PharmaSim Project Essay

The objectives and goals of Allstar are to look for new opportunities in emerging market with support from healthy and growing cash flow, to introduce new product, to maintain leadership and to maintain long-term profitability and market share in an increasingly competitive and changing environment. Certain measurements are introduced to weight the success and progress of the objectives such as feedbacks from customers and retailers, keeping tracks on our marketing report and purchasing and analyzing the marketing research reports. With increasing budget Allstar has, high market share in cold category and leadership in this market are promised. Limitations on product line as Allstar does not manufacture any drugs in the area of cough, allergy and nasal category but cold in liquid form have a huge concern from end-user point of view. As for the customers of Allstar, they have a great need in OTC cold remedy market. Consumers have negative attitude toward alcohol in the drug formulation and Customers think capsule is more convenient than liquid form. Several options to react to the current situation including reformulation or line extensions in terms of formula, increasing sales forces, gaining more support from retailers to get better shelf space placement and promotional programs, issuing more coupons to motivate repurchases to improve our retention rate and adjusting sales force allocation and promotion strategy according to consumers’ shopping habits. Promotional allowance, product turnover, sales force support, co-op advertising allowances, discount volume are effective ways to motivate collaborators to help us achieve our goals. Our direct channels are independent drugstores, chain drugstores, grocery stores, convenience stores, mass merchandisers and wholesalers, merchandisers, detailers are indirect channels. We are facing three options to move about product line extension: 4-hour cold liquid for children, 12-hour multi-symptom capsule and 4 hour cough liquid. Customers notes Have negative attitude toward alcohol in the drug formulas Capsules are more convenient than liquid form Competitors notes Primary competitors B&B healthcare, Curall Pharma, Discol Corp and Ethik Inc Cold remedy market appears to be fastest growing market We could react and respond with reformulation, line extension, sales force changes and or adjustments on pricing and promotion strategies Channels notes Independent drugstores chain drugstores grocery stores convenience stores mass merchandisers wholesalers Products notes Allround- a cold medicine that cures most conditions, but is mainly targeted at cold sysmptoms Allround+- all the benefits of Allround product but in a twelve hour capsule. Targeted at those who cannot take the dose of liquid every four hours Allright- cold spray, for those who prefer over liquid or capsule form. Possible Goals / Objectives Increase market share of current market to a specific % by the end of a specific period Create a new product that is targeted toward children by a specific period Increase stock price to a specific figure by a specific period To increase net income by a certain figure over a specific period To increase brand awareness by a specific percentage To increase customer satisfaction by a specific % To keep promotional allowance above a certain % Questions regarding assignments / strategies for completing project How will we meet to discuss project How and who will be responsible for making and entering decisions Roslyn is  currently responsible for entering final decisions How and who will be responsible for analyzing each round of decisions We should purchase research reports and assess if each report is helpful, so we can determine how to use the reports, how often we should purchase the reports. Price of reports come out of your budgets How and who will be responsible for determining strategy for each round of decisions How and who will be responsible for record keeping during the duration of the simulation Keeping track of not only what we did, but also why we did it, and what results we concluded from them How do we envision the written paper, what will it include Decisions Analyses Results Marketing activities Lessons learned Summary Ideas for breaking up the project Each team member will choose one marketing objective and handling everything for it Price comparisons Market demand Channel anlsysis Choosing one aspect of paper and focusing on all products and competitors so the material is available when the time comes to write the paper Pricing Maketing Promotion Focusing on certain competitors and handling everything One handles Allround products and other team members divide up the competitors Each team member keeps notes on performance and positioning of competitors Ideas for organizing the power point presentation Idea #1 One slide for strategies/decisions that we used that were effective and why Describing what we believed were critical during the simulation What information or research led you to make each decision Explain why they were effective Second slide for strategies/decisions that could have gone better and why Describe one or two missteps we would like to go back and change Describe why these decisions were not ideal Describe their negative impact Third slide to identify one marketing principle that the simulation reinforced How the importance of this principle was highlighted by the simulation Fourth slide for reviewing our original marketing plan How well we did overall If we revised our plan during the simulation and what helped us do so Idea #2 One slide per marketing objective and would discuss various aspects of it Idea #3 Each team member defines what they would like to discuss and formulates one slide each. The final slide from each team member would have to be agreed upon by each team member to avoid overlapping material Ideas for organizing the final paper What do we envision the paper to include Marketing objectives SWOT analysis Marketing activities Yearly Decisions Yearly Results Overall performance metrics Lessons learned Summary SWOT Strengths Allround is the most purchased brand Allround products control shelf space as compared to competitors High customer satisfaction Weaknesses Limited marketing budget High cost of goods sold Distributors allowance are high Opportunities Products are heading toward the removal of alcohol from formulation There are no 12 hour multi-liquid products on the market A cheaper bargain product could be beneficial to address price criteria Threats End dominates the cough market Over saturated markets, many other companies distribute similar products

How the Other Half Lives Review Essay

How the other Half Lives is an informative book disusing the 1900’s. The author, Jacob A. Riis, counts people for the census. He saw many different aspects of life in New York City during this time. He shares some of the hidden relations of tenement housing. He discusses the many different ethnic groups and how they form group characteristics in distinct neighborhoods. Riis’s personal opinions of the value and power of these ethnic groups comes through in his writing. His ideas reflect some of the national ideas during this time period. Blacks rank the lowest in society at this time. Riis credits this to natural selection. They are a race on the lowest level, defenseless against the woes of the landlords. Riis does not seem to hate the blacks, but accepts the fact that they are the lowest form of a person. Riis places the Chinese right above the blacks. He discredits the popular belief that, â€Å"the Chinaman being a thousand years behind the age on his own shore†, by stating that in America, â€Å"he is distinctly abreast of it in his successful scheming to ‘to make it pay.’† Riis thinks the Chinese are repugnant people. He starts off my discrediting their â€Å"grub-worshiping† religion. The fact that Chinese practice a different religion takes many people off guard, and they begin to insult the region, saying it is unworthy compared to Christianity. Along with these insults, the dreary neighborhood and past time of gambling are also pointed out. Chinese were the most hated group of this time period. Jews are the next group. Riis shares both positive and negative traits of the Jewish people. He notes the contrast in age groups behavior with a neutral perspective and even notes how they â€Å"honestly† stay home on holidays. Riis points out that they live in the most crowed houses that he has ever seen. Riis seems mostly neutral about this group as he discusses their desire for money. Riis thinks the highest of the Irish. This group comes up many times throughout his writing and there is never any excessively negative comments made about them, unlike when Riis discuses the Chinese. This ethnic group is often compared to other groups and is the topic of a lot of his writing. He notes their short falls, but always with positive rhetoric. I think he is the most considerate to the Irish because they had been in the country so long. It is expected that they are in the country, and some are even moving out of extreme poverty. They seem to have the most power in the tenements of New York. In addition to this, Riis is very familiar with the Irish. Some of his writing comes across as sympathetic, such as when he says the Irish, â€Å"falls most readily victim to tenement influences†. Riis does mention that Germans may have a better experience in America. He tells how Germans garden, and bring their flowers with them wherever they go, but quickly flows that by saying, â€Å"not that it represents any higher principle in the man; rather perhaps the capacity for it†. Riis favors the Irish the most out of all the ethnic groups. Riis mentions many other ethnic groups that are present in America such as the Bohemians and the Italians. However his opinions of the Blacks, Chinese, Jewish, and Irish come through with the most passion in his in his writing.

Sociological Review Of Child Prostitution Research Paper

Sociological Review Of Child Prostitution - Research Paper Example Prostitution is a social evil and no country seems to be free of it, irrespective of the economic advancements or the high levels of standard of living. Child prostitution is referred as forcing children to engage in sexual activities for money. In most of the countries people below the age of 18 is referred as children and the prostitution occurs in this age category is labeled as child prostitution. Various reasons cited for the reasons for increasing number of child prostitution by sociologists. Poverty, lack of knowledge, changing life styles and perceptions about life etc are the major reasons for child prostitution. This paper analyses child prostitution on a sociological perspective. Poverty seems to be the major reason behind child prostitution. It is evident from the fact that in third world countries, child prostitution is more than that in developing or developed countries. â€Å"Majority of children in third world countries (mostly Asian countries) are recruited into pro stitution through forced abduction, pressure from parents, or through deceptive agreements between parents and traffickers† (Child prostitution). Children during their younger age may not have much knowledge about the consequences of prostitution. They do not know much about how prostitution affects their future life. They don’t have the ability to segregate between the goods and evils and antisocial elements exploit the weaknesses of children. Children at their adolescent age would be hyperactive sexually because of the development of sex hormones. The encouragement of parents and other antisocial elements force them to perceive prostitution as a normal act rather than a sin or unacceptable social behavior. Certain children have very different understandings of prostitution to those campaigning to end the practice. They do not see prostitution as a form of work or necessarily as a form of abuse. Instead they claim it as a way of fulfilling perceived social and moral ob ligations to their families (Montgomery). â€Å"Child sexual abuse often negatively affects long-term psychological and social well being, although more than half of all sexual abuse survivors do not suffer the most extreme forms of psychiatric trauma† (Child prostitution). Only after becoming the adults, children will come to know more about the consequences of their action. The sexual abuse at a younger age will definitely generate dissatisfaction among children and many of such children may develop psychological problems in future. The social acceptance of the sexually exploited children would be lesser than that of the normal children. Such segregation often generates vengeance in the minds of sexually exploited children. In extreme cases, it is quite possible that such children may become psychopaths also. Child prostitution is prohibited in most of the countries by law; however in some countries child prostitution is perceived as a kind of custom or part of their cultur e. For example, at some parts of India, sexual exploitation of children has strong association with the culture and custom. â€Å"According to some research, child prostitution is socially acceptable in some sections of Indian society through the practice of Devdasi. Young girls are given to the 'gods' and they become a religious prostitute† (Child Prostitution in India). Another factor which encourages child prostitution in India is the custom of child marriages. In India, â€Å"

Social Networking Sites Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Social Networking Sites - Essay Example With the increasing use of technology, it has become more acceptable for individuals across the globe who share common interests to interact online and discuss their subject of interest. I love collecting stamps, but most of the friends within my inner circle before I joined Facebook were not similarly inclined. Although they would pass on stamps to me to add to my collection, they were not in the least interested in discussing them. When I joined Facebook however, I was able to contact other people who were also interested in stamp collection and were as passionate about it as I was. My contact with them was not restricted by my geographical location, because the world wide web allowed me the opportunity to make contacts with people I would never have been able to connect with otherwise. The best part of it was that I could interact with these people free of cost, without needing to pay large sums of money to travel long distances for meetings. Facebook also provided me a forum to e xchange stamps and get new ones I did not have in my collection. My friends on Facebook were quite willing to send me their extra stamps in exchange for some of mine and this was a mutually beneficial arrangement. Entering into new relationships on social networking sites however, also has its negative aspects. One example of this is online dating sites. They provide the opportunity to make lots of contacts, hence there is an excellent chance to connect with a love interest, but there are also some significant disadvantages. At the outset, most dating sites are paid ones, therefore they are expensive to use. Secondly, there are also safety concerns that are associated with using such social networking sites. The online interaction with the individual in question occurs on the basis of photographs exchanged over the web, which might not necessarily represent what

Ethical Dilemma Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ethical Dilemma Assignment - Essay Example Ethical decisions may present themselves that can run the risk of ruining a career or creating a poor patient outcome. These decisions must be made carefully and thoughtfully, and with introspection and deliberation. Making the ethical decision is a process of self-reflection and personal integrity. This paper will define an ethical dilemma and explore the decision making process used to arrive at a decision where all the options have significant consequences. As a health care worker, friends occasionally confront me that need medical care and require a prescription drug. They will occasionally request that I write the prescription without seeing the patient, which is in violation of common medical ethics and sound medical practice. They may additionally ask me to write the prescription for a third party that has insurance in an effort to eliminate the cost of the drug. In addition to violating medical ethics, this also has the legal liability of being against the law. Adding to the ethical dilemma is the reality that they often do not have the money for their expensive medications, and using someone else's insurance may be the only option they have to acquire them. I am also familiar with their case and know the patients, and they perceive the demand to see them in the office as simply 'medical over-kill'. These factors impact my decision making process, as I am empathetic to their financial needs and sympathize with their feelings regar ding the office visit. I need to make a decision that will consider my friends and our relationship, their physical and emotional health, as well as my career and personal integrity. There are myriad sides to this dilemma and numerous aspects that need to be evaluated. I need to weigh the importance, and definition, of our friendship and how that might be impacted by my refusal to comply with their requests. I also need to examine the fact that I might be able to significantly help these people by doing a minimum amount of harm. The professional ethical guidelines that I uphold have a high value to me, and violating them reduces my own sense of self-worth. In addition, I could risk losing my license, my practice, my career, and my livelihood. I need to be sure that these risks are real, and not simply defense mechanisms that I am using to deny my friends' requests. These are the factors that need to be weighed into a reasonable and balanced decision that I can live with. The decision making process begins by defining the dilemma and ends with taking action. The process also includes consulting professional guidelines, considering all the options that are available, consulting colleagues, and evaluating the potential outcome of each alternative (Koocher & Keith-Spiegel, 2008, pp. 22-23). Every decision we make has consequences and when making a decision we need to be able to accept and endure the cost of that decision. I believe in the theory of virtue in regards to ethics and believe that our actions should adhere to the principle that "what is ethical is what develops moral virtues in ourselves and our communities" (Velasquez, Andre, Shanks, Meyer & Meyer, 2008). Unlike the utilitarian, I don't compare the potential good against the possible harm and see which outweighs the other. I simply must see if my actions develop my sense of moral virtue. I

Policy paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Policy - Research Paper Example Both of these policies, working in consort, and in spite of a polarizing political climate, did manage to turn the American economy around. However, it was because of the desperate political climate that the ARRA was made to suffer less than a full effect on the American economy. It could have done much more, but the damaging political climate refused to allow deeper systemic problems to be addressed. Introduction The UN International Labor Organization estimated that the recent global regression resulted in worldwide job losses at 50 million by the end of 2009 (Taylor and Weepapana, 2009). With demand of goods falling worldwide, global economic growth was expected to shrink by 2 percent, effecting emerging economics as far as in Eastern Europe and in mainland China. Taiwan saw its exports fall 42.9 percent. Unemployment in the United Kingdom which was 4.7 in 2000 and grew to 5.0 in 2008, reached 7.9 by December 2010. In the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics charted unemp loyment rates that varied between 4.1 and 5.0 percent 2000 through November 2005. These rates begin to worsen by September 2008, reaching 6.5 by October 2008 and the highest level of 10.0, 15.4 million people out of work, by November 2009. A total of 750,000 jobs was being lost per month in an economy that was contracting 6 percent annually (CEA). Clearly, economic policy had faltered worldwide and particularly in the United States. By December 2008, the National Bureau of Economic Research had finally declared the U.S. had been in a recession since December 2007. Growth in the fourth quarter of 2008 had shrunk to a negative 6.2%, the lowest since 1982. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Immediately after his election, President Barak Obama led the 111th United States Congress through a series of emergency measures. These measures capitalized to his signing into law, on February 17 2009, The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA, Pub.L. 111-5), referred to as the Stimulus or the Recovery Act. This $787 billion spending program consisted of $286 billion in tax cuts to stimulate the economy and expenditures for spending on infrastructure, State, revenue sharing, unemployment benefits, food stamps, and business and middle class tax cuts. Specifically the ARRA directed $88 billion for direct purchase of goods; $44 billion for infrastructure transfers to state and local governments; $215 billion for non-infrastructure transfers to state and local governments, accounting for such as public safety and education spending; $100 billion for direction transfers to persons in form of unemployment insurance benefits, and student loans; $18 billion to retirees; and tax cuts totaling $266 billion that covered business tax provisions and such as the first-time homebuyer tax credit (Berger and Gaffney, 2009). The ARRA funded many specific programs that sought to influence change in greenhouse technology, rapid transit, electronic medical health records a mong a large number of broad base initiatives. For education, the ARRA allocated $5 billion to the Department of Education to fund programs under the Race to the Top program that closed the achievement gap and improved student achievement. The DoE allowed successful programs to compete for grants from a $650 million fund that would enable them to

Optical systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Optical systems - Essay Example This report also discusses the future prospects of this technology. As shown in figure 1, plastic optical fiber is huge central step-index fiber and its diameter is equal to 1 mm (millimeter). Hence, its huge size allows it to easily combine lots of light coming from various connectors and sources with less precision. In this scenario, the prices of standard connector are between 10% and 20% for glass fibers as well as closure is also as easy as cutting with a razor blade. In view of the fact that it is coated with the plastic so it makes it easy and rugged to install and connect deprived of fear of loss or damage. (The FOA, 2008; Paschotta, 2014) However, one of the major drawback of this media is that its performance is much lower than glass fiber. Additionally, its bandwidth is limited as well as it has a connection loss of approximately 0.15-0.2 dB per meter at 650 nm. On the other hand, it works fine when it is used for running short connection, for instance within a place for desktop connections up to 50 meters or inside of instruments. In this scenario, its most excellent usage is seen in automobile industry in which it has expanded a position with the innovative Flexray and MOST networks (The FOA, 2008; Paschotta, 2014). Its proven effectiveness for small distance connections make it an excellent choice for desktop LAN connections. For such connections, it can be installed in a few minutes with negligible training and tools. In future, it can be expected that its bandwidth will exceed to considerable level. However, its cost is reasonable as compared to copper. In fact, standards groups are currently looking at various choices for plastic fiber optics. It is believed that POF can be the following practical desktop connection (The FOA, 2008). Normally, the transmission is carried through fiber optic systems in the digital format. In other words, this transmission is sent and

What forms of evidence have been used by social scientists in stidies Essay

What forms of evidence have been used by social scientists in stidies of crime - Essay Example Social scientists link the crime to society and find the rate of crime, criminal behaviour and other aspects of crime as a social issue with the support of different methodologies of finding and gathering data related to crime. For studying crime, different methods are adopted such as commonsense approach in which, the researcher becomes â€Å"acquainted with people around him/her, the community, business, politics or any social issue† (Sutherland, et al 2005, 78) and the systematic study of individuals in which, the individuals who are involved in crime directly or indirectly are studied or the statistical details related to their arrest, conviction or involvement (Sutherland, et al 2005). The systematic study of individuals takes into consideration statistics, individual case study, analytical induction, participant observation and the experimental method (Sutherland, et al 2005, 78). Burfeind and Bartusch (1992) inform about interdisciplinary approach, case studies, analytical induction, ethnography, ecological analysis and survey research. The statistical evidence of study of crime deals with statistical analysis in terms of correlation between the crime and any social condition (Burfeind and Bartusch 1992). There is no hard and fast rule that the analysis should be between certain aspects. It can be correlated between crime and any other aspect of society. The social scientists use this form of evidence to study crime prevalent in society along with many other methods. Individual case study is another form of evidence used by social scientists. In this form of evidence, the study of crime is based on an individual crime, this means that the social scientist gets engaged into analyzing only a person involved in a criminal activity and bases his study on only that individual (Burfeind and Bartusch 1992). This form is also advantageous as the study is specifically connected to one person and is somehow limited. Interdisciplinary approach to study

Reflective Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5500 words

Reflective Leadership - Essay Example dents enabling them to understand the ways in which particular theories can be applied and put into practice as well as to identify the practices which are in complete alignment with theories and concepts (The higher education academy, 2009). The reflective learning process has been of great help to me over the 10 week sessions. The reflective log helped me to identify my own self in the best possible way. I was able to have a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses that I possessed. The self reflections allowed me to realize as well as question my underlying beliefs and values. In addition, the learning process enabled me to acknowledge and argue probable assumptions as well as theories over which my feelings, ideas and actions were based. Most importantly, I was able to recognize the key areas of improvement that needs to be brought about in me. The sessions that I attended made me concur to the ideas on leadership set forth by empirical researchers. Leadership according to me is a key determinant of the success of any entity be it a business organization or a sports team. Being a project lead of the company that I currently work for has made me understand about various aspects and dimensions of leadership. Although my experience was relatively lesser than my cohorts who were present along with me in the session but my lob position was unbelievably unique among all the job mentioned job positions mentioned by various holders who attended the session. This enabled me to provide as well as gain a different perspective of leadership.

Business Law Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Business Law - Research Paper Example The case involves three parties, Alex, Francis and Samantha. When handling a contract, the terms of a contract are important in setting out regulations required to make a communication. The ‘term’ refers to the promise made in the conditions of the contract to be legal binding. The terms of a contract indicate the contents of the agreement. The agreement between Francis and Alex was to sell the Artifact mirror for $200 for the given duration. Alex reached home and informed Francis on his willingness to purchase the artifact for the agreed price. The message however reached Francis after he offered the artifact to Samantha for $230. Alex had a legal enforceable contract with Francis as he orally communicated with him concerning his willingness to take up the offer. The breach of a contract occurs when one party fails to perform in accordance to the agreed terms and conditions (Answers 2011). Forming a contract requires an offer. An offer refers to the willingness to abide by conditions provided by the contract. Francis offered a product for sale and Alex was willing to take up the offer, given the terms that Francis provided. Both Francis and Alex are bound to the contract given the time agreement does not expire. The other element of the contract evident in the case is acceptance. Acceptance refers to the unconditional agreement to the provided terms whether in oral or written. Francis orally accepted to the terms and conditions of the purchase. The acceptance should reflect the conditions of the original made offer. Alex made a call to confirm the purchase before the set time expired, meaning he accepted to purchase the artifact at $200. The communication between the two parties was as agreed. In the case, Francis and Alex formed a contract on purchasing the artifact. Communication was involved and Alex told Francis that he would think of about the offer. Alex later sealed the contract by confirming the purchase through telephone. The contract bet ween Francis and Alex has the counter-offer element. The initial price of the artifact was at $250, Alex made a counter- offer of $200, and Francis accepted. The price of $250 was a invitation to treat and not an offer. The display of the artifact mirror caught the interest of Alex. He however makes a counter offer of $200 (Arias 2010). It is important to realize the terms set to understand that a contract existed between Francis and Alex. The first important term of recognition is to agree that Francis created an enforceable contract. The promise in the contract involves allowing Alex to purchase the artifact mirror for the given time. The freedom of the contract involves a free negotiation by parties regarding the agreed terms. Alex negotiated without interference and at his own will. Alex and Francis both negotiated at an equal strength hence the contract was valid. The contract has no limitations to the freedom, as illegal undertaking did not take place. The purchase remained op en to Alex until the set time, but he sold the artifact to Samantha instead. Proving the terms of a contract comes with two possibilities, either orally or written. Francis orally accepted to sell the artifact to Alex within the time duration. Though no other witnesses were present to confirm, Alex remained the legal buyer of the artifact until the set deadline (Brakel and Hert 2009). Like in the case of Rankin vs. Scott Fell and co (1904) 2 CLR 164, the ruling indicates presence of a contract even if no

Work Placement Skills Essay Example for Free

Work Placement Skills Essay Briefing on work placements and the importance of their inclusion in the DDA part 2 It is important to distinguish between different kinds of work placements. Skill would welcome clarification as to which placements will be covered by the amendments to the DDA part 2. Skill has put together this briefing on different types of learning that may include work placements. The examples used are not actual case studies, but reflect the concerns that Skill is aware of, and include situations of which we have been informed. 1Work based learning Work based learning organisations often deliver a large amount of training in the workplace. In a majority of instances trainees are on a Modern Apprenticeship programme and as such are paid as employees therefore are covered under part 2 of the DDA. However, in a substantial minority of cases, trainees are on other programmes where they are taught at a work based training organisation but spend a substantial amount of time on ‘placement’. Skill would presume that these trainees would come under Part 2 under the new regulations. It is certainly essential they do as so much of their programme is delivered in the work place. Tanya is on an office skills course run by a work based learning organisation. Some of her training takes place at the work based learning organisation but Tanya has to attend two substantial work placements. Tanya is a wheelchair user and dyslexic. Some of the adjustments she requires in relation to physical access are that furniture is arranged in a way which allows her free access in her wheelchair and a desk which a wheelchair can fit underneath. In terms of her dyslexia she works best when files etc. are very clearly marked, for example with colour coding. She works much better when using a computer than when having to write down things by hand. Her tutors have visited her work placement with her and can support her with many of the adjustments. However, if they are to be fully implemented they require the active support of her employer and other staff. The employer is clearly disturbed at the fact that Tanya requires these adjustments and mutters that he knows he has duties to his disabled employers but this does not extend to trainees who are merely on work placement. 2Further education Increasingly more and more further education students are going on work placements. In some instances these are students on a vocational NVQ programme. Justine, who is partially sighted, is on an NVQ training course in catering at a further education college. The theoretical and some of the practical parts of the course take place at college but students also have to spend blocks of time in different work places. Two of Justine’s work placements are very accommodating. However the third, a restaurant kitchen, behave in a very unfriendly way. They refuse to print out any recipes in large print saying that this ‘is not their job’ which means that Justine finds it very difficult to carry out her assignments. In the second week they ring up the college and demand that she is removed from the kitchen because they believe that her visual impairment poses a health and safety risk. Her tutor arranges for her to do double time at one of her other placements but this is not ideal as it means that she has a narrower range of experiences than other students on the course. In other cases they are students on an academic programme such as A levels where the work placement is not directly related to their course but is very important in giving them an understanding of how the workplace works and what they might like to do in the future. In some instances they might be students on a more general programme (for example an Entry Level course or a programme for people with learning difficulties). In these cases the purpose of the work placement is to extend their experiences, give them an understanding of the realities of work, and enable them to try out a particular vocational area. Mohammed has learning difficulties and is studying on a life skills course. Part of this course is to have work experience for half a day a week for a term in the local community. Mohammed discusses possible work placements with his tutor and it emerges that he would really like to work in a shop. After writing many letters, Mohammed’s tutor finally manages to arrange for Mohammed to have a work placement one afternoon a week at a local shop. Mohammed’s tutor spent some time at the placement with Mohammed supporting him in how to make the most out of his placement, but he had many students he was responsible for and so could not be there on an ongoing basis. Although Mohammed enjoyed his afternoons at the work placement, the manager of the shop expressed frustration that he was not able to carry out tasks without support and complained about the way in which he was constantly ‘hanging around’ customers which put them off. He said it was not his place to provide support for Mohammed and he needed someone who could ‘get on with the job’. After four weeks the manager sent Mohammed back to the college, saying he wanted someone ‘normal’ next time. 3Higher education In higher education, there are a number of courses that involve vocational work placements. One such example would be that of nursing and midwifery. All such courses have work placements central to them, and rightly so, as they are practical and vocational subjects. However, these placements can be difficult for disabled students. Steve is studying a BSc in Nursing at his local University. In order to complete the degree, students have to pass a number of exams and also undertake three periods of work placements. Steve has dyslexia, which means that his handwriting is poor and so he has asked to be able to type up his patient records. He is also aware that colleagues may think he is more likely to make mistakes on the drugs round, but as all nurses are checked before medication is administered to patients, he thinks this should be ok. Once he is qualified and employed, his employer would make reasonable adjustments such as these under DDA part 2. Despite an excellent track record, the third placement provider refused to make any adjustments for Steve, and spuriously cited Health and Safety law as a reason to expel him from the placement, stating the reason as being because his dyslexia meant he could not do the drug rounds and that his patient records were illegible. Because of this he failed his second year at University and will have to repeat the whole year if he wishes to gain his degree. There are also increasing numbers of sandwich courses on offer from universities, where students undertake a four-year course, of which the second or third year is spent in industry. These placements can be mandatory and without their completion a student may either not be able to progress to the next year of their course or they may not get the extra qualification or recognition that accompanies the completion of the year in industry. Often these placements consist of paid employment, and students are therefore covered by the existing DDA Part 2. However there examples of where students are not paid for these placements. Disabled students may find it more difficult to find a paid placement and so may be more likely to undertake a placement on a voluntary basis. Kerry is studying for a degree in IT. She has MS. As part of her degree, she spends a year in industry. This is a compulsory part of the course, and comes highly recommended by her university, as it will help her to get a job after graduating in a very competitive market. Students are required to complete the placement and also produce a 4000 word report on their placement year, which is worth 10 credits in the final year. Kerry is keen to do a placement, but because of her MS gets turned down from all the places she applies to. Undeterred, she tries instead to find a voluntary placement. She manages to arrange a placement, but her status as an intern means that she is asked to shift boxes and help staff with filing and photocopying, which because of her disability she cannot do. Her colleagues are also very unkind to her because of her disability, and she leaves the placement early, therefore failing the placement year and unable to complete the assignment. Recently, an unpublished survey by AGCAS (the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services) showed that disabled students can be just as successful as their non disabled peers in finding graduate employment. This said, they found that there were higher percentages of disabled graduates starting in clerical and secretarial, craft, personal service and sales jobs, as well as in part time and unpaid work. It was concluded that this may be because they may have difficulties in accumulating work experience while they are students. This clearly calls for work placements to be covered by the DDA so that disabled students have an equal chance to progress onto graduate employment after university. 4Self-organised placements There is also a greater emphasis on students finding and arranging work experience themselves, for example in the holiday periods, not on a paid basis. This is becoming increasingly important for students looking to enter employment. The Dearing Report on Higher Education (1997) recommended that all undergraduates should undertake a period of work experience as part of their course, in order to improve employability. This may be seen as even more important for disabled students, who may find it more difficult to progress onto employment after study. Catriona has always dreamed of being a journalist. She is blind, but uses her ‘Braille ‘n’ Speak’ electronic notetaking device to take notes when she interviews people. She previously worked on her school newspaper, and now that she is at college she wants to get some more work experience. She writes to a number of local and regional papers offering to cover stories for them. One paper offers her a few assignments but states that she must be able to use shorthand, as if she goes on assignment in Court, they will not allow electronic notetakers. Her disability means that she is unable to agree to these terms, despite the fact that she could undertake all other kinds of assignment. Although she feels that she has been treated less favourably, she feels unable to appeal because of her status as volunteer. It is hard to make a clear distinction between which of these types of placement could be classed as part of ‘vocational training’ and which not. Some are more directly related to a vocational learning programme. However, they all have the aim of supporting learners in their transition (whether immediate or in the future) to employment. Currently disabled people are significantly under-represented in paid employment, and it is important that any support possible is given to them to change this situation. A successful work placement is a very important factor in helping this to happen. These periods of work placement also form an integral part of an individual’s learning programme. If a disabled person is discriminated against in the workplace or does not have an essential reasonable adjustment made for them, this may well result in them dropping out of the placement and hence failing a particular part of their course. Under DDA Part 4 education providers currently have a responsibility to disabled learners when on work experience. The education provider has a responsibility to prepare both the student and the placement provider for the placement, and set up the necessary support. However, there is only so far they can go in ensuring discrimination does not take place and in making reasonable adjustments to the work placement. For example they can insist on a statement from the employer but cannot actually ensure that no discrimination takes place; they can suggest that, for example, furniture needs to be rearranged in order to accommodate a wheelchair user, but cannot actually authorise its movement. This can only be assured if employers themselves have duties to people on work placements as they already do towards their employees.

Management by exception Essay Example for Free

Management by exception Essay With the release of the new budget for year 9 from Competition Bikes, there are a couple of areas that are a concern that warrant being addressed. The first being the prediction of amount of bikes to be sold; Competition Bikes is expecting 3,510 units to be sold after a year 8 that sold only 3,400 units which was a 15% drop in sales from the year prior (which sold approximately 4,000 units) with zero drop in price point which may make it harder for customers to justify purchasing a bike in the current economy. Understandably, year 8 was in the middle of a recession and the economy could rebound for a productive year 9. However, with only an extra $984 being spent on advertisement, the expectations could fall short unless advertisement spending is increased to approximately the $2,000 range it was in year 7. Competition Bikes is putting themselves at risk for over ordering raw materials and a surplus of raw materials only takes up more storage space, which leads to extra money being spent for storage. There is also an issue with General and Administration Expenses. General and Admin expenses is the same amount as it was in year 8 ($170,000). However, in year 7, Competition Bikes spent $12,000 less and sold 600 more units then it did in year 8. Year 7 was proof that Competition Bikes has the ability to produce and sell a successful amount of bikes without having an extremely high operational cost. That extra $12,000 could be spread into other aspects such as: advertising, factory maintenance and even bonuses. 2. A flexible budget is a budget that adjusts or flexes for changes in the volume of activity† (Averkamp, 2013). A flexible budget is more useful than a static budget because it is based on actual output. The difference between an actual output and a budgeted amount is known as a variance. When the amount of the actual result is higher than budgeted, it is considered favorable, whereas when the budgeted amount turns out higher is unfavorable. Within the Competition Bikes flexible budget there are a few favorable variances, the first one of note being within Net Sales. The company had a budget of $5,247,250, with the flexible budget being $5,117,385, however the  final numbers were $5,096,847, which gives the company an unfavorable variance of -$130,065. Total Variable Cost however was a favorable expense. With a planned budget of $3,967,962 and a flexible budget of $3,869,612 the actual output was $3,805,400 the favorable variance came out to $98,349. Contribution margin was also an unfavorable variance (-$31,716). Advertising Expenses went over cost for an unfavorable variance of $3,754 from a standard budget of $28,412 and a flexible budget of $27,708. The extra money spent towards advertising may have been to help boost extra sales towards the end of the year. Transportation Out also went over its budget for an unfavorable variance by $5,607. However, there is more to the Transportation Out than what the budget says. The price of shipment is supposed to be $30 per unit and with 87 less units sold; there should be an extra $2,610 in the budget. This requires extra investigation. 2A. In terms of corrective action, the best course is to focus on where the points where there were unfavorable variances. A key point to that would be to also create realistic predictions of sales and budget. By predicting a high sales goal (one that exceeds the amount of units sold the year prior), Competition Bikes is potentially setting itself up for another down year. To prevent another unfavorable variance in Net Sales, which was affected by the unfavorable Actual Output of Units Sold. Although the projection output was missed by only 87 units, that totaled out to $130,065. It would behoove Competition Bikes to create realistic predictions (as stated above). Another idea would to be to examine the sales process. Compare and contrast what strategies were compared between the successful year 7 and the down year 8 to determine if any changes took place in the sales process and development. Competition Bikes should not have been as aggressive as they were following a down year. An improved variance here could also directly affect the Contribution Margin and Operating Income, which both were unfavorable. Advertising Expenses should be increased to the level of year 7. Competition Bikes lowered their budget for advertising but yet ended up spending more  anyway. With the economy still in a rut, the chances of hitting a high prediction is slim, especially with low advertising. Since fewer sponsors are using the products from Competition Bikes, it would be wise to advertise to a different market of users (i.e. college students, those who live in traffic congested cities (New York), bike cops, etc). Meanwhile, the transportation unfavorable variance could be fixed by determining what the additional costs were. Since the transportation cost per units is $30, with sales prediction 87 less than projected, that is $2,610 that could have put transportation costs into favorable. The additional costs could be because of rising fuel prices, toll roads, raises for drivers, etc. Many avenues have to be explored in the future to save money on transportation (renegotiate contracts, new source of transportation, new transportation company, etc.) 2B. â€Å"Management by exception is the practice of examining the financial and operational results of a business, and only bringing issues to the attention of management if results represent substantial differences from the budgeted or expected amount† (Steven Bragg, 2014). This practice can be effective as it leaves upper management with more serious issues. By utilizing accurate and up-to-date information, management can keep the budget on track and consistent with what was forecasted. One main target for Management By Exception is net sales. Breaking down the yearly goals into weekly or monthly targets will allow the company to better breakdown the trends and identify areas of need and growth. By monitoring the trend of sales, management can initiate discussions on how to improve sales and how to keep up with demand if sales are higher than expected. Competition Bikes would be wise to make start/restart contract negotiations to maintain consistent material and labor costs. Spending variance on materials was favorable but labor was unfavorable. If the price of the materials or labor increase substantially overtime, the budget could become more expensive, costing the company more money. Works Cited Averkamp, Harold. What is a flexible budget?. Learn Accounting Online for Free. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. . Bragg, Steven. What is management by exception? Questions Answers AccountingTools. What is management by exception? Questions Answers AccountingTools. N.p., 5 June 2013. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. .

Theories and relevant models about branding

Theories and relevant models about branding In this chapter, concepts, theories and relevant models about branding, brand perception and customer buying behaviour will be discussed in detail. An individual who buys products for personal use and not for manufacture or resale is said to be a consumer. A consumer is someone who can make the decision whether or not to purchase an item at the store, which can be influenced by marketing and advertisements. Each and every consumer is influenced by their own brand perception and buying decisions which depends on various number of factors. 2.2 Branding Brand is the image that consumers have in mind (Aaker, 1991). It is also the unique characteristics that have been developed all the time in order to differentiate actual products from the competitors (Murphy, 1990). In addition, The American Association defines a brand as a name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods or services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competitors. A brand is thus a product or service that adds dimensions that differentiate it in some way from other products or services designed to satisfy the same need. These differences may be functional, rational, or emotional or intangible related to what the brand represents. Brand concepts must address customer interests and lifestyles. Factors that affect its brand image and brand perception among marketing communication program that implementing to the public to create brand perception, brand characteristic, brand image and bran d equity. De Chernatony and McDonald (1992) define a brand as an identifiable product, service, person or place, augmented in such a way that the buyer or user perceives relevant, unique added values which match their needs most closely. There have been two basic values identified by de Chernatony (1999) that contribute towards the brand premium. One is the functional value such as the price, technology, design and store layout. This functional value is a distinct attribute that a customer adds to the brand and distinguishes the brand from the rest. The second form of added value comes from emotional value. This value is derived from notions like advertising, internal branding, translating the retail brand into consumer taste, and even the shopping experience itself at the retail outlet. 2.3 Brand Perception Perception is how we see ourselves and the world we live in. However, what ends up being stored inside us doesnt always get there in a direct manner. Often our mental makeup results from information that has been consciously or subconsciously filtered as we experience it, a process we refer to as a perceptual filter. To us this is our reality, though it does not mean it is an accurate reflection on what is real. Thus, perception is the way we filter stimuli (e.g., someone talking to us, reading a newspaper story) and then make sense out of it. Perception has several steps. Exposure sensing a stimuli (e.g. seeing an ad) Attention an effort to recognize the nature of a stimuli (e.g. recognizing it is an ad) Awareness assigning meaning to a stimuli (e.g., humorous ad for particular product) Retention adding the meaning to ones internal makeup (i.e., product has fun ads) Brand perception is consumers ability to identify the brand under different conditions, as reflected by their brand recognition or recall performance (Kotler Lane, 2006). Brand recall refers to consumers ability to retrieve the brand from the memory (Keller, 1993). According to the improvement of measurement for brand equity, consumer-based brand equity was described for four dimensions; brand awareness, brand association, perceived quality, and brand loyalty (Pappu, et al, 2005). Brand awareness was defined as the consumers ability to identify or recognize the brand (Rossiter and Percy, 1987). It refers to the strength of a brand presence in consumers minds. Brand awareness has several levels starting from the less recognition of the brand to dominance (Aaker, 1991). Perceived quality was evaluated and decided by consumers. Perceived quality is another valuation of brand to push the customer to buy products. Brand building has been around for centuries as a means to distinguish the goods of one producer from those of another. The earliest signs of branding in Europe were the medieval guilds requirement that craftspeople put trademarks on their products to protect themselves and consumers against inferior quality. In the fine arts, branding began with artists signing their works. Brands today play a number of important roles that improve consumers lives and enhance the financial value of firms (Kotler Lane, 2006). Brand awareness and brand perceived quality as the significant factors to create and maintain brand equity. There are positive relationship among brand awareness, perceive quality and brand equity (Aker, 1996, Buzzell Gate, 1987). The marketing program has effect to improve the perceive quality of brand for different customers. Brand perception is consumers ability to identify the brand under different conditions, as reflected by their brand recognition or recall performance (Kotler Lane, 2006). Brand recall refers to consumers ability to retrieve the brand from the memory (Keller, 1993). According to the improvement of measurement for brand equity, consumer-based brand equity was described for four dimensions; brand awareness, brand association, perceived quality, and brand loyalty (Pappu, et al, 2005). Brand awareness was defined as the consumers ability to identify or recognize the brand (Rossiter and Percy, 1987). It refers to the strength of a brand presence in consumers minds. Brand awareness has several levels starting from the less recognition of the brand to dominance (Aaker, 1991). Perceived quality was evaluated and decided by consumers. Perceived quality is another valuation of brand to push the customer to buy products. Brand building has been around for centuries as a means to distinguish the goods of one producer from those of another. The earliest signs of branding in Europe were the medieval guilds requirement that craftspeople put trademarks on their products to protect themselves and consumers against inferior quality. In the fine arts, branding began with artists signing their works. Brands today play a number of important roles that improve consumers lives and enhance the financial value of firms (Kotler Lane, 2006). Brand awareness and brand perceived quality as the significant factors to create and maintain brand equity. There are positive relationship among brand awareness, perceive quality and brand equity (Aker, 1996, Buzzell Gate,1987). The marketing program has effect to improve the perceive quality of brand for different customers. 2.4 Brand Equity Source: Aaker, 1991 Brand equity is the added value endowed to products and services. Aaker (1991) defined the brand equity as a set of brand assts and liabilities linked to brand that adds or detracts the product or service value based on the customers perspectives. This value may be reflected in how consumers think, feel and act with respect to the brand that consumers had perceive from marketing programs. Brand equity is an important intangible asset that has psychological and financial value to the firm. The value of brand equity depends on the number of same people who buy regularly (Aaker, 1996). The brand loyalty, brand awareness, and brand perceived quality are necessary to maintain the brand equity (Motameni Shahrokhi, 1998). There are two different perspectives of brand equity; financial and customer based. The first perspective evaluates the asset value of a brand name that creates to the business (Farquhar et al, 1991). Brand equity increased the discounted future cash flows and revenue comparing to the same product did not have the brand name (Motameni Shahrkhi, 1998). According to the second perspective, the premise of customer-based brand equity models is that the power of brand lies in what customers have responded, seen, read, heard, learned, thought and felt about the brand over time. In other words, the power of brand lies in the minds of existing or potential customers and what they have experienced directly and indirectly about the brand. The customer-based brand equity finally drives the financial return to the company (Lassar et al, 1995). The valuation of brand has been studied for different approaches, for example, marketing, premium pricing market value, customer factors, replacement cost perspective. According to the valuation based on consumer factors, the measurement of customers preference and attitude can be used to evaluate the brand equity (Aaker, 1991 and Kapferer, 1992). 2.5 Marketing Communication The marketing communication is considered as the strategic activities for brand managers to build and maintain the brand image of targeted customers (Duncan Mulhern, 2004). It is a significant driver of competitive advantage to create the ability of companies to attract, retain, and leverage customers (Kitchen, Joanne, Tao, 2004). Duncan (2002) explained that marketing communication is a process for managing the customer relationship that affects brand value lastly. Marketing communication programs are not only above the line activities such as advertising and sales promotions but also below the line activities such as public relations. Regarding recent concept of marketing communication, two-way communication as well as one way communication is a key determinant of brand strategies to stimulus the brand orientation process (Aaker, 1996 and Urde, 1994). 2.6 Consumer Behaviour Schiffinan and Kanuk (2004) define Consumer Behaviour as the behaviour that customers display in searching for, purchasing, using, evaluating and disposing of products and services that they expect will satisfy their needs. Consumer buying behaviour incorporates the acts of individuals directly involved in obtaining, using and disposing of economic goods and services including the decision process that precede and determine these acts (Huctings 1995). image0.jpg Source: (http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/consumer-behavior-for-dummies-cheat-sheet.html, accessed on 20 /10/10 at 8.40pm) Lamb, Hair and McDartiel (1992) note that consumer behaviour is a study of the processes the consumer uses to make purchase decisions as well as the use and disposal of the purchased goods and services. It also includes the analysis of factors that influences purchase decisions and goods usage. Further more consumer behaviour is a process and purchase is only one step in that process. Santon,Etzel and Walker (1994) states that consumers are complex in nature and keep changing constantly. So it is a must for the marketers to constantly improve their understanding of consumers and understand what influences the needs of the consumers. In short, the understanding of the buying behavior of existing and potential customers is imperative for marketers (Lancaster 1998). It is also needed for the competitive survival. When the consumer is viewed in the proper perspective, the outcomes could be quite positive for the manufacturer. Lamb,Hair and McDaniel (1992),claim that the knowledge of consumer behavior reduces uncertainty when creating the marketing mix. The field of customer behavior covers a lot of ground: It is the study of the processes involved when individuals or groups select, purchase, use, or dispose of products, services, ideas, or experiences to satisfy needs and desires (Michael, 2003). Earlier, the field was referred to as buyer behavior, which emphasized o n interaction between consumers and producers at the time of purchase. Now marketers feel that consumer behavior is not merely a consumer handing over money in return for a service or good, but it is an ongoing process. The exchange of a transaction in which two or more organizations or people give and receive something of value is an integral part of marketing. 2.7 Consumer Decision Making Mahatoo (1985) defines Consumer Behavior decision making process consisting of a number of steps that begin before the purchase and reaches beyond the buying act. He suggests that marketers have to go beyond the various influences on buyers and develop an understanding of how consumers actually make their buying decisions .The ability to create a good service and to persuade the market to buy this offering instead of its competitors offering depends upon the insight into the consumer purchase decision on the understanding of how the target customers arrive at their purchase decisions. Price is one of the dominating factors when it comes to making a purchase decision. It generally plays a vital role in determining consumers brand choice while selecting a product. Consumers look into the price while taking a buying decision and check whether it is within their affordable limits. This helps them to maximize their immediate utility that they gain from the purchase. The consumers give relative importance to both price and quality, so while choosing a brand they make a choice consistent with the relative importance attached to both attributes (Nor Khasimah Alimana and Md Nor Othman, 2007). It is also known that consumers look upon the additional services and freebies which come along with the product rather than looking on the price factor. Customers were believed to put different weights on every factor when it comes to the evaluation process. Analysis shows that customers who had experienced bad customer service tend to consider more thoroughly all aspects of the serv ice when it comes to choice of product (Tor W. Andreassen and Line L. Olsen, 2008).   According to Kotler (2003), there are five roles people play during a purchase. They are Initiator: It is the person who gives the idea of buying the product or service. Influencer: It is the person who reviews or influences the decision. Decider: It is the person who makes the buying decision: what to buy, how to buy, when to buy and where to buy. Buyer: It is the person who actually makes the purchase. User: It is the person who consumes or uses the product or service. 2.8 Buying Behavior Buying behavior is a process in which consumers decide and act accordingly to buy certain products for their use. There are certain aspects which we need to understand. Why do consumers buy what they buy? What are the key factors for influencing consumers to buy the products? What are the changing trends in the society? Consumer buying behavior refers to what consumers buy at a certain point of time which involves their decision making. So it is important for any firm to keenly analyze on consumer buying behaviors as it has a great impact on the firms marketing strategy. It also plays a key role in the success of the firm. It is important for any firm to create a marketing mix that satisfies the customers. 2.9 Types of Consumer Buying Behavior There are few types of buying behaviors based on the type of products which needs to be purchased. Complex buying behavior is where an individual seeks lot of information about a high value branded product before purchasing it. Habitual buying behavior is where the individual buys the product out of habit. Variety seeking buying behavior is where the individual likes to shop around and experiment different products. Consumer buying behavior is determined by level of involvement in the purchase decision (Renjith, June 2004). According to Mahatoo (1985), the nature of the decision process varies depending upon the product and the consumer. The marketers need to determine the kind of decision making behavior that is involved with the particular product in order to understand the behavior of the consumer. Howard (1989) classifies consumer buying decision into three broad categories: Routine Response Programmed Behavior- A consumer generally uses a routine response behavior while frequently buying the low cost goods or services. These goods and services can be called low involvement products as the consumer spends little time on decision making and purchases easily. The consumer is familiar with different brands in this product category, but usually sticks on to one brand. The consumer usually skips many steps in the decision process as he buys the product out of habit. Limited Decision Making Buying product occasionally. When you need to obtain information about an unfamiliar brand in a product category. Requires a moderate amount of time for information gathering as it is compared with various brands. Acquiring information about an unfamiliar product category is called as limited decision making. Examples: books, clothes and cosmetics. Extensive Decision Making Consumers usually spend much time on extensive decision making with high involvement when they purchase an unfamiliar expensive product. This is the most complex type of consumer decision making as the consumers need a great deal of information to compare it with its alternate brands. Examples: cars, computers. Complex buying behavior involves three steps: The consumer develops belief about the product. The consumer develops attitude about the product. The consumer makes a thoughtful choice. Consumers usually engage in complex buying behavior when they are highly involved in a purchase, which usually happens when the product is expensive, risky, and highly self expressive. Many products do not carry features unless the buyer does some research. The marketer of a high involvement product must understand consumers information- gathering and evaluation process. According to this the marketer needs to develop strategies which will assess the buyer in learning about the products attributes and their importance. The marketer also needs to differentiate the brand features, motivate store keepers, and use proper print media to describe the brand and the buyers interaction to influence the brand choice. Dissonance-Reducing buyer behaviour According to Herbert (1965), the consumer sometimes gets highly involved in a purchase but see little differences in brands. The high involvement is due to the fact that the purchase is expensive, infrequent and risky. For this type of purchase the consumer will shop around to learn more about the product but purchase it quickly responding to the primary factors like price or convenience. After the purchase, the consumer might experience dissonance by hearing favourable things about other brands or noticing certain disquieting features. Now the consumer will alert the informants who support his or her decisions. For example, here, the consumer acted first then acquired new beliefs and ended up with a set of attitudes. Marketing communication should supply beliefs and evaluations that help the customer feel good about the brand of his choice. Variety-Seeking Buying Behaviour Henry (1987) states that some buying situations are characterised by low involvement but significant brand differences. Usually consumers do lot of brand switching. Take for example, cookies. The consumer has some knowledge about cookies, chooses them without much evaluation and evaluates the product during consumption. But next time the consumer may reach for another brand according to his taste. Brand switching occurs for the sake of variety rather than dissatisfaction. 3.10 Buying Decision Process The consumers engage in a decision process to deal with the marketing environment and make purchases. The consumer goes through a series of logical stages to arrive at the decision when he faces a problem which could be resolved through a purchase. A typical buying process consists of five stages. (Micheal and Elnora, 2000). 2.10.1 Problem Recognition The purchase process starts where the buyer recognises a problem or need. The need maybe triggered by internal or external stimuli. Marketers need to identify the circumstances that trigger a particular need (Micheal, 2003). People have unsatisfied needs and wants that create tension or discomfort, which can be satisfied by acquiring and consuming goods and services. Hence, the process of deciding what to buy begins when there is a need and it can be satisfied through consumption. Mahatoo (1985), states that when the consumer becomes aware of a discrepancy between the existing state and a desired state, a need is aroused. The existing state is the total situation of a consumer, the current needs, attitudes, motives. The desired state is the situation after the kinds of changes the consumer wishes. Both these states are the functions of consumers motivation, personality and past experience of cultural and social influences. Evans and Burman (1984), defines a stimulus as a cure intended to motivate a person to act. It can be social, commercial or non commercial. Need recognition shows a persons readiness to act by becoming aware of a need but does not guarantee that the decision making process will continue. Kotler (2003), suggests that by gathering information from a number of consumers marketers can identify the most frequent stimuli that triggers an interest in a product category, thereby developing marketing strategies that would create a spark in consumers interest. 2.10.2 Information Search When a consumer needs to gain knowledge about a product or service, he or she would be aroused to search for more information in the product category. Consumer information sources fall under four groups: Personal sources: Family, friends, neighbours Commercial sources: Advertising, sales person, dealers, display boards Public sources: Mass media, consumer-rating organizations Experimental sources: Handling, examining, using the product. The relative amount and influences of these information sources vary with product category and consumer characteristics (Peter, Daniel and Nancy, 1986). Customer decisions are based on a combination of past experiences and marketing information. Past experience is considered as an internal source of information. Greater the past experience, lesser the external information the consumer is likely to seek to make a decision. Baker (2000), states that if there is a sufficiently high level of involvement with the problem, the consumers are likely to engage in a complex and extensive information search. If the involvement level is low, they are likely to use a very simple information search. Kotler (2003), states that by gathering information the consumer learns about competing brands and their features. There will be lot of brands available to the consumer in a product category, in which only a few brands the consumer would be aware of (awareness set). Among these brands, few brands will meet consumers initial buying criteria (consideration set). As the consumer gathers more information only a few brands would remain (choice set). All the brands in the choice set might be acceptable. 2.10.3 Evaluation of Alternatives There is no single evaluation process used by all customers or by one customer in all buying situations. The consumers view each product as a bundle of attributes with varying abilities of delivering the benefits needed to satisfy them. The attributes of interest to buyers vary by product. Consumers will pay most attention to attributes that deliver benefits (Mary, James and John, 1997). Once a choice set has been identified, the consumer evaluates them before making a decision. The evaluation involves establishing some criteria against which each alternative is compared. The criteria that consumers use in the evaluation results from their past experience and feelings towards various brands as well as the opinions of family, friends, etc. (Stanton, Etzel and Walker, 1994). The product related attributes such as quality, durability, price, design, etc. Influence the buying decision of a consumer. A way to narrow down the products in the choice set is to pick an attribute and then excl ude all products in the set that does not possess that attribute (Lamb and McDaniel, 1992). Thus the choice which possesses all the required product related attributes can be selected. 2.10.4 Purchase Decision From the evaluation process discussed about, consumer will reach their final purchase decision which is made up of five purchase sub decisions: Brand decision, Vendor decision, Quantity decision, Timing decision and Payment method decision (Joseph and Howard, 1987). After evaluation, the first thing in mind would be to purchase the product or not. If the decision is to buy, a series of related decisions must be made regarding the features, where and when to make the actual transaction, how to take delivery, a mode of payment and other issues. So a decision to purchase starts an entirely new series of decisions that may be time consuming and difficult. Selecting a source from which a purchase can be made is also a buying decision (Stanton, Etzel and Walker, 1994). A consumers decision to modify, postpone or avoid a purchase decision is heavily influenced by risk. The amount of risk varies with the extent of money at stake, the amount of attribute uncertainty and amount of self confide nce. Marketers must understand the factors that create a feeling of risk in the consumer, thereby providing information and support to reduce the risk (Kotler, 2003). 2.10.5 Post Purchase Behaviour Every customer after buying a product will experience either satisfaction or dissatisfaction. Hence the marketers job does not end when the product is bought; it must be monitored for post purchase satisfaction and post purchase actions. A very important stage of the consumers decision is the impact of current decisions on the future purchasing behaviour. Mahatoo (1985) says that three general outcomes are possible. They are: 2.10.5.1 Satisfaction Satisfaction occurs when a product performs according to expectations. The brand chosen has served to fulfil the customers needs and thus reinforces the response of purchasing the brand, which also means that beliefs and attributes about the brand are positively influenced and the likelihood of repurchase is increased. 2.10.5.2 Dissatisfaction Dissatisfaction occurs in the reverse situation, when the products performance is not up to the expectation it leads to negative belief and attributes about the brand. A dissatisfied customer is not likely to recommend the product to others. The results of satisfaction and dissatisfaction are recorded in long term memory and become inputs to the internal search of the firm. So the marketers must be careful in satisfying the needs and expectations of the customers. 2.10.5.3 Cognitive Dissonance: Cognitive dissonance occurs when the consumer experiences a feeling of doubt or psychological discomfort about the choice made. It is often felt right after the purchase when the consumer begins to have second thoughts about the product chosen. Dissonance is more likely to occur in complex decision making with high involvement purchases. Dissonance can come from a personal source from advertisement or from experience with the product. Post purchase evaluation is important to marketers because positive evaluation increases the probability of repeat purchases and brand loyalty. Negative or doubtful thoughts increase the probability that different alternatives will be considered next time when the need arises (Husted, Varble and Lowry, 1989). 2.11 Factors influencing the behaviour of buyers http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~market/380dir/cbinfluence.jpg Source: (http://blog.oneshotmarketing.com/2010/08/consumer-buying-behavior-the-laws-of-attraction/ accessed on 20/10/10 at 9.15pm) Consumer behaviour is affected by many uncontrollable factors. Culture is one of the factors that influence behaviour. Culture can be defined as our attitudes and beliefs. It is developed along with age in the society. For an individual growing up, a child is influenced by their parents, brothers and sisters. They learn about their religion and culture which helps them to develop opinions, attitudes and beliefs (Richard, 1976). These factors will influence a buying behaviour of the consumer, other factors like friends or people they look up may also influence their choices of purchasing a particular product. Culture is the most basic cause of a persons wants and behaviour.   Culture is learned from family, church, school, peers, colleagues. It reflects basic values, perceptions, wants, and behaviours. Cultural shifts create opportunities for new products or may otherwise influence consumer behaviour. Peoples social status plays an important role in the consumer buying behaviour. Social class distinctions allow companies to position their products to appeal to certain social classes. The easiest example is automobiles. Marketing for Mercedes Benz is completely different from the marketing campaign from Honda or Toyota because they target individuals from the upper class. Another powerful and easy factor that companies manipulate in their marketing efforts is the social factor. To be part of a group, or represent a certain lifestyle, you must have certain possessions. Personal and Psychological factors are very specific realms and the target market segment becomes even smaller. That means even less amount of people can use these products. This reflects in higher prices to account for the decrease in volume 2.12 Models of Consumer Behaviour The various models of consumer behaviour as per (Ramasamy and Namakumari, 1990) are stated as follows 2.12.1 The Economic Model According to the economic model of buyer behaviour, the buyer is a rational man and his buying decisions are totally governed by the concept of utility. If the customer has certain amount of purchasing power, a set of needs to be met and a set of products in a very rational manner with the intentions of maximising the utility or benefits. 2.12.2 The Learning Model According to the learning model, buying behaviour can be influenced by manipulating the drivers, stimuli and responses of the buyers. The model rests on mans ability at learning, forgetting and discriminating. 2.12.3 The Psychoanalytical Model According to this model the individual consumer has a complex set of deep stated motives that drive him towards certain buying decisions. The buyer has a private world with all his hidden fears, suppressed desires and totally subjective longings. His buying action can be influenced by appealing to these desires and longings. 2.12.4 The Sociological Model According to the sociological model, the individual buyer is influenced by society, by inmate groups as well as social classes. His buying decisions are not totally governed by utility, he has a desire to emulate, follow, and fit in with his immediate environment. Several of his buying decisions may be governed by societal compulsions. 2.12.5 The Nicosia Model Efforts have been made by marketing scholars to build buyer behaviour models from the marketing mans point of view. The Nicosia model and the Howard and Sheth model are two important models. Both of them belong to the category called the systems model where the human being is analysed as the system with stimuli as the input to the system and behaviour as the output of the system. The Nicosia model tries to establish the link between a firm and its customers, how the activities of the firm influences the consumer and results in the buying decision. The information from the firm influences the consumer towar

Scientific Classification in Biology Essay -- Papers Biological Classi

Scientific Classification in Biology Classification in biology, is the identification, naming, and grouping of organisms into a formal system. The vast numbers of living forms are named and arranged in an orderly manner so that biologists all over the world can be sure they know the exact organism that is being examined and discussed. Groups of organisms must be defined by the selection of important characteristics, or shared traits, that make the members of each group similar to one another and unlike members of other groups. Modern classification schemes also attempt to place groups into categories that will reflect an understanding of the evolutionary processes underlying the similarities and differences among organisms. Such categories form a kind of pyramid, or hierarchy, in which the different levels should represent the different degrees of evolutionary relationship. The hierarchy extends upward from several million species, each made up of individual organisms that are closely related, to a few kingdoms, each containing large assemblages of organisms, many of which are only distantly related. Carolus Linnaeus is probably the single most dominant figure in systematic classification. Born in 1707, he had a mind that was orderly to the extreme. People sent him plants from all over the world, and he would devise a way to relate them. At the age of thirty-two he was the author of fourteen botanical works. His two most famous were Genera Plantarum, developing an artificial sexual system, and Species Plantarum, a famous work where he named and classified every plant known to him, and for the first time gave each plant a binomial. This binomial system was a vast improvement over some of the old descri... ...ly and structurally too dissimilar to the species categorized above to fit into that scheme of taxonomy. Although this system is complex and intricate at times, its universality makes it a necessity. With out the system presently in use the world would be years and years behind in their task to name all of the living organisms on earth. This system is great but it is always possible that some new finding could cause the system to evolve to become more inclusive. This system is by no means set in stone, and Linnaeus would probably be astounded to see the way that it has evolved since his original system. Bibliography: Berkely University. www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/linnaeus.html/ Galbraith, Don. Understanding Biology. John Wiley and Sons. Toronto. 1989, Microsoft. Encarta Encyclopedia 97. Microsoft Corporation. 1997

Causes of World War 1 :: essays research papers

The First World War began in August 1914. It was directly triggered by the assassination of the Austrian archduke, Franz Ferdinand and his wife, on 28th June 1914 by Bosnian revolutionary, Gavrilo Princip. This event was, however, simply the trigger that set off declarations of war. The actual causes of the war are more complicated and are still debated by historians today. Causes of the war also dealt with such ideologies as Nationalism, Imperialism and militarism along with the prominent alliance systems and the naval race. One of the main causes of the First World War is Kaiser Wilhelm 11. Kaiser Wilhelm 11 One of the causes of the outbreak of the war was Kaiser Wilhelm 11 ambitious aim. He had many aims but his main aim is to make Germany the superior. The German Kaiser was extremely envious of Britain for having a larger navy than that of Germany's and ordered the production of new Dreadnought-class battleships. Britain responded to the Germans attempt to equal its navy by creating a navy so large and powerful that no other nation's navy would ever contemplate an attack. This head-to-head production period was known as the "Arms Race" and created more tension between the two nations. Navy Alliances a system of military alliances was formed to provide European powers with a sense of security. There were two rivalling alliances The Triple Alliance consisted of the Central Powers, Germany and Austria-Hungary that had existed since 1879 when Bismarck had befriended the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In the agreement, both countries pledged that they would go to the aid of the other if attacked by Russia. This was done to ensure that Germany would always have an allied nation on its border if war were to occur. Italy later joined this alliance in 1882, which remained in tact until the beginning of World War I. The conditions of the alliance changed after Italy was added and stated that countries would aid any other that was under attack from two or more countries. The other alliance: The Triple Entente, was made up of Great Britain, France and Russia. As a result of Germanys build-up in naval resources, Great Britain was forced to abandon its isolation policy and adopt allies. France joined Great Britain in 1904. Unlike the Triple alliance, this agreement contained no promises of military support, although the two powers began to talk of joint military plans. The Triple Entente was completed when Russia joined in 1907.

Free College Admissions Essays: Committed to Music :: College Admissions Essays

I am Committed to Music In my first piano recital at the age of eight, I felt overwhelmed by the audience' s applause. Since that first recital, I became very committed to music and attempted to build a music career. At age six, I began playing the piano, and at age fifteen, I began playing the trumpet. Admitted by a professional music high school at age sixteen, I had the opportunity of exploring the broad world of music, and the high quality of instruction greatly enriched my music background. After intensively preparing for my first trumpet competition, I won the championship of trumpet competition for the remaining two years of high school. By attending various kinds of competitions, I further developed my musical interest and abilities. After graduating from high school, I entered Soochow University, whose music department is among the best in Taiwan. During these four years, I had numerous opportunities to perform on stage. Realizing early on that performance is the lifeblood of musicians, I joined as many orchestras, wood bands, and brass quintets as possible to acquire performance experience. Having numerous performing chances, and enjoying each of them, inspired me to become a professional musician in the future. Besides taking part in performing activities, I also used my experiences and knowledge to teach students. Believing that teaching others how to appreciate the beauty of life is fulfilling, I teach both to give knowledge and to enhance my own artistic ability. Because I so enjoyed my conversations with students, I remain committed to teaching and trying to convince others of the limitless joys of music. Now, after all my music training over the years, I want to further refine my music ability and enlarge my knowledge by pursuing

Kantian Pro Euthanasia

Without a doubt, there are forces that exist within the realms of right and wrong. This understanding of what right and wrong is is the back bone of moral philosophy, and its fundamental aim to decipher whether or not our actions lie on either side of these realms. Immanuel Kant states that these are not the only facets of morality (Lee). We must also further ask ourselves â€Å"what we ought to do,† in our case, to follow the the good will. In question, I debate whether euthanasia is an act of true good will to end suffering or if it is wrong to end a life in any circumstance.To be better moral and ethical beings, and to pursue what the philosophers call â€Å"the higher good,† we must take upon ourselves to end suffering in the face of imminent death, despite our prior connections to the life or personal beliefs. First and foremost, before addressing any claims as to what a moral action is, we must first have a basic understanding of what exactly constitutes a moral a nd an immoral action. In Immanuel Kant’s groundwork in morals, it states that an action can only be deemed moral if and only if devoid of all ulterior motive (Guthrie).With this said, we can safely say, killing anyone loved or otherwise, for any sort of gain is immoral, and therefore lacks virtue and the good will. More often than not, we will also come to a conclusion that we must choose life; we care too much about the ones we love to see them leave us, or even face the inevitability of death that will come soon after the immense suffering. Though as noble as saving a life may seem, this is not moral. As Kant’s First Categorical Imperative states, never treat someone as a means to an end, rather only as a means to an end to themselves.The maxims that drive our actions, in the endeavor to sustain the life of a suffering person, though however noble our intentions may be, are still only hypothetical imperatives that cater to our own selfish need to keep the lives that we cherish. It can also be argued that ending a life to soothe the pains of seeing the ones we love suffer is also immoral. Wouldn’t putting someone down so as that we wouldn’t have to endure the pain of watching their suffering be treating them as a means to an end? This too is only for our own philanthropic need to end our own woes, therefore is also considered, by the standards of Kant: immoral.There are further quandaries in the topic of euthanasia, than just to do or not to do. We must always remember that to be ethical and moral beings as stated in the metaphysics of morality, we must ask ourselves â€Å"what we ought to do† (Guthrie). This brings us to a near moral impossibility, where we must create answers and actions that beg sui generis. In the case of euthanasia, as moral and ethical creatures we ought to act against suffering, not because we feel our love ones suffer but to act upon categorical imperatives to end suffering for the sake of ending suf fering.We must not base our actions off the possible consequences of not allowing the being to die peacefully, but by the duty we have to end suffering. In the metaphysics of morals, it is believed that the good will is ambiguous despite its intentions. Qualities of character that are considered to be good do not ensure morality, despite its intentions (Guyer). With this said we must then overlook all emotions involved and only think about the situation in terms of duty. If this is so, in the case of euthanasia, should we not then forgo all emotional ties and venture south for more moral answers?The preservation of life holds many connections to human wants, when, if morality is the aim, principals rather than wants should be our maxims. Relying on principals to drive our actions ensures that we do what we have to do not because we want to but because what we do is our duty (therefore keeping virtue and the good will â€Å"untainted†). But I digress an acknowledge that this c oncept of pure duty as an imperative is almost impossible to achieve. Every observable action can be seen as conformity for the sake of conformity and/or for some sort of personal gain (Guthrie).But, as our predecessors before us stated, pure moral maxims do exist, and believing in them is a step to morality. This is not unlike the notion of God; we have no physical basis of what God is, as we don’t have physical notions of what pure moral intentions are, but what we do have are priors to what they are. The benefit of using Kant’s groundwork is that you get the action of good will without consequential thinking of the benefit or harm that may come from it. A moral action is that of virtue, a moral duty carried out from the good will.Therefore euthanasia is moral, for our duty and motive is to end suffering for the sake of ending suffering. It is the underlying intention which decides whether our action is moral or not. The consequence only decides how beneficial our ac tion was. As moral and ethical creatures we ought to act against suffering, not because we feel the emotional connection of watching someone you know suffer but to act upon categorical imperatives to end suffering for the sake of ending suffering. We must not end someone lse’s suffering to end our own pain or discomfort, but to end their suffering when all other choice besides death no longer exist for them. Works Cited â€Å"Immanuel Kant. † (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Ed. P. Guyer and A. Wood. N. p. , 20 May 2010. Web. 15 Oct. 2012. . Guthrie, Shandon L. â€Å"Immanuel Kant and the Categorical Imperative. † Immanuel Kant and the Categorical Imperative. N. p. , 03 Nov. 2011. Web. 15 Oct. 2012. . Lee, Harrison. â€Å"Kant – Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals. † Kant – Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals. N. p. , 13 May 2011. Web. 15 Oct. 2012. .

Administrative Competence of Local Officials Essay

Explain what mechanisms would you suggest to improve the administrative competence of local anesthetic officials to make local governance units effective partners of the national politics in the development of the country?With the changing concept of local governance, the local government force-out should be qualified and super trained for their enabling or facilitative functions. A basic question that is raised is, do they get to the competence to make out the enabling functions of local government?In the Philippines, both national and local governments have the responsibility to develop and improve the competencies of the local government personnel. The Civil Service perpetration (CSC) and the local Government Academy (LGA) of the incision of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) are mandated by law to build HR capabilities at the local level.See to a greater extent Beowulf essay essayThe CSC either conducts development activities through its regional 8 offices passim the country or through its veritable learn institutions. Through its regional offices, the CSC has been conducting courses for totally demesne workers which cover the following full general areas supervisory, middle management, clerical or secretarial, technological or professional, determine development, employee development, induction, and orientation or reorientation. To develop optimistic work attitudes among the state workers, the CSC offered and administered values development programs which included the Alay Sa Bayan (Offering to the Nation) training program.The CSC has also been touching base with the local government executives through the various Local Government Executive For a. Through this mechanism, the local government executives are updated on the current civil utility laws, rules and regulations and other applicable provisions of the Code.The program is focused on developing and strengthening the managerial and lead skills of local officials. Train ing programs are intentional to enhance skills and knowledge of employees to make them more effective in their jobs. These are pertain on orientation and reorientation values development updating of skills for supervisors, middle managers, clerical force, and technical or professional employees and personnel development. These imply that the kind of training that they have got would make them more effective service providers.