Online Consumer Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Online Consumer Behavior - Essay Example In the physical commercial world, the IT used for operations remains mostly in the background, invisible to the consumer. In e-commerce, however, the technology has been moved to the foreground and has become the store itself as a Web site. Such Web-based stores that use "networks and Internet technology for communications and transactions between various groups of stakeholders like businesses and consumers" have recently also been called Net-enabled organizations (NEOs). A key difference between online and offline consumer behavior is that the online consumer is generally more powerful, demanding, and utilitarian in her shopping expeditions. As a result, customer loyalty on the Web is low overall; although, as in the physical world, it is influenced by the availability of good, relevant content in an enjoyable context. Now that nearly all marketers have accepted that tapping a promotion's full potential requires strategically integrating the online and offline components, considering the differences between online and offline consumer behavior becomes important. Some professionals contend that these differences are enormous; a common refrain, for example, is that where consumer behavior offline is passive, the Web is all about engagement. But what those observers really are comparing is consumer behavior relative to advertising media; they're comparing how consumers interact with ads on television as compared with ads on the Internet. Where online and offline promotions are concerned, the differences are far less pronounced. In many cases, a Web site is really just a digitized retail store. Still, the simple insight that the exact same triggers motivate transactions both on- and offline has tended to become obscured amid the excitement accompanying the rise of online marketing. Promotions that focus on connecting the dots between in-store and online merchandising have, in fact, proved highly successful. Pepsi enjoyed runaway success with its E-Stuff promotion, which drove traffic from the store to the Web and back again. Simon Brand Ventures similarly fielded an online promotion that drove online shoppers to the company's malls, and mall shoppers to the Web. That's not to say that anyone who knows everything about offline promotions can consider himself armed and dangerous when it comes to online promotions. Some interesting, and sometimes surprising, trends and patterns have emerged with regard to online consumer behavior. One such interesting development concerns the profile of the online population: According to a recent newspaper report, the fastest-growing consumer segment on the Web is blue-collar workers---up 52% since spring 2001. A separate and somewhat contradictory report has it that seniors actually are the fastest-growing segment, even though 87% of people over age 65 don't yet have Web access. Meanwhile, a third survey found that online games, in particular, hold surprising appeal among older consumers. This survey discovered that 42% of frequent online garnets are over age 35, while just 30% are 18-to-35 years old. These groups have nowhere to go but up in terms of their online use; still, their growing ranks among the wired population point to as-yet uncharted opportunities for promotion marketers, and their online behavior bears watching. Plenty of opportunity remains among the younger set, to

Introduction to Dissertation Essay Example for Free

Introduction to Dissertation Essay 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Background to the problem The indiscipline problem is ranked as a major issue among students of secondary schools in Mauritius. In fact, this problem is prevailing not only in Mauritius but also across the many nations around the world. According to the Longman contemporary dictionary, indiscipline refers to â€Å"a lack of control in the behaviour of a group of people, with the result that they behave badly†. It occurs when students breach the rules and regulations of the classroom or school. Such disruptive behavior is not only a concern to schools and teachers but also the parents and most importantly to the students, whose future is at stake. Misconduct in the classroom interferes with teaching and learning. It can eventually lead to school dropout and similar negative social outcomes. Students’ behavioral problems are also thought to be a leading contributor to teachers’ and parents’ stress and attrition. Serious breaches of school discipline policy can have profound negative effects on teachers. 1.2 Significance of Study See more: how to start an essay about yourself for college Since discipline plays a crucial role in school system, it is all the more important to assess the measures taken to upholding it. Continuing to apply the present measures blindly without ascertaining oneself if they are  actually alleviating the problem is equivalent to losing money, time or, worse, deteriorating the current situation. The study will help in not only finding if the measures are good or wrong but also to what extent the measures being adopted are effective or not. Since students are not the only ones being affected by the problem, the study will help us get to know students’ perception of the measures used to tackle indiscipline but also perception of teachers themselves. It will give both parties the chance to equally express themselves. By being able to understand each group, it will be possible to introduce and suggest different measures which could bring a better impact, or adapting existing ones to be more productive. Student indiscipline is not decreasing at Saint Bartholomew’s college. We have reached to a point of saturation and it is almost impossible to bring the student’s to the right track. They are out of control and think that the system and teachers are against them. Indiscipline has led to low education level at St Bartholomew’s college, the percentage was below 50 % in 2007 – only 47 %. The main causes of indiscipline need to be identified so that the college can look for better measures. 1.2 Aims of Study The aim of this research is to investigate the impact of present measures used in dealing with student indiscipline at Saint Bartholomew’s College. Student indiscipline has been tainting this college’s reputation. Students are ill-mannered, and this badly influences their future role in their social and professional life. Therefore, it is high time to proactively make sure that the right actions are being taken to decrease, or ideally eradicate, student indiscipline. This study has for aim to assess the existing measures in dealing with student indiscipline at Saint Bartholomew’s college; whether they meeting, and if they are to what extent they are meeting, the expectations. And to observe its impact whether it is positive or not. 1.3 Objectives of Study The main objectives of the study are : Finding out if indiscipline is increasing despite the existing measures Analysing factors resulting in indiscipline Investigating on the existing methods at Saint Bartholomew’s College Knowing if indiscipline will keep on growing Knowing new methods can be introduced to ameliorate the situation 1.5 Problem of Statement Pedagogues have been trying to implement measures to eradicate indiscipline in schools. In fact, all the stakeholders (teaching staff, Ministry of Education) work in unison to alleviate the problem. Methods such as having CCTV installed within the school compound to keep an eye on students or SMS Alert to parents in case of Lateness or absenteeism are not decreasing indiscipline. Living in a society, transformed by technological progress and influenced by Media, Mauritian Youth has gone beyond control; they are living in their own world, forgetting that Mauritian society is still tied to old traditions and cultures. Students are rebelling against rules and regulations of their institutions. Student Indiscipline has been a major problem at Saint Bartholomew’s college, Port Louis. It keeps on increasing. According to Premita Leelachand from Defi Media, the college â€Å"accepts all students who seek admission, even school drop-outs who either failed or were removed by their previous institutions due to bad behaviour. In fact, St Bartholomew’s is regarded as the last resort for students who are considered hopeless.† This is the main reason why the percentage of indiscipline in high at the private aided college. Students already have discipline problems and still show no signs of respect towards their teachers and express no interest in education. Traditional punishments such as writing in journals or detention hours do not seem to scare them anymore. Being punished has become a ‘honor’ for them and it increases their ‘respect’ among other students. This is why there is a need to check whether the measures being presently taken are effective or not. 1.6 Research questions The research questions will be as follows: What are the methods being used? Why is indiscipline on an increase since the last years? What do students and teachers think about indiscipline and the measures adopted? What can be done to improve student discipline and making the deterring measures more effective? 1.7 Assumptions Indiscipline is increasing despite various measures introduced by the Ministry of Education and the college itself, for example, the counseling unit at the college. 1.8 Format of Study The Study will be divided into 5 main sections: Chapter 1: Introduction This part of the study gives an overview of the topic and prepares the reader for the next chapters. It analyses the background of the problem, gives its importance and aims and objectives of the study as well. Chapter 2 :Literature Review Literature review will give a deeper overview of the problems of indiscipline in Mauritius and describe measures adopted to deal with these problems. Chapter 3: Research Methodology In this section, the interview format to quantify the problem will be discussed. Chapter 4: Discussion of Findings and Analysis of Data Statistical tools will be used to extract the pertinent information from the data collected. These statistical approaches are discussed in this part of the research and the conclusions inferred from the analysis will be discussed. Chapter 5: Conclusion and Recommendations 1.9 Conclusion This was the first chapter of the study. It had for aim to prepare the reader for further chapters of the study and to understand the topic and the actual issue, that is, impact of measures dealing with student indiscipline at Saint Bartholomew’s College, clearly.

Promoting human development

Promoting human development Promoting Human Development Summary Conceptual framework The goal of human development is to enable groups and individuals to exercise their choices to be what they want to be and do what they wants to do . It puts people at the center of the analysis and advocates for strategies that combine equity, efficiency, sustainability and empowerment. Social exclusion hampers choices and opportunities, thus reduce human development. Inclusion is therefore the goal to achieve, through economic, cultural, social and political processes and policies. Social inclusion and reducing social exclusion are therefore means of achieving human development by addressing the discrimination, powerlessness and accountability failures that lie at the root of exclusion. Social inclusion adds the process dimension of exclusion (the agents, groups, and institutions that exclude) to the human development concept. Working definitions Social exclusion refers to the processes which hamper people and groups opportunities to exercise the full range of their choices as well as to the outcome of marginalization ensued. It results from direct or indirect discrimination rules and behavior, processes, policy, regulations, and institutional practices can impose, advertently or inadvertently against one or some groups of population compared to the others as well as from social traditions and values among different social groups of population. Social exclusion is multi-dimensional and often involves economic, political, cultural, social and spatial exclusion. Multiple deprivations often reinforce each other. Social inclusion: The European Commission defines social inclusion as a process which ensures that those at risk of poverty and social exclusion gain the opportunities and resources necessary to participate fully in economic, social and cultural life and to enjoy a standard of living and well-being that is considered normal in the society in which they live. Human development refers to the process of enlarging peoples choices to be who they want to be and do what they want to do by expanding their capabilities and functioning. It refers to processes and outcomes of development about people, by people and for people. The case of the ECIS There are patterns of exclusion among individuals and groups in the ECIS region, based on their ascribed characteristics (gender, ethnicity, geographical location, language, religion, age, sexual orientation, beliefs and disability) or their achieved status ( income status, health status, employment, educational attainment, access and assets, etc) Exclusion is manifested through and results in exclusions from political, social, cultural and economic life in societies. Exclusion in one domain reinforces exclusion in others Exclusion in the region is the result of the dynamic interaction between legacies, policies and institutions Patterns of exclusion are hampering progress towards human development in the region, albeit or unevenly. The analysis and policy prescriptions for the regional report can be informed by the experiences of the EU common social inclusion objectives and the Open Method of Coordination mechanisms. The Regional Human Development Report for Central and Eastern Europe and the CIS for 2010 examines social exclusion in the region through the lens of human development. The report analyses the different facets and causes of social exclusion in Europe and the CIS region and provides recommendations for promoting social inclusion. This chapter sets the scene by looking at the conceptual linkages between human development and social inclusion, analyzes social exclusion as a process and state of being excluded from the life of a community, and explores the potential of a social inclusion-based analysis to better understand and address the social dynamics of poverty and inequality in the ECIS region. Part I: Human Development and Social Inclusion: An Analytical Framework The concept of social inclusion, which is at the heart of social policy-making in regional institutions like the European Union, is very much congruent with the human development approach that has been advocated through UNDP global, regional and national human development reports since the 1990s. The European Commission defines social inclusion as a process which ensures that those who are at the risk of poverty and social exclusion gain the opportunities and resources necessary to participate fully in economic, social and cultural life and to enjoy a standard of living and well-being that is considered normal in the society in which they live. Social exclusion thus conversely refers to both the processes which hamper individuals and groups opportunities to exercise the full range of their choices and to the outcome of such processes. As a result, this bears a strong co-relation with the absence of human development, which by itself requires processes of enlarging peoples choices to realize their own potential by a heightened capability. Together with the human rights framework, these approaches are all multi-dimensional and interlinked, and take into account all entitlements relevant for enlarging the choices of individuals to live a decent and meaningful life. In addition, they share a common concern about equity, non-discrimination and inclusive participation. As this Report will argue, there are a multiplicity of exclusion patterns among individuals and groups in the ECIS region, based on myriad ascribed characteristics-linguistic, geographic, gender-based, economic, religious, educational, etc- which all reinforce each other. The inescapable consequence of such a vicious interaction leads to the denial of human development. 1. Human Development: A People-Centered Approach The human development paradigm, founded in 1990 by Mahbub ul Haq, Amartya Sen, Frances Stewart, Paul Streeten and others and advocated through the UNDP Human Development Reports, sets itself apart from previous development theories by arguing that economic growth does not automatically trickle down to improve peoples well-being. Human development proceeds from the perspective of the individual, which, by virtue of his or her existence, has a moral right to develop his or her inherent capacities to the fullest extent possible and to exercise the greatest possible freedom of choice in shaping his or her own life within society. As has been already argued in a series of global, regional and national Human Development Reports, The human development concept thus advocates putting people back at centre stage, both as the means and ends of development and defines the end of development as the expansion of human choices, freedoms and capabilities. In the words of Mahbub Ul Haq, The basic purpose of development is to enlarge peoples choices. In principle, these choices can be infinite and can change over time. People often value achievements that do not show up at all, or not immediately, in income or growth figures: greater access to knowledge, better nutrition and health services, more secure livelihoods, security against crime and physical violence, satisfying leisure hours, political and cultural freedoms and sense of participation in community activities. The objective of development is to create an enabling environment for people to enjoy long, healthy and creative lives (Mahbub Ul Haq, 1990). As Amartya Sen argues, economic growth provides one with the necessary passport to other good things in life, but it is not an end in itself. Those other things constitute the quality of life which, in its turn, goes to expand peoples capabilities and provide them with larger freedom and choice to embrace a kind of life that they may have reason to value (Sen 1999) Human development thus emphasizes two simultaneous processes: One is the formation of human capabilities as an explicit development objective, the other is the use that people make of their acquired capabilities for functioning in society and fulfilling the choices they make in all aspects in their lives. It is therefore both a destination, a goal for social and political processes, as well as a road to get there, one that allows for agency for people themselves. While the human development concept avoids prescriptions and concentrates more on the ultimate goal of development, it suggests a simultaneous, not sequential achievement of five policy principles: Efficiency/productivity: the optimal use of human capital through investment in the education, health, aspirations and skills of people as well as efficient use of resources and pro-growth policies. Equity: distributive justice and the fair distribution of incomes and assets through equal access to opportunities Sustainability: concern for not only present generations but future ones as well Empowerment/participation: enabling people to attain a level of individual development that allows them to make choices close to their hearts. These choices can be developed through emphasising on developing freedom as both a constitutive value (value by itself) as well an instrumental value ( as a means to efficiency and to equity) (Sen) With its emphasis on choices and freedoms, the significance of access to education, health care and other social services, as well as guarantees of basic political rights and freedoms, including gender equality and freedom of movement, and the ability to participate in the activities of the community with self-respect and without shame are highlighted. Lack of education, poor healthcare, inadequate economic possibilities, violation of political freedom, and the neglect of citizens rights, could restrict peoples choices and freedoms. If the objective of development is to create an enabling environment for people to enjoy long, healthy and fruitful lives, social exclusion both as a process and as an outcome can categorically hamper choices and opportunities, thus reducing human development. The first imperative is therefore to identify the socially excluded groups, their characteristics, as well as the social, political, cultural and economic processes that may lead to the production and reproduction of exclusion. 2. Social Inlusion and Social Exclusion As defined in the Charter of the Fundamental Rights of the European Union, social inclusion is a process which ensures that those at risk of poverty and social exclusion gain the opportunities and resources necessary to participate fully in economic, social and cultural life and to enjoy a standard of living and well-being that is considered normal in the society in which they live. It ensures that they have greater participation in decision making which affects their lives and access to their fundamental rights. The European Union defines people as living in poverty or social exclusion, when they are prevented from participating fully in economic, social and civil life and/or when their access to income and other resources (personal, family, social and cultural) is so inadequate as to exclude them from enjoying a standard of living and quality of life that is regarded as acceptable by the society in which they live (European Commission 2001). Among the different defitions of social exclusion, there is a broad agreement that it consists of exclusion from social, political and economic institutions resulting from a complex and dynamic set of processes and relationships that prevent individuals or groups from accessing resources, participating in society and asserting their rights. (Beall Piron, 2005). Within a discourse of citizenship, social rights and social justice, social exclusion is not understood as lack of access to goods but as lack of access to rights. Accordingly, the opposite of social exclusion is not inclusion but participation. Such view of the concept is very closely linked to the human development approach and highlights the agents that lead to social exclusion: discriminatory practices and institutional barriers that prevent the access to public services and political participation (Lister 2004). For Sen (2000), social exclusion almost reflects the Aristotelian perspective of an impoverished life where one does not have the freedom to undertake important activities that a person has reason to choose[2]. This Report posits therefore that social exclusion constitutes an infringement on the rights of individuals and groups. If unchecked, such infringement may lead to serious constraints on individual personal development, wellbeing, freedoms and choices. From the human development point of view, social exclusion is the process and outcome that hampers the wide range of human fulfilment. It refers to limited and inequitable opportunities and capabilities of individual and groups to fully take part in economic, social, political and cultural life. The social exclusion lens thus provides a new perspective on the human development approach by assigning a central role to relational connections and emphasizing on the process dimension of exclusion (the agents, groups, and institutions that exclude). For the purposes of this report, then, a definition of social exclusion that encorporates the human development approach is as followed: Social exclusion refers to the processes which hamper people and groups opportunities to exercise the full range of their choices as well as to the outcome of marginalization ensued. As Sen argues, people may be excluded from some opportunity because of a deliberate policy or practice prevalent in the society they live in, which he calls as instances of active exclusion. This may result in the constitutive part of their capability deprivation. And once they are burdened with this deprivation in one field, they are leading a handicapped life and this might be responsible for their deprivations in other fields in life. Sen calls the second category capability failures and assigns instrumental role to the factor of social exclusions for that. The potential remedy lies in changing certain specific policies that should target the groups or communities which are at a disadvantageous position because of such exclusionary practices. Yet, there are many capability deprivations that result from a complex web of deep institutional issues intertwined with systemic configurations on economic and socio-political fronts. In such cases, the deprivation comes about through social processes in which there are no deliberate attempt to exclude. Sen calls them cases of passive exclusion (Sen 2000). For example, cases of unemployment among a particular community of people, eg. migrants in their host country, on account of certain legal restrictions would constitute an instance of active exclusion, which is in this case a constitutive exclusion as well. The other capability deprivations among this community of migrants, which follow from their unemployment could be termed as their capability failures. This too can be explained as active exclusion. When unemployment is the result of complex web of multiple institutional and systemic factors, passive exclusion occurs, in that the people are after all excluded from the opportunity to be employed. The Human Development paradigm would be effective in understanding these cases because it looks at the perspective from an inter-systemic point of view and presents them more in a holistic perspective. 3. Convergence and Relationships Social exclusion and human development As discussed above, the human development approach stresses the significance of education, access to adequate social services (health, education, access to water and utilities, social protection, housing, etc), environmental sustainability, gender equality, human security and respect for individual rights. Social exclusion, which prevents access through institutional, community- and personal-level barriers to important social goods and services, whether as a result of deliberate discrimination or lack of capacity to deliver, whether as a result of active or passive exclusion, impedes peoples ability to live a full life. Social inclusion adds the process dimension of exclusion (the agents, groups, and institutions that exclude) to the human development concept. A social inclusion perspective can thus help sharpen the strategies for achieving human development by addressing the discrimination, exclusion, powerlessness and accountability failures that lie at the root of poverty and other development problems. Both concepts are complementary in policy terms: human development bears a stronger focus on what needs to be achieved; while social inclusion focuses on how it should be achieved. The Relationship between Social Exclusion and Human Development What can limit freedoms and choices is social exclusion, both as a process and as an outcome. However, there are limitations of freedoms in all societies that affect the mainstream population without creating exclusion. Exclusion hampers choices and opportunities, thus reduce human development. From the human development point of view, social exclusion is the process and outcome that hampers the wide range of human fulfilment. Inclusion is one of the goals to achieve, there might be others (e.g. environmental sustainability, conflicts etc) that do not directly depend on social exclusion. Both concepts are complementary in policy terms: human development bears a stronger focus on what needs to be achieved; while social inclusion focuses on how it should be achieved. Social inclusion adds the process dimension of exclusion (the agents, groups, and institutions that exclude) to the human development concept. Social inclusion is also focused on those that are excluded, thus emphasizing the equity principle. Human Development does look at broader societal improvements that affects also those that are not excluded (once again, environmental sustainability can be an example), although it is true that guaranteeing the inclusion of all can have broader positive repercussions on the rest of society. A social inclusion perspective can thus help sharpen the strategies for achieving human development by addressing the discrimination, exclusion, powerlessness and accountability failures that lie at the root of poverty and other development problems. Social Inclusion as the path to human development: What follows as the logical consequence that human development is the larger goal to achieve. Can the social inclusion approach be the best practice in this regard? Social inclusion policies, in principle, are ways to achieve human development: They are designed to correct negative outcomes of exclusion which can be ascribed to gender; age; ethnicity; location; economic, education, or health status or disability, etc., be these intentional (e.g., systematic discrimination) or unintentional (i.e., the failure to recognize the differential impact of policies on individuals or groups). The EU charter of Fundamental Rights defines social inclusion as a process which ensures that those at risk of poverty and social exclusion gain the opportunities and resources necessary to participate fully in economic, social and cultural life and to enjoy a standard of living and well-being that is considered normal in the society in which they live. It ensures that they have greater participation in decision making which affects their lives and access to their fundamental rights. The significant element of phraseology used in this definition is greater participation, which implies that the social inclusion approach is not just satisfied at present with tendering a so-called platform of equality to all. Rather, it is more concerned with a futureobjective of achieving equality for all. Thus, the social inclusion approach acknowledges the need to proffer to those excluded a greater say in the scheme of things than what they receive now, i.e. a greater participation in comparison with that of the non-excluded. In terms of legalese, this is known as positive discrimination in favour of the excluded with a view to bringing them at par with others, i.e. including them in the mainstream of life. Social Inclusion approach thus is more about redistribution of social opportunities among all sections of population so that everyone gets a plausible opportunity to flourish and thus, to contribute to the cause of enhancing efficiency of a society as a whole. A prosperous society provides more opportunities for personal fulfillment which is not to be viewed just in terms of economic freedom but also in terms of everything else that provides the necessary yardstick to evaluate the quality of life. Social exclusion and rights based approach A social exclusion perspective shares with a Rights-Based Approach (RBA) a common concern with equity, non-discrimination and the importance of participation that should be inclusive. In this respect, a social exclusion perspective is concerned with governance and citizenship rights, with the institutional dimension of exclusion and with the organizations, institutions and processes that exclude. The mainstreaming of human rights in development programming is a way of tackling certain forms of social exclusion and strengthening inclusion policies. Social exclusion, poverty and vulnerability Although the concept of poverty, social exclusion and vulnerability share certain common characteristics, they also have important distinguishing features. People who are not poor can be excluded, but many may also become poor due to exclusion from economic activity, and may thus become vulnerable. The analysis of exclusion and vulnerability may not necessarily be the same as that of poverty. The three phenomena, however, are inextricably related. Traditional thinking about income poverty focuses on individual subsistence level as against a standard conventional change. The concept of human poverty, instead represents a measurement of well being as not a static but a dynamic multi-dimensional experience, and is closer to the concept of social exclusion. People may experience poverty not just because they lack access to goods and services but also because there are systematic constraints that limit the mobilisation and the allocation of resources to the particular group. The EU, for example, which has set social inclusion at the heart of policymaking, conceives of exclusion as distinct from income poverty. Poverty is a distributional outcome, whereas exclusion is a relational process of declining participation, solidarity and access. Indeed for some, exclusion is a broader term encompassing poverty; for others, it is a cause or a consequence of poverty. But it is likely that causation runs in both directions. Highlights on vulnerability are essentially to reduce/manage the risk of the loss of livelihoods and the threat to security which more often than not is influenced by ones poverty status. Vulnerability is often obviously worsened by poverty which, therefore, points to an important interface between poverty alleviation and social risk management. Social exclusion as compared to poverty and vulnerability is intended to focus more attention on structural bottlenecks to equity and social justice. To overcome social exclusion, therefore, it is obvious that there has to be a deliberate effort to reform customary and legal codes of conduct to create opportunities for excluded groups to become empowered. This particular objective has been taken into account in current thinking on poverty reduction and social risks management. An advantage of the concept of social exclusion/inclusion over an approach based on poverty and other material deprivation is its focus on processes, i.e. the dynamics of the interaction between an individual and his or her social, legal, political, cultural and economic environment. Asking whether a person is able to participate equally in mainstream society, leads to identifying barriers to participation. These barriers can be institutional (discrimination, lack of infrastructure or absence of services, or in the case of people with disabilities, can also be the physical accessibility of buildings or schools), in the community (prejudice, marginalization), or personal (lack of education, withdrawal, rejection, or fears). Different population groups may experience different and overlapping vulnerabilities or face different barriers, which require different strategies to overcome them. Convergence of concepts towards a social inclusion approach Human development, the Human Rights Based Approach and Social Inclusion proceed from a moral or philosophical belief in the intrinsic value of human life and a commitment to the dignity and equality of each human being. Another value added of both the social inclusion and human development approaches is that they look at groups/communities dynamics and interaction within society, beyond the rights-holders vs. duty bearers approach Each of these conceptual frameworks places human well-being within a social and political context, and posits aspects of the interaction of the individual with society that cannot be represented by a money-metric proxy. Each also expresses explicitly or implicitly the vested interest of society in the provision of supportive social policies by a state actor in realization of the social contract. A social inclusion approach implies addressing need or alienation wherever it exists. Social inclusion reaches beyond the enforcement of rights in legal terms by tackling material deprivation, stigmatization and social separation; hence the approach seeks to understand this complex social phenomenon in terms of causes as well as outcomes. It also has an operational bias, devising workable policy responses, effectively recognizing that the state has a duty to care, include and involve all members of society in political, economic, cultural and social processes. 3) Causes and Drivers of Social Exclusion People may be excluded by several reasons, some owing to their individual characteristics (old, sick, disabled, poor, immigrants, vulnerable women and children); others from their societal/cultural characteristics (such as religion, race, caste/ethnicity, language). These can often interact and influence each other, thus creating a spiral of multiple deprivations. Exclusion can also be triggered by circumstances of birth. Being born into poverty or to parents with low employable skills, for example, places one at a serious disadvantage in relation to future life course survival chances. Finally, social exclusion can also be an outcome of shocks, such as conflicts and abrupt socio-economic transitions. The process dimension of social exclusion is also multi-dimensional and often involves economic, political, cultural and social exclusion. These dimensions are interrelated and reinforce each other. For example, the most excluded groups often have the worse access to education, poorer land, worse sanitation and health services, which contributes to lower productivity and incomes on the one hand, as well as limitation on engagement in political processes that could improve their position. For this Report, we have chosen to focus on mutually related dimensions: Exclusion from economic life results in and from inequalities in ownership of assets, incomes and employment opportunities. Exclusion from social services results in and from inequalities in access to a range of services education, health, housing, social protection, etc and in human outcomes (including education, health, and nutrition). Exclusion from political participation results in and from unequal access to political opportunities, justice, freedoms, institutions and power at many levels (from national to community level). Cultural status exclusion results in and from differences in recognition and (de facto) hierarchical status of different groups cultural norms, customs and practices. Thus, the causes or drivers of exclusion include not only the ascribed characteristics of individuals and groups, but the way that institutions and processes contribute to marginalization. For the purposes of this report, we can cluster the potential causes and drivers, many of which prevail in the ECIS region, in three broad categories: discrimination, institutional inadequacies and horizontal inequalities: NOTE TO ALL: I WILL ADD CONCRETE EXAMPLES FROM THE REGION LATER FROM THE CHAPTERS 1) Discrimination: Ø Discriminatory practices, especially as a result of bias Social exclusion mostly results from direct or indirect discrimination that rules and behavior, processes, policy, regulations, and institutional practices can impose, advertently or inadvertently against one or some groups of population compared to the others. These can be based on but not limited to gender, ethnicity, religion, race, geographical location, age, income status, health, educational attainment, and disability. Prejudice and discrimination resulting from social and political biases may also cause social exclusion. For example, discrimination on the basis of ethnicity and gender may result in exclusion on the labour market, etc. In extreme cases, outright hostility and violence against certain groups may lead to social exclusion Ø Discriminatory social values and cultural practices Social exclusion can also persist in the cultural and traditional set-up and result from social traditions and values among different social groups of population. EXAMPLE FROM TATJANA CHAPTER 2) Institutional inadequacies : Ø Policies and institutional barriers Public institutions or organizations can aggravate social exclusion through lack of understanding of the dynamics of exclusion, or through sheer oversight. Decision making may not be effective in protecting excluded groups largely due to the lack of commitment and inadequate resources. Ø Inadequate or weak institutional support mechanisms The weakness of institutions is exhibited in their inadequacies, poor functioning, poor quality, non responsiveness and the inability to create opportunities for those who are likely to fall prey to social exclusion. Sometimes institutions are purposely designed to favour those who are already included in the mainstream (e.g. language requirements to access education, job opportunities or other services). Private institutions and civil society organisations such as non-government institutions and community based organizations, as well as some private financial institutions and other service providers also contribute to social exclusion by failing to develop programmes to support the interests of excluded groups or by deliberately excluding some from social services. Ø Discriminatory laws or inadequate enforcement Poor legislation may deepen the exclusion of some social groups.. In some circumstances, adequate legislation may be in place to protect the interests of the underprivileged, but poorly enforced legal regimes can make such legislation meaningless. 3) Horizontal inequalities: Ø Inequalities between groups Inequalities that exist de facto or de jure among groups can increase exclusion. These can include, for example, inequalities in terms of

scarlet letter :: essays research papers

Since the conception of humanity, man has been fascinated with that presence which illuminates, yet cannot be touched. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses light as a tool of God that illuminates and exposes the darkness of human iniquity not only to one’s elf but to others as well. As the symbolism is quickly unfolded in chapter seven, Governor Bellingham’s home is seen through Hester’s eyes and light is reflected by almost every object in his extravagant dwelling, "though partly muffled by a curtain, it was more powerfully illuminated by one of those embowed hall windows..." . this can be seen symbolically, the brilliant sunlight streaming though the immense window, cutting through the veneer of the Governor's mock purity. Bellingham, the very person that passed judgment on Hester and her sin is seen, illuminated by the sunshine, as a malevolent man wallowing in his own stagnant riches. Here, light shows Governor Bellingham to be corrupt due to his un-puritan-like lifestyle. In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne defines light not only as a presence, but as an animate being. Still acting as a tool of God, light seems to run away from Hester when she tries to touch it. Pearl, in her enigmatic perceptiveness, says to Hester, â€Å"The sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom.† Although Pearl makes this comment concerning the scarlet "A", this implies that the sunlight is actually afraid of Hester's sin, and not the scarlet "A". In this case, light is used to remind Hester of her sin and to bring it to the front of her mind as punishment for her adultery. Not only does light show Hester's sin to herself, it shows her sin to others as well. Near the end of the story, Mistress Hibbins speaks with Hester, "I know thee, Hester; for I behold the token. We may all see it in the sunshine; and it glows like a red flame in the dark." By shining on the explicit reminder of Hester's sin, the sunlight screams to others of the scarlet letter's intangible counterpart: her immorality.

My Own Performance Essay

During the course of the project, I feel that I have worked well independently to produce an excellent set of products. I found it fairly challenging at times but I think that I have put in a lot of effort and work into creating products that are of a high quality. I made sure to listen well in lessons so I could fully understand the tasks, and I focused hard when creating the products to ensure that they would be of a high standard. For me, time management was the key to having a successful project, so in lessons I made sure that I worked quickly and effectively. However, this meant that some of the products were rushed so I spent a lot of my time improving them. Even though it allowed me to improve the products and make them as good as possible, other areas in the project such as the product evaluations, were rushed. I also had to prioritise the project above my other subjects, so I had to put a lot of hard work into making sure the project was satisfactory, whilst still completing homework for other subjects. One thing that the project has helped me with is time management. I spent a lot of time improving products and this left little time for improving my evaluations, and this is an area I could focus on if I did the project again. Personally, I believe that if I had created a plan with a list of tasks and deadlines for them, I think the project I have produced would be much better and all the areas would’ve been covered accurately. Upon completion of the project, my time management skills have improved significantly and I am more likely to complete homework on time in my other subjects. Without a doubt, my test user, Julie Bircham, has been invaluable to me during the project. She has given me some outstanding feedback, and her comments have influenced me to improve my products, come up with new ideas and make decisions. Having a test user was a great thing to have because without her opinion, I think that the products I have created would be of a lower quality than what they are now. The comments that Julie gave to me assured me that my project was good, and were extremely useful to me when creating evaluations of products. I think that if I had to complete a similar project again, I would ask more people for test user feedback, because it would be good to get varying opinions as opposed to the same person all the time.

Maria Gaetana Agnesi essays

Maria Gaetana Agnesi essays Maria Agnesi was born in Milan, Italy on May 16, 1718. During her lifetime she accomplished quite a bit. She was the first woman in the western part of the world to be officially and accurately referred to as a Mathematician. Her largest accomplishment and publication was published when Sir Isaac Newton was still alive and his studies most likely contributed to her own. Nevertheless, Agnesi deserves recognition not only for her mathematical publications but for all she contributed to math, science, and the western world as a whole. She began her studies of mathematics a very early age. In fact, she began studying all subject matters at the tender age of four years old. This was due to many factors. For one, her father, Pietro Agnesi and mother, Anna Brivio were learned people. Pietro was a professor at the University of Bologna and encouraged Marias interest in scientific matters. He made sure she was tutored at home by a string of distinguished professors. They challenged her by having her come up with her own theses. She was then to discuss and defend them among leading scholars. She eventually gained their respect, and according to historians, their admiration as well. Mathematics was not her only strong subject matter. She was considered to be a genius linguist. Her native language is Italian, but by age five, Agnesi learned to speak French fluently. By the time she was nine, she was able to speak, write, and read Latin. Finally, by age eleven, she could translate Greek, German, Spanish, and even Hebrew. During her years of tutor, a scholar would ask her a question is his native tongue and she would answer him in his languagewhatever that may have been. She also covered subjects such as ontology, botany, zoology, mineralogy and many more. At age seventeen, Maria composed her first manuscript and even though her tutors considered it to be excellent work, it was neve ...

How Express Opinions in French

How Express Opinions in French If you want to have a debate in French or discuss your opinions, you need to know the relevant vocabulary and expressions. This page offers suggestions for offering, supporting, asking for, and avoiding opinions in French.Of course, the subject pronoun je, object pronoun me, stressed pronoun moi, and possessive adjective mon in these expressions can all be replaced to express other opinions than your own. Offering an Opinion   Ã‚  Ã‚   mon avisIn my opinionCest du moins mon opinion.At least, thats my opinion.Daprà ¨s moiIn my viewEn ce qui me concerneAs far as Im concernedIl est / Cest certain queIts certainIl est / Cest clair queIts clearIl est / Cest à ©vident queIts obviousIl est / Cest impossible queIts impossibleIl est / Cest injuste queIts unfairIl est / Cest juste queIts fairIl est / Cest possible queIts possibleIl est / Cest probable queIts probableIl est / Cest sà »r queIts surelyIl est / Cest vrai queIts trueIl me semble queIt seems to meJai lidà ©e queI have the impressionJai limpression queI have a feelingJe considà ¨re queI feelJe crains quil ne soitI fear that it isJe crois queI believeJe dois dire queI must sayJestime queI consider itJimagine queI imagineJe pense queI think (that)Je suppose queI supposeJe ne pense pas.I dont think so.Je ne peux pas mempà ªcher de penser queI cant help thinkingJe suis certain queIm certain thatJe suis convaincu queIm convinced thatJe suis davis queI m of the opinionJe suis persuadà © queIm convinced thatJe suis sà »r queIm sureJe trouve queI find, I feelMoi, je... As for me, I...PersonnellementPersonallyPour ma partFor my partPour moiIn my viewQuant moiAs for meSans vouloir vous contredireWithout meaning to contradict youSelon moiIn my viewSi vous voulez mon opinion/avisIf you want my opinionTelle est mon opinion sur...Thats my view of/on... Supporting an Opinion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Jai entendu dire que dependent clauseI heard thatJai entendu parler de nounI heard aboutJe sais / Nous savons queI / We know thatOn dit queOne says, They sayPar exempleFor example Asking for an Opinion   Ã‚   votre avisIn your opinionAvez-vous une opinion surDo you have an opinion aboutComment percevez-vousHow do you viewJaimerais connaà ®tre / avoir votre avis / opinion surId like (to know) your opinion onJaimerais connaà ®tre / avoir votre rà ©action face Id like (to know) your reaction toJaimerais / Je voudrais savoir ce que vous pensez deId like to know what you think aboutJe voudrais connaà ®tre / avoir votre avis / opinion surId like (to know) your opinion on/aboutJe voudrais  connaà ®tre / avoir votre rà ©action face Id like (to know) your reaction toPourriez-vous me donner / faire  savoir votre avis/opinion surCould you give me your opinion aboutPourriez-vous me donner / faire  savoir votre rà ©action face Could you give me your reaction toPourriez-vous me dire ce que vous pensez deCould you tell me what you think aboutQuelle est votre attitude là ©gard deWhat is your attitude toward/toQuelle est votre opinion/avis surWhat is your opinion aboutQue pensez-vo us deWhat do you think aboutSelon vousIn your opinion Avoiding Expressing an Opinion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Cela dà ©pend deThat depends onCest une question de point de vue.It all depends on your point of view.Il est / Cest difficile deIts hard toIl mest impossible de donner un avis (dà ©finitif) surI cant express a (definite) opinion onJe nai jamais vraiment rà ©flà ©chi I have never really thought aboutJe nai pas dopinion bien prà ©cise / arrà ªtà ©e surI dont have strong feelings aboutJe ne me le suis jamais demandà ©.Ive never wondered about it.Je ne me suis jamais vraiment posà © la question.Ive never asked myself that question.Je ne suis pas mà ªme de dire siIm not in a position to say whetherJe prà ©fà ©rerais ne pas (avoir ) me prononcer surId rather not commentJe prà ©fà ©rerais ne pas mengagerId rather not commit myselfJignore tout deI know nothing aboutTout dà ©pend deIt all depends on

Economics of the Firm Essays

Economics of the Firm Essays Economics of the Firm Essay Economics of the Firm Essay Essay Topic: Economics A fast food restaurant currently pays $5 per hour for servers and $50 per hour to rent ovens and other kitchen machinery. The restaurant uses seven hours of server time per unit of machinery time. Determine whether the restaurant is minimizing its cost of production when the ratio of marginal products (capital to labor) is 12. If not, what adjustments are called for to improve the efficiency in resource use? The ratio of prices PK/PL= r/w= 50/5=10 and The capital to labor MPK/MPL= w/r=12 These two ratios are not equal, the restaurant should change inputs. To make the ratios equal the restaurant should use more capital and less labor. This tells us that the capital is 12 times as productive and 10 times more costly. Question2 A competitive firm sells its product at a price of $0. 10 per unit. Its total and marginal cost functions are: TC = 5 0. 5*Q + 0. 001*Q2 MC = -0. 5 + 0. 002*Q, where TC is total cost ($) and Q is output rate (units per time period). (a) Determine the output rate that maximizes profit or minimizes losses in the short-term. R=P*Q=0. 10*QMR=0. 10 MC=-0. 5+0. 002Q=0. 0=MR ; 0. 002Q=0. 6 ; Q=300 (b) If input prices increase and cause the cost functions to become TC = 5 0. 10*Q + 0. 002*Q2 MC = -0. 10 + 0. 004*Q, what will the new equilibrium output rate be? Explain what happened to the profit maximizing output rate when input prices were increased. MC = -0. 10 + 0. 004*Q=0. 10=MR ; 0. 004Q=0. 20 ; Q=50 An increase in input price causes an increase in the firm’s marginal cost. As we can see the production decre ase from 300 to 50. A firms profit will be reduced too. Part 2 Question 2 a) Find the equilibrium price, the equilibrium quantity, the output supplied by the firm, and the profit of each firm. MarketFirm S MC P P=MR=d D Equilibrium price QD(P)=6500 100*PQS(P)= 1200*P QD=QS 6500 – 100*P=1200*P 6500=1300*P P= $5 Equilibrium quantity Q= 1200*5= 6000 units The output supplied by the firm MC(q)= 2q/200 MR=MC 5=2q/200 1000=2q q=500 units Profit of each firm Profit= Revenue- TC TC=722+ q2/200 Revenue= P*q Profit= 5*500-722+ 5002/200=$528 (b) Would you expect to see entry into or exit from the industry in the long run? Explain. What affect will entry or exit have on market equilibrium? We can see that the firms currently making profits, so more firms will want to enter. This will affect the market equilibrium as the supply curve will to shift to the right, lowering the equilibrium price. S1S2 P1 P2 D (c) What is the lowest price at which each firm would sell its output in the long run? Is profit positive, negative, or zero at this price? Explain. Firms in the long run will not sell for a price that’s is below a minimum average cost. At any price below minimum average cost, profit is negative. Perfectly competitive firms in the long run will produce so long as profits are at least zero. Minimum average cost 2q/200=722/q+q/200 q/200=722/q q2=722(200) q=380units AC(q=380)=$3. 8 Therefore, the firm will not sell for any price less than $3. 8 in the long run. (d) What is the lowest price at which each firm would sell its output in the short run? Is profit positive, negative, or zero at this price? Explain. The firm in a short run will sell for any positive price, as long as profit will not be negative and we know that negative profit is as price is below minimum average cost, or as long as price is bellow 3. 8.

Legal Memoradum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Legal Memoradum - Essay Example First, the subsistence of the situational constraint (the contract) is expected to be predominantly significant, which makes a cause more likely to be professed as causal. Yes, Mr. Moran can claim damages from the two companies namely, Mining Inc and Irving Cooper, Mr. Moran just need to file the commenced actions in the State of New York because he signed the negotiation with Mining Inc in Manhattan, and at the same he also have to file for the commenced actions in Minnesota because the principal company of Coal is there. We just received a frantic telephone call from our client, Coal Corp.. (a Colorado corporation) with its principal place of business in Minnesota. In September, 2004 Coal entered into a written contract with Mining, Inc. (a Montana corporation with its principal place of business in Montana) and Irving Cooper (a private entrepreneur who resides in New Jersey) pursuant to which Mining and Mr. Cooper agreed to manufacture and install for Coal a large quantity of electronic mining equipment which Coal needs in Minnesota. Joseph Moran (who resides in Butte, Montana) executed a written guarantee in which he guaranteed the due and prompt performance by Mining and Cooper under the contract. Moran sent the guarantee to Mining in Minnesota and Mining delivered the guarantee to Coal at the time the contract was executed. Mining and Cooper manufactured some of the equipment in its Minnesota specialty plant and installed that equipment. Mining and Cooper, however, have failed to perform several of their material obligations under the contract. As a result of their breach Coal has sustained, in its estimation, more than $1,000,000 in damages. Mining and Coal negotiated the contract in Manhattan. The contract which Mining and Coal executed at Kennedy Airport provides that any action for breach must be commenced within two years from the date of the breach. Cooper executed the contract the same day in New Jersey and sent it to Coal in Minnesota. The guarantee has a similar clause requiring that an action on the guarantee he brought within two ears fi-om the date of any breach of the contract (Cheeseman, 2004). According to the preliminary information we received, the initial breach of contract occurred two years ago today. Moran claims that John Rich (who now resides in St. Paul but was an officer of Buffalo Trust Co., in Buffalo New York at the time it, Buffalo Trust, lent Mining Inc. $500,000 in early 2004) together with Cooper and Coal fraudulently induced him into signing the guarantee and defrauded him into purchasing certain assets from Mining. Discussion Contracts are frequently utilized to bind an agreement among parties in order to make sure that the agreement is fulfilled. The complexity with contracts is that they provide the transacting parties an opening to credit to their support to the contract rather than to each other's reasonable or decent intentions. Consequently, contracts may keep a tight rein on interacting parties' enthusiasm or facility to judge each other as being generous or possessing reliability, and fundamental confidence may

HVT1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

HVT1 - Essay Example Some roots of later civilizations can be traced from earlier ones to demonstrate the role of art in the evolution of the human society. In the following discourse, the Middle Ages and Renaissance art periods are analyzed for such similarities and differences to come to the conclusion of their roles on the status of art. Some of the most famous ancient events of art are related to the period of time between the fall of the Roman Empire and the commencement of the Renaissance (300 and 1400 AD respectively). During this period, there was a transformation of a majority of the human society from traditional aspects of religion and the establishment of Christian belief. The power of the church on the human society during these transformations characterizes the driving force that art had in the Middle Ages. Churches and cathedrals had their fair share of influential pieces of art during this age to such an extent that the most famous mosaics and murals of modern art owe their credit to this age (ArtHistory, 2009). Christianity plays the central figure of influence on the prevailing social and cultural events that were taking place during the Middle Ages. This fact is supported by the fact that the most influential Christianity cities during these events represented by Rome and Constantinople bear witness to their status as art culture centers to this day. However, the use of images was prohibited in worship and the use of colors in painting was generally muted. Towards the end of the period, more realism was advocated for by artists in the advancement of images in art. Art was largely conservative in the application of art images infusion into worship. Perhaps to establish the conspicuous link that art exhibits with previous art periods, all these art events carry a characteristic Classical Period art roots. Some of the distinct art and styles within the Middle Age include; Celtic,

Process Improvement Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Process Improvement Plan - Essay Example The data that I was able to gather in the process of measuring the times that it took to perform these activities will serve as example in the succeeding discussion on Statistical Process Control. Statistical process control is the process of applying appropriate statistical measures to measure and analyze the variations or differences in the behavior that are present in a particular process (Oakland, 2007). The use of statistical process control has gained much popularity in today’s technological age because it has greatly improved the performance and corresponding outputs of a great number of processes. In applying statistical process control, one must have sufficient amount of data from which the required information will be derived. In the particular process that I chose, the important data would be the amount of time that it takes to complete each activity that is undertaken in preparation for going to work, together with the amount of time that it takes to travel to work when taking a particular route. Table 1. Recorded data for Identified Process. Â   Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Alarm set 5:00AM 5:00AM 5:00AM 5:00AM 5:00AM Time taken to complete pre-departure activities (in minutes) 78 91 100 47 39 Time left home 6:18 AM 6:31 AM 6:40 AM 5:47 AM 5:39 AM Travel time (in minutes) 142 134 140 118 121 Time arrived at work 8:40 AM 8:45 AM 9:00 AM 7:45 AM 7:40 AM Arguably, the best method for implementing statistical process control is through the use of control charts and observing the behavior of the data with regards to the control limits (Doty, 1996). Control charts are simply visual representations of the data points while the control limits are the imaginary lines within which the data points must lie to be considered acceptable (Stapenhurst, 2005). In order to calculate the control limits, it is first necessary to calculate the mean (x-bar) and standard deviation (sigma) of the data points. To get the Upper Control Limit, a multiple of the standard deviation (either 1-sigma, 2-sigma, 3-sigma) is added to the mean. Correspondingly, the Lower Control Limit is calculated by subtracting the same multiple of the standard deviation from the mean (Oakland, 2007). In the example, the mean time for completing my pre-departure activities is 71 minutes, with standard deviation of 27 minutes. Using the 1-sigma rule, the lower control limit is 44 minutes while the upper control limit is 98 minutes. Based on this information, we see that the Thursday set of activities falls below the lower control limit while the Wednesday set of activities falls above the upper control limit. In addition, the mean travel time is 131 minutes, with standard deviation of 11 minutes. Thus, using the same formula mentioned above, the lower control limit is 120 minutes while the upper control limit is 142 minutes. Travel times falling within these two values are considered acceptable. Thus, the route taken for Thursday falls beyond the control li mits. Human activities and sometimes, machine operations, tend to follow particular patterns that may be attributed to seasonal factors (Stapenhurst, 2005). These seasonal factors may be held responsible for the observed fluctuations in a control chart. Unfortunately, the given example only supplies information for one week thus, not much information regarding the effects of seasonal factors may be derived. However, personal experience would reveal that my pre-departure

Christianty paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Christianty - Research Paper Example However, before one learns to accept Jesus, they may have been living in the ways of darkness. Jesus is the word, and him who receives the word in the Bible recognizes Jesus. This comes by learning the work of God and believing in that word. That word defines the character of a believer of Jesus and the followers of earthly possessions. As followers of Jesus Christians are expected to forsake the desires of the flesh and uphold the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Johnson 224). The practice may occur gradually as one gets to learn and understand the virtues of a Christian. For example, in his childhood Mark grew in an affluent background where he never lacked anything of substance in his life. However, some of his neighbors and friends grew in immense poverty where even the basic things seemed a luxury to them. Mark was so proud and looked down upon his friends. He treated them with a lot of contempt. Although he was born in a Christian family, Mark never took religion with a seriousness it deserved. His pride surpassed even the customs practices because he never respected even his elders. He could blatantly talk about his beautiful items such as clothes, shoes and other luxurious items that were in his possession. He bragged about his father’s wealth just to demean his colleagues. His friends felt envious of him and always listened to his boastful stories. More often he could pick a quarrel with anyone over anything only to warn his counterpart of the repercussions they would suffer if they dared touch him. He never forgave anyone he had argue d with even he knew he was in the wrong. He always desired to avenge against his colleagues (Witherington 72). Nevertheless, Christianity emphasizes on forgiveness and forbid anyone from taking revenge against the wrongs done by others (Clapper 41). Some of his friends were very kind and forgiving, so they always tried to talk to him and request him to humble himself. Some of his friends were very

Network Infrastructure and Design Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Network Infrastructure and Design - Term Paper Example Thus, the choice has been made for the purpose of eliminating future challenges during the upgrading (Kurose & Ross, 2005). Devices in the internet arrangement will be assigned unique numbers so that they can communicate with the rest of the devices with effectiveness. Devices in the arrangement include mobile gadgets as well as computers. Since this organization is expected to have new devices all the time, the implementation of IPv4 was found to be inappropriate since IPv6 can only accommodate a limited number of devices. The IPv6 will be using addresses of 128-bits, and this will facilitate 2128 addresses, and this number is already exceeding the IPv4 with over 7.9*1028times. This is because the IPv4 utilizes a 32-address bit arrangement which, therefore, provides for just 4,294,967,296 addresses all over the world (Kurose & Ross, 2008). There has been an accelerating deployment of IPv6 since its global launch took place in June 2012. As it has been aforementioned, its main advant age is the enlarged address space. Its addresses are indicated in eight groups that consist of 4-hexadecimal digits. The digits are separated via colons. Since not every network support the dual-stack, the idea behind tunneling will be applied in situations where IPv6 need to communicate with IPv4. This is because of the fact that cable network operators go for tunneling until the foundational equipment is able to support the native dual-stack (Kurose & Ross, 2008). Since not every network has the capacity to support dual-stack, the idea tunneling will be employed if it will be necessary for the IPv4 to communicate with IPv6 and vice versa. The implementation will be accomplished with the realization that most of the current users of the internet infrastructure lack the IPv6 support for dual-stack. This means that it cannot reach the sites using the IPv6 directly. Since the IPv4 infrastructure has to be used to carry the IPv6 packets, tunneling technique must be employed. This techn ique encapsulates the IPv6 packets in a manner that allows for their transformation via the IPv4 infrastructure. Using that infrastructure will, therefore, necessitate the use of IPv4 as it acts as the link layer that connects to IPv6 (Kurose & Ross, 2008). The IP protocol 41 that indicates that IPv4 packets encapsulate the IPv6 data grams, there will be the need to avoid using routers and other network transmission devices that could block the protocol 41. In situations where the IPv6 data grams have to pass through the inhibiting structures, there will be an implementation of the UDP packets for the purpose of encapsulating them. Other encapsulation strategies, such as Generic Routing Encapsulation and AYIYA will also be employed. The IPv4’s compatibility with the IPv6 is usually a firmware or software issue. In that case, there could be a necessity to replace the older hardware/software since they may not be upgraded. Another reason for opting to implement the IPv6 is the suggestion by the American Registry for the Internet Numbers that every server be ready to serve those clients with IPv6. Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol Options The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol as a network protocol will be utilized in configuring the network devices in a manner that enables them to communicate on the IP network. The Dynamic Host

The effectiveness of abstinence-only sex education Essay

The effectiveness of abstinence-only sex education - Essay Example It promotes sexual refrain from indulgence before marriage and does not include discussion over contraceptive methods. (â€Å"Abstinence-Only Sex Education†, 2011). The abstinence-only sex education views abstinence from sexual intercourse as the best way to control sexual health. (â€Å"Abstinence and Sex Education†, n.d.) It shares the fundamental use of teaching social, health and psychological gains, which can be realized by refraining from indulgence in sexual acts. Bearing children at a young age is both harmful for the baby as well as the parents and society. It promotes the abstinence from alcohol and drug abusing which leads to increased desire for sexual intercourses. It also teaches one to acquire self-sufficiency before indulging into any type of sexual activity. (â€Å"Abstinence and Sex Education†, n.d.) The combined education based on both abstinence and comprehensive based is often referred as abstinence plus. (â€Å"Abstinence and Sex Educationà ¢â‚¬ , n.d.) Abstinence-only sex education is found to be losing control in the recent years. This type of education is a faulty or negative view of contraception. It is required to provide consumers with inaccurate information and the teenagers are perceptive consumers. (Thomas, 2009) Education on sexuality is a hot button topic in schools and is associated with the social and parental interpretation of wrong or right and with the people’s sensitivity towards religious and personal autonomy. Pelvic inflammatory diseases are a consequence of untreated or inefficiently treated reproductive tract diseases. It is responsible for sterility and impotency amongst woman and can lead to ectopic pregnancies, cancers of reproductive tract, abortions and stillbirths. (Collins, Alagiri & Summers, 2002) The prime reason why teens do not opt for the use of contraception is due to alcohol and drug abuse. A reciprocally faithful monogamous sexual relationship in the context of marriage is t he expected benchmark of sexual acts. Outside the context of wedding sexual activity is likely to have negative psychological and physical effects. (Collins, Alagiri & Summers, 2002) The affected youth may include sexually experiences teens, sexually abused teens, homeless and runaway teens, gay and lesbian youth as well. The gay, lesbian and bisexual teens face other consequences as well, as harassment and violence and finally they tend to commit mass suicide. Bisexuals are abandoned by their family members and are deprived of both public and private health care systems. (Collins, Alagiri & Summers, 2002) In most countries the homosexuals, bisexuals and transgender youths (LGBT) are often neglected in sex education classes, which include lack of discussion regarding manual, oral, and anal sex practices in regards of different risks for contracting deadly reproductive tract diseases. (â€Å"Sex Education†, 2011) STATISTICAL DATA OF IMPACT OF ABSTINENCE-ONLY SEX EDUCATION OVER PEOPLE The University of Pennsylvania published the fact that only one third of sixth-seventh grade adolescents who studied abstinence-only sex education had sexual intercourses in the next two years. The study is called â€Å"game changing† by proponents of abstinence-only sex education. (â€Å"Abstinence-Only Sex Education†, 2011) Abstinence and comprehensive based approaches of sex education can be combined to have increased impact on people. (â€Å"

Christianty paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Christianty - Research Paper Example However, before one learns to accept Jesus, they may have been living in the ways of darkness. Jesus is the word, and him who receives the word in the Bible recognizes Jesus. This comes by learning the work of God and believing in that word. That word defines the character of a believer of Jesus and the followers of earthly possessions. As followers of Jesus Christians are expected to forsake the desires of the flesh and uphold the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Johnson 224). The practice may occur gradually as one gets to learn and understand the virtues of a Christian. For example, in his childhood Mark grew in an affluent background where he never lacked anything of substance in his life. However, some of his neighbors and friends grew in immense poverty where even the basic things seemed a luxury to them. Mark was so proud and looked down upon his friends. He treated them with a lot of contempt. Although he was born in a Christian family, Mark never took religion with a seriousness it deserved. His pride surpassed even the customs practices because he never respected even his elders. He could blatantly talk about his beautiful items such as clothes, shoes and other luxurious items that were in his possession. He bragged about his father’s wealth just to demean his colleagues. His friends felt envious of him and always listened to his boastful stories. More often he could pick a quarrel with anyone over anything only to warn his counterpart of the repercussions they would suffer if they dared touch him. He never forgave anyone he had argue d with even he knew he was in the wrong. He always desired to avenge against his colleagues (Witherington 72). Nevertheless, Christianity emphasizes on forgiveness and forbid anyone from taking revenge against the wrongs done by others (Clapper 41). Some of his friends were very kind and forgiving, so they always tried to talk to him and request him to humble himself. Some of his friends were very

The effectiveness of abstinence-only sex education Essay

The effectiveness of abstinence-only sex education - Essay Example It promotes sexual refrain from indulgence before marriage and does not include discussion over contraceptive methods. (â€Å"Abstinence-Only Sex Education†, 2011). The abstinence-only sex education views abstinence from sexual intercourse as the best way to control sexual health. (â€Å"Abstinence and Sex Education†, n.d.) It shares the fundamental use of teaching social, health and psychological gains, which can be realized by refraining from indulgence in sexual acts. Bearing children at a young age is both harmful for the baby as well as the parents and society. It promotes the abstinence from alcohol and drug abusing which leads to increased desire for sexual intercourses. It also teaches one to acquire self-sufficiency before indulging into any type of sexual activity. (â€Å"Abstinence and Sex Education†, n.d.) The combined education based on both abstinence and comprehensive based is often referred as abstinence plus. (â€Å"Abstinence and Sex Educationà ¢â‚¬ , n.d.) Abstinence-only sex education is found to be losing control in the recent years. This type of education is a faulty or negative view of contraception. It is required to provide consumers with inaccurate information and the teenagers are perceptive consumers. (Thomas, 2009) Education on sexuality is a hot button topic in schools and is associated with the social and parental interpretation of wrong or right and with the people’s sensitivity towards religious and personal autonomy. Pelvic inflammatory diseases are a consequence of untreated or inefficiently treated reproductive tract diseases. It is responsible for sterility and impotency amongst woman and can lead to ectopic pregnancies, cancers of reproductive tract, abortions and stillbirths. (Collins, Alagiri & Summers, 2002) The prime reason why teens do not opt for the use of contraception is due to alcohol and drug abuse. A reciprocally faithful monogamous sexual relationship in the context of marriage is t he expected benchmark of sexual acts. Outside the context of wedding sexual activity is likely to have negative psychological and physical effects. (Collins, Alagiri & Summers, 2002) The affected youth may include sexually experiences teens, sexually abused teens, homeless and runaway teens, gay and lesbian youth as well. The gay, lesbian and bisexual teens face other consequences as well, as harassment and violence and finally they tend to commit mass suicide. Bisexuals are abandoned by their family members and are deprived of both public and private health care systems. (Collins, Alagiri & Summers, 2002) In most countries the homosexuals, bisexuals and transgender youths (LGBT) are often neglected in sex education classes, which include lack of discussion regarding manual, oral, and anal sex practices in regards of different risks for contracting deadly reproductive tract diseases. (â€Å"Sex Education†, 2011) STATISTICAL DATA OF IMPACT OF ABSTINENCE-ONLY SEX EDUCATION OVER PEOPLE The University of Pennsylvania published the fact that only one third of sixth-seventh grade adolescents who studied abstinence-only sex education had sexual intercourses in the next two years. The study is called â€Å"game changing† by proponents of abstinence-only sex education. (â€Å"Abstinence-Only Sex Education†, 2011) Abstinence and comprehensive based approaches of sex education can be combined to have increased impact on people. (â€Å"

Respect to Culture Essay Example for Free

Respect to Culture Essay This paper will highlight the key issues that Kellogg’s should consider when deciding to expand to the country of Jordan. Will the people living in Jordan able to afford this product? What are the values connected to the people that will force them to purchase it? What is needed to fill this heterogeneous culture? All these questions will be answered in this paper with respect to the product Special K by Kellogg’s. Homogenous vs. Heterogeneous with Respect to Culture The population of Jordan is divided into different ethnic groups which include the Bedouins, the people from Circassia and the Palestenians. The majority of the Jordanians is from the Arab descent and form a population of around 4. 4 million (The Royal Hashemite Court). These Arabs have migrated into Jordan from numerous origins. These people mainly travelled in tribes and whole tribes used to migrate into Jordan before the 19th Century. The population also includes some proportions of Muslim refugees from Caucasus who migrated to Jordan when Russia invaded. Jordan also houses some Americans and small groups of Chechens. Therefore the culture in Jordan is expected to be pretty heterogeneous as the population includes people from diverse backgrounds and descents. There is heterogeneity of languages being taught and learnt in Jordan. People in Jordan are given complete freedom to preach their religion, teach their language and promote their culture. This makes Jordan so culturally diverse and rich. The different ethnic groups have their own clubs, places of worships, schools and associations which has allowed the heterogeneity of culture to remain in Jordan. There has been a tradition of appreciation and tolerance for the diverse cultural background. Around 6% of the population comprises of Christian population but the majority 92% consists of Sunni Muslim population (The Royal Hashemite Court). Hence, some similarities in culture can also be expected as almost 9 out of every 10 people in Jordan are Sunni Muslims. These Sunni Muslims belong to same sect of the same religion which makes their religious activities the same. Hence we can conclude that Kellogg’s will have to consider the diverse cultural background as the population are from different countries and descents, however, the same religion of most of the people is going to make it easier for Kellogg’s to penetrate the market as the religious views and values will be the same for most of the people in Jordan. Needs that Kellogg’s Special K can Fill in this Culture Kellogg’s Special K mostly attracts the people who are aware and conscious about their health. Boosting the physical activity for attaining better fitness is the goal of most of the people in the developed nations now. Increased physical activity can not only improve the mood but also improve the health of a person. The people of Jordan require a little addition to their lives which can be added to their daily routine and can have a good affect on their health. The ethnically diverse population of Jordan has different practices for maintaining their health. Some people go for a brisk walk, while others regularly go to the gym. The median population in Jordan is around 22 years old which means the population is pretty young. Most of these people are health conscious and engage in regular physical activity to stay fit. The target market of Kellogg’s Special K will be the urban population which consists of 78% of the total population. The urban population is the wealthy lot which has concerns about their health and body weight. This population can be targeted by telling them the health benefits of consuming Kellogg’s Special K. Kellogg’s Special K website includes expert advice of how to get slimmer, Body Mass Index (BMI) calculator and free personal planner (Kelloggs). It also includes the nutritional plan for the whole day and informs about the nutrition that Special k provides. The population of Jordan is yet not informed about the importance of breakfast and hence this is the perfect time to introduce the Special K with variety of nutrient intake. Can Enough People Afford the Product? Around 15% of the population in Jordan lives below the poverty line which means that they do not have enough money to afford the basic necessities of life. The economy of Jordan is amongst the smallest in the Arab world. There are insufficient supplies of food, water and other health care items. In other words, the economy was suffering from poverty until ten years back King Abdullah implemented changes in foreign policies and economic reforms that took Jordan to a higher level. In the current situation, Jordan’s economy has not been so hard hit like the other economies because of the isolation from the international market (CIA). However, the top ten percent population has the highest percentage share of total income. Around 30% of the total income is being earned and spent by the top ten percent of the population and this population can certainly afford Kellogg’s Special K. The GDP per capita has risen to US$ 5,300 which is a lot higher than many developing countries. Around 13% of the population is unemployed in Jordan but still the imports of the country amounted to US$ 12 billion in 2009 which indicates that many people in the country can afford to have foreign goods imported. The most imported items include oil, machinery, equipment, iron and cereal and the major import partners are USA, Saudi Arabia, China and Germany (CIA). Hence it can be expected that enough people will purchase the Kellogg’s Special K who are in the top income group and have concerns for their health. Values Relevant to the Purchase and Use of Special K The Bedouins find it hard to search for food as most of them are still nomadic in nature. What they need is some form of dried food which can be consumed at any time of the day or night without water and other staple food. Kellogg’s Special K can be consumed with milk and milk is available abundantly to these nomadic tribes as they have many animals such as camels, sheep and goats which give milk. The Palestinians who left their homeland in the wars of 1967 and 1948 and came to Jordan stilled have not settled down and many do not have living spaces. These people can be provided with Kellogg’s Special K as it is a dry food and it does not require special handling like other local foods. The value of Special K is pretty high because of the nutrient contents of the cereal. Most of the population is now getting educated and moving into urban cities and adopting the foreign lifestyle. As the penetration of television is also increasing in the population, they are starting to follow the Western lifestyle which includes a healthy breakfast. Therefore the value of Kellogg’s Special k will be pretty high for the purchase as it provides an easy way to make the breakfast with a lot of health benefits and nutrients. Works Cited CIA. Fact Book. 2009. 21 July 2010 https://www. cia. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/jo. html. Kelloggs. The Importance of Breakfast. 2010. 21 July 2010 http://www. specialk. co. uk/expert-advice/nutrition-advice/why-breakfast-is-so-important. aspx. The Royal Hashemite Court. The people of Jordan. 2001. 21 July 2010 http://www. kinghussein. gov. jo/people. html.

Product extension of procter and gamble

Product extension of procter and gamble The Procter Gamble Company (PG) is one of the worlds largest consumer goods companies. It markets more than 300 brands in the beauty, health, fabric, home, baby, family, and personal care product categories. The company operates in the Americas, Europe and Asia. It is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, and employs about 135,000 people. CORPORATE OBJECTIVES The objective of Procter Gamble is that They will provide branded products and services of superior quality and value that improve the lives of the worlds consumers, now and for generations to come. As a result, consumers will reward us with leadership sales, profit and value creation, allowing our people, our shareholders and the communities in which we live and work to prosper. (http://www.uk.pg.com/company/aboutPG/purposeValuesPrinciples.html) CORPORATE STRATEGY Procter Gamble (PG), one of the worlds largest consumer goods companies is also a pioneer in the use of mass media. The company has used newspaper advertisements, radio and soap operas to advertise its popular brands like Crest, Pampers, Pantene and Folgers. During 1990-2000, however,  its rate of growth took a plunge. When AG Lafley took over as CEO in 2000, he gave PG a complete makeover with the focus on innovation and advertising. Since 2000, PG has been increasingly embracing targeted, viral and on-line marketing. (http://www.uk.pg.com/company/aboutPG/purposeValuesPrinciples.html) PROPOSED PRODUCT olayLogo87_Jul06.jpg Evolution Olay is a worldwide leader in skin care and have been trusted by women for fifty years. Graham Wulff, an innovative and entrepreneurial South African chemist developed the original formula at the beginning of the 1950s. Olay has eight global product lines offering a multiple of product. Product such as; Olay professional pro-X, Olay Definity, Olay Regenerist, Olay Total effect, Olay complete, Olay hydrate cleanse, Olay clarity, Olay body lotion, Olay touch of sun and Olay body cleansing (http://www.docstoc.com/docs/14719894/Oil-Of-Olay-Products). Skin care is evolving faster than ever with independent clinical trial and new standards in natural and organic cosmetics. Olay evolution will be a combination of Olay total effects (7 seven powerful anti-ageing in one) and Olay Definity (fight wrinkles, brown spot and discolouration). Many consumers want products that offer more than one benefit. So this product is expected to moisturize, fight free radicals and give the skin a more youthful appearance. This product would offer the costumer an ideal combination of the world most powerful skin care solution. Anti-aging is the fastest-growing skin segment, standing at $567.6 million, now representing the biggest category in skin care, surpassing facial cleansers which stand at $559.2 million. (http://www.allbusiness.com/population-demographics/demographic-groups/5517853-1.html) product-landing-definity_v6.jpg product-landing-total-effects.jpg Women are very particular when dealing with their face. They need to be convinced the product will deliver all the promised benefits. Women are willing to try new things and spend more money to look better and younger. Skin care attracts customers from all income level as most women like to take care of their appearance. The increase number of women working equates women with more money to spend and skin care is one of the favourite avenues for their spending. Based on Procter Gamble F4Q10 (Qtr End 06/30/2010) Earnings Call Transcript, Female Skin Care grew volume double digits with positive share trends. In the U.S., Olay all-outlet value share of the Facial Moisturizer segment was up almost two points behind the continued strength of the Olay Pro-X line and the Olay Regenerist Roller ball Eye Treatment innovation. Olay also had strong results in developing markets, more than doubling shipments in India, Saudi Arabia and the Philippines. Organic sales increased 5%, driven by 8% organic volume growth. (http://seekingalpha.com/article/218380-procter-gamble-f4q10-qtr-end-06-30-2010-earnings-call-transcript) Rate of Global skin care market 2002 and 2007 Country 2002 ( £M) 2009 ( £M) US 6,752.2 8,059.2 FRANCE 2,391.1 4,368.0 GERMANY 1,975.1 3,239.3 ITALY 1,440.0 2,340.4 SPAIN 956.4 1,897.9 UK 1,612.7 2,937.6 Source: Euro monitor international Below are the analyses of the business environment to back up the proposal. ANALYSIS OF BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT Every Business operates within an environment, these environments directly and indirectly affects the way those businesses function. Competition in the skin care industry tends to be more intense and there are many changes that can be regarded as threat and opportunity that it is important for managers to cope with. MACRO Political The political environment Relates to the pressures and opportunities brought by changes of the government and their views toward the skin care industry. Each government always have a mandate to regulate the use on non organic ingredients in most skin care product. Economic This Refers to economic factors and structures and such variables like the stock exchange, interest and inflation rates, the nations economic policies and performance, exchange rates, etc. Although PG is based in the US, it earns revenues, pay expenses, own assets and incur liabilities in countries using currencies other than the US dollar. As a result, increases or decreases in the value of the US dollar against other major currencies will affect the companys net operating revenues, operating income and the value of balance sheet items denominated in foreign currencies. Social Middle-aged women are very interested in skin care items that help them retain a more youthful appearance and complexion. Observing social factors helps organisations maintain their reputation among stakeholders. Technological Changes in technology can affect a company competitive position. Industries merge; new strategic groups emerge; currents products improve and the cost of production gets reduced by process innovation. Because the skin care industry is very competitive, the company necessitate taking advantage of the latest technology and revolutionary substances to create new product in order to maintain customers interest and loyalty. Environmental With global warming and carbon foot prints being big concerns, governments and scientists are encouraging companies and individuals to be more environmentally aware. PGs policy is to: Ensure its products, packaging and operations are safe for their employees, consumers and the environment. Reduce or prevent the environmental impact of products and packaging in their design, manufacture, distribution, use and disposal whenever possible. They support the sustainable use of resources and actively encourage reuse, recycling and composting. MICRO Buyer Power;  Consumer products companies face weak buyer power because customers are disjointed and have little influence on price or product. But considering the buyers of consumer products to be retailers rather than individuals, then these firms face very strong buyer power. One good example is the business relationship between wall-mart and PG (see swot analysis). Supplier Power; the company could face some amount of supplier power simply because of the costs incurred when switching suppliers. Notwithstanding, suppliers that do large amount of business with the company also are somewhat obliged to their customers; nonetheless, bargaining power for both the firms and their suppliers is probably limited. Threat of New Entrants;  Given the amount of capital investment needed to enter the skin care industry, the assumption is that threat of new entrants will be fairly low. Threat of Substitutes;  Within the skin care industry, brands thrive in helping to build a competitive advantage, but even the pricing power of brands can be scoured with substitutes. Threats to this product may arise from other anti-aging products such as; Avotone, Revitol, Ceramide C etc. Degree of Rivalry; Skin care industry is a very competitive market, taking advantage of the latest technology and revolutionary substances to create new product in order to maintain customers interest and loyalty will be very important. In doing so it will increase the companys competitive advantage over other top brands like Avon and Nivea Visage. INTERNAL The internal environment constitutes variables and forces within the control of the organisation. These variables are; conditions, entities,  events, and  factors  within an organization which  influence  its  activities  and  choices, its philosophy, particularly the  behaviour of the  employees. Other variables include; the  organisation mission statement,  leadership style, and its  culture. SWOT Analysis; this is a planning method use to evaluate the strength, weaknesses, opportunities and treat to a business. It involves specifying objectives of a business at the same time identifying the internal and external elements that will affect the business both positive and negative in the race to attain its stated objectives. Strengths Weaknesses Leading market position geared on a strong brand portfolio. Significant RD and market investment. Robust cash productivity Increase instances of product recall. Excessive dependant on Wal-mart. High product prices translated into sales volume decline and market share loss. Opportunities Threats Future growth plans- Increase concentration on its core attractive businesses and enhancing its customer base. Increase investment in manufacturing capacity in developing countries. Acquisitions to expand portfolio Counterfeit goods. Changing global retail scenario and rise of private labels. Commodity cost and currency exchange rate. Rising cost of energy prices Economic slowdown in US and Euro zone. (www.datamonitor.com) STRENGTHS Leading market position garnered on a strong brand portfolio With revenues of $79,029 million, PG is the worlds largest consumer products manufacturer, with its products reaching 4 billion people worldwide. PG is the 20th largest company in sales and the 9th largest company in profit among the Fortune 500 companies. The companys market capitalization in 2009 was roughly $150 billion, making it one of the 10 most valuable companies in the US. PG holds leading global market shares in a variety of categories, including baby care (33%), blades and razors (70%), feminine protection (37%), and fabric care (33%). The companys leadership position is built on its strong brand portfolio. Strong brand portfolio enables the company to achieve economies of scale in distribution and retain a strong bargaining position with retailers. Leading market position provides PG with significant competitive advantage as well as stabilizes the companys financial growth Significant RD and market investment. Being a consumer products company, PG relies heavily on innovation and continued marketing investments in order to establish a significant competitive advantage. As a result, the company has made significant investments in RD and marketing. Over the last decade, PG has invested more than $2 billion in consumer and market research (nearly twice that of its closest competitor, Unilever; and equal to the combined total of its other major competitors; Avon, Clorox Company, Colgate-Palmolive Company, Energizer Holdings, Henkel, Kimberly-Clark, LOreal, and Reckitt Benckiser). Virtually, all the organic sales growth delivered by PG in the past nine years has come from new brands and new or improved product innovation. PG also involves external innovation partners to boost its internal innovative capability, an approach it calls Connect and Develop. Currently, more than half of all product innovation coming from PG includes at least one major component from an external partner. PGs strong RD capabilities and a marketing-driven understanding of consumer needs are backed by significant marketing investments. The company invests more than $7 billion in advertising annually, consistently making PG one of the worlds largest advertisers. Strong focus on research and development allows PG to renew its product line at regular intervals, which boosts customer loyalty and revenue growth. Significant marketing investments to support its brands and a broad product portfolio help PG to remain at forefront in a competitive market. Robust cash productivity PGs cash productivity: the percentage of earnings converted into cash has averaged over 100% since 2001, consistently among the very best in the industry. This is primarily due to PGs strong focus on productivity, working-capital management and cost reduction. Furthermore, PG is equally rigorous about managing costs. The company has reduced overhead costs as a percentage of sales by more than 300 basis points since 2001. The cash productivity allows PG to maintain the companys excellent credit rating, to pay strong dividends, and to have the flexibility to invest in the business organically or through mergers and acquisitions. Therefore, robust cash productivity ensures that PG has the flexibility and the resources to invest in growth even in the most challenging environments. WEAKNESSES PG has been registering increasing instance of product recalls. One case in point is in November 2009, the company voluntarily recalled three lots of its Vicks Sinex nasal spray in the US, Germany and the UK. The recall was a precautionary step after finding the bacteria B. cepacia in a small amount of product made at its plant in Gross Gerau, Germany. In March 2010, PG voluntarily recalled its Pringles Restaurant Cravers Cheeseburger potato crisps and Pringles Family Faves Taco Night potato crisps in response to a recommendation from the Food Drug Administration (FDA) to the food industry to protect consumers from potential Salmonella exposure. Most recently in June 2010, PG voluntarily recalled a small percentage of 1-liter bottles of Scope Original Mint and Scope Peppermint mouthwash with malfunctioning child-resistant caps in the US and Canada. Recurrent product recalls could affect the brand image of the company, which would lead to low customer loyalty and brand equity. Excessive dependent on Wal-Mart PG is heavily dependent on Wal-Mart Stores (Wal-Mart) and its affiliates for generating major part of its revenue. Sales to Wal-Mart and its affiliates represented approximately 15% of its total revenue since 2006. High dependence upon a Wal-Mart reduces the bargaining power of the company. Also, Wal-Mart could use its bargaining power to impose unfavourable terms on the company. Any decrease in revenue from Wal-Mart could have a negative impact on the companys businesses. Hence, the loss of this customer will lead to a sharp decline in PGs revenues and also a loss of its market share. OPPRTUNITIES Future growth plans In order to grow in a highly competitive environment, PG is pursuing a clearly drafted strategy with focus on two areas: increasing concentration on its core attractive businesses and enhancing its customer base. The company is sharply focusing on its core attractive businesses (the beauty and health market segments and several household care categories) as these are fast-growing businesses. For instance, the global market for personal care products has annual sales of over $39.5 billion and is growing at a rate of around 5% annually. PG intends to increase its customer base by acquiring under served and unserved consumers. In line with this, the company is targeting developing markets; extending its distribution systems; and expanding its brand and product portfolio. Developing and emerging economies are expected to account for 90% of the worlds population by 2010, and this is expected to drive demand for fast moving consumer goods. Increased investment in manufacturing capacity in developing countries PG is planning the biggest increase in its manufacturing capacity in order to expand into categories and countries where it doesnt have a brand presence. The company is investing 4% of sales in capital spending, including funding for new manufacturing capacity to support future growth. Over the next five years, PG plans to add 20 new manufacturing facilities. Almost all of these facilities are in developing markets, and almost all will be multi-product category facilities. By focusing on developing markets, the company would reduce the cost of serving these markets while also being closer to regions with the greatest long term growth potential. Acquisitions to expand portfolio PG has made significant acquisitions in the recent past. For instance, in June 2009, the company acquired the Zirh skincare brand. Zirh is a leading super premium, male grooming brand available in high-end department stores, specialty outlets and online. Later in May 2010, PG entered into an agreement to acquire Natura Pet Products, a privately-held pet food business. Most recently, in July 2010, the company concluded its purchase of the Ambi Pur Brand from Sara Lee Corporation. Ambi Pur is a leading global air care brand with presence in 80 countries, and also has several toilet care products, with strong presence in Western Europe and Asia. These kinds of acquisitions will strengthen PGs presence across a range of categories and in turn augment its top line and bottom-line. THREATS Changing global retail scenario and rise of private labels PGs products are sold in a highly competitive global marketplace which is experiencing an increased trade concentration and the growing presence of large format retailers and discounters. With the growing trend toward retail trade consolidation, it is increasingly dependent on key retailers. Some of these retailers have a greater bargaining strength than PG. They may use this leverage to demand higher trade discounts, allowances or slotting fees, which could lead to reduced sales or profitability. Commodity cost and currency exchange rate instability places tremendous pressure on PGs business. Not to mention the unexpected and dramatic devaluations of currencies in developing or emerging markets reduce profits. Counterfeit goods Trade of counterfeits and pass-offs products is negatively affecting the growth of FMCG companies like PG. The top two brands within any category be it cosmetics, detergents, or soaps are effected the most by counterfeit. It is estimated that the loss due to counterfeit products convert into around  £6 billion ($8.5 billion). Furthermore, with the advent of digital channels there has been a surge in the sale of counterfeit products and online sales of these products increased by 9% in 2009. Besides revenue losses, counterfeits and pass-offs also affect the companys brand as they are unsafe. (Swot analysis Source: www.datamonitor.com ) The best strategies accomplish an organisation mission by exploiting an organisation opportunity and strength, while neutralizing its treat and avoiding its weakness. Ansoff matrix Ansoff matrix highlight four possible market strategy for the propose product. ansoff_matrix-124013-1.jpeg (http://www.brothersoft.com/ansoff-matrix-124013.html). Product development: as this is a new product in the range, much emphasis will be to offer the product to the existing customer base. Using the competitive advantages and brand image of previous products to lunch the propose product. With the companys focus on advertising, (worlds largest advertisers) it can use the advertising power to push the product to recognition. Sixty percent (60%) of the strategy will be on product development. Diversification: One of the opportunities available to the company is launching into new markets and developing economies. Forty percent (40%) of the strategy will be to launch the propose product in an entirely new market. Market Penetration: this occurs when the company sells its existing product in its existing market, perhaps through greater promotional efforts. As this is a new product this strategy might be considered in the future. Market Development: this occurs when the company tries to sell it existing products in new and emerging markets. This strategy as well might be for future considerations.