retrieved March 31, 2007 from http://nces.ed.gov/programs/crimeindicators/index.asp

More Confusing Spanish Verb Pairs

More Confusing Spanish Verb Pairs Spanish students usually learn fairly early in their studies about how to distinguish between the two main verbs for to be, ser and estar, and the two main verbs for to know, saber and conocer. But because they arent used as often, it is easy to overlook some of the other confusing verb pairs. Among those pairs are those for the verbs to ask, to leave, to apply, to have, to play and to take. This list is by no means exhaustive, but if you can learn how to properly translate these verbs into Spanish you will be well on your way to avoiding some of the most common verb-choice mistakes made by non-native speakers. To Ask If youre making a request for a thing or some action, use pedir. But if youre asking for information about something, use preguntar. Remember that pedir can be translated as ask for or request, so you dont need to follow it with a preposition. Me pidià ³ tres dà ³lares, he asked me for $3. Me preguntà ³ por tres dà ³lares, he asked me about the $3 (as what happened to it). Me pidià ³ que cocinara la comida, she asked me to cook the meal. Preguntà ³ si habà ­a cocinado la comida, she asked me if I had cooked the meal. Note that pedir is irregular. To Leave If youre leaving in the sense of exiting or going away, use salir (you may remember that an exit in Spanish is una salida). But if youre leaving an object somewhere, use dejar. El tren sale a las ocho, the train leaves at 8. Dejà © mis libros en el tren, I left my books in the train. Dejar also can mean to leave in the less common sense of to allow.  ¡Dà ©jame salir! Leave me go! Note that salir is irregular. To Apply If youre applying in the sense of applying for a job, use solicitar. If youre applying something, use aplicar. Tres personas solicitan el puesto de redactor, three people are seeking the editors position. Tengo que aplicar el bronceador, I need to apply the suntan lotion. Note that aplicar is irregular. You also can use aplicarse for to apply oneself. Mi hijo se aplica mucho en sus tareas escolares, my son applies himself well to his homework. To Have To have in the sense of to possess is tener. Haber is usually used much as the English to have as an auxiliary verb with the past participle. Tengo tres libros, I have three books. He leà ­do tres libros, I have read three books. That difference is straightforward. But both verbs can also be used with que to indicate necessity. Tener que followed by an infinitive means to have to, while hay que (hay is a form of haber) also expresses necessity but doesnt specify who is performing the action. Tengo que leer tres libros, I have to read three books. Hay que leer tres libros, three books have to be read (or, it is necessary to read three books). Both tener and haber are irregular. To Play Use jugar when talking about playing a game, tocar when playing a musical instrument. Me gusta jugar al bà ©isbol, I like playing baseball. No me gusta tocar el piano, I dont like playing the piano. Both jugar and tocar are irregular. To Take Use llevar for to take in the sense of to carry or to transport. But use tomar for to take in the sense of to take for ones use. Use sacar for take out in the sense of remove. Me llevas al aeropuerto, youre taking me to the airport. Tomo el tren al aeropuerto, Im taking the train to the airport. Tengo que tomar la medicina, I have to take the medicine. El dentista sacà ³ las muelas, the dentist took out the teeth. Sacar is irregular.

Direct advertising Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Direct advertising - Dissertation Example Literature Review Direct Advertising There is a clear need for highly targeted marketing activities within the Internet environment. The Internet is a collection of smaller submarkets where developing and maintaining relationships with online customers generates sales, regenerates sales and subsequently profits (Norwood et al. n.d). However, applying this kind of marketing approach is not as simple as it looks. The online marketers may understand that marketing online only includes one-to-one promotion. The difficulty may be that the statistical data of the online consumers do not favour relationship building: 88 percent own a home computer and 67 percent of Internet newcomers are male, 39 percent have a college degree and 17 percent live in householders with only incomes of $ 80,000 or more (Norwood et al. n.d). Moreover, the reports suggest that the online consumers could be identified as impatient, having no particular allegiance to any particular websites. And more specifically, the on line users can be described as ‘switchers’, empowered to choose which site they want to visit so that when encountered with a barrage of on-line advertising, they simply switch to another website. This could subsequently be said that the on-line consumer may not prefer to enter into a relationship. In addition to that, there is a strong perception that a considerable number of online users and consumers believe that they the promotions through direct advertising cannot be relied as the frequency of fraud cases have enhanced to a dangerous level. Given these circumstances, the task of constructing and maintaining long term on line relationships has become a biggest challenge ever faced by the marketers. The key is to secure customer loyalty which would... This "Direct advertising" essay outlines the usefulness of this type of ad for companies and its effectiveness. Applying this kind of marketing approach is not as simple as it looks. The online marketers may understand that marketing online only includes one-to-one promotion. The difficulty may be that the statistical data of the online consumers do not favour relationship building: 88 percent own a home computer and 67 percent of Internet newcomers are male, 39 percent have a college degree and 17 percent live in householders with only incomes of $ 80,000 or more. The reports suggest that the online consumers could be identified as impatient, having no particular allegiance to any particular websites. And more specifically, the online users can be described as ‘switchers’, empowered to choose which site they want to visit so that when encountered with a barrage of on-line advertising, they simply switch to another website. This could subsequently be said that the on-lin e consumer may not prefer to enter into a relationship. In addition to that, there is a strong perception that a considerable number of online users and consumers believe that they the promotions through direct advertising cannot be relied as the frequency of fraud cases have enhanced to a dangerous level. Given these circumstances, the task of constructing and maintaining long term on line relationships has become a biggest challenge ever faced by the marketers. The key is to secure customer loyalty which would bring increased shareholder value and asset efficiency.

Critical Appraisal of a Piece of Research Essay

Critical Appraisal of a Piece of Research - Essay Example Yes. The research questions focused on the reasons for long-term older smokers with arterial disease to continue to smoke; and what the implications were to current smoking behaviour and future smoking intent. Do they perceive a relationship between smoking and the events and circumstances of their lives? What, according to them, is the part played by dependency in their smoking behaviour? Are their beliefs about the reasons for their smoking, reflected in their patterns and levels of smoking? Will these beliefs have an impact on their intentions regarding smoking? semi-structured, face-to-face interviews using â€Å"life grids†. Changes in levels and patterns of smoking against events and circumstances of respondents’ lives were charted by â€Å"life grids†, which were incorporated in the study. An experimental group of current smokers were studied alongside a control group of ex-smokers. The total number of 70 respondents were recruited from the Edinburgh Artery Study, a longitudinal study supported by the British Heart Foundation (Fowkes, 1995). This paper is based on a two-year qualitative study on â€Å"Life course influences on patterns of persistent smoking among older smokers and exsmokers with arterial disease.† The research sample consisted of 22 current smokers and 48 ex-smokers, aged between 65 and 84 years, with a minimum of 10 years smoking history, who smoked an average of at least 10 cigarettes a week throughout their smoking histories, and suffered from arterial disease (Parry et al 2001). The method of selecting the two groups was at random. No particular method of allocation such as stratification was described. The groups were not well balanced, since the number of current smokers were less than half that of the ex-smokers. For the purpose of eliminating â€Å"observer bias† it is essential to

Embryo Gene Activation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Embryo Gene Activation - Essay Example Embryonic genes, which are active prior to the 4-cell stage, are small in number and they code for proteins used in controlling and stabilizing maternal mRNA and proteins. Parental proteins regulated at the post-translational glassy by adjusting the proteins phosphorylation form. Alternatively, these protein states created by the embryonic kinases can stimulate the activities of proteins and change their cell location. For embryo development, change and degradation of maternal mRNA proteins are crucial just before the embryo gene activation. This paper discusses embryo gene activation, DNA repair and the pathways involved in the processes (Lauritzen 240). During the 4-cell phase of embryo gene activation, remodeling of chromatin, which allows transcription of the embryo, and hence synthesizing the translation machinery. The genome of embryos becomes active and starts transcription of metabolic, apoptosis and cell cycle protein regulation (Khanna &Yosef 119). The proteins for maternal mRNAs continuously reduce in the early phases of the 4-cell phase. Signaling pathways for embryonic gene activation example is the hedgehog signaling. The signaling pathway that transfers information to embryonic cells helps for right development. Each part of the embryo can contain different concentrations of these signaling proteins. Not only in embryonic cell development, this kind of pathway has a bigger role in adults and malfunction can cause diseases like, basal cell carcinoma. This signaling pathway is a focus regulator in most animals’ growth (Song & Lee 48). In some other animals, lack of this pathway can lead to poor development of the brain, lungs, and the skeleton. Hedgehog signaling is crucial in regulating the maintenance and regeneration of most adult cells and tissues. Pharmaceutical companies have associated this pathway as a cause of cancer and developed drugs to cure the signaling causing diseases (Polin, William, & Steven 58). Breast cancer susceptibilit y gene 1 (BRCA1) and BRCA2 are genes which suppress tumor and the mutant phenotypes that predispose to both ovarian and breast cancers. These proteins are involved in most cellular processes and contribute DNA repair and regulation in response to the damage of DNA (Ensley 113). BRCA proteins protect the genome from damage by providing maintenance of the stability of chromosomes. The big number of cellular proteins, which interact with the BCRA, propels most functions of the BRCA proteins and their functions linked to different phosphorylation events. Reasons why these proteins cause both ovarian and breast cancer are unknown today (Knobil, Jimmy & Neill 69). These proteins are present in breast cells where they help repair the damaged DNA or destroy the cells in cases where the DNA is unrepaired body (Alpi, Pasierbek, Gartner & Loidl 16). Damaging the BRCA1 by any chance causes the damaged DNA not repaired and this may increase the chances of cancer. Most mammals have complex mechan isms to monitor damage of DNA and the required responses to maintain their integrity and repair. Some of the mechanisms for detection, repair, and cell cycle arrest to prevent damage from gametes or embryo cells (Gordon 670). The repair of the DNA in these newly formed embryos relies on the mRNA proteins from prior ovulation. These repair genes developed in the early stages of the animal development need to be enough to equip the embryo with the maternal products for the gene expression to start at the right

Legal and ethical issues in relation to this scenario Essay

Legal and ethical issues in relation to this scenario - Essay Example to disclose to their superiors Martina’s inability to do her job; and whether or not Martina violated ethical or legal standards in nursing practice for almost committing a medical error and for working in a distracted state. . Beneficence: The patients in Martina’s care have the right to be administered with the correct and competent care from Martina (Masters, 2009). Beneficence implies that actions which seek to benefit the patient must be the ones which should be administered to the patient. Since, the patient has the right to receive appropriate, timely, and effective care, such care must be administered at all times by the nursing and other health care professionals (Beauchamp and Childress, 2001). Failure to deliver such beneficial care violates ethical principles of beneficence. Nonmaleficence: First, do no harm. This is the very basis of nonmaleficence (Masters, 2009). Under this ethical provision, all actions of the nurses and other health professionals must not cause the patients any harm. Martina’s lack of focus almost caused the patient harm. Her continued lack of focus has placed her patients at a continuous risk for various medical errors including medication errors and neglect (Butts, 2012). Omar’s concealment of Martina’s lack of focus is also another act which causes the patient harm. The concealment can potentially be dangerous for patients because repeated errors may occur unless actions by the superiors are carried out (Butts, 2012). Martina has issues she has to deal with on her own and she has to be relieved from her work, given time off, or given a vacation until she can be fit to work efficiently again as a nurse. Legal issues: In the case of Omar and Martina, there is a need to establish whether Omar’s actions in failing to reveal his observations on Martina’s actions constitute negligence and merit legal action. Various principles constitute negligent action according to Staunton and Chiarella (2008). First

Achieving Success on International Assignments Essay

Achieving Success on International Assignments - Essay Example As more companies grow and become globalised many employees are also being charged with international assignments and therefore it is important to be prepared. This involves assessing your own personality, team skills, as well as leadership in order to make sure they match international. With these important personal and corporate skills gained through experience with many people from across the world serving in different I believe I am ready to take up an international assignment anytime it is presented my way.  If sent for an international assignment I believe I will easily achieve success owing to great interpersonal skills gained over time. I have a strong confidence in myself, self reliant and proven ability of working independently with little or no supervision at all. As an individual I also am well versed with major international languages and am open to learning new languages used in whatever host country. When faced with obstacles I have observed myself to be very resilie nt and have persevered extremely difficult circumstances. I also view myself as a very flexible individual with impeccable ability to strongly face and come out of uncertainties unshaken. Another great personal trait that I know in myself is the ability to interact with all kinds of people, tolerate everyone and uphold respect for other people as well as their cultures even if they are not familiar. This has helped me to get along well with persons from all spheres of life and I therefore believe will also influence my fast adapting.

Legal and ethical issues in relation to this scenario Essay

Legal and ethical issues in relation to this scenario - Essay Example to disclose to their superiors Martina’s inability to do her job; and whether or not Martina violated ethical or legal standards in nursing practice for almost committing a medical error and for working in a distracted state. . Beneficence: The patients in Martina’s care have the right to be administered with the correct and competent care from Martina (Masters, 2009). Beneficence implies that actions which seek to benefit the patient must be the ones which should be administered to the patient. Since, the patient has the right to receive appropriate, timely, and effective care, such care must be administered at all times by the nursing and other health care professionals (Beauchamp and Childress, 2001). Failure to deliver such beneficial care violates ethical principles of beneficence. Nonmaleficence: First, do no harm. This is the very basis of nonmaleficence (Masters, 2009). Under this ethical provision, all actions of the nurses and other health professionals must not cause the patients any harm. Martina’s lack of focus almost caused the patient harm. Her continued lack of focus has placed her patients at a continuous risk for various medical errors including medication errors and neglect (Butts, 2012). Omar’s concealment of Martina’s lack of focus is also another act which causes the patient harm. The concealment can potentially be dangerous for patients because repeated errors may occur unless actions by the superiors are carried out (Butts, 2012). Martina has issues she has to deal with on her own and she has to be relieved from her work, given time off, or given a vacation until she can be fit to work efficiently again as a nurse. Legal issues: In the case of Omar and Martina, there is a need to establish whether Omar’s actions in failing to reveal his observations on Martina’s actions constitute negligence and merit legal action. Various principles constitute negligent action according to Staunton and Chiarella (2008). First

Theory of the experiment Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Theory of the experiment - Lab Report Example This can be said to be a compromise between the Class A amplifiers and the Class B amplifier topologies. These amplifiers combines the sound quality provided by the class A simplifiers and the efficiency provided by the Class B amplifiers. This is achieved by having both transistors biased to have them conduct a signal close to zero. Figure 1.3 shows a class AB amplifier and its associated input and output waveforms. When small signals are applied, both transistors will be active, making the amplifier to function like a Class A amplifier. When a large signal is applied, only one transistor becomes active. This makes the amplifier to operate like a Class B amplifier. Class AB speaker amplifiers gives a high SNR and a low THD+N. they are also about 65% efficient. These amplifiers are used in making portable media players, tablets, cameras, and so on where high fidelity is required.Class D amplifiersThese amplifiers use PWM (pulse width modulation) to produce a rail to rail output signa l. This signal has a variable duty cycle that is used to approximate the input signal which is analog in nature. These amplifiers are highly efficient and have an efficiency of about 90%. This is so because the output transistors used are fully turned on/off in a normal operating. Use of this approach eliminates the need to use the transistor’s linear region that brings in inefficiency in the other types of amplifiers. Figure 1.4 shows a basic class D amplifier and a possible waveform. Since this class of amplifier has a high efficiency.

Organic vs. Industrial Food Essay Example for Free

Organic vs. Industrial Food Essay Have you ever been standing in the grocery store, undecided on whether there really is a difference between the standard store brand ribeye steak and the organic, grain fed, free range ribeye that costs twice as much? Ever had little devil on one shoulder telling you one thing, and the angel on the other convincing you the devil is wrong? Is cost the only thing holding you back from shelling out a few extra sheckles for the more expensive steak? Have you heard about the health benefits of eating organic? Then maybe it is time you learned about the true benefits of organic food. In doing so, it may just change your life and blow your mind. Eating industrial foods can cause a bevy of health issues today, such as exposure to toxins, as well as leading to diabetes and heart disease, and choosing to eat organic foods instead will help to resolve those issues. While organic foods are thought to be quite a bit more expensive than the standard, this is not always the case. One article quotes â€Å"Your local food markets will often have lower prices on organic food items than traditional grocery stores. (Lotich, 2010, para 1). You have to take into consideration that in this day and age, almost any meal that you eat has an organic alternative, or can be prepared by using all organic ingredients. In knowing this, you may actually find that there are a number of other ways that you may go about saving some money, while incorporating organic foods into your daily diet. One of those things you can do is make yourself aware of the various farms that are putting out organic foods. Most folks think that organic foods are all produced by small, family owned farms. As I very recently found out, some of the most successful organic farms are very large and on a global scale. Take Earthbound Farms for example. They are a very successful and very large farm, consisting of over 30,000 acres. Their website states â€Å"We’ve been farming for more than 25 years now, and we’ve become the country’s largest grower of organic produce, committed to being a catalyst for positive change in our kitchens and our environment (Earthbound Farm, 2012, para 4). Buying from this company not only promotes eating healthier, but also supports a company that is looking out for the environment as well. Not only are some of the most successful organic farms gigantic and global, but so are some of the enormous corporations that buy organic food (Whole Foods, Wal-Mart, Safeway and Kroger’s). That being said, if you can research and recognize some of these brands, what at first glance may seem like big-box packaging may indeed turn out to be a cost efficient and healthy organic alternative to what one may typically buy in stores today. Thus it turns out, eating organic may not be as expensive as we first thought. In conjunction with steps such as planning your meals ahead of time, organic food just may actually be cheaper overall than industrial foods in many instances. Planning meals ahead of time is a smart move. I recently read that â€Å"When you have a detailed shopping list and go to the store with a plan, youre much less likely to splurge on extras or expensive instant meals. And when you have a firm plan in place, and the food has already been purchased, you wont end up wasting money in the drive thru spending your money on overpriced fast food (James, 2008, para 2). This is an issue that I think most of us face from time to time. Being smart can help reduce these unnecessary costs. It is important for consumers to really research organic foods and the cost benefits of choosing to go that route. You can end up eating better, as well as saving money. The healthy benefits of eating organic are yet another good reason to choose an organic diet. Recent studies have shown that â€Å"The published literature lacks strong evidence that organic foods are significantly more nutritious than conventional foods. Consumption of organic foods may reduce exposure to pesticide residues and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. † (Novella, 2012) That being said, the same studies do show that eating organic foods does reduce the reduce exposure to pesticide residues and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The EPA states that â€Å"consumers are looking to organically grown and produced foods as a way to reduce exposure to synthetic pesticides (U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2012). That certainly is a reason to make the switch. Also, if you are planning meals as aforementioned, and buying ingredients for those meals fresh, as opposed to meal mixes and processed industrial foods, then you are also in control of the amounts of fats, sugars, and such that are in your meals. This is also a healthier option. Taking control of what you eat is important. I imagine most people want to control what they put in their bodies, and eating organic foods can help you do just that. Without eating organic foods, you can run the risk of leaving yourself open to all kinds of diseases and other health issues. All in all, the evidence seems mounting in favor of converting to a healthier lifestyle. Eating organic food seems like both a smart, and strong way to making the transition. It is easier than exercising, and in most cases, would probably provide a better feeling in the long run. â€Å"The American College of Sports Medicine advises adults to do moderately intense cardio exercise for 30 minutes a day, five days a week or do vigorously intense cardio for 20 minutes a day, three days a week to stay healthy (Kunz, 2011, para 2). Exercising is important as well, but if you are eating the wrong foods, all of your hard work may be for not. So think about making the switch to organic foods. Starting off small can lead to big changes for you and your loved ones. Bibliography Earthbound Farm. (2012, December 6). The Earthbound Story. p. 2012. James, B. (2008, November 20). Five Benefits of Planning Meal Menus for Your Household. Yahoo! Voices, p. 1. Kunz, M. (2011, October 19). Does Exercise Offset Unhealthy Eating? Exercise Eating Healthy, p. 1. Lotich, B. (2010, December 28). 10 Easy Ways To Save Money On Organic Food. US News, p. 1. Novella, S. (2012, Sept. 05). No Health Benefits from Organic Food. Science-Based Medicine, p. 1. U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2012, December 6). Pesticides and Food. Pesticides: Health and Safety , p. 1.

Law Of Diminishing Marginal Utility Economics Essay

Law Of Diminishing Marginal Utility Economics Essay Managerial Economics is the intergration of bridges the gap between economic theory with business practice so as to facilitate decision making Comment outline the nature and scope of Managerial Economics in light of this statement. Spencer and Siegelman have defined Managerial Economics as the integration of economic theory with business practice for the purpose of facilitating decision-making and forward planning by management. The above definitions suggest that Managerial economics is the discipline, which deals with the application of economic theory to business management. Managerial Economics thus lies on the margin between economics and business management and serves as the bridge between the two disciplines. The following Figure 1.1 shows the relationship between economics, business management and managerial economics. pg-2 NATURE OF MANAGERIAL ECONOMICS There are certain chief characteristics of managerial economics, which can help to understand the nature of the subject matter and help in a clear understanding of the following terms: Managerial economics is micro-economic in character. This is because the unit of study is a firm and its problems. Managerial economics does not deal with the entire economy as a unit of study. Managerial economics largely uses that body of economic concepts and principles, which is known as Theory of the Firm or Economics of the Firm. Managerial economics is concrete and realistic. It avoids difficult abstract issues of economic theory. But it also involves complications ignored in economic theory in order to face the overall situation in which decisions are made. Economic theory ignores the variety of backgrounds and training found in individual firms. Managerial economics belongs to normative economics rather than positive economics. Normative economy is the branch of economics in which judgments about the desirability of various policies are made. Positive economics describes how the economy behaves and predicts how it might change. In other words, managerial economics is prescriptive rather than descriptive. It remains confined to descriptive hypothesis. Managerial economics also simplifies the relations among different variables without judging what is desirable or undesirable. For instance, the law of demand states that as price increases, demand goes down or vice-versa but this statement does not imply if the result is desirable or not. Managerial economics, however, is concerned with what decisions ought to be made and hence involves value judgments. This further has two aspects: first, it tells what aims and objectives a firm should pursue; and secondly, how best to achieve these aims in particular situations. Macroeconomics is also useful to managerial economics since it provides an intelligent understanding of the business environment. This understanding enables a business executive to adjust with the external forces that are beyond the managements control but which play a crucial role in the well being of the firm. SCOPE OF MANAGERIAL ECONOMICS As regards the scope of managerial economics, there is no general uniform pattern. However, the following aspects may be said to be inclusive under managerial economics: Demand analysis and forecasting. Cost and production analysis. Pricing decisions, policies and practices. Profit management. Capital management. Demand Analysis and Forecasting A business firm is an economic Organisation, which transforms productive resources into goods that are to be sold in a market. A major part of managerial decision-making depends on accurate estimates of demand. This is because before production schedules can be prepared and resources are employed, a forecast of future sales is essential. This forecast can also guide the management in maintaining or strengthening the market position and enlarging profits. The demand analysis helps to identify the various factors influencing demand for a firms product and thus provides guidelines to manipulate demand. Demand analysis and forecasting, thus, is essential for business planning and occupies a strategic place in managerial economics. It comprises of discovering the forces determining sales and their measurementDemand determinants Demand distinctions Demand forecasting. Cost and Production Analysis A study of economic costs, combined with the data drawn from the firms accounting records, can yield significant cost estimates. These estimates are useful for management decisions. The factors causing variations in costs must be recognised and thereby should be used for taking management decisions. This facilitates the management to arrive at cost estimates, which are significant for planning purposes. An element of cost uncertainty exists in this because all the factors determining costs are not always known or controllable. Therefore, it is essential to discover economic costs and measure them for effective profit planning, cost control and sound pricing practices. Production analysis is narrower in scope than cost analysis. The chief topics covered under cost and production analysis are: Cost concepts and classifications Cost-output relationships Economics of scale Production functions Cost control. Pricing Decisions, Policies and Practices Pricing is a very important area of managerial economics. In fact price is the origin of the revenue of a firm. As such the success of a usiness firm largely depends on the accuracy of price decisions of that firm. The important aspects dealt under area, are as follows: Price determination in various market forms Pricing methods Differential pricing product-line pricing and price forecasting. Profit Management Business firms are generally organised with the purpose of making profits. In the long run, profits provide the chief measure of success. In this connection, an important point worth considering is the element of uncertainty existing about profits. This uncertainty occurs because of variations in costs and revenues. These are caused by factors such as internal and external. If knowledge about the future were perfect, profit analysis would have been a very easy task. However, in a world of uncertainty, expectations are not always realised. Thus profit planning and measurement make up the difficult area of managerial economics. The important aspects covered under this area are: Nature and measurement of profit. Profit policies and techniques of profit planning. Capital Management Among the various types and classes of business problems, the most complex and troublesome for the business manager are those relating to the firms capital investments. Capital management implies planning and control and capital expenditure. In this procedure, relatively large sums are involved and the problems are so complex that their disposal not only requires considerable time and labour but also top-level decisions. The main elements dealt with cost management are: Cost of capital Rate of return and selection of projects. The various aspects outlined above represent the major uncertainties, which a business firm has to consider viz., demand uncertainty, cost uncertainty, price uncertainty, profit uncertainty and capital uncertainty. We can, therefore, conclude that managerial economics is mainly concerned with applying economic principles and concepts to adjust with the various uncertainties faced by a business firm. Managerial Economics serves as a link between traditional economics and the decision making sciences for business decision making. The best way to get acquainted with managerial economics and decision making is to come face to face with real world decision problems. Managerial economics is used by firms to improve their profitability. It is the economics applied to problems of choices and allocation of scarce resources by the firms. It refers to the application of economic theory and the tools of analysis of decision science to examine how an organisation can achieve its objective most efficiently. Ques No 2. Discuss the role of Managerial Economist in a Business Organization. A managerial economist helps the management by using his analytical skills and highly developed techniques in solving complex issues of successful decision-making and future advanced planning. The  role of managerial economist  can be summarized as follows: He studies the economic patterns at macro-level and analysis its significance to the specific firm he is working in. He has to consistently examine the probabilities of transforming an ever-changing economic environment into profitable business avenues. He assists the business planning process of a firm. He also carries cost-benefit analysis. He assists the management in the decisions pertaining to internal functioning of a firm such as changes in price, investment plans, type of goods /services to be produced, inputs to be used, techniques of production to be employed, expansion/ contraction of firm, allocation of capital, location of new plants, quantity of output to be produced, replacement of plant equipment, sales forecasting, inventory forecasting, etc. In addition, a managerial economist has to analyze changes in macro- economic indicators such as national income, population, business cycles, and their possible effect on the firms functioning. He is also involved in advising the management on public relations, foreign exchange, and trade. He guides the firm on the likely impact of changes in monetary and fiscal policy on the firms functioning. He also makes an economic analysis of the firms in competition. He has to collect economic data and examine all crucial information about the environment in which the firm operates. The most significant function of a managerial economist is to conduct a detailed research on industrial market. In order to perform all these roles, a managerial economist has to conduct an elaborate statistical analysis. He must be vigilant and must have ability to cope up with the pressures. He also provides management with economic information such as tax rates, competitors price and product, etc. They give their valuable advice to government authorities as well. At times, a managerial economist has to prepare speeches for top management. Ques No 3. Critically explain the role of the concept of Time value of Money in Mangerial decisions? The time value concept of money assumes importance because of the fact that future is always associated with uncertainty. A rupee in hand today is valued higher than the one rupee that is expecting to be recovered tomorrow. The following are points that come in support of the fact that the concept of time value of money is quite relevant in any area of decision making : (a) The purchasing power of money over period of tinw goes down in real times. That means, though numerically the same, the purchasing power of one rupee today is considered to be high economically than its value as on a future date. (b) Individuals prefer present consumption to future consuiilption. This is because of the risk a n d uncertainty associated with future. (c) There is always related costs in any investinent. These costs tend to bring down future value of money. The concept of time value of money figures in rnany day-to-day decisions. For example. in the vital decision making areas in the management like the effective rate of interest on a business loan. The mortgage payment in real estate transaction and evaluation of true Return on investment etc. the time value of money plays an important role. Wherever use Of money is involved and its inflow and outflow patterns are spread over a time horizon, this concept very useful. For example consider the following: * A banker must establish the term of loan * A finance manager is who considers various alternatives sources of funds in terms of cost. * A portfolio manager is one who evaluates various securities Ques No 4 Compare the Cardinal Ordinal Approaches to Consumer Behaviour. Which of these enables us to bifurcate the price effect and how? Cardinal Approach refers that you can calculate or Measure the utility (degree of satisfaction) Numerically, while According to ordinal approach you can not measure the utility numerically.   Cardinal Approach follow the Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility while Ordinal Approach follow the Indifference Curve. Cardinal Approach Emphasis on units while ordinal approach is based on rank. When discussing cardinal vs. ordinal, it is helpful to look at what the words mean. The distinguishing factor here is between cardinal and ordinal numbers. Cardinal numbers are 1, 2, 3; ordinal numbers, 1st, 2nd, 3rd. Some crucial differences follow from that. Whereas mathematical operations can be performed on cardinal numbers, they cannot be performed on ordinal numbers. Now, when talking about cardinal utility, it is an attempt to measure the utility of various alternatives. When talking about ordinal utility, it is the ranking of alternatives. Cardinal utility is, however, an erroneous concept. It is impossible to measure utility. People can only say I prefer A to B, but cannot meaningfully say I prefer A 2.5 times more than B or something to that effect. Furthermore, comparisons of utility between different individuals are impossible and meaningless, as well as between the same individual at different points in time (as individuals can and do change their preferences that is, ordinal value-scale rankings). Because value is subjective, we cannot measure it and cannot compare between two different people, or even between the same person at different times. To clarify, ordinal utility culminates in value-scales: 1st: A   2nd: B   3rd: C whereas cardinal utility is the erroneous attempt at measurement: 10utils A   7utils B   3utils C Ques No 5. Managerial Economics is inter- disciplinary in natureComment/ Explain the relationship of ME with other disciplines. Managerial economics is essentially applied economics in the field of  business management. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢It is the economics of business. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢It pertains to all economics aspects of  managerial decisions making. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢It is the integration of economic principles with business management practices. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Managerial economics rests on the edifice of  economics. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢A fundamental knowledge of economics and economic theory is needed for a  meaningful analysis of business situation Managerial economics is linked with various other fields of study like- Microeconomic Theory: As stated in the introduction, the roots of managerial economics spring from micro-economic theory. Price theory, demand concepts and theories of market structure are few elements of micro economics used by managerial economists. It has an applied bias as it applies economic theories in order to solve real world problems of enterprises. Macroeconomic Theory: This field has little relevance for managerial economics but at least one part of it is incorporated in managerial economics i.e. national income forecasting. The latter could be an important aid to business condition analysis, which in turn could be a valuable input for forecasting the demand for specific product groups. Operations Research: This field is used in managerial economics to find out the best of all possibilities. Linear programming is a great aid in decision making in business and industry as it can help in solving problems like determination of facilities on machine scheduling, distribution of commodities and optimum product mix etc. Theory of Decision Making: Decision theory has been developed to deal with problems of choice or decision making under uncertainty, where the applicability of figures required for the utility calculus are not available. Economic theory is based on assumptions of a single goal whereas decision theory breaks new grounds by recognizing multiplicity of goals and persuasiveness of uncertainty in the real world of management. Statistics: Statistics helps in empirical testing of theory. With its help, better decisions relating to demand and cost functions, production, sales or distribution are taken. Managerial economics is heavily dependent on statistical methods. Management Theory and Accounting: Maximisation of profit has been regarded as a central concept in the theory of the firm in microeconomics. Ques No 6. Discuss the properties of Indifference Curves. Discuss their role in consumers decision making process? Indifference Curves Each point in the  diagram  stands for a basket of meat and ghee (cooking oil) A, B, C, D are all baskets among which a certain consumer is indifferent. All give equal utility. These points and all others on a smooth curve connecting them constitute an indifference set. An indifference curve is a graphical representation of an indifferent set. Indifference Curve Properties Following are the indifference curve properties: 1. If two commodities are perfect substitute the indifference curve is a straight line. http://www.studylecturenotes.com/images/stories/Indifference%20Curve%20Properties%20Fig%201.jpg When two commodities are not substitutable then the shape is represented by two vertical and horizontal lines. http://www.studylecturenotes.com/images/stories/Indifference%20Curve%20Properties%20Fig%202.jpg In more typical cases, in which the two commodities can be substituted for each other but are not perfect substitutes, the indifference curve will be curved as http://www.studylecturenotes.com/images/stories/Indifference%20Curve%20Properties%20Fig%203.jpg 4. The more easily the two commodities can be substituted for each other the nearer will the curve approach straight line. 5. Indifference curves normally slope downward, the upward sloping portion of curve shown here s impossible. Basket A has more goods than basket B and therefore it could not be on the same indifference curve.   The indifference curves have normally negative slops sloping downward. http://www.studylecturenotes.com/images/stories/Indifference%20Curve%20Properties%20Fig%204.jpg 6. The absolute value of the slope of an indifference curve at any point represents the ratio of the marginal utility of the good and on the horizontal axis to the marginal utility of the good on the vertical axis. The rate at which one good can be substituted for the other without gain or loss in satisfaction is called marginal rate of substitution. 7. Indifference curves are convex, that is, their slope decrease as one moves down and to the right along them. The implies that the ratio of the marginal utility of meat to the marginal utility of the ghee (cooking oil) also known as marginal ratio of substitution of meat for ghee (cooking oil) diminishes as one moves down and to the right along the curve. 8. Indifference curves can be drawn through the point that represents the basket of goods whatsoever. Ques No 7. Discuss the concept of Production Possibility Curve? What is the reason behind its shape? Do you think there are exceptions to it? Production Possibility curves The production possibility curves is a hypothetical representation of the amount of two different goods that can be obtained by shifting resources from the production of one, to the production of the other. The curve is used to describe a societys choice between two different goods.  Figure 1, shows the two goods as consumption and investment.  Investment goods are goods that are involved in the production of further consumption goods.  They include physical capital such as machines, buildings, roads etc. and human investments such as education and training. The sums of all investments make up the capital stock of a society. To show the point where all resources were used to produce consumption goods, one should move straight up the vertical axes to the curve.  To show the point were all resources were used to produce investment goods, one should move straight on the horizontal axes to the curve.  Both points are extreme and unrealistic.  Both points A and B represented m ore realistic combinations, with point A showing more consumption and less investment, while point B shows more investment and less consumption. http://krypton.mnsu.edu/~renner/image001.JPG The production possibility curve of figure 1., shows the trade off in production between investments and consumption goods. Any two categories of different goods could be chosen. What they are is arbitrary. The curve is used to show during a specific  period, what could be produced of the combination of the two goods, if all resources are fully employed, while technology and institutions do not change.  Given those conditions, societies output potential is realized anywhere on the curve (which is called the production possibility curves frontier). Unemployed resources (labor, capital, physical resources) of any kind would result in an inefficient production level,  and would be shown as a point to the left, or inside the curve. By definition all point to the right or outside of the production possibility curve (frontier) are impossible, given the limits of resources and technology. Opportunity Cost This hypothetical curve shows how much of consumption must be given up to increase investments (the movement from A to B).  This demonstrates the important economic concept of  Opportunity Cost, which is the cost of anything (such as an investment in a new road), in terms of what has to be given up.  This is the general concept of cost in economics. For the individual, these costs could be financial, but they could include a individuals time and other intangibles. For society the production possibility curve shows opportunity cost only on the curve itself.  If society found itself inside the curve, for instance, during a recession (where all resources are not being utilized), then a movement out to the production possibility curve has no real opportunity cost. The unemployed resources are just being utilized (unemployed labor going back to work). Opportunity cost is different than accounting cost, and unfortunately is not so easily calculated. Opportunity cost has a subjective element.  For instance, to determine the opportunity cost of a new highway, includes the obvious cost of materials, of labor, of land, (these are the easily determined accounting cost), but there are also intangible cost, such as the cost to the community of the disruption involved with new construction, and the change in the communities effected by the highway. Also there may be costs connected to increase pollution (with health effects), increased noise, and an increase in general unattractiveness.  These cost are real, but are difficult to both measure and evaluate. Putting a dollar value on these cost adds a subjective element to the evaluation. As a result sometimes they are ignored.   Ques No 8. Graphically explain the Law of Diminishing Marginal utility. Discuss its applicability in the intergrated Global Economy Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility The Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility states that as the consumer consume more and more units of a commodity the marginal utility of the commodity falls. The law of diminishing marginal utility is a psychological law arrived at by introspection and by empirical evidence. The example of this law is when a consumer drinks water on a hot afternoon; the first glass of water gives him more satisfaction as compared to the second (as the thirst has decreased after consuming one glass of water). The second glass of water gives more satisfaction as compared to the third and so on. The Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility, which states that as the consumer consume more and more units of a commodity the marginal utility of the commodity falls. If MUx â‚ ¬Ã‚ ¾ MUy Px Py it means that good x is giving more satisfaction to the consumer as compared to good y. Therefore the consumer would gain satisfaction by consuming more of good x and less of good y. As he consumes more of good x, MUx will fall which would lead to fall in MUx/ Px. Similarly MUy will rise as he consumes less of good y. This would increase MUy/ Py. This process will continue till we reach the equilibrium point where MUx = MUy = MU of the last rupee spent on each good Px Py Similarly if MUx Px Py The consumer would increase the consumption of good y and reduce the consumption of good x till he reaches the equilibrium point where MUx = MUy = MU of the last rupee spent on each good Px Py EXAMPLE OF DIMINISHING MARGINAL UTILITY :-   This law can be explained by the following example. Suppose in the month of June a person start drinking water. First glass of water has a great utility for him. If he takes the second glass of water, the utility will be less than the first. If he drinks the third glass , the utility of third will be less than the second, and so on. The utility goes on diminishing with the consumption of every next unit and it drops down to zero. If the consumer is forced further, the utility will become negative. This law can also be explained by the following table : https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr_ycetkvQc61CRyT0VTrdRcAPFW93QBtzr4t1cJXA812vSi_Sb4RvYX_4ok1Psl_64Mv0k1uzLdnf3V1npFEwZCRn0pTfzno7bYTW_B3pmffzyShLPRdBonQEPhvNtPVEJeFh56ZR4X8/s320/schedule+of+diminshing+marginal+utility.JPG EXPLANATION :-  The above table show that first glass of water gives units of utility to the thirsty man. When he takes second the marginal utility drops down to 8. When he consumes the 6th glass the marginal utility drops down to zero and by the use of 7th it becomes negative. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSmWZlTocAERvYZNBBsBQvPWJuq4vBBZsD05RauDO1fiGTMYd-pYWRvAb5NIdR-e15I5mD0CYjPXiiuL8-CLr4Iy7NIyhLIq4KYrc-5wnxxIBSSIdDDJ8GIloH7L0AuiIYVrzSimUxLvQ/s320/diagram+of+diminishing+marginal+utility.JPG EXPLANATION :-  Along OX we measure the units of commodity consumed along OY utility derived from them. The utility of the first glass of water is represented by the first rectangle and second glass by the second rectangle and so on. FF curve is the diminishing utility curve. ASSUMPTIONS OF DIMINISHING MARGINAL UTILITY 1. NATURE OF THE COMMODITY :-  There should be no change in the nature of the commodity. For example, If first mango taken is not better, while the second is better, then the utility will not decrease and the utility of second will be greater than first. 2. REASONABLE UNITS :-  It is assumed that the units of a commodity which are used should be suitable and reasonable if the units are too small then this law will not operate. 3. CONTINUOUS USE :-  It is also assumed that the units of the commodity should be used continuously. If there is interval between the consumption the same two units then the law will not be applicable. 4. NO CHANGE IN INCOME :-  It is also assumed that the income of the consumer should not change, otherwise the law may not operate. 5. NO CHANGE IN FASHION AND CUSTOMS :-  If there is a sudden change in fashion or customs of a consumer, the law may not operate. 6. RARE COLLECTIONS :-  If there are two diamonds in the world the possession of the second diamond will push up the marginal utility. 7. NO CHANGE IN THE STOCK OF OTHER PEOPLE :-  Sometimes an increase in the stock of a commodity increases the marginal utility. For example the number of telephone increase in the city, but the utility of our telephone increases. 8. STATE OF MIND SHOULD NOT CHANGE :-  If a consumer has been told that  mango  is a tonic for his health, then marginal utility will increase instead of falling. EXCEPTIONS OR LIMITATIONS 1. DESIRE OF MONEY :-  This law is not applicable in case of money with an increase in wealth man wants to get more and more. 2. DESIRE OF KNOWLEDGE :-  Some experts say that man wants to get more and more knowledge so the law can not be applied in this case. 3. USE OF LIQUOR :-  With the additional use of liquor like wine marginal utility also goes on increasing. 4. PERSONAL HOBBY :-  In case of hobby also this law can not operate. For example , as the collection of tickets increases, its utility also increases. 5. FASHION :-  Utility also depends upon fashion. If the fashion of any commodity changes, its utility drops down to zero. On the other hand if fashion exists then utility increases. Ques No 9. Describe how Marginalism, Opportunity cost Incremental concept aid Decision Making. The marginalist explanation is as follows: The total utility or satisfaction of water exceeds that of diamonds. We would all rather do without diamonds than without water. But almost all of us would prefer to win a prize of a diamond rather than an additional bucket of water. To make this last choice, we ask ourselves not whether diamonds or water give more satisfaction in total, but whether one more diamond gives greater additional satisfaction than one more bucket of water. For this marginal utility question, our answer will depend on how much of each we already have. Though the first units of water we consume every month are of enormous value to us, the last units are not. The utility of additional (or marginal) units continues to decrease as we consume more and more. Economists believe that sensible choice requires comparing marginal utilities and marginal costs. They also think that people apply the marginalism concept regularly, even if subconsciously, in their private decisions. In southern states, for example, a much lower fraction of people buy snow shovels than in northern states. The reason is that although snow shovels cost about the same from state to state, the marginal benefit of a snow shovel is much higher in northern states. But in discussions of public-policy issues, where most of the benefits and costs do not accrue to the individual making the policy decision (e.g., subsidies for  health care), the appeal of total utility and intrinsic worth as the basis for decision can mask the insights of marginalism. Even good answers to certain grand questions give little guidance for rational public policy choices. For example, what is more important, health or recreation? If forced to choose, everyone would find health more important than recreation. But marginalism suggests that our real concern  should be with proportion, not rank. Finding health in total to be more important than recreation in total does not imply that all diving boards should be removed from swimming pools just because a few people die in diving accidents. We need to compare the number of lives saved from fewer diving accidents, that is, the marginal benefit of getting rid of diving boards, with the pleasure given up by getting rid of diving boards, that is, the marginal cost of getting rid of

Masks in The Catcher in the Rye Essay examples -- Catcher Rye Essays

Masks in The Catcher in the Rye What happen if everyone in the world is wearing a mask? That is exactly what this world is; everyone wears a mask. Most people we see every day have their true identity hidden behind a facade. Although a true identity cannot be divulge just by looking, but with a careful scrutiny of one's character will reveal to what is behind the facade. Equivalent to what happened in J.D. Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye. Holden Caulfield, a typical teenager in the 50's with a morally loose, rude and obscene personality. However, his rudeness is just a mask that he uses to cover his decent, sympathetic, and mature character inside. Throughout the entire story, Holden uses unchaste language to offense himself. The use of these words may insult the reader, but the truth is, he is building a facade so that he can obtain the approval he feels they have oppose him thus far. As a teenager, the critical period of his life, Holden struggled to find the meaning of life, and his survival, they easily depressed Holden demands their company, even though he calls them "phonies." Holden is really a decent and mature teenager, but he only hides behind the false front to obtain the approval. In the meantime, he tries to find the meaning of his existence. There's Holden's false front, a rude and without standard teen, but what's behind it are important. A decent, sympathetic and mature teen lies behind the mask. The only time he reveals these distinctions is when he comes to some poin... ...true self, his reality. He also delighted by his younger brother, Allie. He stated that Allie is a nice boy. Allie loved to write poems, so he wrote poetry all over his own baseball mitt. Holden kept Allie's baseball mitt after Allie died of leukemia. When his brother died, Holden was so upset that he broke all the windows in the garage with his fists. Subsequently, Holden wanted to be the "Catcher in the Rye," but he now realized that he cannot "catch (or safe) all the children that started to go over the cliff." Thus, Holden's mask is just a false front, a facade. But what's behind it is the most important. He uses the language to find the meaning of life, his existence. The true Holden shows his decent heart, sympathy and maturity.

Marketing plan Essay

It is a management process through which an organisation provides its goods or services to its customers. Through marketing the organisation try to deliver and value customer, and managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organisation and its shareholders. Marketing also includes identification, selection and development of a product, determining the price of the product, selection of a distribution channel to reach the target customers, and development and implementation of a promotional strategy. Marketing is all about to meets the needs of the customers and satisfy the needs of the customers. WHAT IS MARKET RESEARCH? It is the systematic gathering, recording and analysis of data about issues relating to marketing products and services. It can inform businesses’ decisions by helping the business to understand the changing dynamics of its market. It involves finding out more about customers, competitors and the overall marketing environment. Market research also allows a company to discover who their target market is and what these consumers think about a product or service before it comes available to the public. Market research may be conducted by the company itself or by a third party company that specializes in market research. Test subjects are usually compensated with product samples and/or paid a small income for their time. There are two types of research: primary research: The research is original to the organisation conducting the research (they collected the data) Secondary research : The research came  from another source (the data had already been gathered e.g. Market research reports, trade journals, customer service records) Within these categories information can be either internal (from inside the organisation) or external (from another organisation or source outside of the organisation). The research can be qualitative and quantitative or include elements of both. Well planned market research often involves a combination as they can reveal different things about the same market. Qualitative research: qualitative research involves finding out opinions, attitudes and feelings. Often more useful than quantitative data but is more difficult to collect and analyse. Methods of collecting qualitative data include focus groups and in depth interviews. Quantitative research: quantitative market research involves finding numerical data. Quantitative data is generally collected from large samples and is easy to analyse. Methods of collecting quantitative data include written and online questionnaire. This kind of research is used to find out how customers perceive an organisations or brand, understand how changes in price, or other variables, might affect consumer spending decisions and investigate customer preferences, interests, aspiration and other variables. MARKET PLANNING It is a business document written for the purpose of describing the present market position of a business and its marketing strategy for the period covered by the business. Marketing plans usually have a life time of one to five years. The objective of market plan is to show the steps that will be undertaken by the business to achieve its objectives. The elements used in the market planning: Description of products or service, including special features. Marketing budget, including the advertising promotional plan. Description of the business location, including advantages and disadvantages. Pricing strategy. Market segmentation. The business uses different market planning tools to do market research such as: PESTLE audit SWOT analysis SMART objectives Strategy and tactics Evaluating effectives of marketing activity Now I am discussing about how Marks and Spencer uses market research and market planning tools to contribute to their development plans. PESTLE ANALYSIS Political These factors are usually beyond the control of the organisation. However, the business needs to anticipate changes and identify the action it needs to take either make the most of an opportunity or mitigate a threat. When Marks and spencer is considered they do have political influence such as government sets regulations for them regarding health and safety. British standards such as, planning for hazard identification, risk assessment and risk control. If the companies do not abide by these regulations they will be fined or even in some cases be forced to close down. Marks and Spencer did not abide by the British standards as they were charged for neglecting health and safety regulations after a door fell on an employee. The warehouse door was left hanging on loose fixtures. Marks and Spencer are supposed to have ignored repair requests, allowing the door to fall into disrepair. Marks and Spencer pled not guilty to this; there is still no outcome of this trial. Also according to BBC news 30th January 2006 Marks and Spencer would be the major retailer to go down the fair trade route on  both clothing and food. The fair trade policy, which they have launched will include, cut salt and fat in Marks and Spencer foods, recycled packaging and animal welfare protection. Marks and Spencer Chief Stuart Rose stated, â€Å"Customers want good value, but they care more than ever how food and clothing products are made.† Economic These factors can affect the performance of a business. Especially when national/international economy goes through periods of prosperity and recession. Currently the economic outlook is very uncertain and this is more than likely to affect retail sales, as people do not have the spare cash to spend on luxury items such as clothing and food luxuries. Marks and Spencer have been hit by this and have recently closed a number of stores and have to make job cuts of 2% of their 70000 staff. And also to show what affect the recession has had, they took the decision to have two days of 20% discounts in the run up to Christmas. They have also introduced a 20% of all wine and champagne to keep up with their competitors. Customers are happy to buy the products from Marks and Spencer but due to the current economic situation they do not spend much on shopping. Social These factors relate to the values and beliefs of society. This provides useful information for businesses targeting their services at broad segments of the population, such as newspapers and magazines. In the past few years the society has changed. The culture and the expectation of the customers have changed. In 2006 Marks and Spencer chief executive Stuart Rose wanted to stretch the company brand, for example he considered selling food online as part of a plan to become a multi-channel retailer to keep up with its competitors. Also in response to cheap clothing industry super markets have increasingly over the last few years caught up with fashion trends, helping them to challenging the high street clothing stores with their less expensive  versions. Marks and Spencer is no exception to this and they have bought their clothing ranges up to date to keep up with their customers interested. Consumer purchases are influenced by cultural, social, personal and psychological characteristics. Most of the factors cannot be controlled by the marketers but they have to be taken into account by the marketers. Technological This development can affect the business in range of ways. It is one of the important aspects in the retail market. The brands of the company have to be managed carefully by the relevant managers of that company. The large companies have to be continuously being considered about their branding as it is a method they communicate with the customers and it’s way of advertising. They need to use their initiatives and new technologies to set themselves a standard among the public. For Marks and Spencer continuously to communicate with their customers they need to be heavily advertising. They have celebrity icon Myleen class as the face of Marks and Spencer who appears on the adverts on the TV and she is also on their website modelling the Marks and Spencer clothing also other girls include Twiggy, Erin o’ Connor, and Noemie Lenoir too, so their adverts appeal to women not only in their 20’s but also to the more mature lady so they are covering all areas with their advertising campaign. Legal These are the laws that the companies need adhere to. There are lots of law that different companies need to abide by. Legislation keeps on changing throughout the year. Marks and Spencer carry out retraining and update every year, they keep up to date with new laws or regulations, and with issues regarding health and safety they also ensure that their legal protection is updated. An example of legislation is the Fair packaging and Labelling Act (1996) provided for the regulation of packaging and labelling of consumer goods. Requires that manufacturers state what the package contains, who made it, and how much it contains. In Marks and Spencer website they show that they adhere to this legislation. â€Å"Packaging helps to protect the product between being produced and uses by the customer. It prevents product wastage, carries important instructions and information on ingredients and helps the product look its best in the store.† Data protection Act 1998 and Freedom of Protection Act 2000 these are the Acts to protect the rights of the customers. Since Marks and Spencer collects the information about the customers for delivery purpose customers wants to ensure that they keep their data safe. Environmental Environmental factors can relate to the social, political and legal aspects affecting a business. The government may put pressure on businesses to increase the amount of recycling. All companies, industries and organisations are being pressured to change their ways when it comes to the materials they use and how they manufacture. Marks and Spencer have established their own Green policy which they call plan A the chief executive of Marks and Spencer has today announced a 100 point five year plan to re-engineer itself to become a carbon neutral, zero waste to landfill, ethical trading, and sustainable sourcing health promoting business. SWOT ANALYSIS SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Strengths and weaknesses are internal to the business. Opportunities and threats are external elements present in the environment in which the organisation operates. Carrying out a SWOT means researching the organisation’s current and future position. It’s a way of getting information which provides the basis for developing marketing objectives or aims and ultimately strategies or plans. Strengths Strengths are the advantages for a company to run efficiently. For a company to run efficiently they need to keep up their strengths. The strengths of Marks and Spencer is that their high quality which have attracted all the customers. The customer service of Marks and Spencer is their biggest strength as their main objective apart from making profit is customer based trading. The shopping environment is strength for Marks and Spencer. The shopping environment is much more flexible and convenient to the customers. They have made their stores brighter, and use modern designing techniques in their stores to make it more attractive. The management training of Marks and Spencer is excellent. Every manager has the responsibility to do their duty and to ensure that they give the best service to the customer. Weaknesses Weaknesses are the draw backs of the company. The weaknesses have to be improved with time. The price is one the weakness of Marks and Spencer. Customers prefer to buy cheap clothes rather than expensive due to the current economic situation of the country. Lack of clothing is also another weakness. When Marks and Spencer is considered they have a variety of clothing market.in fact especially ladies outwear is outmoded design and cut. In addition, comfortable younger consumers prefer purchasing brand labels, such as Next, Debenhams, and Topshop etc. Opportunities Marks and Spencer has many opportunities to expand their business. One of the opportunities of Marks and Spencer is the use of technology. In the modern world the technology has developed fast. It increases the demand for the online products. Customers are happy about adapting themselves towards the e-shopping of Marks and Spencer. The other opportunities of Marks and Spencer are that extending their market and also healthy eating. Healthy eating would catch the attention of the people as they want to make sure that the food they eat is healthy and the demand for the specific food will  increase. People want quality foods and they also want variety of foods. Introducing variety of foods would increase the sales of Marks and Spencer. Threats Although Marks and Spencer is a successful company it still has to face threats. The main threats is that their competitors. The other companies like Debenhams and Next. Changing social environment is also a threat if the environment is changed the needs of the people will also be changed. Therefore Marks and Spencer needs to change the needs of the people will also be changed. Therefore Marks and Spencer needs to change themselves according to the needs of the people. SMART OBJECTIVES All businesses set objectives, at a variety of levels. All these objectives should follow SMART objectives. Specific It is the specific aim of the company. The specific aim of Marks and Spencer is to expand their stores and to become a multi-channel retailer. They want to expand their business internationally more over their main focus is to expand in UK. Measurable It is setting objectives that believe that can be measured so that they can decide whether the objective has been achieved. They wanted to expand the business as they have thought they have expanded various food stores throughout the UK. They have expanded their stores and have been famous among the people. Achievable The objectives that are set by Marks and Spencer should be able to achievable. The objectives of Marks and Spencer are an achievable target. As they thought they were able to achieve their target. They were able to expand their business. They wanted to introduce more variety in their food products as they have said they have achieved their target. They have introduced variety in their food products in their food stores. Realistic The targets that are set should be realistic. They should be achievable. Marks and Spencer have to set targets which are based on their competitors. The targets also have to be able to manage the resources and the market. Time related The targets that are set should be realistic. They should be achievable. Marks and Spencer announced in November 2010 that they wanted to expand the business in 5 years’ time frame. As they have planned they have achieved most of their target within two years’ time. STRATEGY AND TACTICS The strategic planning of Marks and Spencer is what made them to be famous among the other company. The strategic plan was set on November 2010. It was a 5 year plan in which they have achieved most of it. As part of their strategic planning they want to put the right team to work together, they have changed their capital structure. They also want to expand their food stores throughout UK. Their main focus is UK and they want to become a multi-channel retailer. They also improved on their product therefore which enables them to stand for years. In conclusion Marks and Spencer is a successful company. Their different market plans and their research have enabled them to achieve their targets. The market research done by the Marks and Spencer has contributed to the development of its marketing plans. In macro environment Marks and Spencer follows the government policies and protects and protects the natural environment. Moreover, Marks and Spencer is influenced by the factors of economic, social and technological to set their business strategies. On the hand, in micro environment the Marks and Spencer have a good long term relationship with their suppliers and their customers. The significant strategies of Marks and Spencer are creating potential customers and maintaining the existing customers. Overall the analysis of Marks and spencer has found that its business structure follow the trend society. This easy writing has made me to know the strategic planning of Marks and Spencer which has enabled them to stand for long. P4: Use marketing research for marketing planning. INTRODUCTION 200 customers were surveyed of a local fresh sandwich bar to find out about the current range of sandwiches on offer and the standard of service. The findings include: 75% want more children’s sandwiches 82% want the shop to open longer 65% said that the staff were unfriendly 50% said that the contents of the sandwiches should be fresher 80% said that they would prefer more wraps 75% want more children’s sandwiches From the survey it could be analysed that most of the customers prefer children’s sandwiches. 150 customers out of 200 like children’s sandwiches. It also could be assumed that the children’s sandwich is more preferred due to the characteristics of the sandwich. The target of the product is mainly at small children therefore they could make the sandwich more colourful and attractive. Nicely packing the sandwich and including a toy with the sandwich also increase their sales. Providing a meal pack also would  increase more customers. One of the other important things that have to be considered is the taste of the sandwich. The children’s sandwich should be milder than the adult’s sandwich. The milder choice is because the children do not prefer spicy food. The sandwich could be improved by making it more colourful and providing a meal would also improve their sales during seasonal times. Providing offers for the meal also would improve the sales. SMART Objective: Producing more different shaped and colourful children’s sandwich by 10% in next two months 82% want the shop to be open longer It could be analysed that the majority of the people wants the shop to be open longer. 164 people out of 200 want the shop to be open longer. If the shop is open longer during Saturdays and Sundays it is more likely that the customers come to the shop. In the fast moving world people spend most of their night times by visiting various places, going for shopping therefore if the shop is open longer customers who shops late nights would go to shop. Changing the interior designs of the shop for different seasons makes it more attractive to the customers. It would help them to create a more customer base for the sandwich bar. Opening the shop longer during the weekend and during the special season would benefit the bar more. Most people are free during the week ends than weekdays so opening the shops longer will bring them more profit. And also in the night they would prefer to buy food from shops than cooking at home. If they did home delivery and opened the shop for long they would get more orders. By keeping his store open longer than other stores in the area he can potentially gain more customers from other store and perhaps find new customers who use his store nearer to closing time. SMART: Increase the opening hours of the shop till 10pm in the night from next two months. 65% said that the staff were unfriendly It could be seen that most of the staff working are unfriendly. It is important that staff are friendly to the customers. If they treat the customers well only they would like to come to the bar. The customers are satisfied and would feel happy and they would prefer to go to the bar for the good service provided by the staff. They could raise morale to staff by staff recognition scheme. The staff may be given different shifts or rotating jobs for staff therefore they do not get bored. They could also give good training to the staff about how to deal with the customers. The work could be shared between the staff to reduce the stress. They can also recruit new staff by replacing new staff with high quality and of much potential. SMART: providing training or recruiting all the staff by 10% in next three months. 50% said that the contents of the sandwiches should be fresher In the fast moving world people prefer healthy and fresh foods. The bar could introduce new fresh foods like salads. They can ask their suppliers to supply the necessary materials every day in the morning. They can keep the sandwich fresh by covering it with a foil paper. Keeping the sandwich in coolers will make the sandwich fresh. Preparing the sandwich on the spot will keep the food products fresher than already made sandwich. People would be happier to buy fresh products. Including salads and vegetables to the sandwich will make the sandwich more a healthy food and it would provide calories to the people. They could also have more employees to serve the customers so that the sandwich is served freshly and on time. SMART: Supplying healthy and fresh sandwiches to the customers by 10% in two weeks’ time. 80% said they would prefer more wraps In the modern world people are exposed to variety of food choices. They are not only exposed to the home food but they have choices of food from all around the world. Therefore they are very specific in what they want. Therefore for the bar to improve on their business they could introduce wraps. They could introduce chicken wraps and vegetable wraps. When supplying vegetable wraps they should supply it with fresh ingredients. They can include salads, onions, tomatoes and etc. The wraps could be on the spot by the staff and served to the customers. The bar could offer meals to the customers. SMART: Introducing 3 different varieties of wraps in one month time by 5%. Overall customers are happy about the sandwich bar. They are quite satisfied with the products offered by the sandwich bar. This market research finding helps them to know their target market and to set their market strategy and also to develop their market plan. From the basis of the research we can do a SWOT analysis for the bar. This would help them to know the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The strengths of the bar are their product they are making for the children. The children sandwich is their main strength. 200 customers is a large amount of customers which shows they do have a strong customer base. The weaknesses of the bar are that the staff were unfriendly to the customers. The customers also want fresh supply for foods. If they could improve on them they would succeed in their business. The opportunities of the bar are that widening the choice of food products to the customers. more children’s sandwiches will bring more customers in with young children is an opportunity for them to make more profit. Making more wraps so that there is a larger selection of food available in store bringing more customers through the door therefore increasing sales and profit. The threats the bar could have is that their competitors. The competitors might overtake them if they do not provide good service to the customers. Any new shops that are opening can be a potential threat and steal customers from his store because they may give better service, products or their prices may be lower. Supermarkets around the shops are also a threat to the  bar because they sell sandwiches at lower price than the sandwich bar. Overall, from the outcome of the research it can be seen that the people are quiet happy and satisfied with the products and services offered by the restaurants. The bar could also set SMART objectives as part of their market plan to improve on their sales and profit. Overall this easy writing has helped me to learn how a research could help to develop their market plan and how they could improve on them.