Research critique part 2 Essay

Quantitative Research Critique This is a quantitative study research critique of the research study conducted by Lisa M Black PhD,RN,CNE, Tragedy into Policy: A Quantitative Study of Nurses Attitudes Toward Patient Advocacy Activities. The findings from this research study was used in the state of Nevada to protect nurses when reporting unsafe conditions in patient care practices, thus providing a safer work environment where nurses can feel safe when speaking out where patient safety is in jeopardy from unsafe care practices. Protection of Human Participants The benefits of this study were the creation of legal protection for whistleblowers in the state of Nevada. There were no risks to any participants’ safety for this study. Informed consent was not needed as retuning the completed survey was viewed as consent to be included. All participation in the study was viewed as voluntary. Approval of the survey tool was obtained from the University of Nevada, Reno prior to beginning data collection. (Black, 2011, p. 29) Data Collection The dependent variables in this study are the registered nurses licensed to practice in the state of Nevada; the independent variable was the Registered Nurses’ Workplace Support for Patient Advocacy Activities Study Questionnaire.(Black, 2011, p. 29) Data was collected through the developed questionnaire that was sent to 1725 registered nurses with active, current licensure and residing in the state of Nevada at the time of the survey.(Black, 2011, p. 29) The author provided no rationale for using the chosen data collection method, I would assume that this was the most cost effective and best way to maintain privacy for all respondents. The surveys were sent out using the United States Postal Service on September 8, 2008. (Black, 2011, p. 30) The respondents were asked to complete the survey by one of two methods, filling out, and returning the paper survey via US postal service or by completing it online. All responses were accepted through October 31, 2008. (Black, 2011, p. 30) After distribution of the questionnaire respondents were given the time period listed September 8, 2008 through October 31, 2008 to respond to the survey either written or online. (Black, 2011, p. 30) Data Management and Analysis A priori power analysis was performed and established that a minimum sample of â€Å"405 respondents would be required to detect a medium effect size.†(Black, 2011, p. 29) In order to determine if the study sample was â€Å"demographically representative† of nurses in Nevada, the demographic data was compared to the data from the 2004 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses from Nevada. (Black, 2011, p. 29) Reliability testing of the survey tool â€Å"demonstrated a high degree of internal consistency.† (Black, 2011, p. 30) No statistical software was mentioned in this study. Other than the reliability testing performed, the survey results were calculated with a total of 564 valid responses collected this represented 33% response rate. (Black, 2011, p. 30) Response number varied from item to item as most participants left one or more items blank. (Black, 2011, p. 30) I felt this study was a reliable source of information concerning legislation protecting whistleblowers from workplace retaliation. According to the priori power analysis the minimum sample necessary of 405 respondents was required; with 564 valid responses received the minimum sample size was met. (Black, 2011, p. 29) The limitations that are identified in this study were, the sample size was considered to be small, even with the randomly chosen sample there was a potential response bias, and due to the nurses who have negative work environments may be more likely to complete the questionnaire than those with a more positive one. (Black, 2011, p. 33) This created the potential for inflated representation of the frequency and severity of these experiences. (Black, 2011, p. 33) This is the reason for caution when applying the findings to nurses outside of this study. (Black, 2011, p. 33) The survey tool did not allow for differentiation of different types of unsafe situations or different levels of retaliation. (Black, 2011, p. 34) Interpretation of survey questions may vary from one respondent to another. (Black, 2011, p. 34) This research study was presented in a logical easily understood manner with explanation and definition of findings and limitations. The findings of this study to were used in the creation of a law protecting nurses reporting unsafe patient care practices in acute care facilities and free standing offices and clinics in Nevada. The creation of this legislation helps create an environment for nurses to carry out† their moral imperative to prevent harm to patients whenever possible and to report potential or actual causes of harm† to protect patients.(Black, 2011, p. 35) There were no suggestions for future research. There was suggestion for changes in workplace environments encouraging openness in communication and especially in cases where patient safety is a concern. (Black, 2011, p. 35)

Future earth-climate of earth (around the equator) 250 million years later

The story about the climate at the equator 250 million years ago is both interesting and frightening. Interesting, because it puts all the things we concern ourselves with right now in perspective, and they seem very insignificant, and frightening, because of what it suggests is in store for us. It is believed that 250 million years from now, by a process of ‘subduction’, a giant continent called ‘Pangea Ultima’ will be formed, which will consist of North America and Africa married to one another with South America rounding off the bottom of the supercontinent. A miniscule ocean basin will remain at the bottom of the two continents.This marriage and other changes will cause a big effect on temperature. The huge landmass will mean that winds reaching the land will be denuded of their moisture. Much of what is now southern North America will fall on the Equator. Because it will be robbed of any moisture bearing winds, it will probably become barren, and may ev en form into a desert. The beaches of Miami will probably be replaced by an Arizona like landscape. In addition to the geosphere, the water bodies (the hydrosphere) will also make a big impact on the temperature and climate around the equator.What is today the Indian Ocean will be trapped, creating a giant lake like body the size of modern Australia. Being trapped like a lake, the Indian Ocean will not be able to circulate air currents and therefore affect temperature. Parts of the Indian subcontinent that will then (and even today to) fall on the equator will likely not benefit from the South Western and North Eastern monsoons that bring rain and influence temperature. The atmosphere will not be left behind in this giant drama. The atmosphere acts a conduit in the transfer of heat and water from the oceans and seas to the land.The formation of a new giant ocean and a supercontinent will make the transmission of this heat energy from the sea to the land and water vapour (which is de posited on land as rain) more difficult. Instead of carrying moisture laden winds, large parts of the giant landmasses, particularly around the equator will be affected by hot, dry winds, which will increase temperature on the surface as well. In the same vein, the atmosphere may serve to radiate hot air outwards from the centre of these giant continents to the peripheries, which could increase the temperature in other regions, and also affect the surface temperature.As a consequence, the temperature overall might rise, exacerbating the effect of climate change induced by human factors. The outlook is not all grim however. Higher temperatures, coupled with a giant lake like Indian Ocean (providing an abundant supply of water) could result in the proliferation of plant life in much of equatorial Africa, South America and Asia. The proliferation of plant life would bring down temperatures and reduce levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, countering the effects of global warming.T he contortion of the landmass of Eurasia will bring the eastern parts of Russia, such as the port city of Vladivostok along the equator. The climate pattern in Russia in particular will therefore completely change, becoming much less severe and a lot more temperate and even equatorial. Finally, California and large parts of then equatorial North America will have very heavy, even torrential rainfall. Them being the first landmasses after several thousand miles of ocean, huge amounts of water will be deposited as rain in these parts. This could have a cooling effect on the temperature there.

Firm performance Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Firm performance - Research Paper Example ,000 - $3,000,000 - $4,400,000 = - $2,400,000 profit Now, assuming $3,000,000 fixed costs ($4,400,000 + $3,000,000) / 200,000 = $37 average total cost ($25 - $37) x 200,000 = $200,000 x (-12) = -$2,400,000 profit -2,400,000 / $80 worker wage = 30,000 workers laid off What should be done at the firm In the first scenario, the business breaks even, thus when fixed costs increase over $600,000, the business should shut down production or at least consider its capacity in terms of labor and the pricing of the finished output. At $1,000,000, the business takes a profit loss of $400,000. Certainly at fixed costs increasing to $3,000,000 rather than the $1,000,000, the business is taking a profit loss of $2,400,000 which is substantial and would be difficult to offset without a significant cut in labor. In a practical firm environment with manufacturing, this is likely not feasible. In the third scenario when assuming fixed costs of $3,000,000, it would require laying off 30,000 workers, wh ich is 60 percent of the entire labor force. Below is the calculation for the new worker productivity with laid off workers when fixed costs total three million dollars. 200,000 units of output / 20,000 = 10 total worker productivity (a raise from 4 in scenario 1) There is really not enough data provided about the dynamics of worker responsibility or the tangibles of the production system to determine whether workers can increase their productivity without considering layoffs of 60 percent of the staff. However, as aforementioned, it is likely not feasible to reduce the workforce by such a significant volume without reducing output. The total worker productivity calculation is a quantitative evaluation tool that does not take into consideration the operations environment or capacity. The most logical course of action would be to raise the selling price of the finished product from $25 to a more competitive market price that will allow for profit to be achieved. A small fraction of t he workforce, say 10 percent, would provide for $400,000 cost savings and could likely be achieved with careful production planning, consolidation, or other operational changes. By adding an additional $5 to the selling price, revenues would increase from $5,000,000 to $6,000,000, which would provide profit in the scenario where fixed costs are $600,000, when assuming $1,000,000 and much closer to break-even when the fixed costs are assumed at $3,000,000. Profit of $1,000,000 by reducing 10 percent of the workforce and enhancing pricing structure from $25 to $30 would add $1,400,000 to revenues and worker cost savings. With subsequent pricing increases, the losses can be offset without disrupting productivity or output volumes. The business should consider market conditions and demand factors before establishing an appropriate price increase to ensure that business is not lost and the output product can still be competitive in the marketplace. When prices increase,

The appearance of 'symbolism' and 'themes' found in Maya Angelou's, I Essay

The appearance of 'symbolism' and 'themes' found in Maya Angelou's, I know Why the Caged Bird Sings - Essay Example The years in between are marked by at least seven major upheavals of her life, moving from her parents home as a tiny child to her grandmother’s house in Stamps, back to St. Louis to live with her mother and back to Stamps following a rape by her mother’s boyfriend. Eventually, she is returned to her mother, this time in San Francisco. Her visit to her father in Southern California turns into a nightmare period of living on the streets until she is finally able to return to her mother’s home in San Francisco. Throughout the story, Angelou employs a great deal of symbolism to relate her personal journey to the greater journey of the black woman of her generation through such devices as Maya’s Easter Dress, Momma’s store, Maya’s rape at the age of eight, the metaphor of the cage and the concept of voice. The story begins with a particularly poignant scene from Maya’s early life in Stamps that instantly identifies the degree to which the black community was subdued under the yoke of white expectations through the symbol of the lavender dress. Although Maya’s community is entirely black, her ideals regarding what is beautiful are established by the white world outside. This concept is symbolized in the form of her lavender Easter dress. â€Å"I knew that once I put it on I’d look like a movie star †¦ I was going to look like one of the sweet little white girls who were everybody’s dream of what was right with the world† (Angelou 1). In this statement, Angelou captures the primary desire of all black girls of her generation and before and many since who have felt the only way to find social acceptance was to somehow rid oneself of one’s ‘blackness.’ Angelou herself has indicated that she â€Å"wasn’t thinking so much a bout my own life or identity. I was thinking about a particular time in which I lived and the influences of that time on a number of people †¦ I used the central figure –

Business Strategy and the Kingspan PLC Group Case Study

Business Strategy and the Kingspan PLC Group - Case Study Example According to this view strategy wraps around trading formulas into an acceptable systems where all or part of the firm's investment portfolio are integrated. This view is governed by rules that do not deviate, based on anything other than market action and it eliminates emotions bias because the systems operate within the parameters known by the trader or an investment firm. The proponents of this view argue it in two ways: firstly where a trader only needs to trade at the beginning and at the end to ensure the payoff and secondly it is applied between the start and the maturity of the derivative where a trader needs to trade more than once to ensure the payoff at maturity. 1 It relies on the collection of economic data which consists of measurable values of prices and changes in prices, for measurable commodities for example the cost of a particular commodity and how much of it is being used, the relationship between the general level of prices and the general level of employment this including the observable forms of economic activities such as money, consumption, preferences, buying, selling and prices. A strategy can also be viewed as a planning process that can allow an organization to concentrate its resources on the greatest opportunities to increase sales and achieve a sustainable competitive advantage, serving as a fundamental underpinning of marketing plans designed to reach an organizations marketing goals, policies and action tactics into a cohesive whole. This view may take the form of market dominance where organizations are classified based on the market share or dominance of organization for example, a market leader, a market challenger and a market follower. It may also take the form of the dimensions of the strategic scope relating to the market penetration and strategic strength of the competing firms, where by competitive advantage such as cost leadership, product differentiation and market segmentation can be achieved. 2It also takes the form of dealing with the firm's rate of new product development and business model innovation. It also describes how the firm sh ould grow which is normally done by horizontal integration, vertical integration, diversification or intensification. Another view of a strategy is a process of specifying an organization's visions, initiatives and processes in order to deploy their online assets including: websites, digital audio and video content, rich internet applications, community groups, banner advertisements in a manner that maximizes the business benefits they provide to the organization. This plan is normally presented in three ways:-identifying key opportunities or challenges in a business where online assets can provide a solution:-identifying the unmet needs and goals of the customers that align with key business opportunities and lastly developing a vision on how the assets will fulfil the business and customer needs, goals, opportunities and challenges. The other view of strategy is concerned with geographic direction of state's foreign policy. This describes a foreign policy thrust

Talk about Henri Cartier-Bresson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Talk about Henri Cartier-Bresson - Essay Example This biography tries to make a journey through his life that was all about making a history of photography with outstanding moments of achievements from the rarest events in the chronicle of world politics and his revolutionary vision in the future of photojournalism. Early life Henri Cartier-Bresson was the first of the five children born to a rather wealthy family based on textile manufacturing industry on August 22, 1908 in Chanteloup-en-Brie in France (Encyclopedia of World Biography). His hometown and the support of his family provided him with the facilities required for his choosing the desired path; and the young Henri embraced the art of sketching at every free minute-probably as a foundation for his development as a photographer later. Right from his childhood, Cartier-Bresson has a fascination for handling snapshot cameras and cherished a secret love for being a photographer despite his father’s ambition to make him his successor in the family business. One cannot b lame Henri for his passion for the art of drawing because his father himself had a fine hand to hold the brush socked in colors at leisure. Cartier-Bresson’s life took a blissful turn when he realized that his attempts on music lessons were becoming futile-exactly when he compensated his loss at music learning by switching to painting as a subject of study under the guidance of his uncle who taught Henri until he died in World War I (Encyclopedia of World Biography). His real professionalism started in 1927 when he explored the wider spectrum of visual arts exposed by many great artists of that time. He learned the art of blending French classical painting with contemporary and modern art models and adopted the ambitious approach of the great sculptor and cubist painter Andre Lhote, whom Henri later held as his educator and considered excellence in sculpture designs as photography of imagination. Cartier-Bresson’s self-motivated enthusiasm to experiment his own styles in art modeling was not an easy bit for Lhote, who had always focused on the theoretical perfection of every artist. Thus an eventual restlessness in Cartier-Bresson’s self-styled interior might have caused the making of a completely innovative cameraman, who became the apt personality to be called ‘the father of modern photography’ in due course. Entry into Active Photography The transformation of a conservative businessman’s son to a matchless photographer of the world history was not something that happened overnight. The two-year study on painting and the experimental approach had a little break from Cartier-Bresson’s life when he was compelled to move out of Paris in 1931 when he went Africa (Henri Cartier-Bresson Facts). The new land of wild beauty and the delightful taste of a hunter’s hungry eyes did not last long-Henri realized that the beasts had beauty to be captured. In fact his African expedition nurtured his early skills in adve nturous photography by which he learned the art of framing the exquisiteness of his surroundings. For this regard, he adopted a 35mm Leica and created magical effects on photo shoot with spectacular accuracy and clarity. At such an early time itself Cartier-Bresson was well equipped with lenses matching the contexts with cameras fit enough to do

Trade Union Revitalization in Europe and North America Essay

Trade Union Revitalization in Europe and North America - Essay Example This study looks into a trade union as a labor union. It is formed by workers of a given organization who come up together to set common goals and objectives which are mostly concerned with how to improve their welfare in their respective organizations. Trade unions have their own leadership structures that govern their day to day operations in ensuring that they do achieve their set goals and objectives. One of the key roles of the leadership of these trade unions is to negotiate with the respective employers to favor the interests of the members of that particular trade union. Mostly they bargain about how the employer is expected to improve the working conditions of its employees and also labor contracts. These labor contracts may include the procedures to be followed in recruitment of new staff members and dismissal of any existing employee, terms of wages and so on. Trade unions originated from Europe before spreading to other countries all over the world. In the past, they were not in existence but due to the fact that employers were taking advantage of their unskilled employees by underpaying them and misusing them in their work places trade unions were formed. They became very popular with the employees of various organizations worldwide due to the various benefits derived from them. Trade unions have the power to take any relevant industrial action such as strike if their negotiated demands are not adhered to by the respective authorities. Even though trade unions originated from Europe, the effects of neo-liberal turn has greatly affected the functioning and power of trade unions in the developed countries and especially in Europe and north America in the yester years. High labor mobility is another core factor that has affected the functioning of trade unions in Europe and North America. There has been a variety of strategies developed by the trade unions in these respective countries to try and address the major factors affecting the functioning and powers. These strategies are aimed at ensuring that these trade unions remain for the interest of its workers. Most discussions have been held by various trade unions in Europe and North America to discuss the most viable strategies to solve the problem of increasing labor mobility that has become a threat to the trade unions. One of these strategies that is mostly applicable in North America and Europe is trade union organizing. This strategy was developed in the United States of America before it spread to other countries in America. This strategy mostly stressed the true, fair and known strategies to be applied in the respective organizations when conducting the recruitment and selection of new staff members and also the strategies to be followed when empowering the existing employees in that organization (Milkma & Kim 2004) Despite the benefits associated with the trade union organizing, there has been serious debate in the North America and Europe as to whether this strategy i s the best to bring about revitalization in the trade unions found in organizations located in Europe and North America. In our essay we shall bring out the argument and conclude whether there is trade union revitalization in Europe and North America by assessing the major discussion in progress which aims to compare the organizing strategy with neo liberal regime. Unlike other earlier studies that discussed revitalization of trade unions, this essay focuses on the inter relationship that exists between the strategies chosen by the leaders of these trade unions in their given organizations and the opportunities that may

Development of Conflict between Members of a Small Team and the Essay

Development of Conflict between Members of a Small Team and the Measures Taken To Solve the Impasse - Essay Example This paper illustrates that a recent experience that forms the main basis of this reflection forms the researcher’s experience of a workplace conflict in a team of four and the associated measures the author had to take to intervene in the situation being the supervisor. Mr. Michael, a new employee at the company, was recently transferred from another branch to the environmental department of that comprised of three members of staff and the researcher, as the supervisor in the department. Mr. Michael was African and as the author would later discover his arrival resulted in tension and misunderstanding in the department. Mr. Moses, the department long-serving officer was involved in a heated discussion with Michael on the jobs allocated to Mr. Michael that turned out to be more than the other two were given and in the process, Moses used a racial slur. Mr. Michael believed that the other members of the department were in a collision since they did not agree to share work equal ly resulting in hostility developing into workplace conflict among the four members of the department. Mr. Moses and the other department members believed that they were superior having only interacted with department members of the same color since Mr. Michael was the first employee in the company of a different ethnic community. In hindsight, it has come to my view that the author could have taken different measures that could have resulted in a better solution to the situation. After the confrontation, the work environment was edgy and filled with anxiety that no work was being completed successfully owing to the no-talking terms between Mr. Michael and the other members of the department including Mr. Moses. After meetings with the department members and one-on-one conversation with Mr. Michael and Mr. Moses to help resolve the situation to no avail, the author felt that he need to step in and solve the issue for the benefit of the organization and the success of the department. Since the department was running well before Mr. Michael’s arrival, the author requested his transfer, which he previously requested when the discrimination occurred since he believed he could not effectively work with the team. On reflecting on the solution, the author believes it was not morally correct to have undertaken that decision.

Assignment2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 2

Assignment2 - Essay Example It notes various legal backgrounds that recognize the link between culture and natural resources, in addition to citing the role they can play in managing the river as well as the impacts it may have on their lifestyle. Table of Contents Abstract 2 Introduction 4 Discussion 5 Background 5 Ownership concepts surrounding the Waikato river saga 5 Maori’s right to resources 9 Conclusion 10 Introduction The Maori community feels their interest is not catered for in the deal involving Waikato River which they feel they have ownership and guardianship rights to, based on the Treaty of Waitangi claims. This claim has been elicited by the signing of deal between the Crown and Waikato-Tanui. This paper therefore explores the case of struggles surrounding of the Waikato River which lies at the center of tribal identity and the troubles surrounding its ownership and guardianship rights. Through analysis of the competing discourses, the emerging tensions and interpretation issues are discu ssed in depth and on their basis, a conclusion derived. Waikato River is known as being the longest River in New Zealand. It is believed to officially start at Nukuhau close to Taupo Township and through its course it is served by various streams and smaller tributaries (Mataira, 1983). The river runs in the North West direction and goes via several forests and rural settings. Based on the activities surrounding the places it passes, it is currently affected fertilizers originating from farmlands, wastewater from industries and urban settings including those from the turbines at the electro power stations. In general, Waikato River is a vital resource to the communities and organizations surrounding and hence its usage impacts on a broad population. Logically, any issues affecting it must therefore be subject to reaction from those affected. Discussion Background The ownership concept in relation to Waikato River is one which brings together people from different backgrounds and que stions their understanding of both leadership and authority in context of natural resources found within their localities. The level of emotions elicited in the quest to claim of ownership of the river cannot be best described than by the words of ‘Iwi,’ the principal negotiator for Waitangi Treaty who asserted that, â€Å"We don’t need a bloody court document to tell us we own the river, we know we do (Field notes, 2000).† It’s one that no doubt puts to battle, beliefs of a society and the Crown. This is what might be termed as a populist statement in the face of crisis. Nonetheless, it does eliminate the possibility of the communities claim for ownership being true. The concept of ownership as expressed by tribal leaders basically centered on the interests of the community. Ownership concepts surrounding the Waikato river saga Virtually each and every society has its concepts which are considered kin to the western ownership theory. Nonetheless, w hat one culture considers ownership is not the same as what another culture would consider as ownership. In essence, ownership concept differs from one sphere to another. According to Stokes (1994) the ownership of Waikato River within context of land claim by the locals was not a claim for exclusive right of ownership of the River but rather they primarily wanted to participate to the river’s management, within precincts of the Maori values. This view is entrenched in the words of

Studying Abroad Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Studying Abroad - Essay Example g number of students spending semesters in other countries."Safety and security of the students is obviously the top priority for all programs," says Brian Whalen, president of the Forum on Education Abroad, a non-profit group for study-abroad providers. When deaths do occur, "thats tragic," he says. (USA TODAY 3) Everyone has different experiences and reasons for studying abroad. Â  Some students will study abroad to discover a new career path or to look good in a job interview, while other might want to gain interpersonal skills. Students are choosing to study abroad and take on the major challenge of being immersed in one’s culture. According to the Unesco’s Institute for Statistics, they’ve found that the number of study abroad students worldwide will keep increasing every year by about 12 percent. This growth fosters and showcases the curiosity of cultural encounters and growth in the knowledge through cross-cultural experiences.( http://thecollegetourist.com On April 22,

Death of a Saleman - Happy Loman Essay Example for Free

Death of a Saleman Happy Loman Essay Happy shares none of the poetry that erupts from Biff and that is buried in Willy—he is the stunted incarnation of Willy’s worst traits and the embodiment of the lie of the happy American Dream. As such, Happy is a difficult character with whom to empathize. He is one-dimensional and static throughout the play. His empty vow to avenge Willy’s death by finally â€Å"beat[ing] this racket† provides evidence of his critical condition: for Happy, who has lived in the shadow of the inflated expectations of his brother, there is no escape from the Dream’s indoctrinated lies. Happy’s diseased condition is irreparable—he lacks even the tiniest spark of self-knowledge or capacity for self-analysis. He does share Willy’s capacity for self-delusion, trumpeting himself as the assistant buyer at his store, when, in reality, he is only an assistant to the assistant buyer. He does not possess a hint of the latent thirst for knowledge that proves Biff’s salvation. Happy is a doomed, utterly duped figure, destined to be swallowed up by the force of blind ambition that fuels his insatiable sex drive. Character Analysis Happy might as well be Willy Jr., because this apple hasnt fallen far from the tree. Though he is relatively successful in his job, he has his dads totally unrealistic self-confidence, and his grand dreams about getting rich quick. Like Biff, but to a lesser extent, Happy has suffered from his fathers expectations. Mostly, though, his father doesnt pay that much attention to him. Willy was always a bigger fan of Biff. Happy, maybe because he always felt second best, has more of a desire to please his father. Despite his respectable accomplishments in business, and the many, many notches on his bedpost, Happy is extremely lonely. Happy is competitive and ambitious, but these feelings are misdirected. Unable to compete on his own terms in the business world, Happy blindly pursues women – taken women – purely for the sake of doing so. Looks like hes taken his sense of competition to the realm of sex. Of course, this, much like the world of business, fails to satisfy him. Most disturbing for Happy is the fact that he cant figure out why all this isnt working. Hes followed the rules, done all the right things, yet Happy just isnt happy. His name highlights the irony of his predicament. If you consider the fact that parents name their children, you could say that Willy foolishly bestowed the nickname on his son in yet another display of misguidance and delusion. Nice. Just as the saddest part of Willys suicide is his continued delusion, the saddest part of Happys ending is his own persistent misbelief. Still driven by what he feels he should want (money, a wife), he sticks to Willy’s foolish dreams to the bitter end. Happy Loman Hap is the Lomans youngest son. He lives in an apartment in New York, and during the play is staying at his parents house to visit. Hap is of low moral character; constantly with another woman, trying to find his way in life, even though he is confident hes on the right track. Hap has always been the second son to Biff and tries to be noticed by his parents by showing off. When he was young he always told Willly, Im losin weight pop, you notice? And, now he is always saying, Im going to get married, just you wait and see, in an attempt to redeem himself in his mothers eyes. Hap also tries to be on Willys good side and keep him happy, even if it means perpetuating the lies and illusions that Willy lives in. In the end of the play, Hap cannot see reality. Like his father, he is destined to live a fruitless life trying for something that will not happen. Willy Loman did not die in vain, he says, †¦He had a good dream, the only dream a man can have to come out number one man. He fought it out here, and this where Im gonna win it for him. Death of a Salesman By Arthur Miller Character Analysis Happy Loman Happy is a young version of Willy. He incorporates his fathers habit of manipulating reality in order to create situations that are more favorable to him. Happy grew up listening to Willy embellish the truth, so it is not surprising that Happy exaggerates his position in order to create the illusion of success. Instead of admitting he is an assistant to the assistant, Happy lies and tells everyone he is the assistant buyer. This is Willys philosophy all over again. Happy also relishes the fact that respectable women cannot resist him. He has seduced the fiancà ©es of three executives just to gain a perception of pleasure and power. He thrives on sexual gratification, but even more than that, Happy savors the knowledge that he has ruined women engaged to men he works for and also despises. He states, I hate myself for it. Because I dont want the girl, and, still, I take it and — I love it! Happy is similar to Willy in two ways. Both deny their positions and exaggerate details in order to aggrandize themselves, and sexual interludes are the defining moments of both of their lives. Willys life revolves around his attempt to forget his affair with the Woman, while Happys life revolves around an active pursuit of affairs with many women. Death of a Salesman addresses loss of identity and a mans inability to accept change within himself and society. The play is a montage of memories, dreams, confrontations, and arguments, all of which make up the last 24 hours of Willy Lomans life. The three major themes within the play are denial, contradiction, and order versus disorder. Each member of the Loman family is living in denial or perpetuating a cycle of denial for others. Willy Loman is incapable of accepting the fact that he is a mediocre salesman. Instead Willy strives for his version of the American dream — success and notoriety — even if he is forced to deny reality in order to achieve it. Instead of acknowledging that he is not a well-known success, Willy retreats into the past and chooses to relive past memories and events in which he is perceived as successful. For example, Willys favorite memory is of Biffs last football game because Biff vows to make a touchdown just for him. In this scene in the past, Willy can hardly wait to tell the story to his buyers. He considers himself famous as a result of his sons pride in him. Willys sons, Biff and Happy, adopt Willys habit of denying or manipulating reality and practice it all of their lives, much to their detriment. It is only at the end of the play that Biff admits he has been a phony too, just like Willy. Linda is the only character that recognizes the Loman family lives in denial; however, she goes along with Willys fantasies in order to preserve his fragile mental state. The second major theme of the play is contradiction. Throughout the play, Willys behavior is riddled with inconsistencies. In fact, the only thing consistent about Willy is his inconsistency. From the very beginning of Act I, Scene 1, Willy reveals this tendency. He labels Biff a lazy bum but then contradicts himself two lines later when he states, And such a hard worker. Theres one thing about Biff — hes not lazy. Willys contradictions often confuse audiences at the beginning of the play; however, they soon become a trademark of his character. Willys inconsistent behavior is the result of his inability to accept reality and his tendency to manipulate or re-create the past in an attempt to escape the present. For example, Willy cannot resign himself to the fact that Biff no longer respects him because of Willys affair. Rather than admit that their relationship is irreconcilable, Willy retreats to a previous time when Biff admired and respected him. As the play continues, Willy disassociates himself more and more from the present as his problems become too numerous to deal with. The third major theme of the play, which is order versus disorder, results from Willys retreats into the past. Each time Willy loses himself in the past, he does so in order to deny the present, especially if the present is too difficult to accept. As the play progresses, Willy spends more and more time in the past as a means of reestablishing order in his life. The more fragmented and disastrous reality becomes, the more necessary it is for Willy to create an alternative reality, even if it requires him to live solely in the past. This is demonstrated immediately after Willy is fired. Ben appears, and Willy confides nothings working out. I dont know what to do. Ben quickly shifts the conversation to Alaska and offers Willy a job. Linda appears and convinces Willy that he should stay in sales, just like Dave Singleman. Willys confidence quickly resurfaces, and he is confident that he has made the right decision by turning down Bens offer; he is certain he will be a success like Singl eman. Thus, Willys memory has distracted him from the reality of losing his job. Denial, contradiction, and the quest for order versus disorder comprise the three major themes of Death of a Salesman. All three themes work together to create a dreamlike atmosphere in which the audience watches a mans identity and mental stability slip away. The play continues to affect audiences because it allows them to hold a mirror up to themselves. Willys self-deprecation, sense of failure, and overwhelming regret are emotions that an audience can relate to because everyone has experienced them at one time or another. Individuals continue to react to Death of a Salesman because Willys situation is not unique: He made a mistake — a mistake that irrevocably changed his relationship with the people he loves most — and when all of his attempts to eradicate his mistake fail, he makes one grand attempt to correct the mistake. Willy vehemently denies Biffs claim that they are both common, ordinary people, but ironically, it is the universality of the play which makes it so enduring. Biffs statement, Im a dime a dozen, and so are you is true after all. Miller often experiments with narrative style and technique. For example, Miller includes lengthy exposition pieces that read as stage directions within The Crucible. At first glance, it seems that an audience must either read the information in the program or listen to a long-winded narrator. Upon further inspection however, it becomes apparent that Millers inclusion of background material allows actors and directors to study character motivation and internalize the information, thereby portraying it in the performance. Miller provides audiences with a unique experience when it comes to Death of a Salesman. In many ways, the play appears traditional. In other words, there are actors who interact with one another, there is a basic plot line, and the play contains standard dramatic elements such as exposition, rising action, conflict, climax, and so forth. However, Millers manipulation of time and space creates a very non-traditional atmosphere that is unsettling but effective because it mirrors Willys mental state, thereby allowing the audience to witness his mental instability and take part in it. Stage directions call for a complete house for the Lomans. An audience will not simply watch the action take place in the kitchen but can observe several rooms within the home. This sounds as if it would be distracting since an audience can view several things at once. After all, what should the audience look at? If more than one character is on stage, whom should the audience pay attention to? Miller solves this problem through lighting. Only characters that are talking or involved in direct action are lit on stage, all other rooms, characters, and props remain in shadow. The result is a vast number of rooms and props that can be utilized immediately. The audience does not have to wait while a new set is erected or an old one torn down, but instead moves directly and instantaneously into the next scene. Such movement without the benefit of time delays or dialogue transitions produces a disjointed and fragmented sequence of events, much like a dream. In fact, the stage directions in Act I describe the house as follows: An air of the dream clings to the place, a dream arising out of reality. Miller does not stop there. Even though the action of the play can shift from one part of the house to another without delay, the action is still limited to the present. Willys dreams, memories, or recollections of past events must be revealed in a manner that is distinct from actions taking place in the present. This is important for two reasons: First, the audience must be able to differentiate between the present and the past in order to follow the action of the play; second, Willys increased agitation must be apparent to the audience, and there is no better way to reveal it than to have the audience observe his inability to separate the past from the reality of the present. Miller achieves this effect by manipulating the space and boundaries of the rooms. When action takes place in the present, characters observe wall boundaries and enter and exit through the doors. During Willys recollections of the past, characters do not observe wall boundaries, and the action generally takes place in the area at the front of the stage, rather than inside the house. As a result, the audience can distinguish present events from Willys memories. For example, in Act I, Scene 3, Willy pours a glass of milk in the kitchen, sits down, and begins to mumble to himself. He is in the present. He then remembers a past conversation with the teenage Biff and resumes the conversation. Since this is a past event, Willy directs his speech through the wall to a point offstage. This cues the audience that Willy is digressing in the past. Sound is also used to create a dreamlike state for both Willy and the audience. A flute melody is associated with Willy, Ben has his own music, laughter cues the Woman, and so forth. Once the sound is introduced with the appropriate character, the audience automatically associates the sound with that same character. As a result, Miller is able to prompt reactions and expectations from the audience, whether they are aware or not. For example, in Act II, Scene 14, it appears that things have finally been settled between Willy and Biff. Even though Biff is leaving in the morning, he and Willy have reconciled. This puts the audience at ease, but once Bens music is heard, it is evident that the play has not reached its final conclusion. In fact, Bens appearance may create anxiety for the audience because it suggests an alternate, more disturbing, end to the play. As the play progresses, the action shifts to the front of the stage. In other words, the audience becomes increasingly aware that the majority of the action is taking place inside Willys head. It is difficult enough to watch an individual lose his or her identity. It is extremely unsettling and disturbing to be forced to experience the individuals memories, illusions, or perhaps delusions resulting in mental instability. Miller takes that into consideration and then pushes his audiences to the extreme. As Willys mental state declines, the audience is forced to watch and to react. As a result, the play may be called Death of a Salesman, but it is a death observed and experienced by every member of the audience.

Democracy - Essay Essay Example for Free

Democracy Essay Essay Introduction Democracy, it is generally believed, had its roots in Ancient Athens. We know it spread its stems to most of Europe and later to parts of Asia by mid 19th century , mostly in the form of parliamentary democracy. But in the context of this paper,we are not interested in the histrocity of the idea or concept of democracy, but in the idea itself. That is to say we want to analyze the meaning of democracy and its different forms, study its efficiency (so to say), ponder over its limitations and compare it to other forms of government. Whether democracy was conceived of in Athens, Sparta or India is not a topic of interest in this paper (although there may be references to historical events in the evolution of the idea when pertinent). What does democracy mean? Democracy comes from the greek â€Å"rule of the people†. But as I searched for a definition of democracy in the course of research for this paper, a consistent defintion of it seemed to elude me. So we must examine some of these definitions and try to find a core to the idea of democracy, if there exists one. Bunch of different ideas and quotes are out thr on internet put about 4-5 of them here and discuss if them from a current or historical perspective..ive written down one for u: â€Å"The right to dissent without repercussions to ones personal well-being is the core value of Democracyâ€Å" * Nathan Sharansky Discuss quotes such as this to evaluate how these ideas are implemented in practice.. All this should take up about 500 words..  The only core value seems to be people get to elect their governement..how much of the peoples rights are respected after that greatly varies.. Forms of democracy Representative..constitutes parliamentary and liberal(most democracies are  these) Constitutional Direct Socialist Totalitarian ..discuss all thseabout 300 words.. A critique of democacy An illusion There was no stone-pelting, nothing.There was no curfew They fired indiscriminately. (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/kashmir-burns-again-as-india-responds-to-dissent-with-violence-2045905.html). The above was said by Abdul Rashid, a Kashmiri youth whose friend was gunned down by Indian army officials for holding a peaceful, nonviolent, anti-government rally in the summer of 2010. But this was not an anomoly in the process of democracy in India. Kashmir still remains the most militarized zone in the world with about a half a million troops on active duty (for the sake of comparison, the United States had about 165,000 troops in Iraq at its peak)(i read these figures on cia.gov..i dont remember the exact link ). How is that a government for the people is killing its own citizens for holding a nonviolent demonstration? How is such a huge militarization of a province in a democracy justified? Even a basic understanding of the ideas of freedom and liberty that democracy ent ails shows how abhorrent these actions are. But these things happen, not just in India, but in other developed counties like the United States (Japanese americans in 1942), where the rights of their citizens are violated just when they would want to exercise them. So one must ask, are democracies really for the people? A study of history of goverment brutality in countries like India and the United States seem to suggest otherwise. The almost forceful takeaway of land by the Indian goverment in eastern India from farmers (actions which directly led to the Naxalite-Maoist insurgency, something the current prime minister of India called the single biggest internal security challenge ever faced by our country.( http://www.ploughshares.ca/libraries/ACRText/ACR-IndiaAP.html)), seem to suggest otherwise. The locking up of Japanese Americans in internment camps in 1942 by Franklin Roosevelt and the Unites States government seem to suggest otherwise. The indiscriminate shooting of  unarmed, nonviolent Kashmiri youths (some as young as 9 years old)shouting â€Å"azadi!azadi!†(â€Å"freedom!freedom!†) by Indian security officials seem to suggest otherwise. One gets the idea. So maybe people like Vilfredo Pareto and Gaetano Mosca are correct after all. The masses are always characterized by apathy and division, the powers to be by drive and unity (Femia, Joseph V. Against the Masses, Oxford 2001). Maybe all democracy does is shift the power scale, from domination by a despotic leader to manipulation by a democratic government. Maybe the people don’t really have much of a say after all. Maybe it’s just an illusion. Majority rule Majority always gets its way..discuss gay rights..civil rights in us..womens rights historically..religious parties like shiv sena in Mumbai..rising intolerance of secularism in india..majority rule can get tyrannical and the minority issues ignored when people get to decide resolutions to minority issues. The irrational voter â€Å"The best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter.† – Winston Churchill Talk about how the common man is largely ignorant about serious issues and hence can vote against his/her interests..u can greatly discuss the recent midterms in us to make this pointbasically ur sayin if we must solve economic issues we talk to economist..if we must solve environmental issues we talk to climate scientists..if we are talking abt what to teach in science class we take the consensus of scientist not what the common people of the state think (talk abt teaching creationism in schools..a lot of states in us have majority of it people wanting creationism be taught as science even though almost no scientist believe it to be science)not everything should be up for a vote.. Economically Ur a better person to write abt this Idealistic Show how its hard to apply democratic principles in practicecorrupt officials..apathetic citizens..uprisings etc.. Instable Frequent elections make the government instableshitload of examples on the internet abt this.. Best we have? â€Å"It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.†- Winston Churchill Compare democracy to other forms of governments like dictatorships, communist states, anarchist, socialist,etc..define and discuss each with respect to western liberal democracy..ive done some of it for anarchist Anarchist Anarchists are those who advocate the absence of the state, arguing that common sense would allow people to come together in agreement to form a functional society allowing for the participants to freely develop their own sense of morality, ethics or principled behaviour. (from wikipedia). One such current society is Somalia, and it would not be hyperbole to suggest they are not doing very well. The lack of a state and police have led to nationwide lawlessness, violence and spiralled the country into utter chaos. I think Somalia really characterizes the severe consequences of not having a state and is not a direction one would want their country to go in. Giving people all the power has resulted in the most powerful and the most brutal of them to take power and the rest of people losing all freedom(ironically).

Banking Industry Analysis: Zimbabwe And India

Banking Industry Analysis: Zimbabwe And India Banking industry is the major player in every countrys economy, and it influences the growth and prosperity of a nation. The following environmental analysis seeks to look at the banking Industry in Zimbabwe and India especially with regard to the PESTLE (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, Environmental) factors and how they have a bearing on the industry. It will further look at Porters five forces namely: New entrants, Threat of Substitutes, Power of Suppliers, Power of buyers and Competitive rivalry. In doing so, a brief history is important as it gives a mile view of the origins and development of the industry. . Based on these factors a comparative analysis is done between the two countries 1: Zimbabwe Banking Industry Analysis. Background When Zimbabwe attained its independence in 1980, the majority of banks were foreign owned. It was not until 1981 when the government acquired stakes in two banks namely Nedbank and Bank of Credit and Commerce of 62% and 49% respectively. Apart from stakes in these two individual banks, the government wholly owned and directed the operations of the central bank, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ). The Reserve Bank is the policing authority for the industry formulating policy direction through periodic monetary policy statements. Indigenous ownership and new entrants into the industry was not until mid to late 90s when a number of banks were registered (Makoni, 2010). Until mid to late 90s, Zimbabwe was regarded as a model developing African country with a small but strong banking industry. Agriculture was the backbone of economic growth with mining, manufacturing and tourism complementing it. The industry therefore benefited from a strong economy until things changed in the late 90s as a result of negative economic and political policies adopted by the government. Political Factors Since independence from Britain in 1980, Zimbabwe has been under the leadership of President Robert Mugabe through his political party ZANU PF. The country was virtually under a one party state system with no credible opposition until 1999 when a new political party entered the political field. The political environment was however stable with the international community having confidence in the way the country was governed. As a result Zimbabwe was experiencing strong economic growth due to the international support and such growth was reflected positively upon the banking sector, as it was working effectively. International lines of credit from international financiers such as the World Bank and IMF were made available benefiting the banking industry immensely. There was however a sudden change of fortune in the industry when Zimbabwe embarked upon a controversial land reform program around year 2000. The process was chaotic and often violent with the international community condem ning it. That resulted in Zimbabwes isolation from the international community. Some countries such as the U.S.A and the E.U introduced sanctions against President Mugabes government as a way of protesting against his policies (U.S Department of Treasury, 2010). Zimbabwes banking industry reeled under sanctions. Some banks especially foreign owned such as Barclays Bank had to downscale their operations as the conditions were no longer conducive to support a complete banking portfolio (The Independent, 2010). The country is still under sanctions, arguably targeted to President Mugabes inner circle members. Because of that, banks do not have access to foreign sources of capital and cannot enter into strategic alliances with most western banks who fear the political situation in Zimbabwe. A new government of national unity was recently formed to dilute President Mugabe era. The change has not had a significant positive impact on the industry as it is still new with vague views about ec onomic development. Moreover the government recently launched a short term recovery program in 2009, in order to stabilize the economy with a focus on multi currency due to the inflated exchange rate of the US dollar against the local currency. That left the industry without a long term view of economic direction (The World Bank, 2010). Economic Factors Zimbabwes economy is characterised by negative economic growth, high unemployment, high interest rates and absence of foreign investment. The economic situation started to deteriorate in the early 90s when Zimbabwe embarked on an Economic Structural Adjustment Program, ESAP supported by IMF and the World Bank. Although the intended benefits were to grow the economy and create jobs, the opposite actually happened (The World Bank, 2010). The economy started to shrink. It was further exacerbated by the sanctions imposed after a chaotic land reform program earlier mentioned together with mismanagement by the government. Banks were not and still do not have access to cheap sources of capital as a result. The population is poor and characterised by high unemployment levels. According to an AFP report (2009), such negative economic factors have been haunting the banking industry particularly in the last 10 years. Poor people are likely not to save, a situation that is negative for the banking industry. On the other hand, the rise in inflation coupled with the devaluation of the Zimbabwe dollar meant banks could not cope with depositors need for daily cash withdrawals. Around 2003 and 2004, some banks collapsed while others were put under curatorship (Africa Monitor: Southern Africa, 2008). Those which survived had to limit their exposure to risks (Marawanyika, 2010). Although the situation has improved as a result of a power sharing government, banks still do not enjoy the benefits of a wide product portfolio as some products are still non-implementable. Good examples are lack of long term mortgages and credit cards. Banks remain uncertain as to the economic future and therefore are concentrating on products which are short term. Another factor which badly affected the banking system was the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe forcing private banks to acquire quantity of its related papers, and also to lend it free the compulsory statutory reserve of 40%, which is considered the highest in the world. Moreover, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe also forced financial institutions to use the excess surplus cash to invest in securities. Such influence significantly affected the performance of the banking sector (Africa Monitor: Southern Africa, 2008) Social Factors Zimbabwe has a population of around 13 million. There has been a steady outflow of people to other countries as a result of economic difficulties. Estimates put the number of Zimbabweans living outside the country to 4.5 million (Sunday Mail, 2010). That is a very significant percentage of the population. The end result is a population that is too small to sustain a vibrant banking industry. People who migrated to other countries are the middle age group, the very core of middle class society. In addition, emigration has starved the industry of essential expertise needed to run the banking industry efficiently as the educated and qualified left for greener pastures. Before the recession, Zimbabwes banking industry was already under stress and some of it is attributed to lack of proper management and lack of innovativeness. To compound the emigration problem, the country has been beset by HIV/AIDS epidemic which seem to affect the productive ages. It is estimated that 14.3 % of the po pulation was infected with the virus as of 2007, (UN report, 2009). Although the problem is not uniquely a banking industry problem, it has affected the way the industry operates by taking away both potential customers and the expertise needed to run the industry. Technological Factors Although Zimbabwe is a third world country, it is generally doing well in terms of technology. The country has seen an early introduction of ATMs in almost all cities and tourist destinations. ATM technology was first adopted around 1990 when two of the industry players Standard Chartered Bank and CABS introduced ATMs. Since then, telephone banking and online banking have been introduced as well. The industry is also linked to international big brands such as Visa and Mastercard. Travellers to Zimbabwe will have access to their cash on all ATMs so long they have Visa cards (Barclays Bank Zimbabwe, 2010). ATMs have greatly enhanced the capacity of the industry to reach a wider population and cover geographic areas which would have been costly Although most banks have adopted internet banking, the usage numbers are still very low (Thulani et al. 2009) Legal Factors Although the Zimbabwean government had little interference in the banking industry prior to 2003, the situation has since changed significantly. Government enacted various legislations meant to police the operations of the industry. This was necessitated by the collapse of some banks resulting in loss of depositors funds. As a way of protecting the public from such incidences, the government raised the minimum capital requirements needed to open and operate banks, both commercial and discount houses. The minimum is currently set at $12.5 million. This new capital requirement has not been easy due to the industrys inability to access cheap sources of capital. Further affecting the industrys ability to raise more capital and funds is the new government legislation requiring all companies to have a minimum local majority shareholding of 51%. Foreign investors with an interest in the industry can only take up the remaining 49%. (Zimbabwe Mail, 2010) This has not gone down well with foreign investors who feel the legislation strips them of their ability to manage and have an influence on their investments. As a way of trying to fight the AIDS epidemic, the government introduced a levy on banking profits towards an AIDS fund administered by the National Social Security Authority, NSSA. The rate is 3% across all income levels with banks however levied at a much higher rate of 5 % compared to other industries and individuals. This has the effect of reducing the amount available to shareholders. Environmental Factors. Zimbabwe does not have legislation compelling companies and businesses to direct their resources towards the environment and corporate social responsibility activities outside of the Aids levy earlier mentioned. It is truly lagging behind in this area. The banking industry, like any other industry has instead concentrated on its own survival with little regard to environmental issues. Industry Analysis by Porters forces. Porter explains and argues that there are five forces which determine the industrys profitability and attractiveness. These are threat of new entrants, threat of substitutes, bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of suppliers and the degree of rivalry between existing competitors. Some of the forces mentioned above have limited applicability to banking because of the nature of the industry. An example is the substitute factor. The banking industry in general has limited room for substitutes. Looking at the banking history in Zimbabwe, there was a time soon after independence when suppliers had the power in the market because competition was very low. There were few players in the industry and customers were even lucky to be accepted to open a bank account. As the government liberalised the industry, more indigenous players came in making competition very stiff. Currently, there is little differentiation which banks can apply to have an urge over others. Rivalry is very high and the areas of differentiation come from good customer service and degree of risk expected. The collapse of some banks around 2003 and 2004 has left the market and customers jittery about which banks to be entrusted with their deposits. Banks with adequate capital such as Standard Bank and Barclays Bank have a competitive advantage over others due to their history of stability. They can use their foreign component of their shareholding structure to mobilise resources. 2.0 India Banking Industry Analysis 2.1 Introduction: The Banking Sector in India is regulated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Ministry of Finance (MoF). The banking sector comprises of Nationalised, Private and Public Sector, Cooperative and Foreign banks. A brief history tells us that the nationalisation of 14 largest commercial banks in 1969, and further nationalisation of 6 major private banks in 1980 has completely reformed the banking sector in India (Das and Ghosh, 2006). According to 2010 survey more than 80% of banks in India are nationalised, 15% are private and cooperative sector banks and the remaining 5% are foreign banks, serving a population of more than 1.1 billion. Political factors: The ruling government and the Ministry of Finance play a decisive role in contributing to the rules and regulations of the industry. A huge turning point came in 1991, when the Finance minister Dr. Manmohan Singh under the Narsimha Committee opened the doors for the Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in the country thus boosting the economy and uplifting the banking industry (Das and Ghosh, 2006). This served as a platform for the future decision making of the rules and regulations and law enforcement for RBI and other financial regulatory bodies. The relaxation of some regulations allowed the major foreign banking corporations to enter the developing Indian economy through mergers or independent setup. Economic factors Nationalisation of the banking sector helped farmers and small industries in India to directly access credit facilities, efficient short and long term loan sanctions and has helped reduce the unemployment rate and further increase the profitability of the money lenders. Interest rates for certain loans are lower than the market rates. For example food and agriculture related business and services. This has led to many nationalised banks giving more importance to social priorities than profit maximisation. Reduction in Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) and Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) has helped the banking sector to increase efficiency. Liberalisation has encouraged competition in the interest rate and services provided by many banks and financial regulatory bodies (J. Sengupta; C. Neogi) Social factors In spite of the recent downturn in the global economy India was able to attain a growth rate of 8.8 % in the first quarter 2010 (RBI Bulletin, 2010). That means the industry and the agriculture sectors that form the majority of the working population are supplying huge amount of their disposable incomes to banking and investment corporations to further increase their profits. This change is much obvious in the Cooperative banks and domestic banks regulated by RBI where deposits, repayment of loans, sanction of new loans improved significantly, enhancing industry profitability. Since 1991, due to the outburst of multiple opportunities in national and international industrial and service sectors, the urban and the semi-urban cities have witnessed an increase in educated, high earning individuals who are well associated with their income and investments. Since 2001 the changes in banking norms, stable and long term understanding between the commercial and cooperative banks have helped t he banking sector achieve 51% of compounded annual rate based on growth, asset quality and profitability (McKinsey and Company, 2010). Technological factors Technology is always seen as a building block for any industry or economy. With the arrival of the foreign banks and financial corporations, the public, private and cooperative sectors have witnessed a revolutionary support and competition in its technology. As a result of this many banks such as Housing and Finance Corporation (HDFC), ICICI, State Bank of India, Central bank, Union Bank, JK bank, and all major cooperative banks have revolutionized their various banking products and services. Services like internet and telephone banking, online investment and loan proposals, personalized and premium banking services are available 24 hours a day. Large numbers of ATM outlets have all helped increase the profitability and efficiency of their service providers. As a result the year 2001-02 saw 20.83% private sector banks achieving efficiency of more than 100%, and year 2003-04 saw 26.92% private sector banks having productivity of more than 100% (Bodla and Verma Bajaj, 2010). The growth in industrial and outsourcing sectors have boosted foreign exchanges and remittances. This has produced a fluent and rich source of income for the banking industry. Legal factors Banking Regulations Act in 1949 and the Reserve Bank of India Act in 1934 are the major regulations in Indian banking industry. All Indian banks trade and work in accordance to the guidelines of RBI. Due to liberalisation and influence of World Trade Organisation, Indian banking industry adapted to the global banking standards. Indian banks and finance corporations follow the regulations of the Basel Committee, International Monitory Fund (IMF) and International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). (2008) 2.7 Environmental factors The finance and banking sector is one of the most advanced and rapidly growing sectors in Indian economy. The concentration in banking industry is due to certain core principles, standardization, regulating and supervising of the sector. This has created a frantic race to stay at the top. To overcome their competitors almost all banks and finance corporations have adopted social responsibility measures or environmental concerns (Zuberbà ¼hler, 2000). Banks like SBI, HDFC, ICICI etc have undertaken various public and corporate issues seriously and have allocated a sizeable amount of their income on public and environment issues. Recently, the Ministry of Finance and Corporate Affairs in India have set out core elements of CSR for companies and corporations to address. The president speaking at India Corporate Week has urged finance and industrial corporations to assist the government in various programmes designed for rural economic development (SRI, 2010). Analysis by Porters Five Forces 2.8 Bargaining power of buyers: Bargaining power of buyers is high in Indian banking system because of many reasons. There are lots of alternatives for each customer. Due to the technological advances, buyers know about the market status and position of each bank. Switching cost to shift the bank is very low, so the customer changes the bank frequently. Almost all banks give the same service and products, so they cannot charge for extra service and differentiation. Banks try to be customer friendly to attract as many clients as possible. 2.9 Bargaining power of suppliers: Bargaining power of suppliers is less in India due to the strict rules and regulation of Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Interest rate and degree of differentiation are determined by the RBI, so supplier power is very low. But at the time of tight liquidity the negotiation capacity of suppliers increase. 2.10 New entrants: New entrants with added services and benefits always pose a threat to the well established older and somewhat government owned banks. In India since majority of the banks are nationalized or state owned as seen above, a new foreign bank, always has to come up with some better ideas to attract a specific group of population which is ready to deviate or change its banking environment. In addition, few of them have tried to blend with the Indian market either by partnering or merging with some Indian nationalized banks, or by exchanging services like use of ATM networks. As a result, foreign and new private banks have realised growth rates of up to 50% while the public sector banks have grown at steady 15% (India Banking, 2010). After the post liberalisation period the banking sector has increased average deposit efficiency especially for State Bank of India and Associates. As for nationalised banks its almost stable and for foreign banks it has declined sharply. The reason for the fall in the foreign banks is due to their attention to cater to only some of the multinational corporations which lured them for starting their services in India (Services Research, 2009). 2.11 Threat of substitutes: Substitutes do not pose a greater threat to the banks. However the fact that they still have influence in some of the major rural areas in the form of non-governmental and unregulated co-operative societies always leaves banks watching their backs. (Das and Ghosh, 2006). 2.12 Competitive rivalry: The concentration of nationalised banks and their efforts to be the policy maker have given rise to three major concerns: Competition, Systemic Stability and difficulty in regulating them (Zuberbà ¼hler, 2000). It is believed that competition always fuels growth. The commitment shown by banks in terms of employee training programs and technological upgrades have resulted in improved skills and services (Arora and Khanna, 2009). For effective regulation many banks have applied customer centric approach rather than profit oriented approach. This has significantly improved the internal service quality of the banking sector. 3.0 Comparison and conclusion: Banking industry in India is more diverse as it includes many nationalised public sector banks, foreign banks, private sector banks, co-operative banks and many approved small and medium money lending institutions well serving a population of 1.1 billion. In Zimbabwe the banking industry comprises of government banks, private banks and a few foreign banks serving a comparatively small population of 13 million. The banking industry market is therefore huge in India when considering the population and all related demographics. Considering the fact that agriculture is the backbone in both countries, most of the government policies and initiatives are in favour of agriculture and its related sectors. A best example is Indian governments approval of $12.5 billion Farmers debt relief fund in 2008, which allows banks and other approved money lending institutions to waive a farmers loan after signing an agreement of debt relief. (banknetindia. nd). Indian government is politically more stable than the Zimbabwean government. This has created certainty in the Indian industry compared to its Zimbabwean counterpart. In India all the financial regulatory bodies have formed a supportive environment for the banking and economic industry, and have setup stringent rules and regulations in accordance with the international banking guidelines. Foreign exchange and remittance is an important factor which acts as a bridge between a countrys banking sector and its ability to attract investments from other countries, which provides rich nourishment for the banks. Foreign remittances from industrial activities are practically not present in Zimbabwe whereas in India outsourcing and flourishing economy is maintaining a steady supply of foreign exchange. Though banks in Zimbabwe are earning huge individual foreign remittances from the migrant population, the entire banking sector cannot completely sustain itself on that. Global economic instability and recent financial downturns were more felt in Zimbabwe, as compared to India which is relatively more insulated to the effects. Since 2007 Zimbabwe was facing huge hyper-inflationary problems until recently when the country achieved some measure of stability through dollarization of its economy. The inflation at some point reached monstrous levels affecting the Zimbabwean dollar exchange rate and banks found it extremely difficult to maintain a supply of the dollar. That led to government introducing foreign multi-currency since 2009, especially the US dollar, (Hanke, 2010). Inflation in India has been steady compared to its growth rate and is handled carefully by the Reserve Bank and the finance ministry. This has helped maintain currency supply and is conducive for the banking environment. Technology is one of the major drivers for banking industry not just in India and Zimbabwe but across globe. Technology has helped many foreign banks gain an advantage over government banks in India and also in Zimbabwe. Some of the banking areas revolutionised by technology are ATMs, online banking, phone banking, customer service, foreign exchange etc. Indian banks are highly competitive and have strengthened themselves due to information and technology. They are providing many services and provide value addition which has enabled them to successfully compete with many global, well established and technically sound banking corporations. Zimbabwean banks are comparatively at a preliminary stage and are incorporating value addition and services at a slower rate. Unemployment is a negative driver for banking environment in Zimbabwe. Population migration and AIDS are further deal breakers. Corruption in the government and finance sector is further affecting the banking industry in both countries. Social responsibility is not well adopted in Zimbabwean, whereas almost all major nationalised, private and foreign banks are making huge efforts to be socially responsible in India.

Ednas Escape The Awakening Essay -- essays papers

Edna's Escape The Awakening Edna’s Escape The ending of Kate Chopin’s The Awakening is both controversial and thought provoking. Many see Edna Pontellier’s suicide as the final stage of her â€Å"awakening†, and the only way that she will ever be able to truly be free. Edna’s suicide, however, is nothing more than her final attempt to escape from her life. Edna Pontellier’s life has become too much for her to handle, and by committing suicide she is simply escaping the oppression she feels from her marriage, the suppression she feels from her children, and the failure of her relationship with Robert. Edna Pontellier’s marriage is a failure in her own eyes. Although when thinking of other husbands she at one time admits that, â€Å"she knew of none better† than her own, she is in no way happy with her married life. When describing the feelings Edna had regarding her marriage Chopin describes the marriage as, â€Å"An indescribable oppression, which seemed to generate in some unfamiliar part of her consciousness, filled her whole being with a vague anguish. It was like a shadow, like a mist passing across her soul’s summer day†. Throughout the course of this novel Edna is coming to the realization that she is extremely unhappy with her married life, and she wishes to be free from the oppression that she feels with the relationship with her husband. Unfortunately for Edna divorce at this time is unheard of, and would be regarded as a disgrace to Edna as well as her family. Edna’s unhappiness with her marriage leaves her with few choices; she can remain in her marriage and be miserable, or she can leave her husband and face the consequences. Edna, however, does not have the heart for either of these choices, and escapes the pain of he... ...l not result from a new house, or her painting, or even her love for Robert, but instead will be much more difficult for her to obtain. It is this realization, as well as the oppression she feels from her marriage and the suppression she feels from her children that lead Edna to commit suicide, for she realizes that is the only way she will truly be able to escape her troublesome life. Edna Ponteillier’s suicide at the end of The Awakening is a result of her failed attempt at a new life. Edna’s suicide was her last resort, and was simply a way to escape from the troubles that resulted from the unhappiness she felt with her life. Edna’s suicide was not representative of the final stage of her â€Å"awakening†, but was merely an escape from the oppression she felt from her husband, the suppression she felt from her children, and from her failed relationship with Robert. Edna's Escape The Awakening Essay -- essays papers Edna's Escape The Awakening Edna’s Escape The ending of Kate Chopin’s The Awakening is both controversial and thought provoking. Many see Edna Pontellier’s suicide as the final stage of her â€Å"awakening†, and the only way that she will ever be able to truly be free. Edna’s suicide, however, is nothing more than her final attempt to escape from her life. Edna Pontellier’s life has become too much for her to handle, and by committing suicide she is simply escaping the oppression she feels from her marriage, the suppression she feels from her children, and the failure of her relationship with Robert. Edna Pontellier’s marriage is a failure in her own eyes. Although when thinking of other husbands she at one time admits that, â€Å"she knew of none better† than her own, she is in no way happy with her married life. When describing the feelings Edna had regarding her marriage Chopin describes the marriage as, â€Å"An indescribable oppression, which seemed to generate in some unfamiliar part of her consciousness, filled her whole being with a vague anguish. It was like a shadow, like a mist passing across her soul’s summer day†. Throughout the course of this novel Edna is coming to the realization that she is extremely unhappy with her married life, and she wishes to be free from the oppression that she feels with the relationship with her husband. Unfortunately for Edna divorce at this time is unheard of, and would be regarded as a disgrace to Edna as well as her family. Edna’s unhappiness with her marriage leaves her with few choices; she can remain in her marriage and be miserable, or she can leave her husband and face the consequences. Edna, however, does not have the heart for either of these choices, and escapes the pain of he... ...l not result from a new house, or her painting, or even her love for Robert, but instead will be much more difficult for her to obtain. It is this realization, as well as the oppression she feels from her marriage and the suppression she feels from her children that lead Edna to commit suicide, for she realizes that is the only way she will truly be able to escape her troublesome life. Edna Ponteillier’s suicide at the end of The Awakening is a result of her failed attempt at a new life. Edna’s suicide was her last resort, and was simply a way to escape from the troubles that resulted from the unhappiness she felt with her life. Edna’s suicide was not representative of the final stage of her â€Å"awakening†, but was merely an escape from the oppression she felt from her husband, the suppression she felt from her children, and from her failed relationship with Robert.

MacDonalds The Princess and the Goblin Essays -- MacDonald Princess G

MacDonald's The Princess and the Goblin The Princess and the Goblin is a story about self-realisation and the expansion of limits. The princess, Irene, is able to come to certain conclusions about herself with the help of her grandmother, who lives in the attic upstairs in the palace. The grandmother guides Irene through her rite of passage into adulthood, and helps to bring the princess and Curdie together in the end. However, the reader never really knows whether the grandmother even exists, and it is this uncertainty that causes the reader to question whether she is a personification of a force within Irene that is driving her to achieve all that she does. There are many elements of fairy tales that exist within the grandmother's world and Irene's relationship with her grandmother and her nurse, Lootie. Archetypes such as the attic, birds, the moon, and fire exist within her grandmother's world and archetypes such as the underground exist within the world she guides Irene through. The grandmother embodies characteristic s of the good witch with supernatural powers, who guides Irene on her journey, while Lootie embodies characteristics of a wicked witch, who hinders her right of passage into adulthood. Irene's first encounter with her grandmother is one of ambivalence, which parallels the stage of puberty she is in. This is the stage of her journey when she is not sure how far from the safety of her mother figure, the nurse, she should wander. Irene does not stay very long with her grandmother, as she is not fully ready to leave childhood. There are elements of Charles Perrault's Little Red Riding Hood and The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood in Irene's first visit with her grandmother. Her discovery of the grandmother is very... ...hat exist in this story follow the fairy tale tradition. The princess is transformed into a young woman with the aid of a helper. This helper is her grandmother, who gives her the tools to cut the invisible thread, and be led by her own powers. The princess discovers another world beyond her nursery and the walls of the palace that becomes more and more real every time she lets go of someone's hand. Bibliography MacDonald, George. The Princess and the Goblin. London: Penguin Books Ltd., 1996 Perrault, Charles. "Little Red Riding Hood." in Folk & Fairy Tales. Eds. Martin Hallett and Barbara Karasek. 2nd edition. Peterborough, Ontario: Broadview Press Ltd., 1996. 25-27. Perrault, Charles. "The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood." in Folk & Fairy Tales. Eds. Martin Hallett and Barbara Karasek. 2nd edition. Peterborough, Ontario: Broadview Press Ltd., 1996. 40-48.

William the Conqueror :: essays research papers

He was the son of Robert, Duke of Normandy, his mother, Herleva, the daughter of a tanner of Falaise. In 1035 William’s father Robert, Duke of Normandy, went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, in which he died. Before starting the pilgrimage, he presented to the nobles his seven year old child demanding their allegiance. "He is little", the father said, "but he will grow, and, if God please, he will mend." William, after a period of anarchy, became the ruler of Normandy in his father's place at the age of nine. William had a youth of clean life and of much natural piety, while the years of storm and stress through which he passed gave him an endurance of character which lasted to his life's end. During the time of anarchy in Normandy he became a skilled military leader and defeated his enemies, uniting his duchy. Once he began fighting, rumor has it that he never lost a battle. In 1047 a serious rebellion of nobles occurred, and William with the aid of King Henry of France, gained a great victory at Val-à ¨s-Dunes, near Caen. Which led to the capture of the two strong castles of Alenà §on and Domfront. Using this as his base of operations, the young duke, in 1054 made himself master of the province of Maine and became the most powerful vassal of the French Crown, able on occasion to bid defiance to the king himself. William even married Matilda, the daughter of the Earl of Flanders, in 1053,in spite of the papal prohibition. In 1066 when his claim to the English throne was threatened by Harold Godwinson. Due to the fact that Harold Godwinson overlooked the dead king's wishes. Edward the Confessor, sworn his loyalty to William of Normandy when he died not to Harold. Harold Godwinson promptly had himself proclaimed king. It was only a matter of months before William, Duke of the large and powerful duchy of Normandy in France, paid Harold a visit to bring to his remembrance his own claim to the throne. William raised an army of Normans by promising them land and wealth when he came into his rightful kingship. October 14th 1066 he and William fought at the famous battle of Hastings. William and his army of Normans came, saw, and conquered. True to his promise to his fellow warriors, William systematically replaced the English nobility with Norman barons and noblemen who took control of the land, the people, and the government.

Economic and Political Systems of Cuba Essay

The Economic System in Cuba is known to be communism. Communism can be defined as a scheme of equalizing the social conditions of life. This system considers the termination of inequalities in the possession of property as well as the distribution of wealth equally to all individuals. Therefore, the means to achieve this is by the collectivization of all private property. By extension, collectivization is the process of forming collective communities where property and resources are owned by the community and not individuals. Freedom of expression is also mediated by the state. Communism is a system that usually is unsuccessful however, the only way that communism may be achieved is if every single member of a communist society is in complete agreement with the arrangement which was mentioned above. In early Cuban Political history, there were various communist as well as anarchist organizations for example the Communist Party of Cuba which was initiated in the early 1920’s by Julio Antonio Mella, Carlos Balino, Jose Marti and Fabio Grobart. It was then later led by both the first secretary and secondary secretary: – Fidel Castro and Raul Castro respectively. In Cuba, no other political party other than that of the Communist Party of Cuba is allowed to be formed in the fear that a non – communist party which will be funded by the United States of America would intervene and claim Cuba’s independence. In comparison to other ruling communist parties around the world, the communist party in Cuba retains a stricter approach and adherence to the tradition of Marxism – Leninism and the traditional Soviet Model. In addition, the Cuban Political System is described as authentic which is based on the unique history of the struggle for equality amongst individuals as well as independence. Cuba is a republic with a centralized socialist system with a structure of the State of Republic of Cuba as follows: –* National Assembly of People’s Power * Council of State * Council of Ministers * Provincial and Municipal Governments * Judiciary System

John Kotter’s Eight Steps to Change Essay

A Systematic tone-beginning Eight Steps to Change. We sh on the whole use the touch of low-cost air hose as an utilization to understand each clapperclaw. In 2003, Lufthansa was cladding intense competition from low-cost airline on short-haul domestic flights. In the date for domination in the German skies, Lufthansa specialise to match the low-cost rivals by expanding its testify net melt of cut-price domestic and European services.Establish a sense of prodding. From anterior experiences of battling competition and enforcing reposition, the first step pencil lead to the successful giveation of change is the population of urgency. Establishing a sense of urgency is critical for eliminating contentment and achieving the collaboration needed to implement change. Employees be required to co-operate, understand the differences in the midst of the companys current mail and a desired future move and step up to the mark in order to succeed. . 2. 2Step 2. Create a omnip otent directive coalition. once sense of urgency is established within the memorial tablet, the next step is forming a strong group of guiding coalition. The group could consist of internal or external organization members with significant believability and authority. These outsiders can provide valuable judgement, experiences and ideas that in turn allow the employees to share a common level of understanding for change. 3. 2. 3Step 3. cultivate a compelling trance.Obviously, the reason for changes is discontentment with the current situation and having the desire for a better future. For that reason, management have to set astir(predicate) a clear and accomplishable mickle that consists of these characteristics a desirable future, compelling, realistic, focused, flexible and, uncomplicated to communicate. They have to be specific about how the change leave behind improve the fundamental law and how those improvements will benefit employees in the organisation. 3. 2. 4Ste p 4. pass on the vision.During the implementation of change, there are skip over to have resisters opposing the change. Communication is the authoritative factor to convert the resisters with managers taking advantages of all the communication channels in the organisation to get the transformation effort crosswise to all. It must be able to begin and explain the specifically how the vision will benefit them. 3. 2. 5Step 5. Empower others to act on the vision. In every change, there are bound to be obstacles. The first quartet steps encourage employees to tackle changes.To make headway support change, obstacles that obstruct the way to attaining the vision should be eliminated. If the obstacles happen to be an employee, the organisation may well have to conciliate the option available or disunite the relationship with the individual. 3. 2. 6Step 6. Generate short-term wins Depending on the significance of change, some transformation of change cogency carry off years to on wards it is successfully implemented. In the case of Lufthansa, in order to top the low-cost air travel industry, the duration great power approximately recede ten years.Attitude and motivation among employees might fade along the way. Soon, they will unprovoked sight of the vision and become discourage and disappointed therefore Lufthansa should set up multiple short-term win situations in a major transformation change. 3. 2. 7Step 7. unify gains and push for more change. It is important to strike out that celebrating a short-term win might create complacency among employees. So alternatively of celebrating or declaring victory prematurely, organisation should take the opportunity to implement larger changes.With the bureau and belief, employees will be able to accept larger and more drastic changes than before. formation should build on the current momentum to push for more change. 3. 2. 8Step 8. Anchor revolutionary approaches in the companys socialisation. Once the o bjective has been achieved, prove the positive head to employees. After that, management should ensure that cementation work such as new operative methodologies and policies are enforced into the company culture whereby continuous improvement and changes are seen as norm and survival.

Marketing Plan: Product and Performance Essay

Executive SummaryMobility, latest trends and technologies are three most significant factors that customer seek today when they walk-in in an electronic item’s outlet. Years before the journey of technology started out from the calculator the most basic computer as we call it. Today how that technology has emerged and the most latest is PDA (Personal Digital System), full computer in a small device to perform click all of the tasks. New Nokia Mobile phone has all the features of a desktop computer, no need of a laptop.You get your product to begin with.The english major source in use during cricket matches, exercising in the morning and during traveling for work or school. 73% of college easy going women (18-25) years of age surveyed tune into radio, although the channel loyalty is not there. The most frequent listening occurs after dinner time.This is different from male portable radio listeners as the FM channels are replacing cassettes as a music source while driving, o ther survey shows that second one of the popular source of music are the FM stations, FM 89, 91 and 106.Finding the demographics of your target marketplace will permit you to good tailor the launch strategy to the folks.

180 million), 16.667% of Pakistanis are young. Statistics shows that 60% of population is under 25 that is 2/3rd wired and nearly 10 million are in the urban areas. GEN X and GEN Y is the most experienced  and accessed generation in the human history.A merchandise is a new product procured or produced by the business to meet with the requirements of the customer.Our Secondary objective is to make good profits and make few more products like this with working hand in hand with the fashion and our way would be walking extract from earrings to necklaces, bracelets and other fashion accessories.Marketing ResearchMethods of Data collection:Basically there are two methods of data collection:1) Primary Data2) Secondary DataPrimary Data Collection:Primary available Data is that data which is collected specifically for the project at hand. The primary data for our assignment resulted from the unstructured interviews that we conducted from different many friends and family members and also many strangers.Secondary Data Collection:Secondary Data is that data, which has already been collected for some other purpose but can be used as reference material.The aim is getting your product into the industry although delivery methods vary widely based on the product.

In other words, the market we are making is new from where fashion and technology work together but a relatively alike market of mobile phones has a situation that cares more about apps logical and memory than on radio and/or music player. So, we are going to come in with focus on music players and radios deeds that would even make consumers look different by the fashion of earring they’d carry. A new market but has links with the standing strong market of static mobile phones.The ProductIntroduction of product:Now days, mobility is becoming an important factor in electronic devices.A superb product isnt simple to define since itll mean things.Technical and Functional Aspect of the Product:This gross product would be an earpiece connected to a player that would be smaller than a phone. Both the devices would be connected via Bluetooth. Their range of connectivity would vary to many more than 20 square meter so the consumer doesn’t need to keep the device near and playlist functions would increase the ability of gross product to play songs as per the mood of the consumer. Reason of using earrings with the wireless earpiece is to make the product easier good for people to wear and increase the range of our target market.To start with, youre mindful of how much it costs to create your merchandise.

Issue: How to identify the potential outlets?Mission statement:â€Å"We are the followers of the latest trend we strongly believe that fashion develops, we provide the best and quality is never compromised. Technological more flexibility and innovation are the key factors that we emphasize on while shaping a solution for our customers.† Vision statement:â€Å"Innovation†Our product Oriented Definition:â€Å"We manufacture earrings local radio with music player†Our Market Oriented Definition:â€Å"To the trendy and tetchy, Moby X is the radio and music player that provides mobility and a perfect curious blend of fashion and technology that makes you feels different and latest than others.†Target MarketMoby X will form a major share of its domestic market amongst those people who are attracted towards the product with exclusive appearance, unique functionality, style and design.Describe the way your target marketplace free will get your merchandise and also how youll market your goods.The mini chip radio and music player in the earrings itself is fascinating and will communicate on its own towards the people who are engrossed through mini products.Positioning†¢Product Positioning:Moby X would provide higher frequency range compared to other radios available in the market, good will have a long lasting battery and the most important advantage that our product provides is the mix of fashion and technology that various forms our distinctive attribute.Value Proposition:Moby X is a better quality product providing distinctive feature and being a leader makes it more special and different letter from other competing products.  LAPCO using latest Japanese technologies is most reliable and durable.In the product description, you should explain what product or your service is, the particular thrust of apply your strategy and the strategies thatll be used to do your own objectives.

†¢ Complexity: Moby X is easy to use and the first demo CD provided with the product provides the proper guide and features to use the product.†¢ Divisibility: Moby X is an expensive product and initially no discounted rates can be offered.†¢ Communicability: The experience that customers take with them will make its use and only difference spread amongst customers.Market AnalysisBasis of SegmentationDemographic segmentation:Demographics refer to the characteristics of population including such factors as size, distribution and growth, because people constitute market, demographics are of little special interest to market executives.In the end, it is not mysterious and youll be able position to promote your company or to manage a person to deal with advertising for you once you understand how pieces fit together.Any one lying in the income bracket of Rs 50,000+ can afford this productPsychographic Segmentation:The psychographics of the Moby X can be analyzed by r eviewing the advertisement. The lifestyle shown in Moby X advertisements portray successful, sophisticated, professional women who are active energetic and full of life. Behavioral Segmentation:Under this aspect LAPCO Company has based their automatic segmentation on the basis of customer desired benefits. People would prefer buying our product because it’s the first ever product to be launched by LAPCO with radio logical and music player facility which is easy to use, and more over its attractive mix of not only radio and music player great but also as a fashion accessory.The plan has to be accessible to any employee at any given moment.

Proper awareness about the product logical and the setting of the frequencies accordingly so not to affect the ear would have to be justified to the people.Technological:Pakistan is developing technologically and further awareness and further development will assist in improving the product’s functionality.Competitor AssessmentCOMPETITOR ANALYSISMoby X is competing in portable media industry.Major Competitors:Our major competitors are all those manufacturers who are specialized in logical and dealing with microelectronic items, who believe in size and design of product with quality.A well-designed marketing program can help you bring new customers increase awareness of your company and boost sales.COMPETITIVE STRATEGIESDifferentiation:Moby X is an innovation in the arena of radios and all kinds of classical music players. It gives connectivity to the outside world in a way that adds value and beauty to the face.Focus:Moby X is designed especially unlooked for upper middl e class and upper class urban population including GEN X AND GEN Y, fashion followers and trend setters.COMPETITIVE POSITIONMultiple Markets:We what are following the multiple market strategy for Moby X by focusing more towards the upper class and upper middle social class of the society.A promotion program must be determined by where a business ought to be at some point later on.

Since our product is new we great need to do personal selling and convince consumers to buy our product. Then eventually as we gain a foot hold in the market we will have retailers selling our product.Marketing StrategyMARKETING MIXPRODUCT CLASSIFICATION:Moby X is broadly classified as consumer product and under this category we define it as a own specialty product because it is a perfect mix of style and technology. It involves strong brand preference and loyalty, special purchase efforts by consumers, little comparison of brands and low price sensitivity.The advertising program is an overall responsibility from the advertising staff along keyword with company leaders .It includes 3 years’ money back warranty and a pair of fabulous earrings along with the product. Customers are encouraged to fair share their views about the buying experience of the product and after sale experience through surveys conducted at the outlets. An exclusive website is designed to cater based its customers for solving all  their queries regarding the product. Online purchasing service is also available.Face it is a chore.

3 years (Limited) Warranty.Size – (1/3x 1/3 x 3/8) mm is the size of radio chip. 30 x 20 x 5 mm is the size of the earring. Weight – 1/2 oz is the low weight of the earring radio.Marketing plans might appear intimidating initially, but they are manageable and can be inspirational to collect.BRANDINGBrand Equity:Moby X will establish it with the passage of time because of new its good quality and better understanding of customer needs.Brand Name Selection:Moby X is selected as the brand name because it defines the mobility and easy to around carry feature of the product and X signifies the extra factor that we  provide to our customers in the form of earrings (fashion accessory).Brand Sponsorship:LAPCO is manufacturer’s brand.Brand Development:No extension.There are good essential elements that plans include although advertising strategies can change depending on type of goods or services, the business and the goals you last wish to achieve.

Free demo CD is also given. Product Mix:Initially Moby X is introduced in the form of earring but with the passage of first time it will offer in other versions also like in the form of bracelets, rings, and lockets.Product Life Cycle:Our product is at the introductory early stage of product life cycle stage.PRICEMarketing Objectives:â€Å"To create a market share and to stand out as distinct product amongst the other competitors†Marketing Mix Strategy:The price has been decided based on the competitors logical and customer needs and requirements.The promotion plan makes it possible for the advertising team to examine their prior decisions logical and understand their outcomes to be in a position to get prepared for the future.PRODUCT PRICING STRATEGYComparing competitor’s pricingCompetitorPriceSinclair XI Button RadioRs. 2304.93FM Mini Radios Rs.719.3500.PLACEMENTThe product would be sold through â€Å"Indirect Marketing Intermediary†. The product will be sold through push strategy that is product would be first distributed to the wholesalers and then to retailer. The retailers would assist in creating contact with the other retailers which would expand the network and add value.

Newspaper:Moby X is an expensive and new product. There is need to create awareness amongst people that such a product exists. ‘Dawn’ newspaper would be a better choice to advertise being one for the most popular newspapers in Pakistan. A full page would be dedicated to advertise the product providing  a detail know how of the features and distinctive attributes.Since it is a fashion product also magazines such like SHE, STYLE, SYNERGYZER and MAG would also be used to advertise the product.Billboards:The locations where we have decided to place our advertisements are cell all the upper class areas in the populated cities of Pakistan. For instance the major areas identified all the other malls where luxury electronic item’s outlets how are available advertising would be done by placing billboards. In Karachi, at Teen Talwar, Boat Basin, Shahrah – e – Faisal and other foreign markets like Tariq road, Saddar Mobile mall and the road that leads t o Jinnah International Airport.com that special offers all the latest songs.Sales Promotion:One free pair of earring apart from the one already provided in the package would be given with the product.Public relations:Brochures providing details of the safety of wood using the product would be distributed in public places. Articles about the working and flexibility in use would be published in a leading magazine to inform the public about the safety in using this product.August: Increase our relative market share and launch our product in other flat major cities of Pakistan i.e. Lahore, Islamabad.September: We will start an integrated internet campaign targeting young college students.