Project management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 21

Project management - Essay Example Product description- Clients will be enabled to track their asset managements with the firm, trade and access securities at their door steps and any other service offered by the organizations such as credit facilities. Each of the customers will be provided with their respective business numbers which enables them to view transactions from our website. Milestone- To determine the project progress, their will be weekly meetings that provides for analysis in the project development. Various cost reviews are likely to take place to ensure the cost estimates are adhered to. Time periods will be maintained as determined by the critical path analysis while every stakeholder is expected work on their assigned roles. Rough Order of Magnitude- The cost of the project will be relatively sums that are derived at by the project manager but limited to the amounts that do not negatively affect the financial base of the company. It is expected to last for a period of three months beginning the month of March. Key initial personnel- Project development manager will be the key leader in the project working very closely with IT manager. He will be expected to report to the chief executive officer on weekly basis to provide briefings which will be addressed to the board of the

How World War One presented in poetry by Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon Essay Example for Free

How World War One presented in poetry by Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon Essay A comparison of the ways in which World War One is presented by Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon in their poetry with close reference to Dulce et Decorum est and Anthem for Doomed Youth by Owen and The General and Base Details by Sassoon. * * * The First World War marked a significant turning point in poetic tradition and history by the revolutionary styles and ideas expressed by the poets. Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon are probably two of the most well known war poets and their poetry was instrumental in this change. Prior to 1914, much poetry was written about wars such as the Crimean War in 1854-56 (The Charge of The Light Brigade by Tennyson who says, Honour the Light Brigade, Noble six hundred.) but the great majority of the poets had not experienced war first-hand. Thus, they reinforced the poetic tradition of glorifying war and death. Both Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen, who both fought through most of the First World War, use their poetry in the hope that they can give a more realistic impression of war than the pre-twentieth century poetry. Both Owen and Sassoon present World War One as unheroic, in direct contrast to pre-twentieth war poetry such as The Destruction of Sennacherib by Byron. At the very beginning of Dulce et Decorum est Owen describes the soldiers as Bent double, like old beggars under sacks. That image is the complete opposite of what we would consider to be a heroic and romantic figure, an attribute that was always given to soldiers in pre-twentieth century poetry. Owen goes on to describe the soldiers as knock-kneed and coughing like hags. Neither of these images can be associated with the glorified, smartly dressed soldier that would be fixed in almost all of the minds of women and children back home. The comparison of the soldiers to hags is not a pleasant one as hags are often scruffy and dirty. The mention of the coughing portrays the many illnesses that soldiers suffered from in the trenches. Although both of them present war as unheroic, they do so in very different ways. The style of Owens poetry which is much longer and contains more description than that of Sassoons, allows him to expand on the simple description of the horrors of war that he experienced. In Dulce et Decorum est, he describes in graphic and horrific detail the death of a man who was not able to fit his helmet in time during a gas attack. He uses words such as floundring guttering, choking, drowning. The word floundring gives the impression of the helplessness of the man.The onomatopoeic effect of these words gives an image that adds relaism to the horror of war. This makes it more realistic and moreover, more chilling to read. Owen goes on, in the final stanza of this poem to describe the dead man in greater detail. His varied use of language allows him to create shocking imagery which means that the reader can visualise the man. Owen uses phrases such as: watch the white eyes writhing in his face and the blood/Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs The first of these phrases is particularly chilling as it makes the reader think of snakes writhing in his face. This gives the impression of a crazed person, driven insane by what he has seen and what he had suffered before dying. The alliteration of the w is also effective as it emphasises the phrase. Owen wants to present the reality of the First World War and in slowing the reader down, he makes them think about what he is actually describing and change the way in which it was brushed over before World War One. The second phrase is also shocking and the use of the onomatopoeic word gargling makes it all the more visual and makes the reader feel more chilling. This image of a man choking on his own blood because of gas is very unheroic and it is this that Owen wants to portray the unheroic nature of war however brave the soldiers may be. This is in comparison to many pre-twentieth century war poems where they emphasise the heroic nature of war such as in a speech in Henry V where Henry says that the man who survives the battle will remember with advantages what feats he did that day, emphasising the heroic nature of war. Owens second poem, Anthem for Doomed Youth also presents World War One as unheroic and unromantic. The very first line of his poem epitomises Owens feeling about the young men sent off to war. What passing bells for those who die as cattle? The use of the word cattle immediately robs all glory from the idea of war as a whole. The simile compares how cattle are slaughtered for meat to soldiers dying for their country. This is a very unheroic comparison and is effective in what it is trying to portray. On the other hand, in the two poems by Sassoon that I have chosen to discuss, Sassoon does not present World War One as unheroic. His poems, which are short and concise, deal more with the unfairness of war and protest against the generals and commanding officers. However, in The General, Sassoon briefly presents the soldiers in an unheroic way, telling us that Harry and Jack slogged up to Arras, instead of the quick, efficient marching of the soldiers that had been frequently portrayed prior to the First World War such as is described in The Charge Of The Light Brigade where Tennyson conveys the riders riding quckly by the phrase, Half a league, half a league, half a league onward. The rhythm of these lines show the quick pace of the soldiers. Sassoons poetry presents the unfairness and inequality between the front-line privates and the generals who sat in comfort behind lines. Sassoon attacks the establishment of the country and the tone of his two poems is very sardonic, making fun of the generals in quite a light-hearted way but with a pointed message to his poetry. In The General Sassoon presents The General as incompetent and responsible for the deaths many men. Now the soldiers he smiled at are most of em dead, And were cursing his staff for incompetent swine. The very last line of the poems refers to Harry and Jack who are named in the poem. This makes the generals attitude and incompetence more poignant and personal to the reader. But he did for them both by his plan of attack. This short last line is to the point and cuts right to the quick. Sassoon does not play with words like Owen but presents World War One is his poetry in the most succinct way. The majority of his poems are no longer than three short stanzas whereas Owens can be eight verses long. However, Sassoons message is just as worthy as Owens is. Base Details is probably Sassoons best poem for attacking the generals as using harsh humour it describes them sitting in luxury hotels while men are starving on the front-line with rationed food. He presents the generals of the First World War as scarlet and fat. Although the poem is short, he describes the generals so effectively that we have an image of the generals in our head which does not conform to what we might expect, or certainly not what was generally thought of generals before the war. The title of the poem can be read on different levels the first being the simple meaning of the word as in headquarters, or on another level, the meanings of in short or unworthy. This emphasises their unworthiness of the elevated positions that they hold. Sassoons first line seems to sum up all that he is trying to say: If I were fierce, and bald, and short of breath, This one line immediately gives us a humorous image of a general which is almost like those we see in cartoons today of blustering, half drunk generals sitting in offices wheezing with a pipe in hand. In Base Details Sassoon continues his theme of their unworthiness by describing the generals table manners which according to him, are disgusting. He presents them as guzzling and gulping. These onomatopoeic words give the effect of pigs eating at a trough, especially guzzling. It also conveys them stuffing their faces when the soldiers on the front-line are risking their lives day after day with little to eat. We associate these words with animal behaviour and this is indeed what Sassoon is trying to present. He also presents the generals as naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve and frivolous, spending the war in the best hotels and when their presence was required after a battle they brushed off the importance of war calling it a scrap. Sassoons bitterness is also displayed when the general says I used to know his father well. This emphasises his bitterness effectively towards the upper classes and old boy network, angry that whether you survive the war depends on class and connections. This bitterness is integral to many of his poems and is also evident, in a less direct way, in The General. Both Owen and Sassoon present the loss of youth in their poems. In Dulce et Decorum est, Owen is bitter towards those who tell children a word which emphasises their youth the old Lie Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori or in English, It is sweet and honourable to die for ones country. The use of the Latin here emphasises the traditional nature of war and the patriotism that the Latin evokes in men. The idea of the loss of youth is more evident in Owens second poem, Anthem For Doomed Youth, where the very title shows all that Owen thinks about sending boys off to war. He himself was only twenty-two when he joined the army and thus would have known about how terrible it was. The words of the title, Anthem For Doomed Youth has the theme of a funeral and says how not only youth itself is doomed but youth as an idea. Owen also mentions, in the second stanza, the words boys and girls which stresses once again the youth of the soldiers and perhaps of their nurses or their girlfriends. Only Base Details mentions the loss of youth in Sassoons poems saying near the end that youth is stone dead. Taken out of the context of the poem, this phrase is disturbing the loss of a whole generation of men and also the loss of innocence of those who survived. In context, the phrase becomes even more disturbing, that more of the fat, drunk generals of sixty, have survived the war, while boys of seventeen have died. The whole line reads: And when the war is done and youth stone dead The casual nature of this line is shocking and represents how Sassoon pictures the generals view of the loss of millions of boys. A whole generation has been lost or affected so badly by the war and the majors would toddle safely home to bed where they could die. The word toddle is very visual and humourously conveys the generals waddling back to England as they are so fat. It also shows their child-like nature and their frivolity. The bitterness that Sassoon feels is clearly evident in this poem. In contrast, The General mentions nothing of the idea of youth but concentrates more on the inept nature of The General. These poems are very different to the nature of those by Rupert Brooke, a young soldier who was killed at the beginning of the war and had experienced little fighting. The first stanza of his poem Peace he describes how wonderful it is that he is alive at this time and he can fight for his country Now God be thanked Who has matched us with his hour He also describes going to war as swimmers into cleanness leaping, very different to the dirty and horrific conditions that Owen describes. Owen and Sassoon differ very greatly in the structure of their poems Owen tends to write longer, more detailed poetry whereas Sassoon writes short and succinct poems. Anthem for Doomed Youth is a sonnet which is traditional style of poetry but the themes that Owen deals with are very modern, contrasting with the style that he has chosen to use. However, the rhyme scheme of a sonnet does not always remain true to its traditional form such as in the last stanza of Anthem for Doomed Youth where it is e.f.f.e.g.g. The rhyme scheme of Sassoons poetry is very simple and direct, which reflects the nature of his poems. He generally uses alternate rhyme, except the last lines where he uses a rhyming couplet such as in Base Details dead and bed. In The General the last three lines have the same rhyme Jack, pack and attack. The rhyming couplet gives emphasis to the end of the poem. Sassoons poetry is short, pithy and succinct, conveying one or several points in maybe two or three short stanzas such as The General, which is only seven lines long compared to Owens poetry which is usually longer. The style of Sassoon is more colloquial, using soldiers slang such as Hes a cheery old card, grunted Harry to Jack. and tends to be more vitriolic such as And speed glum heroes up the line to death. Conversely, Owen uses descriptive and elaborate words that convey the atmosphere and images that the poems evoke, such as his unforgettable and shocking description of the dead man in the third stanza of Dulce et Decorum est. Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon present different aspects of World War One Owen, the conditions and horrific deaths of the ordinary soldiers in contrast to Sassoons pointed and bitter attack against the majors. They do this in very different ways and despite Sassoons influence on Owen, their styles are extremely contrasting but no less effective. Their poetry helped mark a radical change in the way war poetry was written and it is their presentation of their themes that effected this shift.

Genghis Khan and the Mongolian Culture Essay -- Sociology, Mongols

Introduction The following report will discuss the leadership qualities of Borjigin Temà ¼jin and the organizational culture of his people, the Mongols. Readers might be confused on who Borjigin Temà ¼jin is, he was the man known today as Genghis Khan. This paper will illustrate how Temà ¼jin’s ability to lead developed by exploring his beginnings and how through his exceptional leadership skills he went on to create the largest contiguous empire in history. The first part of the paper will concentrate on Mongol culture in the 12th century, Temà ¼jin’s upbringing in that culture and how he changed it through the consolidation of the many Mongol tribes. The second part will discuss the rise of Borjigin Temà ¼jin to the post of Genghis Khan and which of his qualities allowed him to achieve this. The third part will discuss his legacy and how even after his death his planning was evident and his empire continued to expand. All these parts will have explanations on how they connec t to our present day study of organizational behavior. â€Å"When we examine [organizational] culture and leadership closely, we see that they are two sides of the same coin; neither can really be understood by itself. On the one hand, cultural norms define how a given nation or organizations will define leadership – who will be promoted, who will get the attention of followers. On the other hand, it can be argued that the only thing of real importance that leaders do is to create and manage culture; that the unique talent of leadership is their ability to understand and work with culture; and that it is an ultimate act of leadership to destroy culture when it is viewed as dysfunctional.† (Schein, E. H. 2004. Organizational culture and leadership. Jossey-Bass, San ... ...a). Nonetheless, what was most remarkable about the post-imperial make-up of the Mongol world was a remarkable degree of continuity with the past. Cultural exchange continued on a broad scale and even gathered momentum; the successor khanates in many ways enjoyed a common elite culture even if disunited. The empire of Mongolia stretched from Caspian Sea to the Sea of Japan at the time of his death but the expansion didn’t stop after that but it continued for generations. Under Ãâ€"gedei Khan the expansion reached its peak and they expanded into Persia, finished off the Xi Xia and the remnants of the Khwarezmids, and then it came into conflict with the imperial Song Dynasty of China, starting a war that lasted until 1279 and which concluded that the Mongols gaining control of all of China. Russia and Eastern Europe were conquered after gaining control over China.

Dating and Mating Essay

In comparing and contrasting dating and mating we touch on a current topic of evaluation between the variances of the secular world views and the views of God. The secular world understanding on dating is based on what feels right at the time or just for enjoyment. According to Scorsone, Giorgia, ‘Mating, attractiveness and promiscuity’ M.A. dissertation, the secular world view of dating is choosing who their friends like or choosing a mate because of outward appearance or even for materialistic possessions. Highlighting the differences with Biblical views we can see how the secular world appears to have no standards when regarding the dating process of making a commitment. When we look at God’s perspective of dating we could refer to it as courtship. Courting is being in a committed relationship with the intentions of marriage. Although courtship and dating are not found specifically in the Bible we can still apply truths of how we are to treat other people. Courtship is the time-honored and successful time consuming of learning about someone, to know if there is compatibility for marriage. Often it involves friendship, discussing each individual’s future plans, knowing the parents, and praying privately for God’s will in the matter. The desire to not compromise the morals and standards is where we see the contrast of courting and secular dating. As a Christian we should love the Lord above all else. (Matthew 10:37) rather than following the dating scene, some people love their acquaintances more than they love God. The Bible says to say or believe that another person is â€Å"everything† or the most important thing in one’s life is idolatry, which is sin (Galatians 5:20) In conclusion, the perception of secular dating rather than dating God’s way is where we can compare similarities but find major contrast. God wants his best for us in everything we do, especially in finding the right person for us to marry.

Strip Malls: Causes of Failure and Success

DNSI 375 DESIGN THEORY AND RESEARCH Introduction and Literature Review You have a great start on the literature review. I would spend a little bit more time on the introduction and conclusion. The introduction should be more persuasive and can be referenced (see my comments below). 17/20 Strip Malls: Causes of Failure and Success Introduction With the economic downturn, businesses are suffering greatly and closing rapidly; because of this it is important to figure out ways to reduce these closings and help companies prosper. One business type that has seen drastic closings is the strip mall.While research suggests that location, facade design, greenery, anchor stores, store offerings and other attractions pull in much more foot traffic than malls who are missing these features (source), strip mall abandonment is still a huge problem in the United States. We have to wonder why so much new strip mall construction is occurring without the implementation of these features, or if they are why are they still failing? The purpose of this research study is to determine how facade design, location, and store offerings in strip malls affect customer shopping behaviors.This study is important to determine how society as a whole can become more sustainable by keeping new construction down and reviving failed strip malls and making them a success. Literature Review Location and Attraction to Strip Malls **(Anchor store information can be added here as an attraction) When it comes to strip malls, location is a key factor in determining where someone chooses to shop, and often distance alone is not enough to determine the success of a strip mall. Though location plays a key role in terms of proximity to its customers, e. . , nearness to main roads, travel time, and population congestion, customer psychology plays a key role in determining whether the trip is â€Å"worth it† (Rajagpal, 2009). The distance a customer is willing to travel is determined by several factors of the shopping experience: customer loyalty, ergonomics, expected/post-buying satisfaction, and multichannel retail strategies (Rajagpal 2009). Customer loyalty is built primarily through a store’s overall business model, and is expressed in strip malls by those individual stores upholding those values.If a customer finds the goods and services provided to be what they expected, they will continue to shop at that store with distance and location being a minimal factor. The ergonomics of a store refers to one’s ability to move around; a store with pleasing ergonomics will enhance the customer’s experience and encourage them to return. Expected/post-buying satisfaction refers to the discrepancies between a person’s perceived experience when shopping before they go into the store and the actual experience as they leave.Expected satisfaction can be a strong motivator for someone to visit a certain strip: if they’ve heard the way their friends ranted a nd raved about the experience, they will be more likely to visit, but if their post-buying satisfaction is not what is expected, they may not return. A multichannel retail strategy is the way that a store, or strip mall, chooses to route a customer to make the most of their spending habits. In individual stores this may mean strategically placing â€Å"impulse buys† along a customer’s path of travel (Rajagpal 2009).When applied to the strip, it refers to the way the architect has chosen to route the shopper through the center. Of the four factors listed, this is easily the biggest design factor determining the distance customers are willing to travel because it affects the overall experience that the customer will have. For example, a strip in a square or â€Å"L† shape encourages people to walk along the length of the strip, backtracking to stores they saw before, where a simple line offers fewer options and ends abruptly.Customers are naturally attracted to st rips that they have easy access to, but their social environments determine the ease of access. The early development of strip malls came about in the 19th century with the idea of a main street as a shopping destination; along main street shops were placed within walking distance of each other. However, this model has not changed or adapted very well over time and while this design is poor in suburban strip malls, where the linear progression takes you in a single direction rather than encouraging a casual hopper to explore, it is detrimental in urban areas where the original strips existed. For example, the Los Angeles urban strips are close to and have easy access to a potential shopping base, but the social environment discourages shopping. As the city expanded, the area around these strips became home to low-income housing, and the public areas were quickly taken over. The population of the area that was surveyed showed a strong desire to use the space, but noted such hazards a s gang activity and a distinct lack of comfort for pedestrians (Loukaiton-Staris, 1997).Largely the people in Loukaiton-Staris’s study wanted a place that was pedestrian friendly, incorporating things such as seating and greenery, in addition to larger walkways and space for foot traffic. Pedestrian-friendly strips serve as a major attraction to customers, and the design of these heavily influence consumers in their shopping choice. Referring to a strip as â€Å"pedestrian-friendly† typically referes to (Loukaiton-Staris, 1997): * Allowances for adequate foot traffic * Allowances for seating Greenery and other visual attractions Strips that incorporate these things, particularly greenery are given a better chance of financial survival with the attraction of more customers and businesses; strips with greater greenery were able to charge higher rent, and shoppers indicated that they would be willing to pay more at these more attractive strip malls (Wolf, 2009). From the customer’s standpoint, greenery poses more interest in a pedestrian area rather than a strip mall dominated by the parking lot due to wayfinding (Wolf, 2009).A shopper who’s allowed to take their time and wander through a strip is allowed a certain amount of interaction with their surroundings whereas a strip without this aspect can find itself hindered by greenery obscuring the signs. In addition, the amount of greenery affects the amount of time a person is willing to spend in a strip mall, as is indicated on the chart below taken from â€Å"Strip Malls, City Trees, and Community Values,† where people were shown pictures and asked to predict their behavior based on the strip malls shown. Location is and store choice is a complex marketing decision; however, the istance a customer is willing to travel to the strip is influences in no small part by its design. This is a factor of ergonomics, multichannel research strategies, pedestrian-friendly travel and greene ry. All of these contribute to the attractiveness of the strip mall and so its success. **(Discuss greenery research to follow into – Exterior Facade)** Exterior Facade The exterior facade of a store is another very important aspect of a strip mall’s attractiveness and is important to consider when determining what influences consumer’s behaviors.The facade of a store is the first thing a customer see’s and generates the first impression of the store (Yuksel, 2009). First impressions are as important to the experience as the store’s reputation to the success or failure of a store. A survey conducted by Retail Consumer Experience reveal some of the views that consumers have on building facades. In the survey it was found that 96% of people consider the businesses appearance somewhat or extremely important (Retail Consumer Experience, 2011).In addition, it was also found that 52% of people decided not to enter a store because it looked dirty from the outside and 11% because it looked outdated or old from the outside (Retail Consumer Experience, 2011). It is also found that color of the facade can determine the consumer’s experience. When examining if colors have an effect on behaviors it was found that even though the crowd level was the same, customers perceived that the blue exterior building had less crowding than the orange exterior building (Yuksel, 2009).While the colors of individual facades is often a matter of the store’s personal brand, the color of the building could potentially have an effect on consumer behavior. Although some research has been done on facade design we need to get a better understanding of how much it affects the consumers experience and what about the exterior facade is pleasing or unpleasing. Community Engagement *(It might be nice to go into detail about what went wrong with the public housing incident to help show exactly why lack of community engagement is an issue)Instead of add ing density to existing environments, contemporary cities have a decentralized pattern of growth (Rowe, 1991). Most new growth occurs in the next layer of undeveloped land outside of the existing suburbs. Because of this continuous development, there are more and more paved areas like highways and parking lots and less and less untouched countryside. Suburban sprawl leads to all kinds of unintended environmental consequences, mostly related to the lack of â€Å"walkability†. Life in sprawl developments demands up to three times as much driving as in high-density urban areas (Surface, 2000).This means that there is more air pollution in sprawl areas. Pollutants in the air, including nitrates and sulphates emitted from road traffic, construction, and industry, is linked to health problems such as stroke, cognitive decline, and heart attack (Devi, 2012). Road runoff of automobile oils and battery metals and road salt contribute to water pollution and may affect public health (Su rface, 2000). Shopping centers in suburban areas are not as conducive to pedestrians as they are to automobiles, which means that for pedestrians there is little sense of safety when walking to and from different stores.In addition, when stores go out of business and buildings are abandoned, they become a hotspot for squatters and vandals, bringing crime into the community. A study conducted by John Dimitriou (2001), states that the quality of place in American suburbs inhibits peoples’ ability to have a sense of ownership and connection to the place they live because the physical design of the environment has â€Å"repellant and disengaging characteristics† (Dimitriou, 2001, p. 7). The â€Å"confused organization and ugliness† of the built environment pushes people away and makes them feel like outsiders in their own towns (Dimitriou, 2001, p. 6). This results in a sense of isolation and lack of community engagement. Suburban settlement is driven by a popular d esire to live on the countryside to satisfy a person’s affinity for natural open spaces, fresh air, and lower populations. But people also want to have access to the culture and opportunity provided by a city. The suburban ideal is to have the best of both worlds by unifying town and country (Dimitriou, 2001, p. 10). However, as more and more people move to the suburbs, the country-living characteristics fade and the area becomes more like a city in terms of services and social problems.This leads to a continuous outward spread of housing developments in search of natural open spaces. The housing developments are followed by shopping centers dispersed throughout the area. These shopping centers are characterized by sprawling parking lots and bland, repetitive architecture. The utilitarian design of strip malls does not encourage people in the community to cultivate a sense of connection or engagement with the shopping center. The dispersed locations of the buildings are disor ienting, and foster a dependence on automobiles. Why would anyone want to feel connected to something confusing and ugly?Good design can enhance a person’s sense of belonging to a community by creating a place that they are proud to be associated with. Dimitriou suggests that if new development is focused on existing suburban centers we can improve the quality of place and reduce dependence on private automobiles. This study focuses on densification of suburban commercial centers. Dimitriou proposes broad planning solutions so that whole communities served by a particular strip center could potentially be unified through their attachment to a place. A great way to foster attachment to a place is by enhancing its sense of history.This can be accomplished by adding to the existing built environment, rather than demolishing structures, to preserve remnants of old buildings that give clues to the former life of a place (Dimitriou, 2001, p. 27). He also proposes to reorganize stri p malls to include more pedestrian friendly elements and public spaces. For example, he suggests forming continuities and connections between specific places to give the area more unity and accessibility and establishing focal points in the form of public spaces or specific buildings to organize navigation (Dimitriou, 2001, p. 27). (Along with attractions: I found a study on how actual attractions, movie theaters, restaurants, roller coasters, etc. Also bring in more foot traffic helping out store sales) LET’S TALK ABOUT PARKING. The most common argument in opposition to a more â€Å"downtown – like† pedestrian friendly atmosphere is the relative lack of parking. Parking lots are also what make strip malls so unengaging and ugly. People complain about parking a couple of blocks away from a downtown store but will walk across a huge parking lot (not to mention the size of the mall) to get to their desired destination in the mall.Conclusion Our research will focus on four specific areas related to strip mall design: facade design, greenery, pedestrian-friendliness, and entertainment attractions such as movie theaters, restaurants, and public gathering spaces. We will look at how each of these factors affects the success of strip malls. Our goal is to come up with design solutions that will help existing strip malls attract and retain customers. These solutions will aim at improving upon the existing built environment instead of demolishing structures and building new ones.This â€Å"suburban renewal† concept is more environmentally friendly and will hopefully engender a sense of history, community and pride in suburban shopping centers. **We also need to add pictures and/or graphs from previous studies REFERENCES Rowe, P. (1991). Making a middle landscape. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press. Surface Transportation Policy Project (2000). Mean streets 2000: Pedestrian, health, and federal transportation spending. Washington, DC: Au thor. Devi, S. (2012). New studies cast dark cloud over air pollution. The Lancet 379. 9817 697. : The Lancet. Web. 29 Feb. 2012. . Dimitriou, George John. Suburban Revisions: Redesigning Suburban Strip Malls. 2001. Print. Roajagopal. (2011). Determinants of shopping behavior of urban consumers. Journal of International Consumer Marketing, 23 (2), 83-104. Loukaitou-Sidiris, A. (1997). Inner-City commercial strips: Evolutioin, decay: retrofit? Town Planning Review, 68 (1), 1-29. Wolf, K. (2009). Strip malls, city trees, and community values. Aboriculture and Urban Forestry, 35 (1): 33-40. Irwin, Elana. â€Å"Study Shows Urban Sprawl Continues To Gobble Up Land. OSU Research News Index Page. Ohio State University, 17 Dec. 2007. Web. 12 Apr. 2012. . * * Alternate Introduction * Suburban sprawl has long since taken over much of America’s scenic countryside and continues to spread further and further from center cities. More people have jobs in suburban areas, or are telecommutin g, and no longer have the need or desire to live close to the major cities (Irwin, 2007). People are also being drawn further away from cities by natural amenities in rural areas such as lakes, oceans, forests or mountains (Irwin, 2007).This desire to be closer to nature, however, does not supersede the desire to have easy access to man-made amenities such as restaurants, movie theaters, and shopping centers. The commercial sprawl that follows the residential sprawl often comes in the form of blandly designed strip malls with massive desert-like parking lots. Aside from the store selection, there is nothing to attract customers and encourage them to spend more time in the shopping center. When stores go out of business or move to a more attractive location, the strip malls often remain vacant and become not only eyesores but burdens on the community.Although strip mall abandonment is a known problem in the United States, more strip malls are being constructed all the time and the cy cle continues repeating itself. This study seeks to discover how suburban society can become more sustainable by keeping new construction down and reviving failed strip malls and making them a success. Research suggests that location, facade design, greenery, anchor stores, store offerings and other attractions are all factors that draw in customers. The purpose of this research study is to determine how these factors affect customer shopping behavior. *

An Indiscreet Conversation on Hiring Essay Example

An Indiscreet Conversation on Hiring Essay Example An Indiscreet Conversation on Hiring Essay An Indiscreet Conversation on Hiring Essay An Indiscreet Conversation on Hiring Case Study 2 Jerdson L. Gamble Lasell College Abstract The purpose of this case study is to examine the legitimacy of the hiring agenda of four friends Joe, Steven, Matt, and Andrew. The major issue focused on in this paper will be the hiring process, discrimination, employment qualifications, and employment equity. In all this paper will review the responsibility that managers have when thinking about when decisions to make when hiring especially in high-risk reward situations. An Indiscreet Conversation on Hiring Case Study 2 This case study is centered on the question of hiring a qualified candidate. The candidate is very well qualified and happens to be a female. During the conversation about the consideration of hiring the candidate it is clear that because of her experience, education and other qualifications that she would be the best fit for the job. However, the idea that the candidate may be ready to get married and have kids becomes an issue for the men who are making the hiring decision. During the conversation, it comes to light that two other candidates have been interviewed. The other two candidate options happen to be male. Both male options have similar education backgrounds to the female candidate however they do have less work experience than the female candidate. In the eyes of Joe, Steven, Matt, and Andrew this decision ultimately come down to coast benefit analysis or a risk-reward decision. Regardless of how these men view this decision, because they bought her potential pregnancy into the conversation they are now working with a decision based around sexism and gender discrimination. The Conversation The conversation becomes an issue when, according to Fundamentals of Executive Management (2011), Joes brings up the fact that he has just interviewed a very well deserving candidate for a new position. Joe loves the fact that she has an Ivey League MBA and also has a work background to match. However, Joe does remember that she did say that the reason she wanted to move from New York to Canada is because she intendeds to start a family. With this information on the table for discussion, Joe does his best to not sound as if his concerns are purely sexists. Joe’s reasoning for his concerns seem legitimate as he is concerned that he will not be able to afford the time and money that it will take to replace the female candidate during maternity leave. Joe is in a tough position. Drucker (2009) suggest that making the right people decisions is the best way to lead an organization. It seems that in this cases Joe may not be able to lead by making a good decision no matter what side of the argument he chooses. When looking at the ideas of Drucker (2009) however, Joe would understand that â€Å"even if executives follow his decision steps, some of their people decisions will still fail† (p. 66). Even knowing this however, Drucker suggest that a good manager still has to be able to make these types of high-risk decisions about hiring someone. Overall, when upper management makes a bad decision, Drucker suggest that he is failing the organization. People decisions are not the only decision that a manager has to make but they are a very important part of what they do. In all, a manager’s ability to choose good people will reflect a manager’s ability to lead the organization in the right direction. Moreover, despite the fact that Joe is having this conversation just with his friends the decision he makes will ultimately be seen by the rest of the organization. Drucker (2009) suggest that even if you try to keep other employees out of the loop with hiring decision, that those decisions ultimately cannot be kept a secret. Employees will ultimately see what decision are being made and will be able to understand what they mean. What Joe has to think about, as a risk outside of his investment in her maternity is the risk of loosing the respect of the organization. Lawler (2003) suggest that, â€Å"organizations must hire people who fit with their values, core competencies, and strategic goals† (p. 106). For Joe to be the leader that his organization needs he must look into ways to make his decision making within the hiring process more clearly defined and more disciplined. One suggestion for Joe would be to follow one of Drukers 2009) decision steps by looking at a number of potentially qualified people. Given the information that has been given in the case study Joe has only looked at three candidates to this point. Drucker suggest that â€Å"an executive should look at three to five qualified candidates† (p. 63). In all, Joe must make good decision based on qualifications for the job. Doing so will improve his leadership and maintain the respect and willingness to perform by his organization. The question of sexism does come into play in this case study. However, that is a distraction to the real problem. Joe is trying to make decisions based on criteria that has little to do with his needs for the organization. Reference Drucker, P. F. (2009). Classic Drucker: essential wisdom of Peter Drucker from the pages of Harvard Business Review.. Boston: Harvard Business Review Book. Pierce, J. L. , Newstrom, J. W. (1990). The Managers bookshelf: a mosaic of contemporary views (2nd ed. ). New York: Harper Row. Mark, K. (2011). Fundamentals of executive management . New York: McGraw-Hill.

Is Socrates Right to Claim That a Wise Person Will Always Act Well Essays

Is Socrates Right to Claim That a Wise Person Will Always Act Well Essays Is Socrates Right to Claim That a Wise Person Will Always Act Well Essay Is Socrates Right to Claim That a Wise Person Will Always Act Well Essay Essay Topic: Claim Of Fact Is Socrates Right to Claim That a Wise Person Will Always Act Well? Name: Course: Date: Is Socrates Right to Claim That a Wise Person Will Always Act Well? Socrates claims that a wise person will always act accordingly. The question of right and wrong has been a question man has attempted to answer for a long time. It has been argued many a time that the ability to tell right from wrong lies within the man. Right or wrong actions are issues determined by social ethics and morality in this regard. According to Socrates, wisdom guides man to make the right choices. In this, he believes that a wise man can never act wrongly. However, the question is how true this is. It is therefore important to interrogate this claim by finding out what exactly Socrates is proposing. It might be that wisdom or understanding of right or wrong comes from what society stipulates through law and other societal guiding principles. While, on the other hand, it might be within the man to determine what is right and what is wrong. Socrates maintained that no one willingly did wrong since wrong acts will always hurt the wrong doer. The claim here is that an unwise decision to act in a certain manner predisposes one to wrongdoing that is essentially ignorance. This in actuality is very true. People claim to have been unaware of the wrongful nature of their actions. In this sense, one should not commit to doing something without understanding the consequences that may follow such action. If one understands that, something is wrong, therefore as a matter of self-interest or self-preservation for that matter one is capable of preventing oneself from engaging in wrongdoing (Manuel 2010). However, experience will prove Socrates’ stance wrong. There are people who do wrong with full knowledge of their consequences. The necessity for doing such is usually to benefit oneself at the expense of other people. Nonetheless, Socrates’ belief is true in an obvious and straightforward way. It is right to claim that people have the capacity to choose to do things they understand people may find to be wrong. It is also correct to say that people may do things they consider immoral for others in a quest to benefit themselves. However, people never choose to perform acts they thought in the instant that they are making the decision to be wrong or even harmful to themselves. In this sense, it is evident that humanity has a strong sense of benefiting themselves. In cases where there are obvious implications for achieving harm in the action, man still goes to great lengths to cause and do harm in the hope of achieving the good they believe will benefit them (Rae 2000). While man has the capacity to objectively look at wrong in actions about to be performed, they have an intuitive sense of self-preservation and selfish gain. Our intuitive nature for serving self-interests push humans to do wrong even when they are aware of the grave consequences that may accompany such decisio ns. Take an example of a troubled man with the obsession of wounding himself through cuts. Such a person is merely intending to relieve psychological stress. This man has discovered that cutting his flesh acts as a relieving agent. It is vital that a clear-cut distinction is established between means and ends. This person does not cut his skin to harm himself; rather, it is a means to achieve relief from stress. This person rationalizes that the overall outcome of cutting himself is worthwhile as long as he has managed to avert psychological torture. Though, one may want to question the efficiency of this method, the underlying principle is that this person has relieved a stressful situation thus benefiting him. From Socrates perspective, choices, right or otherwise, achieve the ends the doer or chooser hopes to obtain and not the methods that have been used to achieve these ends (Lee 2002). The distinction arising from objective knowledge or wisdom according to Socrates, and human personal intuitive insights is essential. People can comprehend the wrong in stealing, but stealing predisposes them to experience benefits in which they find their lives improved in one way or the other. The assumption in this statement is that there is no motivation for doing right or wrong if there is no benefit from such actions (Hildebrandt 2010). Humans need to keep a clear distinction between means and the prospective ends. As a result, it will be clear that people not do wrong things for perceived good and benefits that result from the wrong action. When one benefits from the actions that are clearly horrific, people still have an inner conviction of benefiting for themselves. It is also possible that people can act wrongly without expecting benefit from whatever they do (Rae 2000). For example, a serial killer does not benefit from the death of the victims but still derive a distorted sense of satisfaction. Socrates claim about wisdom and doing right is an idyllic projection of human nature. Everyone has powerful instincts to benefit him or herself. This characteristic forms the basis of natural morality. The question of right and wrong is determined by the extent to which actions benefit people. It is also naturally ingrained in humans to consider all that harm them as being wrong. One may objectively recognize the harmful nature of some actions. However, the decision of moral inappropriateness of an action is can only be left to the person or persons the decisions affect. A non-partisan person is incapable of understanding what is right and what is wrong in a moral sense. Morality and ethics come from a point in which one is self aware of the benefits or harmful nature of actions being performed. People expectations always govern the choices that they are going to make. This is not to say that ethic and morality are concepts wholly determined by human thought. In fact, structures of ethical and moral thinking are independent of self-motivations (Lee 2002). However, res ponding to self-interests that people can fully embrace morality and ethical ideals, and it is also true that morality and ethics are concepts that have come about by virtue of self-interests. Therefore, self-interest builds human capacity to be moral. Socrates does not claim that doing wrong to others is ever correct, but the motivation behind such actions is a determining factor to the character assigned to the intentions of the doer. Socrates believed that bad decisions bring harm to individuals who make them. Therefore, the ability for one to be right lies in examining the moral standards of society. Wrongdoing is a mistake in the judgment of the doer and expresses his ignorance. A wrong doer is ignorant of the fact that bad actions make them appear pitiable and enhance a delusion that wrong doing is beneficial. One who has been able to commit the most terrible of actions without incurring any consequences is considered as the most harmed person since wrong doers only harm themselves. The heart of a wise man is pure, one who is accustomed to injustices is dishonorable, and their character is greatly diminished. From Socrates point of view, harm to the soul and to ones character is the greatest harm a person can suffer. In this light, he proposes that man should be able to ensure that they do right every time. One who understands this wisdom will always do right henceforth. A wise person is not susceptible to moral weakness. Moral weakness is the point at which one is aware of the wrongful nature of an act but lacks the strength and will power to do the right thing. Even in cases where one is overpowered by moral weakness, the lack of moral strength for benefiting oneself without wrongdoing is in itself a form of ignorance. In this case, one is being ignorant of the right means of achieving the desired ends and is ignorant of what is most beneficial and important (Hildebrandt 2010). It does not matter that ones ignorance is constructed out of deficiency in the right knowledge or ill-conceived priorities, ones decisions will always be determined by ones knowledge or ignorance. The wise man makes knowledge-based decisions that have been geared toward making the right decisions at all times. If moral weakness is the basis of ones priorities, it results in the contradiction of ones better judgment to do the right thing (Rae 2000). It is either those priorit ies agree to the knowledge of moral principle or that priorities agree to ignorance that disregard the benefit of morally correct decisions in the society. Socrates was right in saying that a wise man does no wrong. The decisions of a wise man are informed by knowledge and the desire to do right. Wisdom according to Socrates is analyzing the consequences of actions and applying this analysis in the decisions one make. Wisdom gives an actor a moral conscience to do what is right as is expected from society. It has been recognized that morality is driven by people’s self-interests (Lee 2002). It is in the interest of individual to live in society that uphold moral standards that recognize the importance of community and ensuring harm does not befall the community. Such expectations from each other have formed the basis of ethics and morality. It is therefore, everyone’s prerogative to ensure that actions are socially acceptable and geared toward enhancing progress in the community. The major advantage of the Socratic point of view is that everyone should seek to achieve wisdom. It has been established that the lack of wisdom distorts our ability to make the right choices whose consequences cause harm. The harm caused is not only to society but also to self. The potential for human good lies in the wisdom that actions should benefit the whole society and not just the self. Such thinking has the potential of permanently eradiating evil in the society. It necessary then, that people understand that wisdom is a person’s interpretation of what is good or wrong while paying attention to the need for society to maintain its sanity. References Hildebrandt, Joshua K. (2010). The Knowledge of Good and Evil: Who Decides What Is Morally Right and Wrong?. Authorhouse. Lee, D. E. (2002). Navigating right and wrong: Ethical decision making in a pluralistic age. Lanham, Md: Rowman Littlefield. Manuel, V. (2010). Philosophy: A text with readings. S.l.: Wadsworth Pub. Co I. Rae, S. B. (2000). Moral choices: An introduction to ethics. Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan Pub. House.

A Token Economy That Supports Both Behavior and Math Skills

A Token Economy That Supports Both Behavior and Math Skills A Point System is a token economy that provides points for the behaviors or academic tasks that you want to reinforce either for a students IEP, or to manage or improve targeted behaviors. Points are assigned to those preferred (replacement) behaviors and rewarded on an ongoing basis to your students. Token Economies  support behavior and teach children to defer gratification. It is one of several techniques that can support good behavior. A point system to reward behavior creates an objective, performance-based system that can be straightforward to administer. A Point system is an effective way to administer a reinforcement program for students in self-contained programs, but can also be used to support behavior in an inclusion setting. You will want to have your point system operate on two levels: one that targets specific behaviors of a child with an IEP, and another that covers the behavioral expectations of the general classroom, as a tool for classroom management. Implementing a Point System Identify the behaviors that you want to increase or decrease. These can be Academic Behaviors (completing assignments, performance in reading or math) Social Behavior (Saying thank you to peers, waiting patiently for turns, etc.) or Classroom Survival Skills (Staying in your seat, raising a hand for permission to speak.Its best to limit the number of behaviors you want to recognize at first. Theres no reason you cant add a behavior each week for a month, though you may want to expand the cost of the rewards as the possibility to earn points expands.Determine the items, activities or privileges that can be earned by the points. Younger students may be more motivated for preferred items or small toys. Older students may be more interested in privileges, especially privileges that give that child visibility and therefore attention from his or her peers.Pay attention to what your students prefer to do in their free time. You can also use a reward menu, to discover your students preferen ces. At the same time, be prepared to add items as your students reinforcers may change. Decide on the number of points earned for each behavior, and the time frame for winning prizes or earning a trip to the prize box. You may also want to create a time frame for the behavior: a half hour of reading group free of interruption may be good for five or ten points.Determine the reinforcer costs. How many points for each reinforcer? You want to be sure to require more points for more desirable reinforcers. You may also want some small reinforcers that students could earn every day.Create a Classroom Bank or another method of recording accumulated points. You might be able to make a student the banker, though you want to build in some deterrence to fraud. Rotating the role is one way. If your students have weak academic skills (as opposed to Emotionally Impaired students) you or your classroom aide may administer the reinforcement program.Decide how points will be delivered. Points need to be delivered continuously and unobtrusively, immediately after the appropriate, target behavior. Delivery methods might include:Poker chips: White chips were two points, blue chips were five points, and red chips were ten points. I awarded two points for being caught being good, and five points were good for completing assignments, returning homework, etc. At the end of the period, they counted their points and rewarded them. After 50 or 100 points they could trade them in for a reward: either a privilege (use of my CD players during independent work for a week) or an item from my treasure chest.A record sheet on the students desk: Use a specific colored pen to avoid counterfeiting.A daily record on a clipboard: This would be most effective for young children who would either lose the chips or not be able to help with record keeping: the teacher can record their daily points on a class chart at the end of the day/period.Plastic money used to teach counting: This would be great for a group that is acquiring money counting skills. In this system, one cent would equal on e point. Explain the system to your students. Be sure to demonstrate the system, explaining it thoroughly. You may want to create a poster that explicitly names the desired behavior and the number of points for each behavior.Accompany points with social praise. Praising students will pair praise with the reinforcement and increase the likelihood that praise alone will increase targeted behaviors.Use flexibility when administering your point system. Youll want to reinforce every instance of the target behavior to start but may want to spread it out over multiple occurrences. Start with 2 points for each occurrence and increase it to 5 points for every 4 occurrences. Also pay attention to which items are preferred, as preferences may change over time. Over time you can add or change target behaviors, as you change the reinforcement schedule and reinforcers.

Strategic Marketing Managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Strategic Marketing Managment - Essay Example An evidence of modification in strategies is that Steve Jobs introduced the idea â€Å"to transform merchandising outlets into miniature theme parks for children† (Clark, 2009). The idea has proven successful since it helped enhancing customer base. The young customers appreciated and welcomed the surprising / fascinating change in display and internal outlook of stores, which then resulted in an overall increase in number of customers that showed up at outlets for purchase of toys, games, videos and costumes. The retail segment that plays the important role in growth of Disney has become a successful and sustainable contributor to revenue streams primarily because of Jobs. In simple words, Steve Jobs has contributed to Walt Disney his experience and strategic initiatives he took at Apple, thereby turning Disney a highly profitable conglomerate. As far as the vision is concerned, it is justified to argue that Steve Jobs has encouraged the strategic planners and policy – makers of Walt Disney to take new risks for business growth and sustainable development. Nonetheless, Jobs made Disney realised the fact that risks and decisions when taken rationally and prudently always lead to expansion, consumer acceptance and competitive advantage even in a challenging environment (Clark, 2009). 2) How and to what extent are Disney’s new products planning initiatives likely to benefit from Jobs’ successes at Apple Computer? As far as the successes of Apple Computer are concerned, it should be pointed out that CEO and Board member Steve Job is the actual contributor towards the internal developments and growth in brand value of Apple. Indeed, Steve Jobs highlighted the importance of innovation and differentiation across Apple; therefore, he specifically focused on Research & Development function to produce new products such as Iphone, Ipad, Ipod, and other digital devices etc. In this way, he identified the gaps in music and entertainment industry that have been met through product and market development strategies. Apple has now become one of the major competitors of Nokia because of phenomenal growth in sales of cellular phones. Similarly, Steve Jobs could also contribute the similar experiences to Disney by identifying the gaps that exist to be utilised for media conglomerate. Jobs has already initiated the display changes in existing retail outlets and he could contribute in new product planning initiatives, especially those related to recreational activities at display centres. Nonetheless, Jobs is aware of the fact that Disney’s core target market is children (tween agers) so introduction of activities for children such as â€Å"watching film clips, pressing buttons to operate displays, chatting with animated characters and participating in karaoke contests† (Clark, 2009) will actually be quite beneficial for Disney. In this way, Jobs will have significant contribution in Disney’s product developme nt initiatives on the basis of aforementioned reasons. 3) What are the changes that may occur in Disney’s marketing strategies resulting from Jobs’ influence? According to my understanding after reading the case and information obtained from relevant magazine and newspaper articles, the appointment of Steve Jobs may

Current policy intervention relevant to adult social care and its Essay

Current policy intervention relevant to adult social care and its impact on one of the groups - Essay Example The objective of this report is to define how the Valuing People white paper offers new opportunities while at the same time issuing solutions to existing problems in the implementation of the recommendations, so that adults with learning disabilities including their families can live complete and independent lives as part of their local communities. The report is aimed at the concerned government agencies and advocacy groups involved in implementing the white paper, particularly the National Health Service and the national Directorate of People with Learning Disabilities. The report covers the historical treatment of people with learning disabilities, especially how state sponsored care practises influenced the formulation of Valuing People policy intervention. Secondly, a critical evaluation of the white paper strengths and weaknesses on the wellbeing of people with disabilities is provided, based on existing literature, government reports and accounts of people undergoing the services offered under the policy intervention. The report uses various local learning disability services in England by evaluating their guidelines, policy implementation and practises. Finally, the report provides solutions to the weaknesses affecting the users of the services provided under the Valuing People intervention. A key limitation of the report is that, it did not interview in person individuals with learning disabilities, and as such these findings cannot be entirely generalized to the wider UK community. The De Prerogative Regis of 1334 was the first legal effort by the England crown state in administering community based care for individuals having learning disabilities (Puri, 2005, p.2) Even before the industrial revolution, the society did not recognize the fact that individuals with learning disabilities should be supported to live their own lives, as workers, parents, tenants or even home owners (Race, 2002, p. 24). Since they were

Sales Management Plan - IT company - Background and headings provided Term Paper

Sales Management Plan - IT company - Background and headings provided - WRITE ONLY HEADINGS 7,8,9 - Term Paper Example The sales force that is highly motivated will have more sales. The sales force is also critical in the company’s profitability as it increases sales, maintain prices and control the expenses. Secondly, it is possible to measure and compare the output of an individual. Costs, sales and other result oriented metrics can be tracked by the company. The results of the territory can be benchmarked against the previous year, territory goal, and market potential. The company can; therefore determine the salesperson that is performing better. Also, the job of the sales person involves rejection and lack supportive social interaction. Most of their jobs are unsupervised. Therefore, an incentive payout is a reward and a measure for the success of the salesperson as this job attracts risk takers who require relent incentives for a high level of performance (Andris A. et al. 2001). Incentive plans have impacts that are immediate on the sales force which is felt in either of two ways includ ing it influences the kind of person that is attracted to the organization and also affect the behavior and activities of the salespersons. The compensation framework for a sales incentive has three constituents. First, company that decides on the compensation plan the sales force, which decides on, the compensation plan and the customer who decides whether to take on the products or services of the company. Customer results may include the satisfaction they get from the products and services and also the relationship with the company’s selling organization (Andris et al. 2001). Staffing Recruiting involves finding quality people who can see things through the eyes of the customer and then interface with the people of marketing. To maintain its relevance, it is also important to ensure that the recruited personnel are maintained. There are several skills that may lead to success in sales. These include innate desire to serve, integrity, willingness to listen, strong work ethi c, effective communication skills and ability to put others at ease. The role of the hiring process will involve the location of individuals with core characteristics and the values that lead to sales success. There are six steps important in the hiring process: First is the job definition where the job requirements are developed. Companies have different requirements depending on the industry they are in. these requirements change over time and, therefore, need to reevaluate them and the activity priorities as the market conditions and competition changes (Andris et al. 2001) The second is the candidate profile which should be checked for successful traits of a sales person. A candidate may not have all the required traits, but others are essential and should be present. These include the ability to communicate effectively and a certain level of competence. The third is the applicant pool which determines the quality of the candidate. Recruitment is more successful when the reliabl e information about a candidate is known by the recruiter. The sources of applicants involve Fairs, Web (I.E. Career Builder) and Connect with Career services at Universities. The staff can be recruited either internally or externally. Internal recruiting develops a pool of job applicants that are qualified form the people who are working in the company. This is sometimes referred to as promotion as it is used to motivate employees. This also reduces the start

Cultural Materialism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Cultural Materialism - Essay Example "It is based on the simple premise that human social life is a response to the practical problems of earthly existence" (Harris, 1979). The writings of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels are of great influence with this issue of cultural materialism but then it was somehow distinct from Marxist dialectical materialism or sometimes called historical materialism which talks about the notion that Marxism is a synthesis of philosophical dialectics and materialism, and also different from philosophical materialism. Works of Thomas Malthus had encouraged Harris to consider reproduction of equal importance. The research strategy was also influenced by the work of earlier anthropologists including Edward Tylor and Lewis Henry Morgan who, in the 19th century, first proposed that cultures evolved from the less complex to the more complex over time. Leslie White and Julian Steward and their theories of cultural evolution and cultural ecology were instrumental in the reemergence of evolutionist theories of culture in the 20th century and Harris took inspiration from them in formulating cultural materialism. (Harris, Marvin. 2001 [1968]). "Harris, Marvin, 1927-, An American anthropologist who was born in New York City. Graduated at Columbia with a degree of A.B on 1949; took his Ph.D. on 1953. A member of the faculty of Columbia from the years 1952 to 1981, he became the chairman of the anthropology department from 1963 to 1966. He then became a graduate research professor of anthropology at the University of Florida in Gainesville on the year 1981. Harris's major research has consisted of community studies in Latin America and ethnologies of Africa. He was very influential in the development of the theory of cultural materialism. He wrote Patterns of Race in the Americas (1964), The Rise of Anthropological Theory (1968), Cannibals and Kings (1977), America Now (1981), Cultural Materialism (1979), Good to Eat (1986), and Our Kind (1989)." (Slider Encyclopedia) Dr. Marvin Harris is considered to be a generalist with an interest in the global processes that account for human origins and the evolution of human cultures. Due to his interests in cultural anthropology, Dr. Harris assumed the role of an anthropological historian theoretician. His work with cultural materialism took him to the Islas de la Bahia, Brazil, Mozambique, Ecuador, India and East Harlem. Dr. Harris shared his knowledge of cultural anthropology with the world through the publication of 16 books. They include Cows, Pigs, Wars, and Witches and Cannibals and Kings. He also authored an introductory anthropology college textbook with multiple editions titled Culture, People, and Nature. Upon the completion of his previous publications, he composed a series of essays concerning modern human behavior based on our origins according to evolution which he has titled, Our Kind. Dr. Harris died in Gainesville, Florida on October 25, 2001 2001. (Students in an Introduction to Anthropology Class, 2001) BOOK REVIEW Cultural materialism is a systems theory of society that attempts to account for their: origin, maintenance and change. Cultural Materialism is based on two key assumptions about societies. First, the various parts of society are interrelated. When one part of society changes, other parts must also change. This means that an institution, such as the family cannot be looked at in isolation from the economic, political,

Federalism and the Accommodation of Diversity in Ethiopia Research Paper

Federalism and the Accommodation of Diversity in Ethiopia - Research Paper Example The distribution of power on the basis of legislative, executive, and judicial dimension among the federal government and states assists in creating strategic framework for economic, social, and development policies. The constituent units of federalism in Ethiopia are the House of Peoples Representatives (HoPR) and the House of Federation (HoF). The HoF acts as the balancing agent on the contentious issues between states represented by HoPR. Although the systematic design of federalism in Ethiopia resembles with the multicultural federation in other countries, the inclusion of the Nations and Nationalities along with people distinguishes it from the traditional standards of including only people. The constitution requires the congruity between all these three elements- nations, nationality, and people. This raises the concern for official recognition of the languages from various section of population at both state and federal level to protect their identity. The 1995 Federal Constitution defines Amharic as the official language of the federal and empowers the members of states to choose their languages to preserve the cultural identity along with maintaining national unity.

Cultural Materialism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Cultural Materialism - Essay Example "It is based on the simple premise that human social life is a response to the practical problems of earthly existence" (Harris, 1979). The writings of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels are of great influence with this issue of cultural materialism but then it was somehow distinct from Marxist dialectical materialism or sometimes called historical materialism which talks about the notion that Marxism is a synthesis of philosophical dialectics and materialism, and also different from philosophical materialism. Works of Thomas Malthus had encouraged Harris to consider reproduction of equal importance. The research strategy was also influenced by the work of earlier anthropologists including Edward Tylor and Lewis Henry Morgan who, in the 19th century, first proposed that cultures evolved from the less complex to the more complex over time. Leslie White and Julian Steward and their theories of cultural evolution and cultural ecology were instrumental in the reemergence of evolutionist theories of culture in the 20th century and Harris took inspiration from them in formulating cultural materialism. (Harris, Marvin. 2001 [1968]). "Harris, Marvin, 1927-, An American anthropologist who was born in New York City. Graduated at Columbia with a degree of A.B on 1949; took his Ph.D. on 1953. A member of the faculty of Columbia from the years 1952 to 1981, he became the chairman of the anthropology department from 1963 to 1966. He then became a graduate research professor of anthropology at the University of Florida in Gainesville on the year 1981. Harris's major research has consisted of community studies in Latin America and ethnologies of Africa. He was very influential in the development of the theory of cultural materialism. He wrote Patterns of Race in the Americas (1964), The Rise of Anthropological Theory (1968), Cannibals and Kings (1977), America Now (1981), Cultural Materialism (1979), Good to Eat (1986), and Our Kind (1989)." (Slider Encyclopedia) Dr. Marvin Harris is considered to be a generalist with an interest in the global processes that account for human origins and the evolution of human cultures. Due to his interests in cultural anthropology, Dr. Harris assumed the role of an anthropological historian theoretician. His work with cultural materialism took him to the Islas de la Bahia, Brazil, Mozambique, Ecuador, India and East Harlem. Dr. Harris shared his knowledge of cultural anthropology with the world through the publication of 16 books. They include Cows, Pigs, Wars, and Witches and Cannibals and Kings. He also authored an introductory anthropology college textbook with multiple editions titled Culture, People, and Nature. Upon the completion of his previous publications, he composed a series of essays concerning modern human behavior based on our origins according to evolution which he has titled, Our Kind. Dr. Harris died in Gainesville, Florida on October 25, 2001 2001. (Students in an Introduction to Anthropology Class, 2001) BOOK REVIEW Cultural materialism is a systems theory of society that attempts to account for their: origin, maintenance and change. Cultural Materialism is based on two key assumptions about societies. First, the various parts of society are interrelated. When one part of society changes, other parts must also change. This means that an institution, such as the family cannot be looked at in isolation from the economic, political,

Historical misperception Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Historical misperception - Essay Example Also, the rumor had spread throughout the Chinese community in Indonesia. Despite knowing the truth they were powerless to an authoritative government. I was in the 11th grade then and realized how different things are than what they are portrayed. They told me how a small group of people holding the administration during the time used the killings as a scheme to plan the killings of the PKI members. In fact they were being threatened by the presence of Chinese and saw their productive capabilities as a threat to their own influence on the country. They felt that if actions were not taken the Chinese would soon be dominating Indonesia and this is what they did not want. So the September 30th event was especially planned and targeted towards the members of PKI so as to vanish their existence. The government had provoked the natives to kill the members of the PKI hence they were ultimately responsible for instigating the people to carry out the killings. The people had been forced to b elieve that the killings were done by the PKI members and so did not know what the real truth was. Nevertheless, these chain of events made the government a hero in the eyes of the natives and stimulated feelings of anger and antagonism among the Chinese community who now thought that the government was anti-Chinese thereby leading to a divide between the two communities who could have dwelled in peace. 3) How has it been reinforced in your mind since you learned it? The idea has been reinforced as I continue to learn about many figures that had been heroified in American history as well. The first example is that of the American president Woodrow Wilson who has been heroified by white people in history. According to Loewen, Wilson will not be considered a... The misconception is important due to the image it has created of the Indonesian government executives of the time and of the PKI members. The way history is represented in the case of the September 30th events, it has created a divide among the native Indonesians and the Chinese immigrants giving rise to feelings of racism. As a matter of fact the killings had been directed by some people holding governance in order to carry out the killings of Chinese immigrants in the hopes to wipe out their existence in Indonesia. The Chinese felt that the government was acting against them in a specifically targeted plan whereas the Indonesians saw them as being the killers of the military officials. The implications of the G-30S/PKI event were various including increased hatred and hence racism among the two groups. Hostility and racism at that time must have been greater when there was a lot more confusion regarding the killings and about those responsible for it. If there is absence of any mi sconceptions and the information flow is perfect so that the people are aware of 100% truth then the racism among native Indonesians and Chinese immigrants would be so much less. Textbooks and media play an important role in the representation of information therefore it should be performed in a responsible way so as to eliminate ambiguity and misconceptions.

Studied male behaviour Essay Example for Free

Studied male behaviour Essay One type of gender bias is alpha bias. This is the tendency to exaggerate differences between males and females. An example of this is heightening the value of women (e.g. Gilligans theory of moral development), and a contrasting example is devaluing them (e.g. Freuds theory of psychosexual development, which says that women develop inferior superegos). Another type of gender bias is beta bias, which is the tendency to overlook differences or exaggerate similarities between the sexes. This was an issue in Kohlbergs theory of the development of moral understanding, as his classifications were largely based on justice-based morality for both men and women, when it may be that women have different moral values. Many psychological studies have been criticised for being androcentric. An example of this is Milgrams (1963) research into obedience. This bias was particularly methodological: he used only male participants, meaning that it is possible that the findings only apply to males and do not generalise to females. This criticism is supported by a replica study by Kilham Mann (1974), who used both male and female participants, 16% of the female participants obeyed and administered the full shock, compared with 40% of the males. This significant difference was overlooked by Milgrams study as he only studied male behaviour. Both of these pieces of research were conducted in a laboratory setting, which is criticised by feminists for being a male-dominated environment that disadvantages women and feminine behaviour: this may have influenced how some of the participants in both studies acted, in that they may have otherwise acted differently if the setting was more natural. The feminist criticism would suggest that, in Kilham Manns study, less women would obey in real life; however this criticism may itself be criticised for alpha bias and reductionism, since it may be too simplistic to characterise behaviours and settings as masculine or feminine. A theory criticised for its alpha bias is the sociobiological theory of interpersonal attraction. The theory states that males and females look for different characteristics in either sex, and will emphasise certain aspects of their own characteristics in order to attract a partner of the opposite sex. Dunbar (1995) compared around 900 lonely hearts advertisements from four newspapers in the United States, and found that 42% of males sought physically attractive characteristics in their partner, compared to 22% of women; and 50% of females adv ertised their own physical attraction, compared with 34% of males. Their conclusion was that the theory was supported and, while this is true to a certain extent, it overlooks the fact that the theory holds true for a maximum of 50% of participants. That is, it was not all males and no females who said that they sought a physically attractive partner. The research therefore demonstrates the alpha bias of both the theory and Dunbars conclusions. In addition, the sample and setting of the theory may produce alpha bias. It may be that dating agencies augment gender differences in order to optimise success rates, even if this is not representative of real life. Subsequently, people submitting their own advertisements may conform to this norm of augmenting their own gender, therefore leading to a biased sample and, therefore, biased results. This research could be improved by using a more representative sample, such as using a random sample from a wide range of places for a questionnaire. This is especially important since the sociobiological theory is an evolutionary theory, in that it assumes that our desires are innate: it is therefore important to gain a sample from multiple cultures. Numerous other theories and research have been criticised for their gender bias. Freuds psychosexual theory of development is particularly vulnerable to this criticism, as it is androcentric. He claimed that women have inferior superegos to men because they do not have a penis, leading to penis envy which would never be fully resolved. In other words, the theory suggests that femininity is a sort of failed masculinity. This is contrary to the widely accepted idea that women and men, despite their differences, are equal; and even Freud (1925) admitted his gender bias, saying that we must not allow ourselves to regard the two sexes in completely equal in position and worth. In reaction to this, Homey (1926) said that it did not make sense that women would envy a mans penis, instead envying their higher social status (at the time). Horney also coined the term womb envy, which describes a mans envy of women for their ability to have children, therefore providing a less androcentric view by indicating that men and women are different and envy each others positive characteristics. Kohlbergs (1976) theory of moral development has been criticised for beta bias and androcentricism. In his research, he presented participants with moral dilemmas and categorised them with respect to how much they had matured morally based on their responses to the questions subsequently asked. However, this may be seen as androcentric due to the criteria required for categorisation: the dilemmas were based on abstract principles of justice, which Gillian (1982) proposed was an inherently male method of thinking. This meant that Kohlbergs findings classified most women as being morally inferior to men because of the beta bias of the theory. Gilligan (1982), instead, proposed that womens morals are based on care and relationships, whilst those of men are based on justice. However, this theory shows alpha bias, and the existance of this bias is demonstrated by her own findings that roughly as many women base their morals on justice as on care. In fact, Walker (1984) found, in a meta-analysis of 108 studies, that only 8 studies showed overall gender differences in morality (which, ironically, displays beta-bias).  It may be that the alpha- and beta-bias in such studies arise due to a lack of explanation of individual differences, as it is rarely the case that there are no differences between men and women, or that men and women are completely different.

Case Study Lipton Ice Tea Marketing Essay

Case Study Lipton Ice Tea Marketing Essay Lipton Iced Tea is a beverage launched by Lipton in collaboration with Pepsico. Lipton is an established brand in the tea market while Pepsico has a prominent presence in the soft drink industry. Ever since the popularity of tea started to grow in the West, particularly in the United States of America, the tea market has evolved through various stages. In order to dominate the market, major tea producers like Lipton, Tetley and Nestea have kept on coming up with innovative varieties of tea. Lipton, which has the reputation of being the most innovative brand in terms of variety launched cold beverage, Lipton Iced Tea, thus adding a new dimension to the tea market. Lipton Iced Tea enjoys even more popularity after the recent researches stated the healthy benefits of consuming tea. Moreover, the iced tea was a good way of targeting those consumers who do not enjoy hotter beverages. Lipton faces a major competition from Nestle Nestea and Snapple. However, Lipton Iced Tea successfully managed to lead the market. Considering the threat from new and existing rivals, Lipton has kept is marketing strategy quite strong an aggressive. Besides positioning its product as the healthiest and the most refreshing drink available in the market, Liptons intelligent packaging and pricing strategy has significantly contributed to its success. Its low prices make Lipton more affordable as compared to its competitors and its packaging makes it instant and easy to use. While Lipton Iced Tea has an overall strong position in the market, however, its synthetic taste remains its weakness. Therefore, Lipton can further strengthen its position by enhancing the taste. On a macro level, Lipton enjoys a positive press, not only because of its efficient quality management system, but also due to its sustainable and environmental friendly production practices. Introduction Tea is a household icon in most parts around the world. Almost in every country that has tea consumers, when you think tea, the first name that hits our minds is Lipton. Lipton tea originates from the house of Lipton, currently a major subsidiary brand of Unilever. Lipton was founded by Thomas J. Lipton, an Irish man, who came to United States of America in the late eighteen hundreds. He started by a small grocery store and expanded it into a chain of stores around America. By the end of the nineteenth century, when demand of tea boomed in the Europe, the British tea brokers pressed Lipton to stock their tea in his stores. This gave Lipton an idea of coming up with his own brand of tea, and thus, Lipton Tea was born. Tea at that time was expensive and was considered a rich mans drink. Thomas Liptons idea was to come up with a more affordable brand so that even consumers from less strong economical background can enjoy tea. Lipton has continued to grow since then, which led it to go public in the early twentieth century. By late twentieth century, Lipton started operating as a subsidiary company of one of the world biggest corporate house, Unilever. Since its birth, Lipton has been on a road to continuous growth and expansion. This growth was not just in terms of exploring new markets, but also in terms of introducing a wide range of products. Today Lipton holds major market share both, in the United States of America and around the world. Ever since Lipton has stepped into the tea industry, tea has gone much beyond than a conventional household beverage. From time to time, Lipton is known to introduce new additions in the tea industry and one of the most innovative and popular addition is the Lipton Iced Tea. This product came into being after Lipton collaborated with PepsiCo., which is primarily a soft drink company. The Market As a tea brand, Lipton is the market leader both, in the United States of America and around the world. With a wide range of tea variety, Lipton serves people from all classes, social backgrounds, and regions. From students to grandparents, from China to the United States of America, Lipton is the key tea brand that serves almost all market segments. Focusing on Lipton Iced Tea in particular, Lipton has segmented its consumers according to lifestyle. In general, Lipton Iced Tea has two major targeted groups of consumers. The first group covers those people who lead a busy life style and are hunting for something instant. This group mainly includes, students, employees, working women and other similar consumers who live a hectic and busy life and are in need of an instant product to refresh them. Liptons idea of selling tea in ready to dip tea bags and instant sachets has been very successful among this segment. Tea in this kind of packaging proved not only affordable but also easy and quick to use. The second group of people comprises of the health conscious segment. Consumers from this particular segment may not necessarily lead as busy life as the first group, however, they are potential consumers because of the healthy benefits offered by the product. Ever since the researches have stated the medical advantages of tea consumption, Lipton has played on these reports in order to position its product successfully as healthy, energizer with immense health benefits. Since Lipton has always positioned its tea as a health beverage that provides antioxidants, its market share has continued to grow with the passage of time. Moreover, many people prefer Lipton to other brands due to its affordability, quality and user friendliness. In order to further diversify its clientele, Lipton has introduced further varieties of Iced Tea that includes, Diet Iced Tea and Flavored Iced Tea in Mixed Berry, Lemon, Raspberry and Peach flavors. Since Iced Tea is essentially a cold beverage, the integration of flavors with the beverage has made it popular in the younger groups as well. Since Lipton recognizes the fact that its potential consumers include people that are either health conscious or are have a busy routine or they opt for Lipton due to its affordability, it continues to develop products that are healthier, easier to use and are more inexpensive. Size and Growth of the Market In earlier days, coffee was a comparatively more popular beverage in the United States. However, in the recent past, the tea has gained much popularity, thus resulting in a phenomenal growth in the American tea market. The primary reason for this popularity, according to some survey reports, is the fact that tea is a healthier and more refreshing brew as compared to its counterparts such as coffee. Furthermore, the introduction of flavored tea and other tea varieties such as green tea and iced tea has broadened the consumer base. Another reason, besides the health factor, for the popularity of tea is the fact that it is instant and is readily available as a ready to drink brew. While initially, tea was known to be a drink of colder regions, however, the innovative introduction of iced tea has made the beverage popular among the inhabitants of warmer temperatures as well. According to market surveys, 85 percent of the total tea market in the United States of America is made up of iced tea. It is also said that iced tea sales has seen an average annual increment of 145 percent. Although the iced tea market is dominated by various top tier brands, however, Lipton holds the greatest market share of 32.6 percent, followed by Snapple with 26.5 percent share and Nestea with 10.8 percent share. Lipton leads the market not only in America, but also around the globe. Environmental Impact Lipton is known to have understood its Corporate Social Responsibility well. As an organization, it adheres to the concept of sustainability. The biggest evidence for this is the fact that Lipton grows its tea plantations in the Rainforest Alliance Certified estates. These estates are certified by the Rainforest Alliance organization, which is a non-profit entity, aiming to conserve the environment, managing farms efficiently and protecting the rights and welfare of the workers and their families associated with those farms. Moreover, Lipton has also switched to bottles that use 20 percent less plastic. This is another step towards an environmental friendly business activity. Competition The American tea industry is mainly dominated by Lipton, Snapple and Nestle. Focusing on the Lipton Iced Tea, in particular its major competitors remain Snapple and Nestea, a product of Nestle. While Lipton teamed up with PepsiCo to launch its iced tea, Nestle joined Coca Cola to get into competition. Just like Lipton and Nestle, PepsiCo and Coca Cola are into direct aggressive competition with each other. Therefore, the objective behind Nestlà ©s teaming with Coca Cola was to compete with the Lipton-PepsiCo partnership and to ensure a strong global distribution system. However, Nestea focused on a more packaging based marketing strategy and unlike Lipton, it failed to offer a variety of flavors to cater various tastes. Lipton, on the other hand, not only focused on offering variety, but also marketed its product and positioned it as an ideal healthy and ready to drink beverage. As a result, it did not only create brand loyalty for Lipton among conventional tea drinkers, but also su cceeded in capturing the consumers from the soda drinkers segment as well. This kept Lipton much ahead of Nestea as far as completion is concerned. The competition gap between Nestea and Lipton Iced Tea is filled in by Snapple iced tea, which is the second most popular brand after Lipton. Unlike Nestea, Snapple has an edge of offering a wide variety of flavors and initially, it did come up as a strong competitor for Lipton. However, the relatively smaller size of Snapple and its failure to position itself properly in the market resulted in the loss of major market share to Lipton. Although the weaknesses of its competitors have always kept Lipton ahead of them, however, the threat is always there and in order to maintain its position in the market, Lipton has to ensure constant innovation and improvement of its product. The Marketing Mix As mentioned earlier, despite of being a market leader, Lipton ice tea faces a constant competition from other dominant brands in the tea market. This prompts Lipton to maintain an aggressive marketing strategy to create brand loyalty and to ensure its leadership in the tea market. Liptons marketing mix is designed as follows: Product As a product, Lipton ice tea has a lot to offer as a unique selling point as compared to its rivals. The biggest edge that Lipton has is the recent research reports stating the medical benefits of consuming tea. Lipton has been successful in creating an image that Lipton Ice Tea is the healthiest beverage currently available on shelves. Apart from that, Lipton ensures constant and continuous innovation in the product and it keeps on coming up with newer and more improved flavors. To further increase its consumer base, Lipton introduced the diet and unsweetened range of ice tea, so that diabetic patients, who generally avoid tea, can also enjoy the beverage. Promotion Lipton Iced Tea is aggressively promoted using both, above the line and below the line promotional strategies. It generally uses print media and television for the promotion of its product. Liptons main promotional strategy is to position its product as the most refreshing, energizing and healthy beverage available in the market. Besides conventional advertising, Lipton also keeps on coming up with parallel promotional schemes. Its latest scheme involves buying two Lipton Ice Tea products and getting a chance to win a Convertible car. Placement In order to ensure a strong, efficient, massive, broad and uninterrupted distribution system, Lipton teamed up with PepsiCo, which already has a well-established distribution system around the globe for its soft drinks. Therefore, Lipton Iced Tea is distributed through PepsiCos distribution channels. Lipton Ice Tea is readily available in the market. It can be easily found in all retail outlets ranging from a small grocery store to a large hypermarket. Besides conventional retailing, it is sold via vending machines. Lipton has also maintained an online presence and its products can be ordered and purchases through the internet. Pricing Lipton believes in catering to mass market without ignoring the consumer segments with lesser purchasing power. For this reason, Lipton Iced Tea is available in a wide range of prices that starts as low as 41 cents. This makes Lipton the most affordable brand in the market and forces a large number of consumers to opt for Lipton. It also offers larger economy packs at a price of about US$ 34. This aggressive pricing strategy has a major contribution in keeping Liptons competitors at a lower position. Packaging Lipton has effectively and successfully used the color Yellow as Liptons personal color. It is as if thinking Yellow means thinking Lipton. Furthermore, Liptons packaging is an integral part of its marketing strategy. Lipton Iced Tea is available not only in cartons and in boxes, but it is also available in ready to drink bottles, ready to use tea bags as well as pocket sachets. This does not only make the product easy to use, but also instant and easy to carry. This instantaneousness and user friendliness makes the product popular in consumer segments of all age and social backgrounds, especially among the students and the employees. With time, Lipton keeps on bringing about changes in its packaging, thus improving the products quality and making it easier for consumers to use. SWOT Analysis Strengths Lipton is beyond doubt, the strongest tea brand in the market. Its biggest strength is its partnership with PepsiCo and its incorporation with Unilever. This makes Lipton a strong brand as association with both these firms ensures efficient distribution system as compared to its competitors. Another strong point that Lipton has is that press has always been in Liptons favor. This is due to recent researches portraying tea as a beverage with medical benefits combined with Liptons successful marketing strategy of projecting its product as medically fit for consumption. Other strong points on Liptons side include its affordable price, the user friendliness of the product and the variety of innovative flavors offered by the company. Weaknesses Although, a variety of flavors is available, some survey reports claim that Lipton Ice Tea needs to work on taste enhancement. Some consumers complain that they find it too synthetic and the taste, and in some cases, the after taste of the ice tea is awkward. A few consumers also complain that although they find the drink cool and refreshing, however, they find it tasteless at the same time. Opportunities Having a strong brand image combined with cost efficient production system, Lipton has the opportunity to weaken its competitors without getting into any price wars. By working a bit more on taste enhancement, it can take away the remaining market share that is held by its rivals. Threats Although so far Lipton had successfully fought back the competition, however, in order to maintain its position in the market it will have to make sure that it remains in the process of continuous innovation. Recommendations/ Conclusion Lipton Ice Tea is at present, one of the strongest brands in the brew market. However, it can further strengthen its position by improving its shelf presence and increasing its shelf life. Although some companies tend to ignore the importance of where there product is placed in a super market, however, in practicality, the way a product is displayed in a store has a great, and at times a direct impact on its revenues. Increasing shelf life would mean that the product would last for a longer time, which will result in consumers to prefer Lipton to its competitors products. As mentioned earlier, that some consumers have reported the weak taste of Lipton Ice Tea, it will have to work with its taste experts in order to develop the taste to suit consumer requirements. Failure to do so, might lead to a loss of potential market share to existing or new competitors. The fact that press has been constantly praising Liptons quality and researchers are seconding Liptons claim of offering a healthy beverage, can be utilized to increase its consumer base by pursuing informative advertising campaigns. Lastly, it has to ensure that it keeps on coming up with both new flavors and improved packaging so that it appeals more to the consumer and is able to maintain its image as an essential household product. It can have kids as its potential consumers by coming up with flavors that suit their taste such as chocolate and strawberry. Appendix Based on figures from online sources.