Religion and World Practice Cannibalism

‘’In the essay Cannibalism It Still Exist’’, Linh Kieu Ngo Explains how the Vietnamese refugees lost their captain on an escape boat. They were forced to survive with very little, after their food and water supply was gone. She explains how the refugees were forced to develop cannibalism by eating human flesh. Even though they didn’t want to eat other human flesh, the refugees had no choice because that was their only way of surviving. Linh also explains how all the Vietnamese refugees died after five month except for one person. Linh went on to say Cannibalism, the act of humans eating humans, still interest people and has long history. Some people may find it odd to eat other humans but for some, cannibalism is like eating any other meat from the supper market. She explains cannibalism in two ways. One is endocannibalism and the other is exocannibalism. Endocannibalism is eating in there own group. Exocannibalism is eating humans outside their group Linh explains that some normal people when in a situation between life and death, eat other human flesh to survive. She went as far to explain different type of cannibalism. Dietary cannibalism accrues when people are captured for others just to eat. Culture cannibalism is when consumed, human eating different part of human body for fertility and ext. Miyanmin people eat their own dead in respect for them. And Miyanmin practice both indo and exo cannibalism. The leopard and Alligator society in South Africa eat human flesh as part of their culture. For example the Leopard and Alligator people honors their people by eating their slaves. Religious or ritual Cannibalism are very different from the other types of cannibalism. Religious Cannibalism has a purpose than just eating other human flesh. And sometimes only one victim gets killed. And ritual cannibalism is very dependent of where in the world you are. For example a South African Indian tribe uses cannibalism as a revenge for the dead. And others use it as part of a funeral ritual. Even though people all over the world practice Cannibalism for different reasons to fit their needs. Whether it’s for religious belief, culture, or dietary reason, people are capable of eating other human flesh. Keep in mind all cultures are somehow connected to cannibalism. But today it is seldom practice.

Customs Union

Outline I. Introduction Thesis statement: The Customs Union for Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus is a purposeful union, which serves to meet several aims. II. Body A. In the light of common aspiration to the WTO accession, it is worth of examining why preference of states was given to multilateral over preferential trade. B. The idea of the multilateral cooperation and creation of a common economic space, elimination of borders and regional integration is not new in the post-Soviet space. 1. â€Å"Putinomics† an attempt of Putin to bring back Soviet Union and Russian supremacy; 2. â€Å"Eurasian Union† similar to â€Å"ASEAN†;C. In theory, customs unions are created to eliminate the trade barriers and decrease customs obligations between several states. 1. It requires confidence in partners and share of responsibilities; 2. single economic region; D. There are many different assumptions why Customs Union was created. 1. supremacy of Russia over the territory of th e former Soviet states; 2. a strategic step in the WTO accession; 3. reduction of Chinese influence and prevent massive imports of Chinese goods; 4. beneficial for entrepreneurs and domestic production enterprises; 5. fair competition; 6. ffective legal protection against corrupt schemes and fraud mechanisms; E. Several other post-Soviet neighboring states were also invited to join the club. 1. The Ukraine; 2. Tajikistan; 3. Kyrgyzstan; F. It is noteworthy of saying that pre-existing Customs Union trade relations and economic ties cannot be described as dynamic ones. 1. statistical numbers; G. An interesting observation is that â€Å"with few exceptions, all the countries bordering the Western fringes of the former Soviet Union have intensified their trade relations with the European Union as well as with China, whose importance in Central Asian trade has been growing. . statistical data; H. Official Astana firmly defended its position on the Customs Union accession, and denied any political motivations behind the membership of the alliance with Russia and Belarus. 1. a unified customs territory would make Kazakhstan even more attractive for foreign investors; 2. geopolitical position, as the largest land-locked country; 3. access to global markets; 4. expand trade with Russia and China; 5. diversity of economy through technological and service advances; I. Belarusian position toward the Customs Union brought many obstacles. 1. â€Å"arm-twisting† politics of the Kremlin; 2. Russian pressure;J. At first it seemed that Russia benefited from creation of the Customs Union more than others, as it has the largest market and biggest production industries. 1. diversification of opinions; K. What does the World Trade Organization is? 1. a network of agreements; 2. a single system, which regulates trade relations of members; 3. advantages and requirements; L. The decision to create the Customs Union between three states could signal willingness to engage in dee per cooperation and integration, and thus, the WTO accession provides access to more states willing to cooperate and a platform for finding new â€Å"friends†. . advantages and disadvantages of being a member of WTO; M. Russia was the only Security Council and G8 member not on the WTO, thus its accession was a requirement to be fully admitted as one of the superpowers. 1. further policy of Russia toward Kazakhstan and Belarus; III. Conclusion Creation of the Customs Union between Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan caused a lot of debates about why these countries are forming the union, what are the benefits that they get and why exactly these states?First of all, I would like to define the meaning of â€Å"Customs Union†. According to Business Dictionary â€Å"Customs Union is an agreement  between two or more (usually neighboring)  countries to remove  trade barriers, and reduce or eliminate  customs duty on  mutual trade. A customs union (unlike a  free trad e area) generally imposes a  common external-tariff (CTF) on  imports from non-member countries and (unlike a  common market) generally does not allow  free  movement of  capital and  labor among member countries† (Business Dictionary. com, n. d. ).In part, debates were around preference of regional over multilateral trade, as for many years Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan aspired to join the World Trade Organization (WTO); therefore, creation of the Customs Union was at first seen as an alternative to the WTO accession. However, just after the ratification of the Customs Union charter and all relevant agreements, Russia joins WTO club and leaves the rest to wonder what is going to happen to the Customs Union. The Customs Union for Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus is a purposeful union, which serves to meet several aims.In the light of common aspiration to the WTO accession, it is worth of examining why preference of states was given to multilateral over preferenti al trade. In particular what pre-conditions existed prior to the Customs Union creation that inspired Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan to create the Union and what benefits it provided that three states could not obtain by joining the WTO only? The idea of the multilateral cooperation and creation of a common economic space, elimination of borders and regional integration is not new in the post-Soviet space.Adelaja (2012) asserts that a number of political scientists and former Soviet Republics believe in so called â€Å"Putinomics† – an attempt of Putin to bring back Soviet Union and Russian supremacy (p. 1). It is difficult to label the Customs Union creation an attempt to bring back the Soviet Union and expansion of the Russian authority over the territory of the former Soviet states. However, the countries are clearly bound by the common past that unlike others (Ukraine, Turkmenistan) makes Kazakhstan and Belarus seek for cooperation with Russia. According to Eurasia n Union (n. d. , another regional cooperation the idea of â€Å"Eurasian Union† belongs to Nursultan Nazarbaev, the idea is to create a union similar to ASEAN (p. 3). After collapse of the Soviet Union, states tend to isolate themselves from their post-Soviet neighbors and especially from Russia. In part, it happens due to unwillingness to cooperate with possibly depending neighbors and also due to the aspiration to get rid of rudiments of the Soviet centralized economy that intentionally established mutual dependence of the Union states. Thus, existing regional organizations are not effective in terms of policy implementation.CIS and EurAsEC could become a platform for negotiations and decision making over regional integration. However, states are reluctant to give up their sovereignty and create supranational body authorized to decide on behalf of its member states. Instead, states were defining their foreign policies depending on national interest and regional integration was not one of them. Thus, Customs Union between Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan could become first real and effectively operating regional cooperation body, where states would indeed execute provisions of signed agreements and declarations.In theory, customs unions are created to eliminate the trade barriers and decrease customs obligations between several states. It requires confidence in partners and share of responsibilities. Initially, the Customs Union was created and signed by Kazakhstan and Russia. Belarus was negotiating its interests with Russia and postponed ratification of the agreement until July 2011. To illustrate the advantages of the union, official media was speculating with huge market that the Customs Union opens for three states. The union has a population of 167 million, a total GDP of USD 2 trillion and goods turnover of USD 900 billion. The aim of the Customs Union is to create a single economic region and eliminate the state borders and to facilitate the free dom of movement† (Krotov, 2010, p. 1). According to Prajakti and Varadzhakov (2012), further to demonstrate that the Customs Union brings advantages not only to Russia, official media reported Kazakhstan agriculture and steel sectors will benefit from newly introduced import duties for non-Customs Union member states (p. ). In addition, Kazakh and Belarus obtained access to Russian labor market. In general, the Customs Union agreements should have improved quality of goods, increase competition and help diversify economies of three states. There are many different assumptions why Customs Union was created. Some see hidden agenda and conspiracy behind creation of the union. Opponents of the Customs Union claim that it only benefits Russia and establishes its supremacy over the territory of the former Soviet states.Zlatkin (2012) comments that opponents also interpret Belarus unwillingness to join the union as a rebellion against Russia, and say that in the end Belarus was force d to join the union. Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus (2012) Russian supporters say that the creation of the Customs Union was a strategic step in the WTO accession, as it was obvious that Russia will become a member first and then it will promote its partners in the WTO accession (p. 1). In the end, they add that Russia needs reliable partners and friends in the WTO and promotion of Kazakhstan and Belarus interests still benefits Russia.Russia, Belarus, Kazakh (2012) claim that the Customs Union was created to reduce Chinese influence and prevent massive imports of Chinese goods (p. 1). Other reasons are less sophisticated and mostly indicate economic benefits that three states obtain from participation in the union. â€Å"Eurasian Development Bank study released, that the effects of economic integration of 2011 – 2030 will reach 14% of gross domestic product of Belarus, 3. 5% in Kazakhstan, and Russia (2%)† (Russia, Belarus, Kazakh, 2012, p. ). The Customs Union was also said to be beneficial for entrepreneurs and domestic production enterprises, as they got greater market access, fair competition and effective legal protection against corrupt schemes and fraud mechanisms. Decreased trade barriers should have contributed to the free movement of goods and services between three countries, and improved quality of products. Russia, Belarus, Kazakh (2012) states that in total, Customs Union opened access to about 170 million consumers (p. ). Several other post-Soviet neighboring states were also invited to join the club. In particular they were Tajikistan, Ukraine, and Kyrgyzstan. None of three Central Asian countries have fully considered and started the Customs Union accession negotiations. Ukraine was assessing and comparing its benefits from the Customs Union versus WTO accession, as well as waiting for the decision on Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA) with the European Union.Adilaja (2012) asserts that in a while, official Kiev pr eferred to abandon its plans on the Customs Union accession negotiations, saying that this will destroy its ongoing negotiations with the European Union. According to Russia’s Inevitable (2012) asserts that for Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, membership in the Custom Union would have brought access to the labor market and increase cooperation in the field of the energy resources supply with Russia and Kazakhstan (p. 2).Although, Kyrgyzstan is currently a member of the WTO, its historical ties and economic dependency on Russian energy resources contributed to its willingness to join another union with Russia. It is noteworthy of saying that pre-existing Customs Union trade relations and economic ties cannot be described as dynamic ones. â€Å"European Union Institute for Security Studies describes trade relations between Customs Union member states prior to the Customs Union creation. In particular, share of intra-CU trade to the total amount of trade of CU-member states within th ree years prior to CU creation.Thus, 48. 1% of Belarusian the total amount of trade in 2008 accounts for Russia and Kazakhstan. While only 7. 3% of Russian trade turnover in 2008 accounts for Belarus and Kazakhstan. And 18. 8% of the total volume of Kazakhstan trade turnover accounted for Russia and Belarus in the same period. 2009 indicators did not change significantly, but in 2010, the year of establishment of the Customs Union, the share of intra-customs union trade of Russia dropped† (Zagorski, 2012, p. 5).An interesting observation is that â€Å"with few exceptions, all the countries bordering the Western fringes of the former Soviet Union have intensified their trade relations with the European Union as well as with China, whose importance in Central Asian trade has been growing. There is a trend that between 41 and 45% of Russian exports to former Soviet states are currently comprised of energy resources, while 39 percent of its imports consist of machines and equipme nt† (Adelaja, 2012, p. ). These facts makes many experts doubt trade relations of the Customs Union states; while others suggest that the Customs Union could become a fundamental change in relations between former Soviet states and that become a push to growth in trade. The figures mentioned above, as well as the fact that post-Soviet states were reluctant to form another union, made the decision to establish the Customs Union look spontaneous and unjustified.However, throughout the whole process of negotiations and ratification of the Customs Union policies and implementation of the necessary procedures, official governments were justifying their decision to create a union and finding new benefits of the participation in the regional cooperation between three states. Although not all of them played in a concert, all three were citing economic benefits that countries obtain from the participation in the regional union. Official Astana firmly defended its position on the Custom s Union accession, and denied any political motivations behind the membership of the alliance with Russia and Belarus.Kazakhstan officials were speculating that â€Å"a unified customs territory would make Kazakhstan even more attractive for foreign investors who have considered Kazakhstan as one of the most attractive markets in our part of the world† (Accession to the WTO, n. d. , p. 1). Kazakhstan also speculated over its geopolitical position, as the largest land-locked country and the state with the most number of transit routes that will ensure large income from transit tariffs.For Kazakhstan the membership in the Customs Union will increase access to global markets, expand trade with Russia and China, and diversity of economy through technological and service advances. Belarusian position toward the Customs Union brought many obstacles. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has openly complained about the â€Å"arm-twisting† politics of the Kremlin, saying t hat his country had been under pressure to cede control of some of its juiciest companies like Belarusian potassium company (Belkali) and Belarus’ state-run Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ) unless the country joined the union. â€Å"Given the importance of ‘champion enterprises’ such as MAZ and Belkali for Belarus or Gazprom for Russia, it is still unclear how the states can agree on regulating these enterprises with supranational institutions, especially when they are governed not by economic, but by political logic,† said George Plaschinsky, an associate analyst at the Center for European Transformation in Minsk. â€Å"Previously the Russian authorities had an experience of imposing different decisions on gas and oil companies in order to achieve some political aims and assert them as the ‘energy superpower. † (Russia’s Customs Union, 2012, p. 2). At first it seemed that Russia benefited from creation of the Customs Union more than others , as it has the largest market and biggest production industries. Experts suggested that some competition from Kazakh and Belarusian producers will be beneficial, but not risky for Russian producers and entrepreneurs. In addition, it will create positive conditions for transition from Soviet centralized to market economy. Russia would also benefit from the labor market of its neighbors, as Russia’s own demographic situation is worse than in Kazakhstan and its population is aging.It is also working on North and South stream gas pipelines to bypass such transit countries, such as Ukraine. Thus, a union with some of its neighbors would ensure protection of Russia’s interests and concessional conditions for pipelines placement. In addition to traditional argument on competition for the regional dominance in the Central Asia, a union would solve some tensions between Russia and neighboring states regarding debt payment for gas supply, political influence and alliances creat ion.However, some experts were more skeptical. â€Å"Some businesses are likely to move to the neighboring states, like Kazakhstan, where the investment climate is more favorable,† said Alexei Devyatov, the chief economist at Ural Sib Capital (Adelaja, 2012, p. 2). Russia might also lose from the opening of it market to the labor from Kazakhstan and Belarus, as Russia also has a huge population of unskilled and unqualified population hat will be left out from participation in the marked taken over by foreign nationals.Considering positions of the Customs Union member states expressed above, it is crucial to consider what regulations or conditions influenced Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan in their decision to access WTO. What does the World Trade Organization is? The WTO is a network of agreements. It unites states around the world into a single system and regulates their trade relations. The WTO member states may chose the degree if integration, but should aspire to opening o f deeper and wider access to domestic markets. The WTO member states are allowed to create the regional agreements and unions within the organization.General goal of the organization is free trade and liberalization of the economies. As it was mentioned above, the Customs Union between Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan was also created to facilitate liberalization and decrease trade barriers without fully abolishing tariffs. The WTO does not require elimination of borders, unlike the customs union that stipulates common border and single economic space. Thus, the Customs Union requires deeper integration of its member states than primary WTO accession documents.The decision to create the Customs Union between three states could signal willingness to engage in deeper cooperation and integration, and thus, the WTO accession provides access to more states willing to cooperate and a platform for finding new â€Å"friends†. Creation of the Customs union with outside WTO partners can also be a sign that the state relies on partners who do not necessarily share the idea of free trade on global level. Interestingly, with the creation of the Customs Union, Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus enhanced WTO accession process.In this case, the creation of the trade liberalization institution could be an illustration of states’ readiness to access the WTO and negotiate conditions. The main reason of the WTO accession for many states is said to be a wide access to foreign markets and integration into a global club of â€Å"advanced† nations. Some of the advantages are improved competition that ensures supply of qualified products, attraction of more foreign investors to the country, securing their interests and protection by legislation common in the WTO space, as well as lowering the costs of running business. According to General benefits from WTO (n. d. , however, there are also some disadvantages of being a WTO member, such as limited abilities to protect in fant industries, inability to compete with advanced economies, prohibition of governmental subsidies and elimination of fixed currency rates (p. 1). Economies of state applicants for the WTO accession should be ready for a drastic change and shock therapies. Even with the transitional period, the changes brought by the WTO accession and commitments made by states are significant. Russia was the only Security Council and G8 member not on the WTO, thus its accession was a requirement to be fully admitted as one of the superpowers.Putin and other Russian governmental officials assured other Customs Union member states that with the accession of Russia to the WTO, it is still going to preserve the Customs Union and keep close relations with Belarus and Kazakhstan. Furthermore, Russia has promised promotion of two countries in their accession to the WTO. Experts believe that Russia will not abandon its partners, as it is still interested in integration of the post-Soviet states, and will not give up on the struggle for domination in the region.Therefore, even after the WTO accession it is not efficient for Russia to exclude Kazakhstan and Belarus from its foreign policy. In case Kazakhstan is left outside of the WTO, it will become a reliable partner of Russia outside of the organization. While Belarus can be more reluctant in implementation of the agreement reached before the WTO accession. Thus, Russia will probably use more force to get Belarus remain in the union. Since Russia dominates in the union, in case all member states access the WTO, Russia will be established as a single power in the region that decides on economic and political processes.Other states will be bound by obligations under the agreements, and since their accession comes after Russia, it is most likely that they will negotiate similar if not the same tariffs as Russia did. Considering unequal political positions of the Customs Union member states, and economic ties prior to the creation of the Union that did not directly contributed to the establishment of the union, it can be assumed that the Customs Union was created as a demonstration of the commitment to the trade liberalization and aspiration to be a part of the globalized world.It is also important to mention that it is a Russian-led union and neither economies of its partner states or their political leadership are sufficiently competitive to challenge Russian industries, market and politics. Russia played very important role in the promotion of the idea of the union, and the Customs Union could become the first effectively working regional integration mechanism on the post-Soviet space. However, since Russia aspired to join the WTO, Customs Union member states have to catch up and also join the club, although they might be less interested in it than Russia.Bibliography Adelaja, T. (2012). Putinomics Abroad. Russia Profile, Section: Politics. Retrieved November 16, 2012 http://russiaprofile. org/politics/57118/ print_edition/ Krotov, I. (2010). Customs Union between the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Community. World Customs Journal, 5 (2). Retrieved November 16, 2012, from http://www. worldcustomsjournal. org/media/wcj/-2011/2/Krotov. pdf Prajakti, K. , & Varadzhakov, S. (2012).The Customs Union between Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus: First Steps Towards the Rivaval of the Silk Road, Academia, 894. Retrieved November 18, 2012, from http://cambridge-centralasia. academia. edu/PrajaktiKalra/Papers/472081/The_Customs_Union_between_Russia_Kazakhstan_and_Belarus_First_Steps_towards_the_Revival_of_the_Silk_Road Zagorski, A. (2012). Russia's neighbourhood policy. European Union Institute for Security Studies. Retrieved November 16, 2012, from http://www. iss. europa. eu/publications/detail/article/russias-neighbourhood-policy/Zlatkin, I. (2012). A Sovereign Surge, Not a Soviet Resurgence: The Mutualism of E urasian Reintegration. SRAS, The Journal of Russia and Asian Studies. Retrieved November 17, 2012, from http://www. sras. org/a_sovereign_surge_not_a_soviet_resurgence_the_mutualism_of_eurasian_reintegration IXGV, Financial News, â€Å"Russia, Belarus, Kazakh customs union will benefit enterprises in Asia†. (2012). p. 1. Retrieved November 17, 2012, from http://www. ixgw. com/2012/05/russia-belarus-kazakh-customs-union-will-benefit-enterprises-in-asia/Astana Economic Forum, News, â€Å"Nursultan Nazarbayev  «Eurasian Union: from idea to the history of the future »Ã¢â‚¬ , (n. d. ), pp. 1 – 10. Retrieved November 16, 2012, from http://aef. kz/upload/news/statya%20Nazarbayeva. pdf Belarus Digest, Economy, â€Å"WTO v. Customs Union: Russia Decides†. (n. d. ). Retrieved November 17, 2012, from http://belarusdigest. com/story/wto-v-customs-union-russia-decides-7434 Business Dictionary. com. (n. d. ). Retrieved November 16, 2012, from http://www. businessdiction ary. com/definition/customs-union. htmlEmbassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Discover Kazakhstan, Economy, â€Å"Accession to the WTO†, (n. d. ). Retrieved November 18, 2012, from http://www. kazakhembus. com/page/wto-accession The Fish Site, News and Analysis, â€Å"Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus Keep Customs Union†, (2012). p. 1. Retrieved November 18, 2012, from http://www. thefishsite. com/fishnews/17679/russia-kazakhstan-belarus-keep-customs-union U. S. A. Poultry and Eggs Export Council, News, Analysis, â€Å"Russia's Inevitable Customs Union in Central Asia†. (2012). pp. 1 – 3. Retrieved November 17, 2012, from http://www. usapeec. kz/en/news/10204/

Customer relationship management

Customer relationship is not a new concept; companies have been interacting and dealing with customers since the inception of trade. Earlier more focus and attention was on product and services instead of customer centric. With increase in competition because of globalization and usage of internet changed the picture of business. Customers have variety to choose from, more knowledge about the companies and products surely has titled power at customers’ side. With this scenario, companies realize the need of treating customers with utmost care. Therefore, searching for innovative ways to manage relationships effectively, not only to acquire new customers but also to retain the existing one. â€Å"CRM is the process of managing detailed information about individual customers and carefully managing all the customer ‘touch points’ with an aim of maximum customer loyalty† Acquiring new customers can cost five times more than costs involved in satisfying and retaining current customers. More companies are recognizing the importance of satisfying and retaining customers, which constitute the company’s relationship capital To retain the customers’ better approach is to deliver high customer satisfaction. Customer relationship management is about taking a long term approach to building relationships with customers. In olden days, business people and organizations would know their customer base from seeing them on a daily basis and learning their preference based on the relationship they shared with the customers. CRM is emerged as critical for organization in 1960’s where marketers found that 4p’s of marketing framework-product, price, place and promotion were less valuable without ongoing relationships with customers. Companies started putting customers in the middle of marketing program. In early days of CRM, there was no technology to support what companies were doing. CRM is not new, over the years companies has had to figure out how to build relationships with customers and lead to brand loyalty. The goal in CRM is to evolve from a mass marketing model, which was on product centric market structure to customer centric structure. Managing customer relationships successfully means learning about the habits and needs of your customers anticipating future buying patterns, finding new opportunities to add value to the relationship. Successful companies make the relationship something the customer values more than anything else they could receive from the competition. Company experience with customer not only with transactions but also with interaction like website visit, phone, call center and by direct mail. CRM helps in developing marketing programs that make sense to each customer segment, support cross-selling and customer retention programs, help to maximize the value of each customer’s interaction and deliver a consistent branding message by aligning products and services within each channel. CRM provides an integrated view of a company’s customer to every one in the organization so that customer can be serviced effectively. CRM helps companies to gather and access information about the customers’ buying histories, preferences, complaints. It allows tracing the needs of the customers and means to satisfy them effectively. The following are the aims of CRM: †¢ Increase efficiency of the organization †¢ Ability to provide quicker response to customer queries and complaints †¢ Getting insight of customer needs †¢ Providing more cross-selling opportunities †¢ Organized information to manage and lead †¢ Reduction in cost and increase in productivity †¢ Receiving customer feedback †¢ Providing common platform for customer communication and interaction. Today consumers are more educated, more and better informed, more technology savvy coupled with increase competition in the market. Organization needs to build a system which allows you to track, capture and analyze the millions of customer activities, both interactions and transactions, over a long period of time. This helps in creating promotions, developing new products and designing communication programs to attract and retain customers. By 1980s â€Å"relationship marketing â€Å"was used to describe this new focus of understanding customer segments, delivering ongoing quality service and high customer satisfaction. In 1990s computer systems were deployed to support sales and service process. Sales force automation system evolved while customer service and support systems became backbone of automated call centers. By late 1990s increase in internet usage supported e-business applications to manage online customer and partner relationships, called as e-CRM and partner relationship management. CRM emerged as discipline of set of discrete software and technologies that focus on automating and improving the business processes associated with and improving the business processes associated with managing customer relationships in the areas of sales, marketing, customer-service and support. Customer relationship management applications are most active software available to the organizations. Three converging trends have enabled the emergence of CRM applications as a major force in the market place. The fist trend is the availability of robust, scale decision support technology. This helps companies collect vast quantities of data from multiple, heterogeneous sources, such as accounting, manufacturing, human resources, sales force automation, and customer service applications. This provides the technological foundation for building a consolidated enterprise wide view of the customer. The second trend is the emergence of front-office applications. This focus on the sales and the marketing departments, and essentially transactional in nature. The third trend is the emergence of the one-to-one marketing phenomenon has helped companies to have their marketing activities focus on customer, rather than on their products, distributors, sales force or suppliers. Now â€Å"Multi channel CRM† systems available to support direct, internet and partner channels, while allowing users to use whatever mode of communication they are pleased. CRM started with marketing era focusing on customer needs and wants and satisfying it effectively which drive changes in the organization and work processes. It must start with a business strategy. CRM is really about using tools not only to achieve the personal relationships business but even to predict and serve the future needs. Major support and change came for CRM is technology break through since two decade which played a significant part in not only managing good relationship with customers but also with the partners of the organizations.

Wal-Mart Competitive Advantages Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Wal-Mart Competitive Advantages - Case Study Example The researcher states that the discounted retail giant Wal-Mart has many of the competitive advantages that have made the company such a market leader for years now. The rural market strategy that the company has undertaken has clearly helped the company to attain increased market share. The other advantage of Wal-Mart has been the age of its stores. In the year 1990, merely 10% of Wal-Mart stores were more than 8 years old whereas K-Mart, the prime competitor of Wal-Mart had 85% of stores aged above 8 years. The distribution capability is another prominent competitive advantage for Wal-Mart. In their distribution system, they have cross-docking, inside out location strategy which is very much helpful to grow their business in overseas. This is one of the cost saving methods and they can easily reach their customer satisfaction level. The workforce culture of Wal-Mart is a customer-oriented strategy which is motivated by monetary contribution as well as belief in the Wal-Mart culture . This tends to move faster in response and flexibility to the changing demand. Strong corporate culture is very much needed to apply this strategy. Wal-Mart pursued to search for technological competitive improvements. Recently, Wal-Mart set up an electronic data exchange with more than 3,600 retailers with the purpose of receiving orders as well as to interact electronically. The plan has been extended with the purpose of developing, forecasting, shipping, and planning. Even though information costs are larger than competitors but the benefits of inventory cost reduction and also increased sales, compensate the cost appreciably as well as serve Wal-Mart with important competitive advantage. The distribution system of Wal-Mart is enormous and too tough to be replicated by the competitors when anybody considers the electronic connection of sales as well as inventory information across the world.

Development of Sexual Orientation Research Paper

Development of Sexual Orientation - Research Paper Example The main influences of nature (genes and biology) and nurture (the surrounding where an individual develops) and certain orientations are the main issues in the psychological world. This paper will investigate the main factors behind the development of varying sexual orientations, developmental differences between men and women, and the key factors for persistence of varying sexual orientations in humans throughout evolutionary history. Discussion Evidence indicates that different factors account for the development of different sexual orientations for various people, (Diamant & McAnulty, 2005). Diamante and McAnulty asserts that â€Å"Even though various studies have investigated the potential hereditary (genes), developmental, hormones and socio-cultural factors influence the development of sexual orientation† p. 33, no generalizations have developed to allow scientists and theorists to construe that sexual orientation development is attributable to any certain factor(s). La rge numbers of scientist suggest that both â€Å"nature and nurture play a dynamic function; a large percentage of the population experience little evidence and choice concerning their sexual identity and orientation† (Diamant & McAnulty, 2005 p. 40). In the sexual orientation debate, different individual narratives and evidence have validity for the person, but cannot be simplified broadly. Sexual orientation is largely influenced by genes and unsystematic environmental aspects, based on results from the global extensive twin's study, (Omoto & Kurtzman, 2006). Sexual orientation is attributable to biological factors. The biological account has extensively gained recognition amongst the scientific society even the though; it is merely anchored on speculations. Scientists argue â€Å"Development of sexual orientation is attributable to factors that the take place during sexual identity of differentiation† p. 52. The prenatal subjection hormones such as androgens and the impacts on human brain development perform a crucial function development of sexual orientation in humans.        Ã‚  

The Portinari Altarpiece Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Portinari Altarpiece - Essay Example There are various subjects in the painting as on the left is Tommaso Partinari, Saint Thomas, and Anthony Abbot, while the two sons of Tomasso, Pigello, and Antonio are kneeling down. The right panel holds the images of Maria Maddalena Portinari, the wife of Tomasso and their eldest child, Margherita and alongside them is Saint Margaret of Antioch and Mary Magdalene. At the center of the art piece, Jesus is laying on the ground while shepherds and angels are kneeling before Him (Levy, Macy & Van, 2012). At the center of the art piece, there are various objects and elements with symbolic importance as well as emblematic figures. The central panel represents the Adoration of Christ as it depicts Mary in a deep prayer showing her acceptance of what her child will persevere as the savior of humanity. Consequently, the Holy Family is revealed in Bethlehem in a manger with shepherds, animals, and angels as Baby Jesus lies on the ground surrounded by an array of golden light. In the foreground, there are two urns of flowers and wheat that represent the Passion and Eucharist (Ridderbos, Hagopian, & McCormick, 2005). The wheat represents the Last Supper where Jesus severed the bread. The white lilies characterizing the smaller vase embody the immaculate and purity conception of Christ while the orange ones represent Christ’s â€Å"Passion† in his later life. Consequently, the second vase holds columbine and purple flowers that correspond to the â€Å"Seven Sorrows of the Virg in.† In the backdrop of the left pane, Joseph and pregnant Mary are seen escaping to Egypt, while the background in central panel; angels visit the Shepherds and on the right, the Three Magi are on their way to Bethlehem (Kleiner, 2012).

Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Law - Essay Example 68). There are some cases where a party includes an exclusion clause that states that they are exempted from all liability if things do not go as expected, which is under scrutiny because many people have argued that it only works to protect one party (Bradgate and White, 2007, p. 64). There have also been arguments relating to cases where an exclusion clause should be deemed unfair as per UCTA-Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977. The court of appeal in April 15 2008 overruled a high court decision in the case of Regus Ltd v Epcot Solutions Ltd that had suppliers raise their concerns due to an exclusion clause. In this case, the court of appeal came up with factors that should be put into consideration while deciding whether an exclusion clause is valid or not (Hayward, 2011, p. 43). The case facts were that a supplier company Regus relied on an exclusion clause that stated that Regus would be exempted from liabilities that would occur under any circumstances. In addition, another clause limited Regus’ liability to ?50,000 for any other types of damages. Epcot were Regus’ customers and they complained about air conditioning in their offices. Regus did not act and, therefore, Epcot stopped paying for the charges of their services as per the contract. Thus, Regus sued Epcot for the amount that was due, while Epcot on their part argued that when Regus failed to provide air conditioning, it resulted to a breach of contract. They counterclaimed for damages that had resulted from Regus actions for causing low profits, low opportunities for their business, inconvenience and distress because of not having air conditioning. In order for Regus to win, the case held the responsibility of proving that their exclusion clause was enforceable and fair as per Unfair Contract Terms act 1977. The high court judges ruled that even though it may seem theoretically reasonable for Regus to exempt themselves from liability for profit loss, the clause in this case was too wid e to be enforceable. The clause did not leave Epcot with any remedy for the service of air conditioning and was, therefore, invalid and unenforceable. Regus appealed arguing that the high court judges were wrong in saying that the exemption clause was unreasonable as per unfair contract terms act of 1977. The court of appeal decided in favour of the defendants, thereby reversing the high court’s decision (Andrews, 2011, p. 76). The UCTA plays the role of protecting parties that are contracting from contractual provisions that are onerous like limitation and exclusion clauses. UCTA states limits to which liability for breach of contract and other types of breach of duty can be avoided through an exemption clause. When an exclusion clause fails to meet the restrictions that are stated in UCTA, it is held to be invalid and, therefore, unenforceable. Such a clause is held to be unreasonable and unfair to the other contracting party. Section 3 of UCTA is, in particular, vital whil e dealing with business contracts especially where a supplier is involved (Gillies, 2004, p. 93). This section states that a clause that is deemed to exclude liability of a supplier for breaching a contract can only be enforceable if it passes the test of reasonability. Reasonable test is described in section 11 (1) of UCTA as circumstances that are reasonable and that are known or are to be known by the contracting parties. UCTA schedule 2 has a list of factors that are to be used in assessing reasonability, which are normally

International Business Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words - 1

International Business Environment - Essay Example Once a British colony, Kuwait's independence was granted in 1961. Throughout, its economy's survival is almost entirely bolstered by its oil production and sales. With the income, the government can have considerable support for its revenues, and attract in foreign workers (Factsheet, 2007). When Iraq under Saddam Hussein absorbed Kuwait in the 1990s, Iraq was overthrown from the country by a US-led military coalition, an event known as the 1991 Gulf war. With that aid, Kuwait became a close ally of the US (Factsheet, 2007). As IMF and the World Bank encouraged most of the countries to do, Kuwait opened to foreign capital and vied for international investment starting from the 1990s. Mainly, Kuwait's strategy is to produce and sell as much oil as they can worldwide that it would become largely, the sole provider of the world's oil and US would certainly have it in its interests. (Pfeifer, 2002) Being the fourth largest producer now, this isn't a far-fetch goal. FDI had been advocated by many to be the boost developing economies need in order to progress sustainably. Globalization through FDI is a mainstream event since the 90s. But policymakers in Kuwait as in the other developing countries are not aware that when their economic fundamentals do not match what is needed for this increase in FDI, however many the incentives they offer to attract FDI , they would just go to waste. But, internationalization through exports is Kuwait's overriding strategy; it is a country looking toward development by globalizing through FDI. (Nunnenkamp, 2001) Kuwait's Foreign Direct Investment A costly financial initiative like the later-to-be-discussed FDI Law is implemented because Kuwait anticipates the potential benefits to outweigh these costs. But the view's shortcoming is that Kuwait, like the others, cannot be sure if FDI really could do much in gearing them towards development. After all, the impact of FDI relies on many

Detail the main power centres around the Mediterranean Sea through the Essay

Detail the main power centres around the Mediterranean Sea through the ages and explain why they fell - Essay Example However, despite the notable developments from these powers, they finally fell following several reasons such as corruption, inequality and civil wars. Others did not last long because they had ineffective leaders who had little knowledge on governance hence a downturn to economic prosperity. There are different main power centers around the Mediterranean Sea through the ages and the underlying reasons why they fell. For instance, there were the Egyptians who had the first knowledge of architecture, building and a combination of painting and sculpture. The Egyptians’ formulation of the techniques begun around 3000 B.C. This includes the establishment of a pyramid of the sovereign before the takeover of the throne. However, in painting, there was a different technique called monumental treatment that was accorded to designs using many colors (Fromkin 89). In the same breadth, there was also rapid development through stylistic conformities that have presently been characteristic of the art of the Egyptians through history. Another main power center around the Mediterranean Sea was the Phoenicians who had success as early as around 1200 B.C. It is during this period that their level of activity rose and there was also the proliferation of colonizers, explorers, and even remarkable traders. All these groups of ancient professionals created settlements in various parts of the Mediterranean Sea to the advantage of the locals in the area (Tames 145). Similarly, this group took credit for discovering the alphabet that later had the modification of the Greeks in terms of symbols use for sounds. Additionally, the discovery of the alphabet by the Phoenicians led to the replacement of hieroglyphics and cuneiforms hence propelling major advancement. The same period during the majestic reign of the Phoenicians is when there was colonization of areas such as Italy, Sicily, North Africa and Asia Minot by the Greeks. On the other hand, another formidable group to settle around the Mediterranean Sea entails the Hebrews who were a small nation in comparison to the rest. It is observed that after they had arrived to the Land of Promise meaning Canaan after nearly 4000 years, the Hebrews developed a flourishing state. This achievement was, however, notable in religion whereby the Bible turned to be a valuable mark especially to the Western civilization (Fromkin 90). Furthermore, because of their nomadic lifestyle, the Hebrews made a mark in the absorption of other the native civilizations for their advantage. This suggests that an older religion such as Judaism offered fundamental principles to the smaller faiths that included Islam and Christianity. Apart from the above powers, there was also the Island of Cyprus that excelled in excavation processes around 4000-3000 B.C. This group had their influence from the Greece in the ancient era after 1500 B.C. In other words, the Cypriot civilization learnt a lot from the Greeks in terms of cultures and other related religions (Tames 145). However, while the settlement of the Phoenicians around the Mediterranean was noted around the 800 B.C., and later followed by the Egyptians and Assyrians, the Island of Cyprus came late. Alternatively, this gave them a leverage to major in commerce and also become the focal point of the cult of Aphrodite. It is

The Cell Cycle and Cancer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Cell Cycle and Cancer - Essay Example G1 phase, where synthesis of â€Å"RNA, protein, and organelle† takes place is the second phase that precedes the S phase (Dudek, 2006, p. 123). At the S phase, DNA molecules synthesizes before â€Å"ATP synthesis† at the G2 phase (Dudek, 2006, p. 123). The last phase of the cell cycle is the M phase. It is the stage at which cells divide and consists of a number of stages, â€Å"prophase, prometaphase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase, and cytokinesis† (Dudek, 2006, p. 123). A change in regulation in the cell cycle, leading to cancer, is therefore most likely to occur at the M phase of the cell cycle. This is because cancer cells results from uncontrollable cell division, yet cell division at the M phase (Hacker, Messer and Benchmann, 2009). There exist a number of differences between normal cell cycle and cancer cell cycle. Normal cell cycle is for example regulated by cell environmental factors while cancer cell cycle is independent. Unlike cancer cell cycle, normal cell cycle is limited to available space. The normal cells also die, unlike cancer cells (Annenberg Foundation, n.d.). Annenberg Foundation. (n.d.). Rediscovering Biology: Molecular to Global Perspectives, a 13-part Multi-media Course for In-service High School Biology Teachers, Annenberg/CPB Guide. Los Angeles, CA: Annenberg

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) - Essay Example It is achieved when a company is able to provide similar benefits as their competitors but at a lesser cost, or deliver benefits that are better than those of the competing products. The two types of competitive advantage therefore are cost advantage, which offers lower cost and differentiation advantage, which offers better benefits. Competitive advantage helps the company gain higher profits and aids it in creating superior or excellent value for its customers. Companies offer products to customers with the aim of continuous and growing patronage and positive feedback directed to possible customers. They aspire to maintain a solid customer base while aiming to increase that number by active marketing and selling of the products. Products may be classified into different kinds. Products may be physical objects or tangible goods, people, services, ideas or concepts, places, organizations and activities. All these material and non-material products are offered by the companies to their existing and prospective customers with the promise that the customers will benefit from their products in greater ways than if they support the competition. In order for the companies to offer the appropriate products to specific customers, they have to first identify the needs and wants of the customers. No two customers are exactly alike in their preferences. Each person differs from another. Focusing on the individual needs and wants of a multitude of customers is not feasible and practical fro companies. The cost will be too much to handle. The strategy used is to segment or group customers into clusters. Members of clusters share common characteristics which may be concluded as leaning towards a support, need or want of specific products. This way companies may determine the approaches they need to apply for specific customer groups or clusters. Aside from the actual selling techniques of companies, marketing strategies propel organizations to higher profits and bigger market share. According to the American Marketing Association, "Marketing is an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organization and its stakeholders" (AMA Adopts New Definition of Marketing). Marketing revolves around the theory that customers use a product or a service because they have a need or a want for it or the product offers a perceived benefit. Thus, determining the actual needs of customers is the very basic strategy for marketing. Markets today are very competitive in that the players more often than not have products of the same quality and similar sales and marketing strategies. This homogenous quality of markets makes it difficult for customers to choose a preferred company and establish loyalty with that company. Since the kinds and qualities of products are similar, prices of goods and services are often at the same level. Same levels of pricing do not give the companies cost advantage, so they resort to gaining differentiation advantage. They gain differentiation advantage by the provision of excellent customer service which translates to customer loyalty and creation of customer value. Customer Relationship Management is a vital element in the provision of

National Cranberry Cooperative Essay Example for Free

National Cranberry Cooperative Essay According to the data provided, there is 50 % of incoming berries which were wet harvested. In the absolute terms, this amounts to 750 bbls/h. The three drying machines can only handle 600 bbls/h altogether, meaning that 150 bbls of berries have to be stored in the bins each hour while waiting for the drying process. The second bottleneck is â€Å"located† at the separators. The three separating lines have the capacity to separate 1200 bbls/h, while there are 1350 bbls/h ready to be separated. Therefore, 150 bbls of dry berries have to be stores each hour. At the end of the day (7 PM) there are 2400 bbls wet berries waiting for drying and separating, while also 2400 bbls of dry berries still have to go through the separation process. Drying process of 2400 bbls of wet harvested berries takes 4 additional hours and is finished at 11 PM. Simultaneously the separation is in process (for the dry harvested berries). After the last 600 bbls of wet harvested berries are dried it takes additional half an hour to separate them for quality measures. Separation process is finished at 11. 30 PM. 4. When would the last truck unload and how long would it have waited? Due to the fact that the capacity of the bins is large enough for both, dry (4000 bbls) and wet (1200 bbls only wet + 2000 bbls wet dry) harvested berries to be stored before entering the production process, there is no waiting needed for the truck drivers. All the trucks are able to unload by 7PM. 5. Changes in order to improve performance (estimate the costs and benefits) Based on our analysis we propose three possible solutions that would resolve a problem of company’s bottlenecks.

Introduction Of Swot Analysis Marketing Essay

Introduction Of Swot Analysis Marketing Essay SWOT analysis is approach for auditing a business organization and its environment where it operates. Generally SWOT analysis is the initial stage of planning that helps policy makers and marketers to identify and focus on key issues. The acronym for SWOT is strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Strengths and weaknesses are internal SWOT factors (MarketingTeacher.Com, 2013). Opportunities and threats are external SWOT factors. A strength is considered as positive internal factor. A weakness is considered as a negative internal factor. Similarly, an opportunity is considered as a positive external factor and finally a threat is known as a negative external factor (Ireland, Hoskisson, Hitt, 2008). Apart from understanding the business environment, another function of SWOT analysis is to turn companys weaknesses into strengths and threats into opportunities. Moreover it allows management to integrate internal strengths with external opportunities. Theoretically SWOT analys is is that simple. It is expected from SWOT analysis that the outcome should create value for customers and help to get competitive advantage (MarketingTeacher.Com, 2013). C:UsersKhayyamDesktopSWOT_MAS_NaifSWOT intro.jpg Figure: SWOT analysis framework, Data Source: (MarketingTeacher.Com, 2013) 3.1 Strengths: Strengths refer to those characteristics of a particular business which are unique and give the company advantage over competitors (Ireland, Hoskisson, Hitt, 2008). For example, a company might have specialist marketing expertise or the company produces new and innovation product and services e.g. Apple I phone, the company might be strategically located, the company may produce best quality and top value for money products or services e.g. Rolls Royce cars, or any other aspect of business which is unique and hard to imitate for competitors would be considered as an strength of the company. If the company has special capabilities, powerful human resource e.g. Google employees, Unique Selling Point e.g. Google Nexus 7- best hardware releases on a tablet PC, powerful financial position e.g. Wal-Mart financial capabilities, economy of scale and global reach e.g. McDonalds and KFC etc. above mentioned qualities can be termed as strengths of a company. Each of these strengths creates pri ce inelasticity and generate loyal customer base (MarketingTeacher.Com, 2013) (Ireland, Hoskisson, Hitt, 2008). 3.2 Weaknesses: Weaknesses refer to those characteristics that creates completive disadvantage situation for the business (Ireland, Hoskisson, Hitt, 2008). For example a company may produce good quality products but due to lack of marketing expertise the company may suffer e.g. in February 2011, HOME DEPOT had to close operation in China (Bhasin, 2012), the company may offer undifferentiated products or services e.g. PC hardware market, the company may be located in inappropriate location, the company may produce poor quality goods or services e.g. Chinese brand-less electronics companies which produces inferior goods, damaged reputation e.g. Dominos you tube scandal 2009 (Clifford, 2009). These negative internal factors can be termed as weaknesses of a company. These factors often play a negative role in companys performance and achievements. A company should continuously try to convert its weaknesses to strengths. Sometimes big successful businesses suffer due to inappropriate market strategies a nd damaged reputations (MarketingTeacher.Com, 2013) (Ireland, Hoskisson, Hitt, 2008). 3.3 Opportunities: Opportunities are positive external factors which a company can capitalize to gain competitive advantages (Ireland, Hoskisson, Hitt, 2008). For example a company can explore a developing market such as internet e.g. UK retailer predicted that online shopping would be a popular choice in near future so they respond to this change of need (CIPS 2010). Mergers, joint ventures or strategic alliances help a company to generate bigger financial resources and allow the companies to explore more markets e.g. the merger of GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK), the company can find out new market segments that offer greater profits e.g. McDonalds targeted children to market its product which was unique marketing strategy at that time. The company can explore a new international market for further expansion. These external factors are known as opportunities which allow a company to integrate its internal strengths with external opportunities for greater profitability (MarketingTeacher.Com, 2013) (Ireland , Hoskisson, Hitt, 2008). 3.4 Threats: Threats are considered those external elements which may generate trouble for the business. A company should apply its strengths or try to build new strengths to minimize the risks of external threats. For example a new competitor in the existing market e.g. entrant of Google in electronics gadget manufacturing market possesses threats for existing market leaders like Samsung, Apple or HTC. Price war is a common practice in extreme competitive businesses where switching cost is very low e.g. fast food industry. When a competitor launches new and innovative products that possesses threats for others e.g. innovation of Windows by Microsoft. Additionally competitors access to superior supply channels, financial distress situation new tax and legislative changes are considered as threats (MarketingTeacher.Com, 2013) (Ireland, Hoskisson, Hitt, 2008). Bibiliography: Bhasin, K. (2012). Home Depot Gives Up And Closes The Last Of Its Big Box Stores In China. Retrieved 3 14, 2013, from Business Insider: http://www.businessinsider.com/home-depot-gives-up-and-closes-the-last-of-its-big-box-stores-in-china-2012-9 CIPS. (2010). Case Study Analysis Marks Spencer (MS). Retrieved 3 14, 2013, from CIPS: http://profex.co.uk/secureassets/files/MS Analysis.pdf Clifford, S. (2009). Video Prank at Dominos Taints Brand. Retrieved 3 14, 2013, from The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/16/business/media/16dominos.html?_r=0 Ireland, R. D., Hoskisson, R. E., Hitt, M. A. (2008). The Management of Strategy Concepts and Cases. Canada: Cengage- Learning. MarketingTeacher.Com. (2013). SWOT Analysis. Retrieved 3 14, 2013, from MarketingTeacher.Com: http://www.marketingteacher.com/wordpress/swot-analysis/

Collective Responsibility For Learning And Education

Collective Responsibility For Learning And Education It is often heard that two brains are better than one. And the idea of such makes perfect sense. One would suppose that by working together, more will be accomplished. But does this apply to a school, its administrators and teachers, and its students? As stated in this article, data was provided, hypotheses were assumed, and studies were completed to see if, in fact, collective responsibility does have promising impacts. Throughout the course of this essay, the importance of collective responsibility within a school and its effects on gains in achievement for early secondary school students will be examined, tested, and discussed. What is collective responsibility? The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy refers to collective responsibility as a shared responsibility (Smiley, 2005). This definition is displayed similarly in a school. Collective responsibility is all members of the school (including but not limited to administrators, teachers, counselors) accepting responsibility for the students success or lack thereof. Authors Valerie E. Lee (an associate professor of education at the University of Michigan) and Julia B. Smith (an assistant professor of education administration and school reform at the University of Rochester) conducted an experiment to determine if the organization of teachers work influences students. (Lee and Smith, 1996). This study focused on three theories: the before mentioned collective responsibility for student learning, staff cooperation, and control over classroom and school work conditions (Lee and Smith, 1996). The article states that it is important for a secondary school to bur eaucratically distribute knowledge into partitions with each group having its own set of experts. For example, teachers would undertake the role of knowledge experts. With this, teachers will be cooperating amongst one another in order to improve upon past teaching methods in hopes gaining student achievement. These educators will not only benefit from face to face interaction with their colleagues, but they will also take part in teamwork. (Lee and Smith, 1996). Lastly, the authors of this article believe that distributing control will produce more effective decision makers as teachers. This idea of empowerment suggests that decision making over resources, technical skills, and curriculum knowledge be handled properly by administrators and teachers. While there is no known relationship between teacher control and student outcome, there is a connection between teacher control and his or her attitude about his or her efficiency in the classroom. (Lee and Smith, 1996). The article sta tes, empowering teachers would induce commitment, and commitment would in turn influence student learning (Lee and Smith, 1996). To understand more about collective responsibility, a study was completed to focus on the shared boundary between teachers, students, and schools (Lee and Smith, 1996). The purpose of this research was to study the correlation between teachers work lives and the extent to which their students learn. Three hypotheses were presumed relating to the following subjects: responsibility and demographics, the teacher and his or her work life, and the teachers work life and equity. (Lee and Smith, 1996). The first hypothesis suggested that schools where teachers assume responsibility for learning enroll students who typically do better in school (Lee and Smith, 1996). These schools are said to be those with more privileged students according to their race, social class, or ability. Understandably, teachers would be more likely to accept acknowledgment for their students achievements if they are learning well. Conversely, teachers would be less like to accept blame for their students failures and pass the responsibility onto the children and their families. (Lee and Smith, 1996). The second hypothesis theorized that in schools where teachers take more respons ibility for the results of the teaching students learn more. In schools characterized by high levels of staff collaboration and teacher control, students also learn more. (Lee and Smith, 1996). And the third hypothesis suggested that features of teachers work live may either facilitate or debilitate the learning of disadvantaged students. Specificallyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ high levels of responsibility for learning are associated with learning that is equitably distributed within the school according to students social background. (Lee and Smith, 1996). These hypotheses were tested. Following are detailed descriptions of the method used to conduct this study. The sampling design was derived from a sample used in the first and second waves of the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) (Lee and Smith, 1996). NELS:88 was sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and is an all-purpose analysis of United States students and schools. The article discloses that one thousand middle grade schools (about 25 students in the eighth grade from each school) were tested in 1988. These same students (tracked through questionnaires) were tested again in 1990. (Lee and Smith, 1996). This sample included all NELS sophomores the fit the following criteria: Students must have full cognitive test data from the base year and the first follow up, Data must be available from their high schools and their teachers, Students had to be enrolled in public, Catholic, or elite private high schools, and Students must have been attending high school with at least four other NELS sampled students. (Lee and Smith, 1996). After the conditions were applied, 11,692 students from 820 different schools were studied. These schools consisted of 650 public schools, 68 Catholic schools, and 47 independent schools. (Lee and Smith, 1996). There were also certain criteria for the teachers of the students. In the base year the teacher sample was comprised of either the eighth graders mathematics or science teacher and either the English or social studies teacher (Lee and Smith, 1996). The teachers were subject-matched when the students reached the tenth grade in the first follow up according to the base year. Below is a pie chart of how the subjects mathematics, science, English, and social studies were distributed as a major subject area amongst the teachers. (Lee and Smith, 1996). Four measures were assessed as part of the teachers professional community. They are 1) collective responsibility for student learning, 2) the standard deviation of teachers responsibility for student learning, 3) cooperation and support among teachers and administrators, and 4) teacher control. (Lee and Smith, 1996). The outcomes from the base test and the follow up test were altered with item response theory (IRT) methods and ultimately compared to see the difference between the two tests. This difference was referred to as the gain score.. In science and social studies, the outcomes were equal from the base test to the follow up test. However, in mathematics and English, the follow up tests had to be adjusted to fit the students capabilities. Demographic measures included the students social class, minority status, and gender and the schools average social class, minority concentration, ability level, academic emphasis, and sector. (Lee and Smith, 1996). The analytic approach provided a descriptive analysis of teachers work lives. The schools were grouped into three categories: 1) high levels of collective responsibility for learning, 2) average levels of collective responsibility for learning, and 3) low levels of collective responsibilities for learning, based on the standard deviation above, within, or below the mean. (Lee and Smith, 1996). After the research had been completed, the results were presented. To understand the results, one must observe the tables presented in the article. When considering the descriptive differences among students in schools with differing levels of collective responsibility for student learning, note that the students are categorized into three groups based upon the levels of collective responsibility structure throughout the school they are attending: high-responsibility, average responsibility, and low responsibility (Lee and Smith, 1996). The students attending high responsibility schools calculate to a total of 1,226 students, or 10.5%, while the students attending average responsibility schools is a much greater total of 8,801 students, or 75.3%. Lastly, students attending low responsibility schools fall between high responsibility schools and average responsibility schools with 1,665 students, or 14.2%. (Lee and Smith, 1996). These outcomes can be found in table one in the article. Table two in the article display information regarding descriptive differences among schools with differing levels of collective responsibility for learning (Lee and Smith, 1996). Again, the levels of collective responsibility are sorted into three groups: schools with high levels of collective responsibility, schools with average levels of collective responsibility, and schools with low levels of collective responsibility. The number of schools filed in the high levels of collective responsibility is 134, or 16.3%, whereas the number of schools sorted into the average levels of collective responsibility is a significantly larger number of 548 schools, or 66.9%. The schools with low levels of collective responsibility rest slightly higher than those with high levels but considerably lower than those with average levels of collective responsibility at 138 schools, or 16.8%. The tables go on to show that

Emily Bradstreets Poem The Author to Her Book :: Emily Bradstreet Author Her Book Poetry Essays

Emily Bradstreet's Poem "The Author to Her Book" The Author to Her Book, by Emily Bradstreet is a poem in which Bradstreet is laments about the publishing of her writings without her permission. The purpose of the piece is for Bradstreet to express the love, pride and remorse she feels toward her new book and is displayed elegantly through the metaphor of a mother and child. Lines eleven and twelve contribute to the poem’s purpose; they show that Bradstreet is unsatisfied with her work, and desires to fix it. Unfortunately, the book has already been published, and it is too late for her â€Å"child† to attain perfection in its mother’s eyes. The first part of line eleven illustrates the pride Bradstreet takes in her work. â€Å"Yet being mine own†¦Ã¢â‚¬  is Bradstreet’s way of taking ownership of her work, regardless of how misshapen it may seem. Through this line, Bradstreet is saying that because the book is hers, she is the only one with the right and ability to fix it. This is much like when a child gets hurt; only a mother’s kiss can make a â€Å"boo-boo† feel better. There may even be a hint of Bradstreet’s book being like the child whose face only a mother can love. While Bradstreet takes ownership of her book at the beginning of line eleven, by the end of that line, and the beginning of twelve, she is criticizing her work, saying that â€Å"at length affection would thy blemishes amend...† Through this, Bradstreet makes a connection to the beginning of the line, as only her love, care and attention can make the piece beautiful. If she gives enough attention to her â€Å"child† and corrects it enough, perhaps the book would not be such a shame to her. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so ugly. By the end of the twelfth line, Bradstreet has taken pride in her work, and has also criticized it. The last bit of line twelve is where the author shows her remorse. â€Å"If so I could† is the author’s way of lamenting her inability to rearrange the parts of her ill-formed offspring. Bradstreet is saying that her â€Å"child† has already been branded, and there is nothing more she can do to make it perfect.

Mexico and the Quest for Economic Improvement :: Free Essays Online

Mexico and the Quest for Economic Improvement Karl Marx once stated, â€Å" A commodity appears at first sight, a very trivial thing and easily understood. It’s analysis shows that it is in reality, a very queer thing, abounding in metaphysical subtleties and theological niceties.† Ironically, Marx would have never anticipated the conflict over queer space that I am going to detail. The commodification of Aguascalientes, Mexico has been nonetheless a very queer thing indeed. The space in Aguascalientes has been torn apart by competing ideals surrounding sexuality and gay and lesbian identity, yet both sides in this competition have a common interest: selling a specific commodity—namely, the space of Aguascalientes In September 2000, Mr. Jorge Alvarez Medina, the Director of Regulations of Aguascalientes, in the Mexican state of Aguascalientes, publicly announced his opposition to gays, lesbians, and transgender people. He stated that he will â€Å"not allow ‘this type of people’ access to any public facility or allow them to work in the public sector.† Medina also claimed that Aguascalientes needed to portray a cleaner image to the public. Many LGBT and human rights organizations claim this act to be â€Å"prejudiced, corrupt, and violent.† The order made by Medina is also a threat to Article 7 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states, â€Å"All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection before the law.† This is only one of the many events that have occurred in Aguascalientes pertaining to gay, lesbian and transgender relations, where, according to some estimates, there are more than 12,200 gays (more than 10% of overall population). By analyzing these statements made by Medina, many questions arise. If Medina is tying to portray a â€Å"cleaner image† in the city of Aguascalientes, for whom is this image? Curiously the Mexonline website gives Aguascalientes a different reputation, contradicting Medina’s biased proposal. The Mexonline website gives its audience the impression that Aguascalientes has a very accepting and diverse society. The website states, â€Å" Aguascalientes is well positioned to mull full-steam ahead into the 21st century. We are well aware that our future rests on our export capacity. World business leaders, who have already located in the state, share our vision and, together with our local business community, our industrious labor force, and our imaginative policy makers, have joined hands and laid the foundation for a prosperous and happy society in this, ‘the state of friendly people.

Music and Literature Essay

Music and literature have played an important role in our community and society since not only humans but the earth was born. It’s still a great mystery as to who invented or made music first. But first of all we shouldn’t focus as to when was music made but should see that what actually music is? How to define music has long been the subject of debate; philosophers, musicians, and, more recently, various social and natural scientists have argued about what constitutes music. The definition has varied through history, in different regions, and within societies. Definitions vary as music, like art, is a subjectively perceived phenomenon. Its definition has been tackled by philosophers of art, lexicographers, composers, music critics, musicians, linguists, sociologists, and neurologists. Music may be defined according to various criteria including organization, pleasantness, intent, social construction, perceptual processes and engagement, universal aspects or family resemblances, and through contrast or negative definition. Music is sometime said to be a branch of literature. Now the question stands that what is literature? Literature is the body of all written works; the collected creative writing of a nation, people, group, or culture; all the papers, treatises, etc. published in academic journals on a particular subject. its particularly hard to understand but in simple words literature means a piece of work written deeply form the or whatever your experiences and brain say and to put that experience and the work of brain into a piece of writing. Literature comes from the Latin word literra meaning a piece of writing. Literature has many branches like narrative stories, novels, poems and etc. Music is also a famous branch of literature. There are many music lovers found all over the world. Music is further separated into many other branches e.g. jazz, pop and etc. Music has been with us since the start of our beautiful earth. Music is just an inch away from us always: it’s in the rustling of leafs, the sound of waves hitting the shore, the quite sound that trees make when they sway in the air.

Marketing Mix and the Brand Reputation of Nokia

Market Forces April 2008 Vol. 4 No. MARKETING MIX & BRAND RESEARCH MARKETING MIX AND THE BRAND REPUTATION OF NOKIA SYED EHTESHAM ALI College of Management Sciences PAF-Karachi Institute of Economics and Technology E-mail: [email  protected] com Abstract Pakistan’s mobile phone market is growing very fast. The most selling brand in the market is Nokia. A hypothesis was developed that the reputation of a brand is a source of demand and the competitively superior quality image justifies a premium price. In this survey we assessed the reasons for preference of this brand based on established parameters of marketing mix (the 4 Ps). The objective of this study was to measure the extent of preference of these parameters. For this purpose a questionnaire was developed and administered to 240 respondents. The alternate hypothesis that at least one of the predictor variables would have a linear relationship with the dependent variable brand reputation was accepted. R? is 0. 53, which indicates that about 53% of the variation on the dependent variable is explained by the predictor variable, which is significantly moderate. Among all the independent variables the slope for the product quality and promotion (advertising & communication) were higher than the rest. Regression coefficients for product quality and promotion (advertising & communication) were 0. 95 and 0. 85 respectively. This means that an increase in one rating (on the scale of five to one) of product quality and promotion (advertising & communication) would cause brand reputation to increase by 0. 95 and 0. 85 rating respectively. 1. 0. 0 OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to measure how elements of marketing mix and their relationship affect the brand reputation of Nokia mobile phone. Though the marketing mix concept such as product, price, place and promotion are very important in analyzing the marketing strategy, the scope of the study was mainly MARKET FORCES APRIL-2008 15 MARKETING MIX & BRAND RESEARCH focused on one aspect of brand equity i. e. brand reputation, the ultimate reflection of the correct blend of all marketing mix. 1. 1. 0 LITERATURE SURVEY 1. 1. 0 Brand Branding has an ancient history. It could be traced back to the times when the ancient Egypt brick makers used to stamped symbols on the bricks for identification and distinction purposes (Farghuhar 1990). Nilson (1998) on the other hand found that ancient farmers used to put symbols on the cattle with the help of hot iron, which meant burning. The word brand has been derived from the Scandinavian word â€Å"branna† that means to burn. In Swedish language the word â€Å"brand†, means fire. Thus when a producer put some marks or symbols on their product it will come in the category of branding (Nilson 1998). One of the advantages of strong brand name is that its helps in penetrating in a new market or a new market category. Globalization has created tremendous brand awareness and this awareness is not dependent on the availability of the products. Czinkota & Ronkainen 2001). For example in Pakistan, brands such as such as McDonald, Pizza Hut and KFC had very strong awareness even before they opened their franchises in Pakistan. 1. 2. 0 Brand Equity Brand equity is a relationship between customers and brands resulting in a profit to be realized at a future date (Wood 2000). Kotler and Armstrong (1996) were of the opinion that measuring brand equity is a tedious job. Nevertheless a powerful brand means high brand equity that helps in achieving ‘higher brand loyalty, name awareness, perceived quality, and strong brand associations’. Some of the major benefits of brand equity are brand awareness and consumer loyalty which helps in reducing marketing costs. Brand is an important equity; therefore, it should be carefully preserved by adopting strategies that would help in maintaining or improving brand awareness, perceived brand quality and positive associations. (Kotler & Armstrong 1996) Ambler and Styles (1997) are of the opinion that brand equity could be measured from two perspectives. One is â€Å"financial evaluation approach† and the other is â€Å"consumer-based approach†. The financial evaluation approach is related to the monetary value of the brand, and the consumer-based approach focuses on the brand itself that is how much value the consumers give to the brand. Brand equity is also considered as an accumulated profit that could be realized at a future date. The brand equity concept can also cause confusion, because of difficulty in measuring it (Ambler & Styles 1997). MARKET FORCES APRIL-2008 16 MARKETING MIX & BRAND RESEARCH Importance of brand equity demands need for more practical experience and comparative research to judge and validate the usefulness of brand evaluation methods (Farquhar 1990). The recent merger and acquisition trend has also increased the importance of measuring brand equity (Tauber 1988). The role of brands is now far beyond product differentiation or competing for market share. They are accumulated annuities which the firm can acquire from its balance sheet (Tauber 1998). Firms could have a strong competitive edge over competitors if they could create brand equity ‘through building awareness, image, and linking associations’ (Keller 1998). A stronger brand would always have a better understanding of needs, wants, and preferences of consumers than the brands that are not competitive. Thus stronger brands would help in creating effective marketing programs that could go beyond consumer expectations. (Keller 1998). Brand equity since last one decade has remained popular for attracting new market segments (Pitta & Katsanis, 1995). This phenomenon of brand equity has coincided with the newly emerged but equally popular phenomenon of brand extension (Ambler & Styles 1997). Research shows a two way relationship between brand equity and extension. A brand's equity could influence the success of extensions, and extensions could positively influence brand's equity. The result is that highly valued brand extensions are more successful. Consumers tend to choose those brands that have strong brand equity. This creates strong brand loyalty, and would make it difficult for the customers to switch to the competitors. Brand position of a firm is strongly dependent on the positive image of brands. Strong brands are a major source of differentiation and extending the same towards a specific product category is easier. Successful brand allows firms to demand high prices and are a source of barrier which makes it difficult for consumers to switch to other brands (Pitta & Katsanis 1995. 1. 3. 0 BRAND REPUTATION: According to Aaker (1991, 1996) and Kapferer (1997) both companies and consumers are watchful over the brand reputation of what they sell or buy. Every brand represents distinct values, creates a distinct profile in the minds of the customers in respect to what it stands for. For example in beverage industry Coca-cola stands for â€Å"refreshingâ €  and in car industry Volvo brand is perceived for â€Å"safety and comfort†. Similarly in the mobile industry Sony Ericsson is poised as â€Å"music and entertainment† etc. Globalization and advanced technology have made the market more competitive, thus firms, now, are more brand sensitive. They have observed that the consumer preferences have become homogenous because of globalization and the spread of technology. Thus, both the sellers MARKET FORCES APRIL-2008 17 MARKETING MIX & BRAND RESEARCH and buyers are paying attention to the brand reputation in terms of what they are buying and selling. A consumer during his lifetime undergoes a series of ever changing circumstances and situations. As a result his brand preference shifts with his changing needs. The brand attributes or features must fit to consumers’ need to maintain an ongoing permanent relationship with the brand. The consumers need to have a trust in their preferred brands for continued offering of the desired benefits. According to Browne (1998), if companies fail to ensure a trustworthy, stable brand reputation, the brand’s growth and market share will be affected. Thus a brand reputation is the image of superior quality and added value, which justify a premium price. A reputable brand is a strong asset, which benefits from a high degree of loyalty and stability for future sales (Kapferer 1997). Ultimate goals of highly reputed brands should be to strengthen their image. Low selling brands with low reputation should focus on tailoring their marketing mix and fixing the overall image problem (Baldinger & Rubinson 1996). Firms dealing with mobile handset are also concerned with the reputation of their brands, and how this would affect their international market share. Competition among the mobile companies has forced them to create a brand reputation in customers’ minds. The mobile telephone industry is comprised of mostly multinationals and has financial advantages in their cost structure. This advantage is not available to their purely domestic counterparts (Kapferer, 1997). Brand reputation in the mobile telephone industry is becoming crucial for consumers’ purchasing behaviors. Temporal and Lee (2001) argue that powerful brands are the ones that are built on reputation and this will not change, but would gain more importance in the future. Up Shaw (1995), agrees and claims that branding is the art of trust creation and therefore it is imperative for companies to build a reputable identity in order to maintain trust with their consumers. A highly reputed brand name is considered as a favorable and publicly recognized name that reflects merit, achievement, and reliability. According to Paul and John (1997), the attribute reputation is an estimation of the consistency, over a period of time for an entity. This estimation is based on the entity's willingness and ability to perform an activity repeatedly in a similar fashion and an attribute is some specific part of the entity – price, quality, promotion, distribution and other marketing skills. A brand is a relationship between reputation and promise. Moreover, reputation is a set of expectations. A brand is a combination of tangible and intangible attributes, symbolized in a trademark. If properly managed, brand creates influences and generates value. Temporal and Lee (2000) also define the brand MARKET FORCES APRIL-2008 18 MARKETING MIX & BRAND RESEARCH as a promise to the consumer of what the product, service, or company stands for, and for the kind of experience they can get from it. If the promise is delivered, customers will be satisfied and this will keep them coming back to a company’s product. Kotler (1999) defines three clear advantages, which brands offer to the consumers. Firstly, brands inform the consumer about the product quality. Buyers, who consistently purchase the same brand, are aware that they will get the same quality each time they purchase the product. Secondly, brand names simplify shopping for consumers, by enhancing their ability to find the products that match their wants and needs, as opposed to generic branding. Lastly, brand names allow consumers attention to be drawn to new products that are beneficial to them, since the brand is the first form of recognition. To become successful and hence profitable, brands must develop a positive reputation. A reputable brand is strong assets, which benefits from a high degree of loyalty and thus forms stability of future sales. (Rogerson 1983). Brand reputation involves a continuum ranging from an uncertain feeling that the brand is recognized at the market place, to a belief that it is the number one in the product class by customer (Aaker 1991). This continuum can be represented by different degree of brand reputation known on the market. The brand reputation can be good or bad, strong or weak. It crystallizes how people feel about the reputation based on whatever information they have about the brand. Some companies have not built any brand at all. We can say for the â€Å"unknown brand† that, for it, no reputation exists and it does not affect consumer-buying behavior on the market. 1. 2. 0 MARKETING MIX. 1. 2. 1 PRODUCT (Quality): (Quality): Product quality is an important determinant for the customers for choosing a brand that helps in the development of brand reputation. Quality belongs to the product perspective of a brand’s identity whereas perceived quality is how a brand’s quality is seen by the consumers. It is one of the key dimensions in Aaker’s brand equity model. A higher price is a sign of high quality to the consumers. Perceived quality is a source of consumer satisfaction it makes them to repurchase the product, which leads to loyalty. (Uggla 2001). MARKET FORCES APRIL-2008 19 MARKETING MIX & BRAND RESEARCH 1. 2. 2 PRICE (Affordability): (Affordability): Price influences the brand choice in two ways: (1) Seek the lowest price to avoid financial risk or (2) Seeks the higher price to gain product quality (Macdonald & Sharp 2000). For some consumers, the price is vital particularly when they are purchasing everyday products. Some consumer may choose a brand just because it has the lowest price, while other consumers may choose a brand just because it has the highest perceived price inferring that it is of high quality. 1. 2. 3 PROMOTION (Advertising & Communication): Communication): How can a company build its brand reputation through promotion? A promotion that provides incentives to try a new flavor or new use will be more effective if the brand is familiar and there is no need to combat a consumer skeptical of brand reputation (Pringle & Thompson 1999). Advertising acts as a major tool to enhance brand reputation. The purpose of advertising is to make the consumers to purchase their brands. Advertising is one of the most visible forms of communication. It creates a set of associations the consumers want to have about a brand. If advertising, promotion and packaging support a constant positioning strategy over time, the brand is likely to be strong (Aaker 1991). 1. 2. 4 PLACE (Availability): Firms rarely work alone in creating value for customers and building positive brand reputation. Consistency of supply and availability at convenient locations are vital for brand reputation. Any disagreement between marketing channel members on goals and roles may create channel conflict, which eventually could hamper overall reputation of the specific brand (Kotler, 2006). Reputation is a historical notion based on the sum of the past behaviors. It is prone to change over time and is a function of time. 2. 0. 0 RESEARCH QUESTION: The following research question has been formed in the light of the literature review. How do the mobile phone buyers perceive the brand reputation of Nokia in terms of marketing mix? 3. 0. 0 METHODOLOGY: MARKET FORCES APRIL-2008 20 MARKETING MIX & BRAND RESEARCH Based on the literature survey and the above-identified independent and dependent variables, a close-ended questionnaire was developed. Questionnaire was based on a total of 14 questions; seven were related to personal data and the rest were related to the subject study that is measuring brand reputation in terms of marketing mix. The sample size for the study was 240 and it was chosen non-randomly and was personally administered by my students. The analysis was inclusive of the measures of central tendencies and the measure of dispersion. The hypothesis was tested through multiple regressions. 4. SURVEY FINDINGS: 4. 1 MEASURES OF CENTRAL TENDENCIES & DISPERSION: The respondents’ opinions on the determinants of marketing mix and brand reputation were obtained. The determinants for marketing mix were product (quality), price (affordability), promotion (advertising and communication) and place (availability). The determinants for brand reputation were favorability, public recogn ition, reliability and consistency. The summarized results related to the measures of the central tendencies and dispersion are presented below: Table Number One Measure of Central Tendencies Product (Quality) Mean St. Error Median Mode St. Dev. S. Var. Kurtosis Skew ness Range Minimum Maximum Sum Count 4. 74 0. 03 5. 00 5. 00 1. 13 0. 19 -0. 77 -0. 98 1. 00 4. 00 5. 00 1138 240 Price (Affordability) 3. 82 0. 03 5. 00 5. 00 0. 81 0. 18 -0. 39 0. 08 1. 00 4. 00 5. 00 1144 240 Promotion (Adv. & Communication) 4. 45 0. 03 5. 00 5. 00 1. 08 0. 29 -0. 18 -0. 82 2. 00 3. 00 5. 00 1107 240 Place (Availability) 4. 02 0. 03 4. 00 4. 00 1. 04 0. 23 1. 23 -0. 74 3. 00 2. 00 5. 00 1017 240 Brand Reputation 4. 89 0. 05 5. 00 5. 00 1. 16 0. 49 3. 69 -1. 09 3. 00 2. 00 5. 00 1117 240 MARKET FORCES APRIL-2008 21 MARKETING MIX & BRAND RESEARCH M ark e ting M ix viz. Brand Re putation 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Product Price Promotion Place Brand Reputatioon 4. 74 3. 82 4. 45 4. 89 4. 02 The respondents’ opinions on dependent variable brand reputation was the highest with a mean of 4. 89, whereas the rating on product (quality) ranked second with a mean of 4. 79 and the price (affordability) was the lowest with a mean of 3. 82. The standard deviation of respondents’ opinion on independent dimensions â€Å"price (affordability)† was the least (0. 1) as compare to the other dimensions. This indicates that there is less polarization and difference in the respondents’ opinion on the dimension â€Å"price (affordability)†. The standard deviation of respondents’ opinion on dimension â€Å"product (quality)† was the highest i. e1. 13 as compared to the other dimensions. This indicates that there is a high polarization of respondents†™ opinions on the â€Å"product (quality)† dimension. Skewness for all the determinants of brand reputation was negative except price (affordability)† with the value of 0. 08. The negative skewness indicates that the majority of the respondents’ opinions on the respective determinants were below the average level and the distribution curve is negatively skewed. 4. 2. 0 BRAND REPUTATION The respondents’ opinions were obtained in terms of favorability, recognizably, reliability, and consistency. The summarized results are presented below: TABLE NUMBER-2 REPUTATION OF NOKIA Most favorable Most Publicity Most Reliable Most Consistent MARKET FORCES APRIL-2008 22 MARKETING MIX & BRAND Recognized 4. 01 4 3. 1 RESEARCH 3. 63 4. 5 4 3. 5 3 2. 5 2 1. 5 1 0. 5 0 4. 01 4 3. 1 3. 63 Most f avorable Most Publicity Recognized MostReliable Most Consisten The level of favorability and recognize ability of Nokia brand was the highest with a mean of 4. 04 and 4. 0. The perception on the consistency and reliability were found to be on the lower side with a mean of 3. 1 and 3. 63 respectively. 4. 1. 2 HYPOTHESIS TESTING: Literature survey suggests that, buyers perceive or build brand reputation of mobile phones in terms of (1) product (quality), (2) price (affordability), (3) promotion (adv. & communication) and (4) place (availability). Based on the theoretical framework, the following hypotheses were developed. H1o: Sufficient evidence exists to conclude that no linear relationship exists between Nokia’s dependent variable â€Å"brand reputation† and independent variables such as product, price, promotion, and place. H1A: At least one of the predictor variables has a linear relationship with the dependent variable â€Å"brand reputation†. STATISTICAL REPRESENTATION: The statistical representation of the above hypothesis is presented below. H1O: ? 1= ? 2= ? 3= ? 4=0 H1A: ? 1? ?2? ?3? ?4? 0 The above hypothesis was tested through multiple regressions for brand NOKIA and the summarized results are presented below. MARKET FORCES APRIL-2008 23 MARKETING MIX & BRAND TABLE NUMBER-2 MULTIPLE REGRESSIONS Regression Statistics Multiple R R Square Adjusted R Sqr. Standard Error Observations RESEARCH 0. 69 0. 53 0. 52 0. 44 240. 00 Df Regression Residual Total 4. 00 234. 00 240. 00 Coefficients Intercept Product(quality) Price(affordability) Promotion(Adv. & Comm. ) Place(Availability) 0. 72 0. 95 0. 27 0. 85 0. 34 SS 12. 01 13. 05 25. 06 Std. Error 0. 49 0. 09 0. 03 0. 03 0. 02 MS 3. 00 0. 06 F 53. 82 Significance F 0. 00 t Stat 1. 48 2. 61 7. 57 6. 83 7. 41 Pvalue 0. 14 0. 02 0. 00 0. 01 0. 00 Lower 95% -0. 24 0. 06 0. 16 0. 15 0. 13 Upper 95% 1. 68 0. 42 0. 27 0. 27 0. 22 R? or the brand NOKIA is 0. 53, which indicates that about 53% of the variation on the dependent variable is explained by the predictor variable which is significantly strong. Among all the independent variables the slope for the product and promotion are the highest, this means that as compared to other independent variables, product and promotion of Nokia b rand cell phone has stronger relationships with the dependent variable â€Å"brand reputation†. Regression coefficient for product and promotion are 0. 95 and 0. 85 respectively. This means that an increase in one rating (on the scale of five to one) of product (quality) and promotion (adv. communication) will cause brand reputation to increase by 0. 95 and 0. 85 rating respectively. The F-value is high and falls in the critical region that means variations of independent variables are unequal; this indicates that the results are not biased. Except for the coefficient of product and promotion, no other coefficient is statistically significant. 5. 0 CONCLUSION: CONCLUSION: MARKET FORCES APRIL-2008 24 MARKETING MIX & BRAND RESEARCH Based on the survey findings the following conclusions have been drawn: †¢ According to the respondents’ opinion the rating on dependent variable brand reputation was highest with the mean of 4. 9, whereas the rating on product (quality) was the second highest with a mean of 4. 79 and the rating on price (affordability) was lowest with a mean of 3. 82. The standard deviation of respondents’ opinion on independent dimensions â€Å"price (affordability)† was the least (0. 81) as compared to the other dimensions. This indicates that there is less polarization in the respondents’ opinion on the dimension â€Å"price (affordability)†. The standard deviation of respondents’ opinion on dimension â€Å"product (quality)† was the highest 1. 13. This indicates that there is high polarization of respondents’ opinion on the â€Å"product (quality)† dimension. Skewness for all the determinants of brand reputation were negative except for â€Å"price (affordability)† with the value of 0. 08. The negative skewness indicates that the majority of the respondents’ opinions on the respective determinants were below the average level and the distribution curve is negatively skewed. The alternate hypothesis that at least one of the predictor variables would have a linear relationship with the dependent variable brand reputation was accepted. R? is 0. 53, which indicates that about 53% of the variation on the dependent variable is explained by the predictor variable, which is significantly strong. The slope for product’s (quality) and promotion (advertising & communication) were the highest; this means that as compared to other independent variables, product (quality) and promotion (advertising & communication) of the Nokia brand cell phone have stronger relationships with the dependent variable brand reputation. Regression coefficient for product (quality) and promotion (advertising & communication) were 0. 95 and 0. 85 respectively. This means that an increase in one rating (on the scale of five to one) of product (quality) and promotion (advertising & communication) will cause brand reputation to increase by 0. 5 and 0. 85 rating respectively. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ ANNEXURE 1 Q1) Age: (in years) 15 – 25 QUESTIONNAIRE (DEMOGRAPHIC DATA) 26 – 35 36 – 45 46– above MARKET FORCES APRIL-2008 25 MARKETING MIX & BRAND Q2) Qualification: ? Matriculation Others —-Q3) Gender: ? Male Q4) Marital Status: ? Single Q5) Profession: Market ing Teacher Q6) Income: Up to 20,000 above RESEARCH ?Intermediate ?Graduation Masters ?Female Married Banking Engineering Other(s) please specify†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 21,000 – 30,000 31,000 – 40,000 Doctor 41,000 and Q7) Please mark the area of your residence Sadder Defence Clifton Gulshan F. B. Area Nazimabad PECHS Other(s) — Rate the following statements in terms of your answer (5 being highly agreed and 1 being highly disagreed) MARKETING MIX Q8) Rate the brand reputation of Nokia brands in terms of â€Å"Product† i. e quality. 5 4 3 2 1 Q9) Rate the brand reputation of Nokia brands in terms of â€Å"Price† i. e. affordability 5 4 3 2 1 Q10) Rate the brand reputation of Nokia brands in terms of â€Å"Promotion† i. e. Advertising & Communication. 5 4 3 2 1 Q11) Rate the brand reputation of Nokia brands in terms of â€Å"Place† i. e. Convenience in availability. 5 4 3 2 BRAND REPUTATION Q12) I consider Nokia as most favorable brand in terms of brand reputation. 4 3 2 1 Q13) I consider Nokia as most publicly recognized brand in terms of brand reputation. 5 4 3 2 1 Q14) I consider Nokia as most reliable brand in terms of brand reputation. MARKET FORCES APRIL-2008 26 1 MARKETING MIX & BRAND RESEARCH 5 4 3 2 1 Q15) I consider Nokia as most consistent brand in terms of brand reputat ion. 5 4 3 2 1 ANNEXURE 2 REFERENCES Aaker, D. A. , 1991. , Managing Brand Equity: Capitalizing on the Value of the Brand Name. NewYork: The Free press. Aaker, D. A. , 1996. , Building Strong Brands. New York: The Free Press. Aaker, D. A, 2004. Brand Portfolio Strategy, New York: Free Press. MARKET FORCES APRIL-2008 27 MARKETING MIX & BRAND RESEARCH Ambler, T. , & Styles, C. , 1997. Brand development versus new product development: toward a process model of extension decisions. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 6(4), p. 222-234. Browne, K. , 1999. Nokia’s Brilliant Branding. Finance Week – South Africa. Vol. (22), p. 12-26. Baldinger, A & Rubinson, J. , 1996. , Brand Loyalty: the Link between Attitude and Behavior. Journal of Advertising research, Vol. (2), p. 84-97. Czinkota, M. & Ronkainen, M. , 2001. , International Business (6th ed. ). Fort Worth: Harcourt College. Farquhar, P. , 1990. Managing brand equity. Journal of Advertising Research, August/September) 30, RC 7 – RC 12. Keller, K. L. , 2003. Strategic brand management, Building Measuring and Managing Brand Equity, 2nd Ed. , Upper Sadle River. . Kotler, P, & Armstrong, G. , 1996. Principles of Marketing. (7th ed.. USA: Prentice Hall, Inc. Pringle, H. Thompson, M. , 1999. Brand Spirit: how cause related marketing builds brands. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Jean, N. K, 1997. Strategic Brand Management, Princeton: University Press Princeton. Kapferer, J. N. ,1997. Strategic Brand Management. 2nd. London:Hove. Kotler, P. & Armstrong, G. & Saubers, J. & Wong, V. , 1999. Principles of marketing. 2nd ed. England: Prentice Hall press. Kotler, P. & Keller, K. L, 2006. Marketing Management 12th ed. Indiana: Indiana University Press. Macdonald, E. K. & Sharp, B. M. 2000. Brand awareness effects on consumer decision-making for a common, repeat purchase product: A replication: Journal of Business Research, Vol. (48), p5-15. Nilson, H. T. , 1998. Competitive Branding-Winning the Marketplace with Value Added Brands. Chichester: Wiley,cop. Paul, H. & John, M. , 1997. Pricing Strategy & Practice. Bradford: 5(1),p. 25. MARKET FORCES APRIL-2008 28 MARKETING MIX & BRAND RESEARCH Pringle, H. & Thompson, M. , 1999. Brand Spirit: how cause related marketing builds brands: Journal of Marketing, Vol. (21), p. 61-78. Pitta, A. & Katsanis, P. L. 1996. Understanding Brand Equity for Sucessful Brand Extension. Journal of Consumer Marketing. 12(4),51-64. Rogerson, W. P, 1983. Reputation and Product Quality, The Bell Journal of economics, Vol. (2), p. 508-516. Tauber, E. , 1988. Brand leverage: Strategy for growth in a cost- control world. Journal of Advertising Research, ( August/September). 8, 26-30. Temporal, P & Lee, K. C. 2001. Hi-Touch Branding, Creating Brand Power in the Age of technology. Journal of Information & technology, 94(2), p. 67-86. Uggla, H. , 2001. What makes winning brands different: The hidden method behind the world’s most successful brands. The journal of marketing, 18(3), p. 24-41. Upshaw, L. B. 1995. .Building Brand Identity: A strategy for success in a hos tile marketplace. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Wood, L. , 2000. Brands and brand equity: definition and management. Management Decision, 38(9), 662-669. MARKET FORCES APRIL-2008 29