Total Quality Management of Toyota Motor Company Assignment

Total Quality Management of Toyota Motor Company - Assignment Example The firm observed in the study is Toyota Motor Company, based in United States of America, as the world’s largest automobile company involved in design and manufacture of different kinds of luxury and sports vehicles. Some of the best-known models the company manufactures include SUVs, trucks, minivans, and buses. In some cases, the company’s vehicles are produced either with combustion or hybrid engines, for instance, in the case of Prius. At the same time, Toyota Motor Company has some selected subsidiaries such as Daihatsu Motor, which is involved in production of mini-vehicles, and Hino Motors involved in production of trucks and buses. Moreover, apart from producing vehicles, the company is involved in production of automotive parts, which it uses and sells some. Today, Toyota Motor Company prides in having some of word’s credited models that include Camry, Corolla, Land Cruiser, Tundra truck and Lexus. Toyota Motors sells its products to diverse groups of c ustomers. The customer base is found in USA, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. In North America, Toyota Motors has established strong markets. Customers for the company are spoilt for choice, since the company produces numerous types and diverse range of vehicles for all consumers in the society. As a result, the company prides in having vehicles such as large trucks that include Tundra in the American market. At the same time, the company has beefed up efforts to produce hybrid vehicles such as the Prius, Camry Hybrid, Highlander Hybrid, and Lexus in the American market. ... At the same time, the company has beefed up efforts to produce hybrid vehicles such as the Prius, Camry Hybrid, Highlander Hybrid, and Lexus in the American market. At the moment, Toyota Motors is regarded to sell more hybrid vehicles in USA than any other manufacturer (Toyota Motors Company, N.d). Order qualifiers and orders winners In order for organizations to be successful, it has to identify what exactly customers desire or want and identify ways and means to satisfy them. Organizations therefore have duty or responsibility to identify those factors that are likely to influence customer decisions of buying a particular product or service (Khanna, 2007). In this regard, it is important for organizations to identify order qualifiers and order winners. Order qualifiers are seen as those elements that manufacturers provide, which in turn determine the purchasing behavior of customers. Order Qualifiers are perceived to be aspects of competitiveness where the overall operation perform ance is expected to be above particular level in order to be considered by the customer (Khanna, 2007). Subsequently, order qualifiers are not regarded as major competitive determinants of success, but, in one way or the other, contribute to improvement in performance of the company. On the other hand, order winner constitute features that influence the final buying decision of customers. Order winners are seen as those aspects, which directly and in significant way contribute to the success of the business organization. As a result, order-winning elements are the critical or vital reasons why a customer makes a particular purchase of product or service. In this manner, it is likely that when performance in an order-winning factor is raised, the

The Relationship between Mrs. Lyons and Mrs. Johnston Essay Example for Free

The Relationship between Mrs. Lyons and Mrs. Johnston Essay Ok well, Mrs Lyons employs Mrs Johnston to work for her. Mrs Lyons cant have children, but Mrs Johnston (Known as the mother) has too many. When Mrs J finds out she is going to have twins she is upset as she cant afford them. Mrs Lyons persuades Mrs J to let her adopt one of the twins. Mrs Lyons is very aware of her social and financial position and she uses it to influence Mrs J. (She offers to pay her for the baby at one point I think. ) Mrs Lyons also comes across as very cruel and uncaring. She acts in a very formal way towards Mrs J and wants her own way. She is clearly desperate to have a child, and doesnt have any qualms about splitting the twins up, meanwhile Mrs J does. She is also quite conniving as she eventually tricks Mrs J into giving her the baby. Mrs Johnston is the opposite in a sense as she is kind and approachable. (Despite the narrator calling her heartless at the beginning) She is frightened of Mrs Lyons as she is aware of her own position. (Socially, financially.) She is not very intelligent as she is tricked by Mrs Lyons. The mother is superstitious too, (this is shown by the shoes on the table incident) she also believes Mrs Lyons when she tells her that the twins will die if they find out. Basically, Mrs Lyons is aware of the two womens positions and is cruel enough to use it to her advantage. She does not care for the mother, but cares about the baby very much. She just sees the mother as a way of getting a child. Mrs Johnston is frightened by Mrs Lyons, but trusts her. She just wants the best for her baby. Sorry if that was a little vague, if you need anymore help feel free to mail me. Ive probably forgotten some things; I havent read the play in a while. Hope I helped!

Body Image Portrayed by the Media Essay -- essays research papers

Through the use of imagery, the display of life-styles, and the reinforcement of values, advertisements are communicators of culturally defined concepts such as success, worth, love, sexuality, popularity, and normalcy. Of particular concern over the past two decades has been excessive use of sexual stereotypes, especially of women. Women are directly affected by this advertising, beyond the mere desire to purchase the product or service described. The influence of the media on people is tremendous, and the effect of advertisements that direct images of beauty, and the perfect slim figure have a harmful effect on a great deal of the world's population, especially women. The media has portrayed the â€Å"perfect body image† so successfully, that women’s self-image, self-esteem and even their health is affected. Looking at the media, it’s almost impossible to ignore the many images of thin, beautiful women. In many women’s magazines, nearly every other page is covered with an advertisement that displays a person with the â€Å"ideal body†, a slim figure, a happy face, and trendy or chic clothes. Most of the advertisements in magazines try to present models as realistic representations for consumers, particularly women, to compare themselves. Not only do magazines try to portray the â€Å"perfect image,† but also television advertisements try to achieve this representation of the perfect body. Television broadcasts events and shows like â€Å"Miss America,† and â€Å"Baywatch† that represent unrealistic body types for ordinary women. To accomplish the goal of looking like the models being displayed all over the media, women think they need to diet. If it was dieting just for the fact of making women feel better, it would be all right, but the purpose of most people is different. When women compare themselves to models and pictures of people in advertisements, they believe the only way they will get noticed i s if they also appear the in the same image of the models. To achieve this goal, they begin to starve themselves. They start to believe that by eating anything at all they will get fat and the most important thing to them is not to be fat. It becomes a compulsion to become thin and some women will do anything to get there. Women need to realize that what the media displays as the â€Å"perfect body† and what really is the healthy body are two different things. Even if a woman does get d... ...haracters in the show are the â€Å"fat ugly guy and fat ugly lady† who live across the street and are objects of constant ridicule. The same can be said for virtually all mainstream shows on television. It is a continual barrage of beautiful people that are exposed to viewers. Unfortunately, it is becoming accepted that society should indeed look like television actors. There is essentially no one in this medium saying that it is okay to be oneself, to look how women want to look and feel good at the same time. What society must do is tell the beauty industry, tell the magazines, and tell Hollywood that what they are doing is not acceptable. The image they portray is unrealistic, unhealthy, and irresponsible. However, it is unlikely that the beauty industry will loosen its grip on the minds of women and try so hard to make them think they are ugly. That would of course hurt sales and cause them to make only millions instead of billions of dollars. It is also improbable th at Hollywood will break perhaps its only rule, because that too would disrupt the bottom line. So, for the time being anyway, we are a society being told how to look, and trying to live up to an impossible standard.

“Pygmalion” explores Bernard Shaw’s idea

â€Å"Pygmalion† explores Bernard Shaw's idea that people should not be limited by the social class into which they were born; that they should have a chance to improve themselves by gaining an education. This is called the â€Å"nature versus nurture† debate, which marked a major change in Victorian England. Should we remain in the position we were born into (nature), as was the basic Victorian belief, or can we change our status; establish equality between people regardless of age, gender and race (nurture)? Education is the foundation of these aims and is presented in the play as a way of self-improvement through teaching and training, whether it is academically or socially based. The characters around Eliza treat her with contempt. When Eliza convinces Mrs Eynsford Hill to buy flowers from her, her daughter, Clara says to her mother â€Å"Make her give you the change. These things are only a penny a bunch†¦ Sixpence thrown away! (She retreats in disgust). † This shows the upper classes view those beneath them as worthless-the money is not spent or given but is â€Å"thrown away† as if it has been put in the dustbin. Clara does not address Eliza, but talks as if she is not there, showing that Clara wants to distance herself from Eliza. This indicates that the majority of the upper classes believed in â€Å"nature†; everyone had a set place in society that could not be changed. It also shows that Clara is not as well educated as she would like to think; she does not believe in self-improvement, and so does not understand the concept of education. Eliza however, believed in bettering her situation in life. â€Å"I want to be a lady in a flower shop ‘stead of sellin' at the corner†, proving that she was an ambitious character, and believed in fulfilling her potential. This demonstrates that Eliza believes in the â€Å"nurture† side of the argument, and even though she has not received an outstanding amount of education, she is willing to be educated in order to change herself as a person. She is also ashamed of her current status. When she takes a taxi to her home, she tells the taxi-driver to go to â€Å"Bucknam Pellis†. When the driver questions her, she replies â€Å"Of course I havnt none (any business there). But I wasn't going to let him know that. You drive me home†¦ Angel Court, Drury Lane, next Meiklejohn's oil shop. This reflects her proud personality-she doesn't want to look â€Å"lower class† in front of Freddie. It also highlights her situation in life as it contrasts her poverty to the richness of the royal family. It shows her lack of knowledge of social matters because she does not know anywhere else that is an affluent area, and so is unconvincing at being â€Å"upper class†. However, by the end of the play, she manages to make everyone believe that she is a duchess, which proves that she has learned a great deal socially. We immediately assume that Higgins is rude, as a result of one of the first things he says. Oh, shut up, shut up. Do I look like a policeman? † This is supposed to reassure Eliza, but with his sarcasm and abrupt language, he does little to console her, implying that he has poor social skills. If he choose to improve these it would make him a better person; he would become more compassionate towards others. Higgins boasts about his talent for improving men's statuses, when they have moved up the social ladder. â€Å"Men begin in Kentish town with i80 a year, and end up in Park lane with 100 thousand. They want to drop Kentish Town, but give themselves away every time they open their mouths. Now I can teach them†¦ I can place any man within two miles of London. Sometimes within two streets. † This shows that Higgins is a learned man. It also proves that there are different types of education; there is a contrast between Higgins' knowledge and Eliza's. Higgins first sees Eliza as â€Å"so deliciously low, so horribly dirty†¦ I shall make a duchess of this draggletailed guttersnipe. † He sees her as a challenge, and focuses on her appearance. He calls her names because â€Å"the girl doesn't belong to anybody-is no use to anybody but me. Higgins regards her as an object without an owner, which again highlights his lack of inter-personal skills. Higgins' lack of social education is contrasted against that of the Colonel. Pickering asks, â€Å"Does it occur to you, Higgins, that the girl has some feelings? † To which Higgins replies â€Å"Oh no, I don't think so. Not any feelings that we need bother about. † This indicates Higgins's complete lack of respect towards Eliza, and that he only sees her as an experiment, not as a human being. He regards well-educated people as his equal, so by teaching Eliza, he is able to change his opinion of her. Again, this reflects the â€Å"nurture† side of the â€Å"nature versus nurture† debate; by educating people, we can overcome our prejudices and promote equality. Eliza's first reaction towards Higgins is totally the opposite of Higgins's reaction. She acts â€Å"(quite overwhelmed, looking up at him in mingled wonder and deprecation without daring to raise her head. )† This is partly because of his talent at placing accents, and also due to the respect she has for his standing in society. The difference in their reactions reflects Higgins and Eliza's characters. We can see that as Eliza's social skills are more acceptable, (even though her academic and social standing is below Higgins) she draws a more favourable conclusion. It shows that she has a better social awareness than Higgins, so she is able to educate him, which again, encourages equality. The first learning point for Eliza occurred at Higgins's house, where she learned elements of social ritual. Firstly, Mrs. Pearce shows her the bathroom, where Eliza has to get accustomed to the differences in standards of hygiene of the higher classes. She is not used to having a bath. â€Å"You expect me to wet myself all over? † she exclaims, when Mrs. Pearce shows her the bathroom. â€Å"It's not natural: it would kill me. I've never had a bath in my life† This demonstrates how dirty she is, and how unaccustomed Eliza is with soap and water; hygiene is a major aspect that Eliza learns while staying at Higgins's house. However, her attitude dramatically changes, and she even says, â€Å"washing is a treat†, showing how rapidly education can change ones opinions. Mrs Pearce is shocked by Eliza's nightly habits; â€Å"do you mean to say that you sleep in the underclothes you wear in the daytime? † This again highlights the difference between the classes. Higgins' fine furnishings contrast starkly with her cramped living conditions on Drury Lane. â€Å"I couldn't sleep here,† Eliza tells him. â€Å"It's too good for the likes of me. † She is still used to being regarded as below everyone else, and having inadequate living standards. By being taught the social rituals of a different class in society, Eliza can become an equal to Higgins and Pickering. By having Eliza in the house, Higgins also learns to control his behaviour. Mrs Pearce asks him â€Å"not to come down to breakfast in his dressing gown or use it as a napkin† because this is unacceptable, and he is supposed to be setting an example to Eliza. This shows that no matter what their social standing, everyone can improve their education, even though it may be arduous. When Eliza has her first speaking lesson, she realises that it is not going to be as easy as she originally thought â€Å"I can't hear no difference cep that it sounds more genteel-like when you say it† she moans. However, the knowledge that she has already gained from Higgins encourages her to continue because she can see that education will improve her life and the way she lives it. By changing Eliza's appearance, Higgins and Pickering begin to make her acceptable in higher-class society. â€Å"(Eliza, who is exquisitely dressed, produces an impression of such remarkable distinction and beauty as she enters that they all rise)†. Even though she looks presentable, Eliza is unaccustomed to the etiquette and behaviour of the upper classes, as Higgins tells her â€Å"†¦ to keep to two subjects of conversation†. This is because she is unreserved in her speech. When she attends Mrs. Higgins's â€Å"at-home day† she talks about her drunken father and swears, both of which is inappropriate behaviour. She talks of the death of her aunt, â€Å"What become of her new straw hat that should have come to me? Somebody pinched it; and what I say is, them as pinched it done her in†. Here, her grammar is poor and she uses slang. This is unacceptable to the company she is with. Higgins learns that this is the key area he needs to work on, as she gives â€Å"herself away with every sentence she utters†. It proves that education goes deeper than appearances; Eliza has to change from the inside. Eliza did change internally when she had to learn new skills. Without them, the material possessions such as jewellery and clothes would have been futile. She learns to speak more eloquently, she first spoke with a Cockney accent, and ended up having the hostess at an Embassy in London say that â€Å"she speaks English perfectly†. In fact, they say that she is not English, â€Å"Only foreigners, who have been taught to speak it, speak it so well†. This concludes that is possible to alter one's social standing through education, and that both social and academic knowledge is compulsory to make this transition. The transformation of Eliza affects her whole outlook on life. Eliza does not really realise it until the end of the character shift, when she is unsure of where she is headed. â€Å"Oh! If only I could go back to my flower basket! Why did you take my independence away from me? † Higgins tells her â€Å"Why, six months ago you would have thought it the millennium to have a flower shop of your own†. However, now that she is more aware of the world, she becomes more ambitious. Her education has allowed her to see herself and analyse her life † I'll advertise it in the papers that your duchess is only a flower girl that you taught, and that she'll teach anybody to be duchess just the same in six months for a thousand guineas†. This demonstrates her confidence and also her increased academic knowledge; she feels able to teach people. Even Higgins notices the change within her. â€Å"You were like a millstone around my neck. Now you're a tower of strength. † He is proud of her achievements. This is a radical change from the beginning of the play, when he was constantly insulting her. He even admits that he has â€Å"learnt something from (her) idiotic notions: I confess that humbly and gratefully†, showing that he has become more open minded to other people's ideas. The characters have changed on the outside and from within. It is only by having a greater awareness of the world that Eliza could say â€Å"†¦ When a child is brought to a foreign country, it picks up the language†¦ and forgets its own. Well, I am a child in your country. I have forgotten my own language and can speak nothing but yours. This shows her knowledge of culture and behaviour, as well as using appropriate language and a total change on her part, which she benefits from. She has undergone a dramatic self-improvement. Higgins has not changed so radically, but has learned â€Å"the great secret. (It) is not having bad manners or good manners or having any other particular kind of manners, but having the same kind of manner for all human souls. † He has finally learned to treat Eliza as an equal, which is a valuable lesson learnt from her. Both Higgins and Eliza have been nurtured, to become better people, by having a greater academic and social understanding.

Government Control and Subsidy of Energy vs. Private Sector Investment Essay

A subsidy is a payment from the government to a business to encourage the continual use or development of a technology or product that is considered to be useful or beneficial to the society. Most often, the money (or subsidies) is coming directly from taxpayers. This is where Milton Friedman’s signature phrase, â€Å"there’s no such thing as a free lunch† comes in to play. A unit of a product or service may be free for one person, someone or something is enduring an opportunity cost. Currently, renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power are being subsidized by roughly $24 billion a year because of the perceived environmental benefits that go along with â€Å"green† technologies. However, renewable energy companies such as Solyndra have gone bankrupt and the government has supported them to keep them running via subsidies. The argument for continuing these subsidies is that wind and solar are still in the start-up phase in the industrial world a nd have not yet reached large scale markets. Unfortunately, it is highly unlikely that these companies will ever be largely profitable because renewable energy, with a few exclusions, are unable to reach the profitable market margin that generating plants fueled by coal, natural gas or nuclear can. While the government tries to focus their support on said renewable energies, only providing limited tax breaks for the private oil companies, the US private sector has produced a substantial increase in oil. 2011 was the third consecutive year of higher domestic oil production and, at the same time, natural gas output reached an all-time high. Over the past five years, about two thousand new jobs have been created in the oil and gas industry while employment growth for renewable energies has been limited at best. With many of the recent failures of several renewable energy companies, employment has declined in this area during several periods. The renewable industry will also struggle to prosper because they rely too heavily on the government for support. The government has taken billions of dollars and will place it in this industry with little to no return for the enrichment of the economy and society. Friedman makes a rather sarcastic comment on activities like this by saying, â €Å"If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there’d be a shortage of sand†. This is an example of rent-seeking. Rent-seeking is a term, used by economists, to describe actions that involve a political process of taking wealth of others and getting essentially a loss of wealth. Without the incentive to compete to raise and gain money, the renewable energy industry doesn’t feel the need to produce more efficient and cost effective products or services. On the flip side of that, since most companies in the oil industry are in the private sector, the profit alone is a large enough incentive to supply valued goods and services at reasonable prices. If private sector companies do not continually improve or develop, they will quickly be â€Å"weeded out†. Since the private markets are decidedly competitive, they are continually searching for the sweet spot in the market that assures a large and readily available supply of energy and the cleanest yet practicable balance of the usage of our limited resources, all at the lowest price possible. Despite the fact that for more than a decade, there has been a large amount direct taxpayer support, renewable energy still cannot meet the market demand and, therefore, the subsidies for these areas should be significantly reduced if not completely done away with. If politicians are truly concerned with cutting greenhouse gas emissions, a better allocation of federal spending would be to target subsidies and incentives towards natural gas and nuclear power plants. These clean-burning fuels can heat our homes, power our vehicles, and generate electricity for America’s households and industries a lot more cheaply and reliably than renewable energy can. If America is not careful, it will quickly fall into crony capitalism. Crony capitalism, in layman terms, is where private businesses focus on doing political favors rather than the consumer market because the government uses spending, regulations, and subsidies to benefit businesses that provide political support. Instead of trying to pick winners and losers, the government should create a competitive marketplace with fair rules, no subsidies, and allow the private sector to prosper. One great aspect of America is the freedom to continuously change business strategies and marketing to adapt to change. Like Milton Friedman said, â€Å"Many people want the government to protect the consumer. A much more urgent problem is to protect the consumer from the government.†

Case Study Review Essays - Health, Confidentiality, Secrecy, Source

Case Study Review Essays - Health, Confidentiality, Secrecy, Source Case Study Review Laura Rubio BSHS/335 March 30, 2015 Stephanie Chupein Case Study Review In case study 9, the case talks about Physician Access to Information as a Noncustodial Parent. In this case it talks about a 14-year-old boy by the name of Rajiv who was recently treated in the Emergency Department. Rajiv's mother has sole custody of him, and Dr. Singh who is his father does not have visitation rights of him. Due to circumstances of his divorce, Rajiv's mother was able to provide documentation for inclusion in his health records stating that under no circumstances would Dr. Singh would be allowed to access Rajiv's health information. Rajiv's father Dr. Singh ran into Mrs. Singh's neighbor in the grocery store, and that is when the neighbor had asked about his recovery. That is when Dr. Singh said that he was unaware of any issues concerning Rajiv's health, prompting the neighbor Mr. Smith to fill him in on the details. Mr. Smith was unaware of the custody arrangements and details of the divorce. The next morning, Dr. Singh went to the Health Information Services department requesting a copy of his son's records for review. Thanks to talking with the neighbor, Dr. Singh was able to provide a date and circumstances of his son's medical treatment to the Release of Information clerk pulled Rajiv's chart, as she was getting ready to copy the record she noticed a note prohibiting Dr. Singh from accessing Rajiv's records. Dr. Singh who knew that this clerk did not like confrontation with physicians, he simply told her that he was trying to assist Rajiv's mother in getting a copy of his records to take to a specialist that was she did not have to come and get them herself. Even after Dr. Singh telling her that the clerk, defended the confidential nature of Rajiv's records and she refused to copy the records. Dr. Singh then became loud and abrupt with the file clerk to the point that Jane, the Director of Health Information Services, came out of her office to determine what the pr oblem was. Jane reminded Dr. Singh of the confidential nature of all patient health records and the privacy and security issues presented through the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act. Dr. Singh then said that he understood and respected that regulations must be followed. About a half hour later, Dr. Singh presented to the Physician Record Assistant's desk. This is when he requested his incomplete records so that he could sign and dictate outstanding reports. He also requested for them to pull Rajiv Jones' chart for him to review. She had some difficulty locating Rajiv's chart, she went to other areas of the Health Information Services department to see if anybody else had the chart. When the Release of Information Clerk was approached about the record, she was informed the Physician Record Assistant that Dr. Singh was not allowed access to Rajiv's records. She then informed Dr. Singh that she could not give him Rajiv's chart, and if he has any questions, he should talk with Jane. Then he apologized for any inconvenience, completed his incomplete records, and then went to the nursing units to do his rounds. That is where he has developed a relationship of respect with the nurses on the unit and made another attempt at requesting his son's records while on his morning rounds. He had asked Betty, a nurse on the orthopedic unit, if she could call and have the chart sent up for him, she promptly called Health Information Services, simply stating that a physician needs the chart. That is when Betty was asked which doctor was requesting the chart and Betty said that it was Dr. Singh. She was then told that he was not able to have access to the records. That is when Betty responded by demanding that if a physician requests records, that physician's intentions should not be questioned. The Release of Information Clerk finally transferred Betty to Jane, who continued to protect the confidentiality of the records. Finally Dr. Singh went to visit the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the facility Charles to make arrangements for their weekly golfing outing. Dr. Singh reported that he was having problems getting

5 Reasons To View The Nicholas C. Rossis Author Blog

5 Reasons To View The Nicholas C. Rossis Author Blog Its not every day that a writer offers free content and book marketing advice. When I encounter one- especially one that can help writers get past major hurdles in selling their work- its hard to keep quiet about it. Thats why I want to share five reasons to view the Nicholas C. Rossis author blog.Reason #1: Nicholas C. Rossis is a fascinating authorFrom the opening lines of his introduction- I live to write and do so from my cottage on the edge of a magical forest in Athens, Greece- Nicholas C. Rossis shows his unique brand of epic description. Upon additional perusing through his author blog, his work in both the fiction and nonfiction realms is alive with humor, humility, and imagination.To get to know him better as an author, listen to one of the many interviews available on his website. These are the best introduction to learn who he is and why he loves writing. For example, there is this interview with Ron Yates for RRBC Rave Waves BlogTalkRadio, along with this one focusing on book marketing tips with Bernard Kelvin Clive.Reason #2: All of his writing is free to readRossis work includes fiction (of the dark, epic fantasy kind), nonfiction, childrens stories and short stories- all of which are available free on Kindle Unlimited or for a small fee on Amazons free reading apps.His most recent book, A Heaven For Toasters, is described as a science fiction crime adventure with plenty of humor and romance, set in the near future. The back cover reads:A souvlaki and some sun. That is all Detective Mika Pensive wanted from her fun weekend away on the Greek island of Hydra. Instead, she finds herself caught up in a sinister plot, hatched by a reclusive billionaire with a penchant for illegal genetic engineering. As if that wasnt bad enough, she has to put up with her new partner, Leo. Leo is an android- or toaster, as people scornfully call his kind. The only thing that could make things even worse would be for the headstrong Mika to fall for Leo. But people dont fall for toasters- do they?Nicholas C. Rossis, A Heaven For ToastersThe cover of Rossis book, A Heaven for ToastersIf you dont have Kindle Unlimited, you can still purchase his books at low prices. Here are the links to some of the other books he has published:Emotional Beats: How to Easily Convert your Writing into Palpable Feelings (Author Tools Book 1)Summary: This emotional thesaurus includes hundreds of examples that you can use for your inspiration, so that you, too, can harness this technique to easily convert your writing into palpable feelings. Genre fiction authors can use Emotional Beat as a feeling thesaurus and watch their writing take off!Runaway Smile: An unshared smile is a wasted smile (Mystery Smiles Book 1)Summary: A little boy wakes up in the morning and realizes he has lost his smile. After spending the entire day trying to find it, he learns the truth behind smiles: the only real smiles are the shared ones.Pearseus Bundle: The Complete Pearseus Sci-fi/Fantasy SeriesSummary: Combining fantasy with science fiction, Pearseus is filled with passion, warfare, and betrayal. Described as ancient Greece in space, it gives readers who want a different kind of fantasy an exciting new series to devour.Musiville: Lets face the music and conduct (Mystery Smiles Series) (Volume 2)Summary: The only thing that can save Musiville is a musical symphony. Sounds easy enough. But in a world where everyone believes only their own music to be worth playing, it is the hardest task the villages musical animals have ever faced.Reason #3: He offers valuable advice about writing and marketing your bookThere is an entire section on the Nicholas Rossis blog dedicated to marketing your book. If you are an indie author and in the throes of gaining an audience for your writing, these tips will be absolutely indispensable during the marketing process. Among them, he provides information on marketing your book across various platforms, including Facebook, Twitter and Amaz on.Here is a sampling of the many tips he offers:A-Z guide: How both my books reached #1 on AmazonHow to Score Great Amazon Reviews: Resources and MoreHow to Tame Amazons Algorithm to Increase your Sales RankHow to Use Facebook Ads to Gain Subscribers and to Promote a GiveawayUnderstanding Amazon ACoS (Advertising Cost of Sale): What is it?Advertise with Amazon: a Step-by-step TutorialHow to Increase Your Amazon Click-Through Rate (CTR)Book Marketing Essentials: Positioning your WorkI Just Published my Book. Now What?7 fool-proof marketing tips to promote your blogAdditionally, on the Author Resources tab, Rossis advertises his work with an online media company, Istomedia. He mentions that for the past 25 years, his day job has been working to develop websites. As an author who has built his own website, he works specifically with other authors who want to have their own author website to market their work. He also offers a 30% discount for readers of his blog. Since the blog is so informative, this is certainly a win-win! He will also help you create your book cover for a reasonable price.Reason #4: Optimism (and entertainment) aboundsIn a world where bad news and political scandal fills the media, its nice to run across a blog that offers optimistic, fun, and useful entertainment. The Nicholas C. Rossis blog is one such blog. While much of the content is focused on writing and the literary world, there are some posts that are written simply for a fun, optimistic read.For example, the recent post, How the world got better in 2018, he notes multiple ways in which things got better last year, including increasing use of green energy around the world, increasing environmental protection for the worlds oceans, 50 animals species that were on the endangered list are now removed, falling global poverty levels, and greater access to electricity around the world, among others. Although these topics have little to do with writing or marketing books, the piece is well- written and informative- two aspects of a blog that make it worth your time to read.Author Nicholas C. RossisReason #5: His writing is superbRossis has won numerous awards for his writing. His first childrens book, Runaway Smile, was awarded the Gelett Burgess Childrens Book Award, and was a finalist in the 2015 International Book Awards, in the Childrens Fiction category and a Childrens Fiction Finalist in the 2015 Independent Author Network Book of the Year Awards.His collection of short stories and flash fiction, entitled Infinite Waters: A Collection of Science Fiction/Speculative Fiction Short Stories (Exciting Destinies Book 2), was voted as one of the best 50 Indie books of 2015. Both of these titles, along with the rest of his work, is available for free on Kindle and Amazon.Here is an excerpt from Simulation Over, one of the stories in The Power of Six, a collection of seven short stories.Without waiting for my reply, the elevator started its calm descent again. This time i t headed straight for the basement where the heart of the building was located. Or, should I say, its brain. I gazed with longing as the ground floor button lit up, then desperate hope turned into trepidation as it went dark again. The indication changed to a simple red hyphen and the elevator finally stopped with a gentle jolt. The doors slid apart and cool air caressed our faces. After the stifling heat above, the result of the many small fires around the building, this felt like balm on our skin.Nicholas C. Rossis, Simulation OverMy overall impressionThere are many author blogs available online that are created and written solely to market the authors work. However, the Nicholas C. Rossis blog seems to go a step beyond that to help other authors market their work, and provide valuable guidance from a fellow author who has learned the ropes. Specifically, I found Rossis advice on understanding the various marketing platforms- such as Amazon and Facebook- to be extremely valuable, since these two platforms can be confusing for new authors who are first-timers in the realm of book marketing and sales.Additionally, Rossis writing is fun, imaginative, and easy to read- particularly for those interested in the sci-fi and fantasy genres. Whether you are an author looking for advice, or just an avid reader, be sure to check this one out. You wont be disappointed.

Words in the Struct Family

Words in the Struct Family Words in the Struct Family Words in the Struct Family By Mark Nichol The Latin source of the element struct, the basis of structure and other words pertaining to literal and figurative building and unbuilding, is also the root of a couple of unexpected words. The root word in common is struere, meaning â€Å"arrange,† â€Å"build,† or â€Å"pile.† Words based on structure, which functions both as a noun meaning â€Å"building† or â€Å"something constructed† and as a verb meaning â€Å"build† or â€Å"organize,† include the adjectives structural and structured, the adverb structurally, and the noun structuralism, which pertains to several distinct methods or movements in anthropology, linguistics, and psychology. (The rare noun structuration pertains more pragmatically to the interrelationship of components.) From the latter word comes the forms structuralist, structuralization, structuralize, structuralized, and structuralistically. Words consisting of a prefix attached to struct and the element -ion include construction and its antonym destruction, as well as instruction and obstruction. The qualitative adjectival forms for these words replace -ion with -ive (instruction also has a quantitative adjectival form ending in -al), and the adverbial forms append -ly. Noun forms pertaining to the quality of the construction, destruction, instruction, or obstruction attach -ness to the adjectival form. Alone among the four terms, destruction has an irregular verb: destroy (from the Old French verb destruire). One who destroys is a destroyer, but that word typically refers not to a person but to a thing- a particular type of warship, originally called a torpedo boat destroyer. (There is also a type called a destroyer escort, designed to protect other vessels against submarines.) The verb destruct was introduced by back-formation a few hundred years ago but has died out except in rocketry (referring to deliberate destruction of a malfunctioning launched rocket) and in the related terms auto-destruct and self-destruct, which are synonyms. Construct, instruct, and obstruct are the verb forms for the other words. The capacity of something to be constructed, destroyed, or instructed is described with constructability (and its adjectival form constructable) and so on, although the spelling of destruct’s appendages are -ible and -ibility; obstruct did not acquire these forms with either spelling. (In addition, of the four nouns and adjectives, only those based on destruct have antonyms formed by adding the prefix in-.) The noun form instructor is common, but the equivalents for the other three words are rare. The suffixes -ist and -ism, meanwhile, can be applied to construction and the equivalent nouns to refer to various philosophies. In computer technology, the terms macroinstruction and microinstruction refer to multiple or single instructions for coding; the former term is abbreviated to macro, but micro does not seem to have been adopted to apply to the latter term. Two words whose kinship with the struct family is not immediately apparent are construe (from the Latin term construere, meaning â€Å"relate grammatically†), which means â€Å"make clear† or â€Å"interpret,† and misconstrue, which means â€Å"misunderstand† and is therefore not an antonym. Construable describes something that can be construed, and construal is the act of construing something. (Misconstrue has equivalent forms.) A term with an even more effective disguise is industry, which in its Latin form, indostruus, means â€Å"diligent† but now usually pertains to labor applied to the creation of products or to classes of businesses (such as the motion picture industry) with products in common. The adjectives industrial and industrious differ in that the former, in the sense of â€Å"manufacturing,† is neutral and the latter refers, in the sense of â€Å"diligence,† to the quality of industry. Either form takes the adverbial ending -ly, but only the latter is the basis of a noun ending in -ness. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Dialogue Dos and Don'ts50 Latin Phrases You Should Know30 Words Invented by Shakespeare

The root of poor and segregate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The root of poor and segregate - Essay Example However, despite the perceived tolerance and acceptance of White Americans towards the Blacks, as well as the immigrant and minority groups, there were still some issues which counteract the implementation of anti-discriminatory laws, and even let racism remain subtly within the society. Factors such as maintenance of stereotypes not just by law enforcers but also by policy-makers and the mass media caused many problems such as the failure of the minority groups to become fully integrated and accepted into the society, which further separates them from others, causing increased intolerance to them and even creating the wrong impressions, as well as lesser work and development opportunities. These are known to be risk factors in creating impoverished, violent, and crime-laden neighborhoods among communities which are majorly composed of ethnic minorities (Haller 755). Thus, the roots of prevailing poverty, lack of complete racial integration and high rates of unfinished education in r acially-segregated communities are not just due to the loopholes of the anti-racial discrimination policies and laws, but are also due to deeply-seated racial discrimination against immigrants and blacks by the whites, as well as the inaccurate representation of the correlation between the violence and poverty rates among the segregated and majorly ethnic communities. Factors in the Prevalence of Poverty and Large Numbers of Uneducated Youth After doing community surveys in different areas in the state, researchers found out that lesser work opportunities are given to members of the black Americans and Hispanic immigrants due to perceived negative stereotypes, as compared to members of the white communities. Prevailing stereotypes were incorrectly attributed to the concentration of immigrants and influx of foreigners due to many people assuming that these minority groups chose to live in impoverished and disorganized communities, and subsequently committing crimes in these areas (Sa mpson 30). There is also the increase of areas with low employment rates because of the preference of employers of highly-skilled laborers over unskilled labor, which greatly affected many minority groups, especially those that have high numbers of people that were not able to finish high school (Niemonen 21). The high percentages of minority groups that drop out of high school are said to have been attributed to the problem of covert segregation between communities that prevent the integration of multicultural students, as well as the limited number of such children to enter the institution. Also, letting the parents of the students decide how the schools must operate (e.g. Anglo-Saxon parents have greater power in deciding whether to let their children stay in culturally-diverse schools or not, and taking their children out if no actions in favor of their choice are taken), the lack of the federal or state government to address the needs of these children such as the lack of bilin gual teachers for the children of immigrants, decrease in the appropriation of funds due to the perceived state of the community where the schools are located (e.g. poverty-stricken and high incidences of crime), and the creation of

MGMT Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

MGMT - Assignment Example The person sitting next to me was a strikingly attractive young woman. She raised her hand to ask a question and we were stunned when the lecturer failed to address her by her name (as he had all of the males that were asking question). Instead, he said, â€Å"What’s your question blondie?† The room immediately became uncomfortable but the lecturer seemed to have no idea that what he had said was sexist. She asked her question, received her answer and sat fuming and embarrassed for the remainder of the morning. I regret that I did nothing. I felt horrible for her but felt powerless to do anything. I didn’t want to speak up because I was a new hire and besides, this gentleman was so well regarded in the community. At the very least I think I should have said something to the offended party afterwards, but I didn’t. I think that if I had it to do all over, I would have taken a moment to say something to the lecturer at the break for lunch. I think I should have let him know that I think he offended one of the new hires by the way he addressed her. I think at the very least, I should have let him know that he made me feel uncomfortable by referring to her as â€Å"blondie†. I understand that this man was from a different generation and that such a comment might have been tolerated when he was much younger. But that isn’t an excuse. It does place the comment in context, but I can still remember that embarrassed and uncomfortable emotion I felt in the training session that

Titus Andronicus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Titus Andronicus - Essay Example The two sons are beheaded. Unsatisfied, she goes ahead and persuades her sons Demetrius and Chiron to rape Lavinia the only daughter of Titus. After raping her, they go ahead and chop off her tongue and hands so that she could not give them away to their crime. Eventually, Lucius, the only surviving son of Titus is prohibited from Rome. Nevertheless, he (Lucius) goes ahead and forms an alliance with Goths the enemy of Rome for purposes of attacking Rome. The new misfortune hits the tired, aged Titus with a great impact. Consequently, he starts acting awkwardly and everyone thinks that he has gone crazy. Given Titus awkward behavior, Tamora tries to capitalize on it via pretending to be the revenge figure, coming to offer him the needed justice on condition that he convinces Lucius, his only surviving son, to cease the Rome attack. Titus having faked his madness, lures her, captures her sons, murders them and creates a pie out of them. The pie is fed to their mother, after which Titus kills both Lavinia, his daughter, and Tamora. The main reason for Titus killing her daughter is to put an end to her suffering and shame over her rape. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to characterize the existing relationship between Titus and his only daughter Lavinia in Shakespeares Early Blood Titus Andronicus. In addition to that, I will give my own opinion about her killing (Shakespeare Sc i-iv). Play Analysis Titus Andronicus is the play tragic hero and the general of the Rome Empire. He is the father of Lucius and Lavinia. He spent his ten years fighting the enemies of Rome and winning reputation for his country. On the contrary, his heroic deeds have drained much out of him making him feel incompetent enough to lead his country despite the country’s desire to crown him the new emperor. First, he is held up by his countrymen as model of piety because of his staunch adherence to traditions. However, it is this strict reverence to tradition that inspires his enemies to stem up revenge against him. Being the play hero, he pursues his revenge to the end. Unfortunately, he dies in the process of seeking revenge. Lavinia is Titus Andronicus’ only daughter. She refuses to be made an empress by Saturninus because she had fallen in love with Bassianus. Chiron and Demetrius brutally rape and disfigure her in the forest. Eventually, she becomes mute and her presence on stage is quite horrifying. Robbed and deprived of her every means of communication, and her precious chastity, the play portrays her as one of the most incapacitated heroines. From the character analysis of Lavinia and Titus, it is evident that the two are very united as they seek revenge against those who have harmed them. Lavinia being unable to talk leads young Lucius, Marcus and Titus to a book giving description of rape, prompting his father and brothers to confirm that she was raped. To get the whole information regarding her rape, they hand her a stick so that she can identi fy who did the harm to her. Lavinia writes â€Å"Rape. Chiron. Demetrius.† This makes Titus seek revenge for their deed. Titus sends his young son Lucius to Demetrius and Chiron with a scroll and weapon describing the act (rape) in riddles. Titus revenge is engineered by his urge to bring justice to Rome. In doing so, he tells Demetrius and Chiron to their face that he knows what they did to her daughter

What Happens to Kids When Parents Do Not Pay Attention to Them because Essay

What Happens to Kids When Parents Do Not Pay Attention to Them because They Are Busy Working - Essay Example Children are totally dependent on adults at the time of birth, and to a great extent till the time they are equipped with the tools to be able to fend for themselves. Besides the basic physical needs of a child like food, clothing, medical care, education and a safe environment in which to grow; other needs that are of great importance to a child’s well being, and those that can impact the child’s future, are emotional needs; that if neglected, can scar a child for life, and cause untold damage to the child as well as to the society in which s/he lives. The problems of neglect among today’s kids are increasing. Till the first part of the twentieth century, these problems were not so evident. The support of extended families and the role of the mother who was a homemaker, ensured that enough time was given to kids although families were larger then, than they are today. As more and more women began to work and set up nuclear families the problem of children's need s being neglected has arisen, and of late has assumed gargantuan proportions. Today parents’ neglect of their children stems not just from lack of time or resources, but often is caused by parents being more self centered and putting their own need for having a good time before the needs of their children. Sometimes it is also caused because parents themselves have been victims of neglect and /or victims of drug abuse. It is shocking that these problems should arise at a time when family planning methods are easily available and parents have the choice of planning their family. Raising a child is a tremendous responsibility and the best parents have sometimes been stumped by the demands and pressures that a child is capable of putting on them. There is no question of quality time. Child raising is a job without hours and one that can try the patience of a saint. Yet, according to many parents who have successfully raised families with all the attendant problems, it is a treme ndously satisfying and joyful experience. Those parents who can balance work and home life find that parenting is less stressful. One has to re-evaluate priorities and make some choices and hard decisions when one plans a family. A parent’s love for the child is the motivating factor that goads parents to make many adjustments in their lifestyle for their children. The bond that develops between loving, caring parents and their children makes children want to please their parents. The development of this bond of love between parents and their children is an important factor for the healthy physical, mental and emotional development of children, that can have long term consequences on the kind of human beings that children grow up to be. Babies need a lot of time because they are so helpless and need parents to fulfil every need. During the first few months after childbirth, the mother too is going through a lot of emotional stress and needs the support of her husband and othe r close family members. As the child begins to grow, s/he is learning at a fast pace and the need to feel loved, protected and secure is very great. At this point the toddler needs the reassurance of being loved and valued. As s/he conquers new milestones, the pride of parents in his/her achievement is the highlight of the toddler’s day and s/he strives to repeat the newly learned skill. In the growing years, children often have to be reprimanded for bad behavior or mistakes that are an inevitable part of growing up. At such times parents must ensure that the child’s mistake has been explained and understood. If a child does not understand why s/he is punished the same mistakes

Gendering the Mythic World Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Gendering the Mythic World - Term Paper Example They also include false beliefs that certain societies use in order to give justifications to certain social institutions. Additionally they could be some sort of invented stories or ideas and concepts since they are about imaginary things or fictitious events and persons. Gendering on the other hand can be understood as socially defining certain sets of norms that are behavior related within certain cultures and are considered appropriate to a given sex. They include attitudes, personality traits, and actions related to particular sex in a society. Therefore gender differs in behavior and personality in accordance to the societal and cultural factors. Gendering myths is therefore deciding the gender roles of the characters depicted in the mythical tales based on the society and culture that the myth seeks to explain. This paper therefore seeks to discuss how: the mythic world has defined roles for men and women based on how the given societies and cultures deemed appropriate. The mythic world has defined roles for men and women based on how the given societies and cultures deemed appropriate. (Ferranti, 17 -21) outlines: in the ancient Greek women are depicted by many of the mythical stories as having strong feminine power which were mysterious and un-understood by men. Women gave life to people in this ancient age when the mystery of birth was just beyond man’s conception. The process of fertility, conception and birth were barely understood by the society. Consequently, males are depicted to so anxious about this mysterious feminine power to give life. Thus women were meant to raise and guard children. The roles that women played in the mythic stories are depicted as ladies of marriage and guardians of children, they thus were expected to give birth, raise and guard children. Similarly the myth of ancient Egyptian goddess, Isis talks of the same role that women played in giving life from what was in existent as will be

Ethical Decision Making in Health Care Term Paper

Ethical Decision Making in Health Care - Term Paper Example An example of one of these ways that can be useful in making decisions that are ethical and appropriate is the use of the Down Model. This model of making ethical decision was established and presented by Down and his colleagues who came up with a step- by- step method of helping professionals in making decisions that are ethical. The Down Model specifically provides professionals with ways to address challenges that affect the solving of professional problems ethically, since it closely resembles or relates to those found in the medical imaging profession. This model is made of at least six steps, which have been adjusted for the appropriate use by the user in responding to a number of hypotheticals. This paper will utilize the Down Model to address or to respond to two particular cases by analyzing them and solving them through the use of the six steps in the Down model. Before looking at the specific cases, it is essential that we look at and familiarize ourselves with the six ste ps of the Down Model. The first step in the model is the step that deals with assessing the problem by considering what ethical contexts are present in which the situation took place. This step requires the user to determine what kind of ethical challenge took place- ethical dilemma of justice, ethical dilemma, locus of authority issue or ethical distress. The second step requires the user to isolate the issues. During this point, the user must be able to differentiate the issues that are essential to the situation from those that are not as essential. The user must also determine what values should be utilized. The user of the model should, at this stage, consider which ethical principles the cases or situations involve or use, they must also consider which rights an organization is violating or compromising, and which area or principle of the profession’s code of conduct or ethics covers the behavior in the situation. The third step of the model involves the user analyzing the data. It is during this stage that the user separates al the pertinent information from the pure conjecture. In this stage, the user should only examine the facts that relate to the problem and eliminate the rest. The fourth stage of the Down model involves the development of an action plan by the user. During this stage, the user makes a decision depending on what options are available for addressing the problem. The last essential stage in the model is the institution of the plan, which involves the user proceeding with the implementation of the solution. The first case that we are going to look at in this case is the first case is Case 1, which deals with the medical imaging professional. The case tells us that the supervisor and the co- workers of the medical imaging professional have been suspecting that the individual has a problem controlling his drinking problem. The person in question comes to work with breath that smells of alcohol, with a compromised gait, and speech that is slightly slurred. The supervisor pulled him aside recently, as a result of these observations, and was able to confirm the signs that he had noticed earlier. The supervisor then warns the professional that according to the substance abuse policy that the observations that he has made are enough to warrant for a drug test, and requests that the imaging professional must undergo a blood test for confirmation. The imaging professional, however, refuses to do as directed. The question here is whether the way the professional acted was a way of insubordination or whether making him go for the test would be a violation of the rights of the

Gendering the Mythic World Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Gendering the Mythic World - Term Paper Example They also include false beliefs that certain societies use in order to give justifications to certain social institutions. Additionally they could be some sort of invented stories or ideas and concepts since they are about imaginary things or fictitious events and persons. Gendering on the other hand can be understood as socially defining certain sets of norms that are behavior related within certain cultures and are considered appropriate to a given sex. They include attitudes, personality traits, and actions related to particular sex in a society. Therefore gender differs in behavior and personality in accordance to the societal and cultural factors. Gendering myths is therefore deciding the gender roles of the characters depicted in the mythical tales based on the society and culture that the myth seeks to explain. This paper therefore seeks to discuss how: the mythic world has defined roles for men and women based on how the given societies and cultures deemed appropriate. The mythic world has defined roles for men and women based on how the given societies and cultures deemed appropriate. (Ferranti, 17 -21) outlines: in the ancient Greek women are depicted by many of the mythical stories as having strong feminine power which were mysterious and un-understood by men. Women gave life to people in this ancient age when the mystery of birth was just beyond man’s conception. The process of fertility, conception and birth were barely understood by the society. Consequently, males are depicted to so anxious about this mysterious feminine power to give life. Thus women were meant to raise and guard children. The roles that women played in the mythic stories are depicted as ladies of marriage and guardians of children, they thus were expected to give birth, raise and guard children. Similarly the myth of ancient Egyptian goddess, Isis talks of the same role that women played in giving life from what was in existent as will be

Ventus and Business Process Outsourcing Article

Ventus and Business Process Outsourcing - Article Example The company focuses on delivering value to its customers in various areas such as cost-savings, service level quality, and process improvements. The customers chose Ventus due to its superior performance and the cost savings that were incurred. Ventus also provided value added services such as designing specific systems to deal with busy seasons such as holidays, for example, it developed a system for a flower company that dealt with the spike in calls on Valentine’s day and Mother’s day. The Philippine BPO industry has been hit by the global recession. Due to this most companies are forgoing new projects and consolidating outsourcing services in one area to cut cost. The recession has been a major challenge for Ventus as it has decreased the number of present and potential customers. Outsourcing was usually for corporations that were involved in financial services, retailers, and travel firms which were the hardest hit by the recession. Banks and other financial institutions have merged and wrapped up their various operations to cut costs. Companies who have incurred losses have dropped plans to outsource the processes. The fierce competition in the BPO industry in the Philippines will make it more difficult for Ventus and its competitors to survive as the customers decrease and profits fall. Ventus can address the challenges it faces by diversification into other countries apart from America. Before the financial crisis, Ventus had diversified its customer base by reaching out to local customers. Domestic clients cushioned the impact of the global financial crisis on Ventus and helped it sustain profitability and growth. Thus Ventus should focus more of its resources locally and globally. This will enable Ventus to diversify its market and risks.  Ã‚  

The Iconoclastic Controversy Essay Example for Free

The Iconoclastic Controversy Essay The paper is devoted to the study of the Iconoclastic Controversy that had a profound effect on the development of church and theology in 8-9th century AD. For the better understanding of the problem, the notion of icons is explained with their seeming simplicity and spiritual meaning. Then, the definition of iconoclasm is given and the substance of the controversy is described. The paper reviews a brief historical development of the issue and examines two iconoclastic periods, of 730-787 and 814-843, with their respective characteristics and results. The study also reviews the major argumentation of both sides of the conflict, the iconoclasts and the iconodules. Having viewed the historical development and the positions of the opponents, the paper analyzes the outcomes of the iconoclastic controversy that are dual: on the one side, the use of icons is restored and theologically justified, and on the other side, the question is not resolved completely and allows further disputes within the Western church.

Danone company in India analysis

Danone company in India analysis In early 1900s a small yogurt producing factory with a vision to reach its scrumptious yogurts in every part of the world was started in Barcelona, Spain. Later Danone entered the biscuit industry in 1986 by buying General Biscuit and in 1989 it added to its portfolio of biscuit brands by acquiring Nabiscos European subsidiaries  [1]  . Later Danone began aggressively venturing globally and took over 40 acquisitions in Asia, Latin America, Central Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. The Globalization vision would have been futile if Danone Group would have not entered Indian market where 1/6th of the world population resided. It took 7 decades for Danone to reach India with an immense hope of stabilizing its brand through a joint venture with Wadia group. Together they took over 51 percent holding of Indias leading biscuit manufacturer, Britannia Industries Limited. Danone did foresee this venture as a potential growth for one its core business lines of biscuits. Along with stre ngthen its biscuit portfolio, it saw strategical entry of the other two businesses of dairy products and beverages (specifically water). Antoine Riboud founder of Danone stated during unveiling of the companies from BSN to Danone that We wanted our name to be an added source of momentum for the global expansion that is now our priority. The food industry has in the past treated markets as discreet entities separated from each other by the culinary traditions of countries or regions, but it is now caught up in the same swing to globalization as others. This is because not only tastes, but also distribution and media are becoming just as global (Franck, 1996). Antoine Riboud and his successor Franck Riboud knew that they had to develop a response to this allegation by entering the Indian market to strengthen the growth of its biscuits, dairy products and beverages. However Danones association with its joint venture persuaded a change of strategy which eventually restructured its core business line and future actions. However, Danone stayed consistent with its priority of expansion globally and considering India to be important nation to pursue its vision. About Danone Group The Danone Group is a multinational food products company and currently consists of four principal business lines namely fresh dairy products, bottled water, baby nutrition and medical nutrition. Danones fresh dairy products sector represents 60% of the group sales according to 2009 report making it the number one company in fresh dairy products. The two lines of probiotic dairy products named as Actimel and Activia are the most accepted products of Danone [refer exhibit 2]. As for the other business lines, the bottled waters and baby nutrition products were ranked number two in the world and its medical nutrition products as number one in European market (Press Pederson, 2000). The Globalization strategy of Danone products commenced in early 1990s. Before entering India, Danones major business lines consisted of fresh dairy, biscuits, glass containers and beer [refer exhibit 3]. Based on world rankings in 1995, Danone was categorized as the world seventh largest food group, and the pioneer in fresh dairy products and biscuits. It was also ranked as number two in pasta, beer and glass containers. In May 1997 Franck Riboud announced the adoption of a new company strategy focusing on three core business areas namely dairy products, biscuits, and beverages (specifically water and beer)in which the company had global leadership [refer exhibit 1]. These areas also represented 85 percent of group sales (Press Pederson, 2000). Background In far far away land a small cookie making factory was started and K. Ranjan Pillai sobriquet as Biscuit King was crowned in the late 1980s. The throne of Mr. Pillai resided with Britannia Industries Ltd (BIL), which was a pioneer in Indian Biscuit Industry. However the reign of the Biscuit King soon got over, as the 43-year old Biscuit-King was pleaded guilty to the charge and admitted he had authorised the release of the companys funds to pay debt incurred by two of his cashew-trading firms. The biscuit tycoon was sent to Tihar Central Jail of India in 1995 and whose death in the same year closed what  the Economic Times  referred to as one of Indias most dramatic corporate sagas (Padmakshan, 2007). This closed the case of Rajan Pillai, however opened its empire and assets for auction. Group Danone grabbed this opportunity and entered the Indian market by establishing a joint venture with oldest Indian conglomerate Wadia Group. A marriage of two diverse entities was formed giving birth to two equal joint venture companies, UK registered Associated Biscuits International Holdings Ltd in 1992 and Wadia BSN in 1995. The Groupe Danone and Wadia together hold 50.96% in Britannia through Associated Biscuits International Ltd. The ABI Holdings, was a 50:50 JV between Groupe Danone and Wadia group. Nusli Wadia owner of the Wadia Group took over as a chairman for Britannia and Sunil Alag was appointed as the Managing Director. Sunil Alag was known as the Danone man as he was instrumental for Danone to join hands with Wadia. This new entity, Wadia BSN India, was meant to manufacture and sell food products and beverages in India, covering all Danone products, but the venture did not move. As per the Wadia BSN agreement signed in 1995, in case of a deadlock between the partners, Danone is obliged to buy all the shares of the Wadia group at a `fair market value. This agreement does not include Britannias holding firm, ABIH which has a separate agreement signed in 1992 and is subject to the British law (Chatterjee, 2007). Expect the unexpected On 29th June 2007, the French dairy major, Group Danone formally initiated arbitration proceedings to end its partnership with the Mumbai based Wadia group. The 15 years of foray came to an end leading to speculations of Danones growth in India. Eight days before the final declaration of end of relation of Danone and Wadia group the shares  of Danone on 21st June 2007 fell by 1.1 percent, to 57.42 Euros in Paris as Frances benchmark CAC 40 stock index dropped 1 percent (Saikat Ladka, 2007). Danone Secretary General,  Philippe-Loic Jacob said that We are addressing the current issues with our Indian partner, and this was a priority as Danone wished to continue developing its activities in India. It was revealed by both parties that this discontinuation was advantageous to both parties as Danone was no longer interested in the biscuits business line globally. Whereas The Wadia group having increased its stake in Britannia gained an opportunity to focus on its core business of Bisc uits. Britannias core business was always biscuits, where it enjoyed 38 percent in value and about 32 percent in volume in 2007 (Babu, 2007). Further, the Rs 6,500-crore  [2]  organised biscuit market in India was growing at 14-16 per cent per annum (Archana Rai, 2003). Issue 1: 2001 On 27th October 2001, Britannia formed a joint venture with Fonterra Co-operative Group of New Zealand, the worlds largest milk company, to explore the potential for dairy products (www.businessweek.com, 2009). Britannia took this stand even though it was associated with one of the most powerful leaders of dairy products-Danone. Fonterra was among the ten biggest dairy companies in the world and had integrated process where it included every part of the chain from procurement of milk to value-added products such as cheese and buttermilk (Krishnan, 2002). This was unlike as that of Danone who did market dairy products such as yoghurt, cheese and desserts. Issue 2: 2003 On June 04, 2003, Sunil Alag was ousted as a CEO, but it was claimed that Danone was not informed until the last minute. There were speculations that Nusli Wadia had realized that outsiders were seeing Britannia as a one man show and Mr. Alag was its face. Alagh took all the critical operational decisions and had shaken up a company associated with staid biscuit brands-like Goodday, Marie and Bourbon-by launching Pure Magic and Tiger (Archana Rai, 2003). Mr. Alag had a support from Danone as he was a strong link between the two companies.. Apart from being a successful CEO, Alagh was also flashy, flamboyant, with friends among the Page 3 crowd in Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi. So its likely that he helped his friends in some way, as is common with most Indian CEOs. To oust Alagh, Wadia devised the idea of the audit report, the logic being Danone would not support a corrupt CEO (Archana Rai, 2003). An internal audit report, which was recently leaked to the media, did find that Alagh pro bably favoured ad agencies, media houses and ngos run by his friends. Other claims were that Wadia wanted to have a say in the company and eventually get his son, Jeh, on board (Archana Rai, 2003). Mr Alagh, 56, joined Britannia in 1974 and has been MD CEO for over a decade (Chakravarty Kurian, 2009). Issue 3: In June, 2006:  Danone registered the Tiger trademark in over 70 countries without prior consent  [3]  . Due to this Britannia demanded royalty from Danone for use of Tiger brand that was registered under them. The tiger brand was the strongest brand of Britnannia which corporate to 20% of the companys revenue  [4]  . To this Danone also asked Britannia for royalties for using its trademark recipes for Britannias product Little Hearts. Issue 4: In November, 2006 the Wadias dragged Groupe Danone to court over the French company picking up a minority stake in a Bangalore based bio-nutritional foods company Avestha Gengraine Technologies, through its subsidiary Daninvest.com SA (Sangameshwaran, 2007). This was in violation of the governments Press Note 1, 2005, which requires a foreign company to obtain the consent of its Indian joint venture partner before pursuing an independent business in a similar area  [5]  . Actions to be India The allegation of not informing Danones partner for picking up minority stakes of Avestha Gengraine Technologies was denied by Danone. A letter dated 10th May 2007 was sent to the Indian Government that it is not a joint venture with Britannia and its 25 percent shareholdings in the biscuit company is a joint venture with wadia group ABIH through UK and not India (Chakravarty, 2007). Hence, Danone claimed that it dint have any direct joint venture in India and hence the Press Note 1, 2005 was not applicable to them. However, to this the government repeatedly told Danone that it would require no objection certificate as per the press note regulation governing the joint venture between domestic and foreign market (Chakravarty Kurian, 2009). Shortly within few months, Danone had to address a court case in September 2007, for allegedly usurping the intellectual property rights (IPR). Vinita Bali the new managing director of Britannia, said: Danone paid 220 million rupees as fee for usin g the Tiger brand  [6]  . However, to this Danone asked Britannia to pay royalty for using its trademark recipe the brand Little Hearts. However this claim was turned around as Britannia had obtained Danones approval for it and was authorized to sell it elsewhere. Ironically the exchange of technical co-operation and intellectual property was approved during Sunil Alaghs tenure as Britannia CEO, who was known to share a good rapport with the Danone top brass (Vijayraghavan, 2007).  On April 14, 2009, Groupe Danone officially exited Britannia Industries by selling its entire 25.48 per cent interest to a Wadia Group company, Leila Lands, which indirectly held a similar stake in the biscuit firm  [7]  . In 2007, Danone sold its global biscuit business to Kraft Foods for à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬5.3 billion, enabling the American company to add the portfolio to its Nabisco cookies and crackers  [8]  . Danone position now in India Group Danone is now particularly keen on focusing on the dairy products in India. The Danone India, the firms fully-owned subsidiary in India, will manage the dairy and baby foods business, the water business will be managed separately through a new joint venture (JV) with Narang Hospitality Services, which is the distributor for Evian in India. Group Danone is particularly keen on the baby nutrition segment, especially after its $17 billion acquisition of Dutch firm Royal Numico, which made it Europes largest player in the baby foods category and the second-largest in the world after Nestle. According to Yakult group (http://yakult.co.in/), In 2005 Yakult Danone India (P) Ltd was formed with a joint venture between Yakult Honsha, Japan and Group Danone of France. The 50:50 Joint venture Yakults probiotic drink was launched in December 2007  [9]  . Conclusion Danones main motive to enter Indian market was to seek potential growth for its products. Indian market being complex and diverse, the best option Danone predicted was through Joint Venture. However Danone when coming out of the Indian joint venture certainly learnt about the social environment, consumer behaviour and organizational cultures in India. With this it also got aware factors of strategic asset seeking. The trail and turbulence in the Indian market undoubtedly lost focus of the firms orientation where its earlier core business was of Biscuits, Dairy products and beverages. However during its reign in India Danone completely mislaid its establishment in biscuit sector and ended up having its new portfolio of nutrional and baby products instead of biscuits. In 2007 it swapped its world number 2 position as producer of cereals and biscuits  for the same position in baby foods, having sold the biscuits division to  Kraft Foods  [10]  . The 15 years of learning also all owed Danone to change from its diversification strategy to being focused in its Business line. According to Comment/ Jarrell (1995) companies with decrease diversification show better result in the market. This is eventually being true with Danone, however adding its risk due to focused diversification. As observed in the case study, Danone did foresee growth in India. Also as per the Global Competitveness report [Exhibit 5] India ranked second in world which showed huge opportunity for the Danones growth. Danone assumed that the even though perceived distance of India and France and opposite, its establishment in India through joint venture would minimize any complexity. Moreover unperceived rules, regulations and laws of Indian company made the Danones existence in India more complex. However, one of the profound complexity Danone faced was adapting to the managements working ethics. India corruption index is more than double to that of France. Positioning the French company as not to be affected by the political sway was challenging. Lastly the Power Distance Index (PDI) according to Hoftedes model shows that India had higher power index than the France. The higher PDI states that there is unequality of power and acceptance of rule by higher authority. This lead to monopoly in the Indian joint venture by giving rise to diverging and setting of incoherent rules. However, the French had lower power index than India, stating that challenging and opposing inequality was within them. Eventually this was perceptible and which lead French Danone to break its joint venture with the Indian partner. Appendix Exhibit 1 Consolidated sales report according to business lines in 1995 Source: http://www.danone.com/images/pdf/10_danone.pdf Exhibit 2 Best sellers of Danones dairy range: Actimel and Activia Exhibit 3 DAIRY PRODUCTS: Bledina SA; Danone GmbH (Germany; 99.9%); Danone SA (Argentina; 99.5%); NV Danone SA (Belgium); Danone SA (Brazil); Danone Inc. (Canada); Danone SA (Spain; 55.7%); Danone Kft (Hungary); Danone SpA (Italy; 99.7%); Danone de Mexico SA de CV; Danone Sp zoo (Poland); Danone Portugal SA (52.8%); Danone A/S (Czech Republic; 95.1%); Danone Clover SA (South Africa; 66.8%); The Dannon Company (U.S.A.; 89%); Galbani (Italy; 90%). Beverages: Aguas de Lanjarà ³n (Spain; 78.5%); Aguas Minerales (Argentina; 50%); Alken-Maes (Belgium; 99.6%); Birra Peroni Industriale (Italy; 24.4%); Evian; Font Vella SA (Spain; 77.8%); Italaquae SpA (Italy; 91%); Kronenbourg; Mahou SA (Spain; 33.3%); San Miguel (Spain; 80.5%); Volvic. Biscuits: Bagley SA (Argentina; 91%); Bolshevik (Russia; 72.8%); Danone Cokolà ¡dovny A/S (Czech Republic; 49.1%); Danone SA (Brazil); Griesson-De Beukelaer GmbH Co.KG (Germany; 40%); Heudebert; Irish Biscuits (Ireland); The Jacobs Bakery Ltd (U.K.); LU; LU Benelux (Belgique) (Belgium; 99.6%); LU Benelux (Pays-Bas) (Netherlands; 99.6%); LU Espaà ±a (Spain); Papadopoulos (Greece; 60%); Saiwa SpA (Italy). OTHER: HP Foods Ltd (U.K.); BSN Emballage (44%); Amoy Food Ltd (Hong Kong; 90.3%); PT Aqua Golden Mississippi (Indonesia; 36.1%); Britannia Brands (Malaysia) SDN BHD (90.3%); Britannia Industries Ltd (India; 18.4%); Calpis Ajinomoto Danone Co Ltd (Japan; 25%); Continental Biscuits Ltd (Pakistan; 44.7%); Griffins Foods Ltd (New Zealand; 90.3%); Hangzhou Wahaha Co. Ltd (China; 41%); Shanghai Danone Biscuits Foods Co. Ltd (China; 54.2%); Shenzhen Danone Health Drinks Co. Ltd (China; 54.2%); Tangshan United European Haomen Brewery Co. Ltd (China; 63.2%); Wuhan Euro Dongxihu Brewery Co. Ltd (China; 54.2%); Danone International Brands Paris; Great Brands of Europe. Exhibit 4 The controversial tiger brand Exhibit 5 Source: Global competitiveness report, world economic forum (2009-2010) Link: https://members.weforum.org/pdf/GCR09/GCR20092010fullreport.pdf Exhibit 6 Source: Corruption Perception Index (2010) Link: http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi/2010/results

The Critics View of Edna Pontellier’s Suicide in The Awakening Essay

The Critics View of Edna's Suicide in The Awakening  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   There are many ways of looking at Edna's Suicide in The Awakening, and each offers a different perspective. It is not necessary for the reader to like the ending of the novel, but the reader should come to understand it in relation to the story it ends. The fact that readers do not like the ending, that they struggle to make sense of it, is reflected in the body of criticism on the novel: almost all scholars attempt to explain the suicide. Some of the explanations make more sense than others. By reading them the reader will come to a fuller understanding of the end of the novel (and in the process the entire novel) and hopefully make the ending less disappointing.    Joseph Urgo reads the novel in terms of Edna learning to narrate her own story. He maintains that by the end of the novel she has discovered that her story is "unacceptable in her culture" (23) and in order to get along in that culture she must be silent. Edna rejects this muting of her voice and would, Urgo maintains, rather "extinguish her life than edit her tale" (23). To save herself from an ending others would write or an ending that would compromise what she has fought to obtain, she has to write her own end and remove herself from the tale. As she swims out, the voices of her children come to pull at her like little "antagonists," and there are others on shore who would also hold her down: Robert, Adele, Arobin, and Leonce. Edna finds a way to elude them all, and narrates in her suicide the conclusion to her tale. In this type of reading, her suicide can be understood in terms of societal pressure. What is the result of silencing a person's voice? Urgo maintains, on a symbolic level... ...g Sea': Freedom and Drowning in Eliot, Chopin, and Drabble." Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature 12 (1993): 315-32. Malzahn, Manfred. "The Strange Demise of Edna Pontellier." Southern Literary Journal 23.2 (1992): 31-39. Roscher, Marina L. "The suicide of Edna Pontellier: An Ambiguous Ending?" Southern Studies 23 (1984): 289-98. Showalter, Elaine. Sister's Choice: Tradition and Change in American Women's Writing. Oxford: Claredon Press, 1991. Skaggs, Peggy. "Three Tragic Figures in Kate Chopin's The Awakening." Louisiana Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal of the South 4 (1974): 345-64. Spangler, George M. "Kate Chopin's The Awakening: A Partial Dissent." Novel: A Forum on Fiction 3 (1970): 249-55. Urgo, Joseph R. "A Prologue to Rebellion: The Awakening and the Habit of Self-expression." The Southern Literary Journal 20.1 (1987): 22-32.

“Naming of parts” by Henry Reed, and “War is Kind” by Stephen Crane Essay

â€Å"War†¦ouhh†¦.What is it good for†¦absolutely nothing!† sang Edwin Starr in 1965. He felt the same vibe that both Henry Reed and Stephen Crane felt in their poems, â€Å"Naming of Parts† and â€Å"War is Kind.† Although these authors may not have said it as straightforward as Starr did in his hit single â€Å"War,† they still had just as much hatred of war. Both Reed and Crane have developed their perspectives on war through their writing styles, their usage of figurative language, and their attitudes toward war in general. Henry Reed and Stephen Crane both have very different writing styles. Reed’s style in â€Å"Naming of Parts† is built upon juxtaposition. Guns and gardens, soldiers and bees: the poem relates the unrelated in order to draw a clear line between the horrors of war and the fruits of nature. However, the poem goes further than just contrasting opposites. The structure and language of the poem combine to show how one should become the other in hopes that the harmonious image of this Eden transforms the unnatural feat of war. His overall structure also serves to make nature better. Each stanza is split between the dry, unimaginative language of the first speaker, probably the drill sergeant, and the poetic language used by the second speaker to describe nature. In every stanza, the gentle and peaceful language of the second speaker is quite dominant over the monotone voice of the drill instructor. This shows that war disturbs the balance of nature. Stephen Crane, in â€Å"War is Kind,† develops his style by using vivid imagery and irony. Through doing this, he leads the reader directly to his perspective of war. He feels war is a horrible way to solve problems and uses irony to tell us that war is blatantly stupid. Nothing good has ever come from it and nothing ever will. The American flag, â€Å"The unexplained glory, flies above them† to symbolize that the glory they were fighting for was not earned righteously, it was stolen by â€Å"these little men†¦born to drill and die.† Both authors also heavily use figurative language to help create a picture of what they saw in their minds as they wrote these poems. Henry Reed’s entire poem is entangled in figurative language. He shows us a perfect balance of the world of nature in the sections of the poem that describe the garden. The garden is a symbol of life and beauty: a magical place, â€Å"silent† and â€Å"eloquent.† In the garden, we see the personification of branches which  Ã¢â‚¬Å"hold in the gardens their silent, eloquent gestures.† We are told of blossoms that â€Å"are fragile and motionless, never letting anyone see / any of them using their finger.† We also witness bees â€Å"assaulting and fumbling the flowers.† These examples of figurative language create a picture in our mind to which Reed can build his theme upon. Crane uses more subtle figurative language to get his point across in â€Å"War is Kind.† The excellent use of irony draws us to his imagery and metaphors. The metaphor in the middle of the second stanza helps point in the direction of the true meaning of the poem. â€Å"And his Kingdom – a field where a thousand corpses lie,† proves that all of the dead bodies after the war do not belong there. This world is God’s creation and war was not part of His plan. In â€Å"War is Kind† and â€Å"Naming of the Parts,† both authors’ attitudes toward war are similar but only on the basic level. They both believe war is a tremendous waste of time for it solves nothing at all. For Stephen Crane, this deeply ironic poem is not only an attack on war and all of its horror but also a statement against violence of any kind. This includes the violence that we observe daily, mans inhumanity to man, and the rage and fury within our own hearts, which are equally as destructive. The poem comments on â€Å"those little souls who thirst for fight†, who find virtue in something as horrifying as slaughter and excellence in a field of a thousand corpses. In â€Å"Naming of the Parts,† Reed tells of the instructor that insists that the men â€Å"not let [him] / see anyone using his finger†. At the end of the same stanza, the blossoms are seen â€Å"never letting anyone see / any one of them using their finger†. Alth ough not directly stated in the poem, perhaps the soldiers should take a cue from the blossoms, and in turn nature, not to use their fingers, especially on the trigger. This contributes to his negative view of war. He structures nature to be more powerful than these soldiers and in turn society. Nature’s â€Å"silent† and â€Å"eloquent† state of being show that war should never be used as a solution to a problem. Although both of these poems were in some way about the topic of war, each author has developed their own way of conveying how they feels through their unique writing styles, how they use figurative language, and their own  attitudes about war. Imagine what the world would be like if only we stopped and actually thought what we were doing. Maybe then we would realize, like Edwin Starr and these two authors did, that war is not the solution to the problem, but instead the root.

Triumph Launching Event

Executive Summary3 Introduction4 Customer Profile6 Demographic6 Behavioural6 Environmental scan7 SWOT Analysis7 PEST Analysis9 Store observations10 In-store10 Shoppers Behavior11 Online shop12 Ideas / Amendments for functional and creative online services12 Brand Awareness Survey14 Motorcycle range14 Clothing and accessories17 Conclusion and Recommendations21 Range evaluation21 Triumph dealers’ range21 Executive Summary Firstly, we shall present a little information about the company. The company was formed as a bicycle manufacturing company by Siegfried Bettmann in Coventry in 1887.In 1967, the production of the motorbike peaked at 47,000 units in this year. Unfortunately the business went into liquidation because lack of government backing. But in that year, John Bloor, a businessman who is the current owner of the company, bought the land where the factory located and therefore have the rights to the name of Triumph and assembles a team to develop a new range. In 2008, the company could break the record of its peak production. They were able to produced more than 50,000 units in this year. Triumph now has five factories and all are 100 percent owned by the company.Two of these factories are based in Hickley, UK and the other three factories are in Chonburi, Thailand. The clothing and accessories are made in China. For Triumph motorcycle, there are six range which can be classifies as the following; Supersport, Adventure, Touring, Classics, Cruisers and Roadsters. The age ranges for each range are different from each other. The younger target market is more attracted to the Supersport, adventure and roadster range whereas touring and cruisers range attracts more of 45-60 years old. The range that is the most popular and has the biggest volume sold is the classic.Whereas the roadsters range has the most competitors. There are 54 dealerships in United Kingdom and Ireland. Sixteen of these are multi- franchise dealers and 38 are solus dealers. All of thes e dealerships are franchised. All dealers must follow brand standard such as colour the store blue with wooden floor. Fifty percent of the stores will have PCA specialist. There are 16 subsidiary markets and 36 countries nationwide. Introduction The aim of this project is to propose an effective launching event of Triumph clothing range to dealers around UK using the range evaluation that we have researched.Having an effective launching event can help the company to maximize and maintain relationships with the dealers in order to secure orders. This project also hoping to improve with the order management process which can reduce cost and time benefits both the company and dealers. We have been given the opportunity to evaluate and improve the sell at the launching event for the Autumn/Winter 2011 Triumph clothing collection. Triumph is a motorcycle company whom also sell biker’s clothing and accessories range. Their objective is to promote and be more emphasize with this ran ge where they see potential opportunity.This project aims to gain knowledge about how to expand Triumph’s clothing collection to non-biker customers. We are appointed to evaluate and suggests a new lunching event(s) to dealers around UK. The problem that they are having now is that their clothing and accessories range are only known among bikers. It is our mission to come up with strategy to maximize their profit by expanding their customer base. We are here to think of ways that can attract those who are non-bikers. For clothing and accessories, they will launch collections twice a year, which consists of Spring/Summer collection and Autumn/Winter collection. The collection is made up of core and seasonal items. Core items are the items regarding to the season and the dealers can reorder any time because the stock is at Headquarter. For seasonal items, they focus on the climate during that particular time of the year and only available via forward order. Forward orders are c rucial for both dealers and Triumph. This is the way dealers can secure products for the season and allows Triumph to understand the market and best seller.For the Autumn/Winter 2011 collection that we are appointed, Triumph has coordinate together with Barbour. Barbour is a UK owned clothing store broadening out from its countrywear roots. Todays the company produces clothing that is designed for a full country lifestyle. The collection is to be launch during February and March 2011. The launching event usually taken place at the factory where dealers visit the pop up store for viewing the new collection and this is to be joined by appointment only. Information, product demonstration and order making are taken place on the event day.Sometimes the person visiting the event may not have the authority to make the purchase, therefore the company is given them a 3 week launching event so that decisions can be made within this 3 weeks. During this 3 weeks, larger dealers have their indiv idual bringing of 1-3 staffs whereas 2-4 small dealers are grouped together. The main goal of this collection is to start expanding the market to those who are non-bikers. But the problem being that they have not been considering about putting their products into any other department stores because they want to give priority to their existing dealers for stocking Triumph products.There is no budget limit for the launching event and sounded like the previous events made at the factory has been quite low. Their main competitor is BMW (for motorcycle department). If there were any stock left at the end of the season, participated dealers will pay extra to get their names printed on the sale adverts, which is usually published in the motor publishing. Customer Profile Demographic Supersport: Customer is male, in the mid 20s, single, and lives in the city. Adventure: Customer is male, in the 30s, married, lives in an upscale neighborhood.Touring: Customer is male/female, in the 30s, marr ied, moves around a lot with no permanent resident. Cruiser: Customer is male, 50-60 years old, married, living in rural area. Classic: Customer is male/female, in the 50s, married, and does not live in big cities. Roadster: Customer is male, 25-40 years old, single, and lives in the big cities. Behavioural Supersport: People who like racing, and look for a motor technically outstanding with high specification. Adventure: People who like adventure, and look for versatile motor accompanying them in different environment.Touring : People who like sport and travel, they look for a powerful motor having grater practicality in touring or sports touring. Cruiser: People who like cruisers look and embrace attitude of the hotted up motorcycles of the  60s. Classic : People who like vintage style and look for a motor presenting modern interpretation of a timeless classic. Roadster: People who take speed and agility seriously and look for a middleweight streetfighter. Environmental scan SWO T Analysis Triumph was formed as a bicycle manufacturing company by Siegfried Bettmann in Coventry in 1887.The first motorcycle was built in 1902. Triumph now has five factories around the world. They have 750 dealers in 35 countries and 54 of them are in UK. The clothing range started in 1994 with collaboration with Frank Thomas. Strengths * Branding – A United Kingdom’s brand born in 1887. The brand is not only well known in the UK but throughout the world. * Worldwide presences – Triumph truly has an international presence with factories in UK and Thailand for the motorcycle sector and for clothing sector in China. Also there are 750 dealers around the world.Countries including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, UK, USA and Venezuela. * Collaboration – The company successfully collaborates with the well known British clothing brand â€Å"Barbour† for their 2011 Spring and Summer clothing collection. This is an opportunity for Triumph to extend their brand awareness to non-bikers sector. * Customization – There is an option â€Å"create my Triumph† on the website where you can build your very own Triumph motorcycle.Weaknesses * Undifferentiated products/service – Unlike their rival, BMW, they don’t only make motorcycles, they produce cars as well. This is why BMW is a much better known company because their target market is relatively larger. * Because Triumph refuses to expand their stores into a more commercial environment such as a department store, the chance of attracting larger non-biker audience is lower. * The company is lacking marketing expertise. This weakened the brand to expand to its potential customers. Opportunities * The virtual world is becoming an essential part of our lives, Internet is a powerful tool.Having a Triumph site where customers can order online is beneficial. * Joint venture with Barbour will give opportunity to Triumph for expanding the brand name and brand awareness. * Moving into a new market segment with the clothing collection will generates more interests in the brand itself and also generates more profit. Threats * The continuing Global recession – The economic decline result in the demand of consumers. Especially with the increase in oil price, a motorcycle is considered as a ‘want’ not ‘need’. * Intense competition – There are many competitors in this market.Many of the competitors offer marketing incentives and reduce in product price. This action will have a negative effect on Triumph pricing and market share. * Global warming – The issue of global warming will effect in Triumph motorcycle sales. People are becoming more conscious of fuel consumption. PEST Analysis Political: The government has di scouraged bike usage by increasing taxes for all bike riders. Since 2009, there has been an increase in Bike Road Tax as well as Bike Parking Tax. Vehicle Excise Duty for Motorcycles has increased for the 2009-2010 period.With the increase in oil prices, it has become far more costly to ride a motorbike today. Even so, traffic congestion and overcrowded public transport favors motorcycle use as a means of commuting. Economic: Inflation rates in the UK are increasing as well as the exchange rate, while the interest rate remains low. Due to this situation, the production of motorcycles depend more on imports and labor cost have increased as a result. At the same time the increase in global trade has created severe competition in the industry due to the emerging foreign markets.However it is easier to escape this recession on a two-wheeler rather than a car. Social: More people in the UK now own motorbikes despite the increases in cost. It is more socially acceptable to own a bike, and there are a lot more female motorcycle owners. A lot of older individuals who used to ride bikes when they were young are now starting to purchase bikes once again (returner bikers). The number of motorcycle use has increased over the years as opposed to cars, as they serve as a status symbol and are more efficient and practical in traffic.Technological: Technological advances have added many safety features to motorbikes to make riders more comfortable. The demand of motorcycles has led to the emergence of larger capacity engines (around 500cc). These changes make motorbikes more attractive as a means of transport as well as a leisure activity. Store observations In-store North city Triumph North city Triumph opened this brand new store just a month ago and the shop outlook really inspires customers, even though you are not rider. Big Triumph flags outside and a fresh, clean environment welcomes you inside.The store is located in a busy suburban area, half an hour from London city , in a good marketplace if you are coming by car or by bike. The store is a Triumph Solus dealer and they have a PCA Specialist who is in charge of clothing and accessory parts. The Triumph brand is very well presented in the North city store: Wooden floors, bright and high spaces display their bike range and latest clothing collection range in a stunning way. The shop offers personal assistants for customers and all staff is most helpful and willing to serve clients to meet all their needs.The Triumph collection is still very monotonous and dark leather jackets and trousers make everything look like same. Unfortunately no product really stands out and even labels such as â€Å"new model† failed to make you more interested to buy. North city Triumph’s ideal customer is a man in his mid 40s, who buys products mainly for his needs rather than his wants. Metropolis Vauxhall Metropolis Vauxhall is located south of London city center, close to all transport connections. The shop is a Triumph multi- franchise dealer, so it also offers its competitors products.Here Triumph’s image as a brand is less highlighted and the collection range is narrower. The store visit is less inspiring than at the Solus store and Triumph’s products get lost among competing brands. Yet, a broad supply of competing products and brands attract a larger number of customers and this generates increased impulse sales for the more generic Triumph products, such as their leisure clothing line. The Triumph collection range remains vague and limited space availability makes displaying products, and brand imaging, challenging.Metropolis Vauxhall Triumph? s ideal customer is a man aged between 35 and 55 and they also might pop in store just for clothing, not just because of biking. Shoppers’ Characteristics †¢ Triumph clothes’ ideal customer is a man between 35 and 55 †¢ The ideal, and also potential customers, are males returning to their youth: t hey like to wear something classical, stylish and keep their individual style rather then run after the latest trends †¢ They like to shop in store †¢ They shop mainly for needs more than wants Triumph’s customers respect personal assistants and prefer visiting the same local store †¢ Customer respects practical clothes and a personal look †¢ Triumph’s brand is an important factor for customer ( SWOT,PETS, Dealers feedback) Online shop Online shopping has exploded during last decade and today it is normal to do a virtual shopping trip that satisfies the customer’s needs. This year e- retail sales are on course to a record 16% growth in the UK and as retailers start offering more and more e-services online shops will become faster and more functional.Also, using IMRG ( Interactive media in retail group) research report, clothing is one of the fastest growing online shopping sectors. Online shopping advantages are remarkable. Lower costs (expe nses) to retailers and customers, user friendliness, fast delivery and independence of shopping hours are factors that every company should take advantage of as much as possible. Though Triumph’s image is built on customer service, this would be a further advantage that increases their competitiveness. Also, as no other competitor has a truly outstanding online store, small quality improvements could result in a decent increase of customers.Triumph world website and dealers’ websites are overall very professional compared to other motorcycle brands, but dealers’ own online clothing shops /services differ largely in their visual outlook, ranges and operating systems in general. Outstanding and interesting dealers stand out straight away. Carl Rosner and A1 Moto are good examples of online shops that are simple to use and harmonized/balanced within Triumph’s brand image and product range. Almost exceptional, Solus dealers stand out with a positive Triumph b rand image and visitors get a feeling that the dealer is standing behind and believing in their brand 100%.However, surprisingly many dealers have a complicated order system and their product ranges are presented in a dull way, without a professional feel. The pictures are small and especially the light coloured casual clothes drown into the white background. At the moment some dealer’s pages don’t inspire to shop and their complicated order-system does not encourage online buying. Based on the research results and the feedback we got from consumers that are targeting Triumph’s target group, it is recommend that dealers’ webpages and online services would be similar and linked together with the Triumph brand nationally.Triumph’s target group and potential buyers mainly consists of men who usually appreciate user friendliness, and a straight forward clothing line, that can be bought with just a couple of clicks on the mouse Ideas / Amendments for fu nctional and creative online services †¢ Dealers online services/ shop harmonized to Triumph official sites and brand image. †¢ Product info and pictures to have same the outlook as is used in the Triumph catalog and their official pages. †¢ Creating seasonal online campaigns that are targeted to inspire loyal customers and new potential bikers. Charity campains. †¢ â€Å" â€Å"Goes with† – boxes†.Website would automatically suggest clothes or accessories that would go well with previously purchased items. †¢ Making online shopping easier and more fluent. Product ranges displayed with uniform background image and a picture size that allows you to properly view the chosen product. * Clothing pictures with real people, using professional photographer †¢ Promoting of casual wear line should be more directed towards the target customer group, men that have spending power, but little time for shopping. †¢ Create competition â€Å" design your own jacket or t-shirt†. Winner’s design would be launched with limited number.Brand Awareness Survey We have set up a survey analyzing Triumph brand awareness amongst Fashion students aged between 21 to 35 years old and other category was people with no age limit. At the moment, out of 38 respondents, only 14 have heard of the brand ‘Triumph’. Whereas the main competitors such as Yamaha, Ducati and BMW have 35, 32 and 30 respondents respectively. There are many factors that can be the reasons why Triumph is not as well known as the competitors. * Locations of the stores * Sponsorships * Product variety * Brand reputation * Brand marketing * Brand accessibilityAnother point that we can observes is that out of 38 respondents, only 1 respondent wrote Triumph as the brand that comes first in their mind. Whereas Harley Davidson has 15 respondents and Ducati has 8 respondents. For improvements of the brand awareness, we can study how Harley Davidson presents itself to the audience. After this observation, we would like to focus the brand emphasizing its British heritage with the Classic look. We can see that Harley Davidson and Vespa also have the Vintage Classic look and we think if Triumph brings out the Heritage theme it can become better known as well.Also, taking considerations consumers, we see that most potential new customers are middle age people, who have interest to start new, youngish hobby or finally carry out their dreams. These people, mostly men, have also money to spend for bike and naturally for street wise/ credible clothing. Analysis of Product offers Motorcycle range Triumph’s 2011 motorcycle product contains the following ranges. Pictures of products are listed in appendix. Roadster range Triumph Roadsters range is for the street. It stresses attitude, style, performance and agility.This range has Street Triple and Speed Triple. The Street Triple’s specification includes Triumph’s trad emark twin headlights and high level silencers, meaty dual brake discs up front and a comprehensive instrument suite that even includes a lap timer and adjustable gear change indicator. The Speed Triple’s specification includes four-piston Brembo brakes for eye-popping stopping power, fat alloy handlebars, fully-adjustable 43mm upside down forks for maximum control and a comprehensive instrumentation that includes lap timer and programmable gear shift light. Supersports rangeTriumph Supersports range is for the racetrack to compete with the best in the supersport class. This range has Daytona 675. With the lightest and narrowest chassis in the class, the Daytona 675 delivers outstandingly agile and intuitive handling. Fully adjustable suspension front and rear, with separate adjustment for high and low speed compression damping, gives the Daytona 675 superb composure on all surfaces, while top-of-the-range monobloc radial brake calipers up front deliver eye popping stopping p ower. Adventure range This range is designed for people who are looking for adventure and it has Tiger 1050.The Tiger 1050 is equally at home in the urban jungle as it is prowling on the open road. The Tiger 1050 with its commanding riding position, its muscular 1,050cc triple engine, powerful brakes and high specification sporty chassis making for real fun on the twisties and composure in the traffic. Tiger 1050 is a superbly competent bike and does scratch, tour and commute all. Touring range This range satisfied sport and touring at the same time and it has Sprint. (Sprint ST and Sprint GT) Equally capable of crossing continents or taking on a track day, the Sprint is one of those rare contradictions.The new Sprint ST has been given a number of improvements to ensure it remains one of the world’s favourite sports-tourers. Updates include new reflector-style triple headlight unit; re-designed cockpit; the same stunning 1050cc inline triple engine, but with latest spec ECU f or ultra-smooth throttle response. Sportier than the GT, the Sprint ST is set to become even more attractive due to its new ultra-competitive price. The New Sprint GT is greater practicality and more emphasis on the ‘touring' aspect of ‘sports touring'. It offers a unique proposition of performance, practicality and price.Performance from the uprated 1050cc triple with 130PS on hand. Practicality – the GT's byword – with 117 litres of lugguage, ABS brakes,   u-lock, built in rack and grab handle, and a  200 mile fuel range. Classics range This range is designed for classic motorcycle style. It has Scrambler, Bonneville, and Thruxton. Scrambler is inspired by the 60s Triumph off-road sports motorcycles that were stripped down for racing and has a unique look and feel all of its own. It has styling details including gaiters, white seat piping and high swept chromed side pipes.Bonneville is a thoroughly modern interpretation of the definitive ‘proper ’ motorcycle, this iconic symbol of rebellion and independence is even more accessible thanks to its low and narrow seat, clean and efficient fuel-injected engine and lightweight 17 inch alloy wheels for even sharper handling. Thruxton is named after the famous racetrack where Triumph ruled the roost and is inspired by the Ton Up Boys of the 1960s. The Thruxton is Triumph’s sportiest Modern Classic, and authentic cafe racer delivering a unique Triumph experience. Cruisers rangeThis range presents classic cruiser looks and has America, Speedmaster, Thunderbird, and Rocket III. For the classic cruiser look, the America comes with shrouded front forks with polished lowers, chromed single headlamp and chromed engine covers, machined cast wheels, chromed detailing and twin reverse cone pipes. The Speedmaster is a tough looking, no-nonsense sports cruiser that’s dripping with attitude. With blacked out engine cases, slash cut pipes and cast black wheels with polished rims, the Speedmaster embraces the attitude of the hotted up motorcycles of the  60s.The Thunderbird oozes cruise from every angle with its strong, muscular lines. Powered by the all-new 1600cc T-16 parallel-twin engine, the Thunderbird delivers class leading power, torque and economy figures, with a refinement previously unheard of in the mainstream cruiser class. Rocket III Touring is a true mile eating custom tourer blessed with unique character and that memorable 2. 3 litre motor. The iconic engine has been retuned for effortless low down torque. Rocket III Roadster has Classic streetfighter looks and delivers the tree-pulling levels of torque. Clothing and accessoriesTriumph’s 2011 spring and summer garment and accessories product contains the following ranges. Pictures of products are listed in appendix. Roadster range Performance products with attitude, developed for the street and the city. Roadster garments are targeted at the riders of Speed and Street Triple and range from subtle to heavy branded products. Added comfort and features make these products more usable for everyday or occasional riding. This range has items in jackets, pants and jeans. Supersport range Performance supersport products follow the ethos of bikes like the Daytona 675.They are technically advanced with high specification, delivering a product range that is aimed at the track and sports riding. Visually strong, these pieces are heavily branded with a bold and distinctively triumph design. This range has items in one piece suit, jacket, and jeans. Touring range Touring series is a very functional range of products. Waterproof, windproof and breathable, this collection has been developed to allow consumers to enjoy long rides, providing the wearer with the essential protection from the elements. This range has items in jacket, pans, and jeans.Adventure range Inspired by the spirit of adventure, this collection of products has a more rugged, enduro style. Packed full of features, these functional garments will deal with the requirement of both road and off-road riding. This range has items in jacket and pants. Heritage range Classic looking products make up this range, inspired by motorcycle garments of the past. This collection is designed for the exacting requirements of a modern day motorcyclist, whist also maintaining that true authentic heritage. This range only has items in jackets. Modern retro rangeWhere modern meets retro, a range of products inspired by the classic racing garments of the 60’s and 70’s. The use of racing stripes, graphics and colors are combined with classic style leathers and modern construction technologies to deliver a performance riding product. This range has items in jackets and jeans. Legend range The Triumph legends range includes a series of products that pays homepage to the icons of music and screen that had a close relationship with Triumph. Legend collection contains two special editions which Ma re- James Dean special edition Jacket and Mcqueen special edition Jacket.Cruiser range This range have taken the classic image of the cruiser and given it a Brit Rocker attitude. The Cruiser range take their influence from the British Rocker culture of the 1960’s and 70’s and combined these looks with modern technology. This range has items in jackets and jeans. Triumph union range The triumph union range has a fashion influence with products that cross over between categories and can be comfortably worn on any bike or worn off-bike. These products have character and a style of their own. This range has items in jackets and blousons.Function range The function range of products comprises of waterproof oversuits and protector including protect vase, back pro-tech and pro-tech jacket. Men’s casual range This range presents casual look and has items in shirt, layer tops, leggings, jackets, T-shirts, shorts, polo, hoodies, and denims. These products can go with othe r Triumph products. Ladies range The ladies collection offers a focused number of styles and options to appeal to both rides and pillions alike. All styles are designed independently, conceived to appeal to women.This range has items in jackets, jeans, gloves, and boots. Ladies casual wear range This range presents casual look and has items in shirts, T-shirt, vests, and jeans. Junior range The junior range is fun and colorful, and is ideal gifts for younger Triumph enthusiast. This range has items in shirts, T-shirts, bike models, model kits, and Triumph Teddy. Personal accessories range Personal accessories range has items in following categories: – personal luggage (helmet bags, bum bags, laptop bags, and hold all) – gifts(magnets, cybertool, water bottle, and cards set) team hinckley(door mat, buff, beer mat, and bike mat) – headwear and buffs (hat, buff, and neck tube) – collectors scale models – wallets and pens – watches and wall cloc k – belts and buckles – key fobs and pin badges – mugs and glassware -patches and stickers Conclusion and Recommendations Range evaluation Triumph’s clothing line is strongly linked to their motorcycle collection. They offer a wide range of riding gear, of high technical quality, designed specifically for each motorcycle model.They renew their clothing line twice a year to suit their customer’s changing needs throughout the year, allowing them to adjust for different weather and climates. Triumph is proud of its roots and history. This becomes clear after only a brief glance through their webpages. Their clothes are designed and manufactured with utmost respect towards its image and heritage. This way they guarantee customer satisfaction and a first class biker look, suitable for riding and leisure. Their vast clothing line serves both the customers and the dealer’s needs.An ideal riding suit or just a jacket has been designed to every motor cycle type and this helps the dealers in designing their collection and building their order. Triumph pricing range is ideal and comparing biggest competitors BMW and Ducati, we see that their products offer best value for money. If the clothing range, especially in casual wears would be bit more mature and classical, we would even suggest higher prices for some products. Every dealer should offer best-selling products for all motorcycle range and also build up perfect combination for casual wears that goes together in style with modern motorcycle clothes.The climate and location are naturally also important factors, but it is more important in our view that the supply for their target group and demand of motorcycles are in balance. Collections offer great suits for driving and in that field Triumph are reaching their goals (touring, supersports, adventure). However problem is that most of these products aren’t something you buy every season, not even every year, so Triumph c lothing should be stand out more through modern motorcycle clothes, casual wears, that goes as well as biking clothes (modern retro, legend, heritage, casual). Triumph dealers’ rangeBased on our store-visits, customer feedback and material that we received from the Triumph company, it seems like Solus and multi-dealers have certain problems defining an ideal clothing range. Solus dealers normally have a large range of products but the typical customer normally comes in to see motorcycles and if they buy clothes it is usually mainly for driving. The casual wear line is presented well but since the competition in this field is fierce, people tend to prefer buying clothes elsewhere. Multi-franchise dealers have other brands presented as well, so Triumph clothes are not standing out too well.However, these shops are visited by a larger number of new potential customers, so if the range matches the customers’ needs, this will affects sales positively. To be able to find a p erfect balance for the range that is being ordered, dealers must target their potential customers and then build the perfect match of driving clothes, casual wears and personal accessories around it. The Triumph company must also be able to build a brand image that is identical with the products that are being offered. Every successful clothing brand has to focus on a certain look.Triumph’s history and success in motorcycles is defined by their individual yet stylish look and this should also be the brand message going forward. Appendix: http://www. triumphmotorcycles. co. uk/clothing, Triumph company materials, ——————————————– [ 1 ]. http://www. triumph. co. uk, http://www. a1moto. com, http://www. carlrosner. co. uk, http://www. metropolismotorcycles. com [ 2 ]. http://www. harley-davidson. com/en_US/Content/Pages/MotorClothes_Merchandise/pink-label. html [ 3 ]. http://e u. levi. com/en_GB/shop/index. html, http://www. asos. com [ 4 ]. http://www. streetshirts. co. uk