Understanding and Highlight Efforts to Help Women Define Their Needs

Neil Simon essays

Neil Simon essays Marvin Neil Simon was born the fourth of July1927 in the Bronx, New York, the second son of Irving Simon, a Jewish traveling salesman and his wife Mamie. He grew up in Manhattans Washington Heights neighborhood. He was not a very good student and was eager to leave his all-boys high school to fight World War II. While attending New York University as an engineering student, Simon served in the Air Force Reserve where he was the Sports Editor for the Rev-Meter from 1945-1946 until fulfillment of his obligation at which time he took a position with Warner Brothers as a mailroom clerk. Following his discharge in 1946, he began writing scripts with his brother, Danny, for radio and television personalities. The first of their jobs, paying fifty-dollars-a-week was writing for Goodmans CBS radio show. Their sketches for Phil Silvers, Gary Moore, Jerry Lewis and Broadway shows such as Catch a Star (1955) and New Faces of 1956 contributed to Neils wide popularity. The siblings parted ways and Simon went solo. His early days as a playwright were filled with fears of failure. In the beginning, it terrorized me, because I knew if my plays failed it meant going to California and making a living in television for the rest of my life. [Interview With Neil Simon, titlepage.comcgi-local/shop.pl/page=simon.htm] His first full-length comedy, Come Blow Your Horn (1961), ran for over six hundred performances and was a success but it was the Odd Couple (1965) that truly launched his career. He married his first wife, Joan Baim (dancer) in 1953. In 1957 and 1959 he won Emmy awards for his contributions to both The Sid Caesar Show and The Phil Silvers Show. Neil joined the Dramatists Guild and The Writers Guild of America and purchased his own New York theatre, The Eugene ONeill Theatre. In September of 1973 Joan passed away and Simon married Marsha Mason (actress). They divorced in 1982 and...

Tiffany & Co Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Tiffany & Co - Essay Example Though Tiffany & co. is the price leader, the stores locations make it convenient to its customers. This is a strong marketing mix and other retailers may compete with the company by increasing their number of stores but this does not compare to the low price strategy used by Tiffany & co. Tiffany & co. has been a powerful retail brand and therefore has a good reputation for its value for money. Its convenience and the provision for a wide range of products have contributed to its strengths in the market. Tiffany & co. has also grown substantially over the recent years therefore has experienced global expansion. The company has a core competence which involves the use of improved information technology that supports international logistics systems for example the company carries out a market research that enable the company to see hoe the products perform countrywide and store by store. 2. Review of company and its business The company was the first to win an award in excellence in U S for its silverware. This was in 1867 and in 1877 the company released its logo of cross which was rare as it could only be offered to combat awards. Tiffany & Company also is said to be among the largest private employers having about 9,000 employees as at 2009. Sandra and Roy (1997) shows the company generates revenue of more than $2.86 billion. percent of sales from the grocery business and has therefore focused in opening stores for example in 2007, the company was operating about 64 stores in US which was a total of 480,000 gross square feet. There are also 104 international stores totaling to 300,000 gross square feet. Fairfax Square located in Tyson’s Corner opened in 1990 is the largest outside New York.... The intention of this study is Tiffany & co as first winner of an award in excellence in US for its silverware. This was in 1867 and in 1877 the company released its logo of cross which was rare as it could only be offered to combat awards. Tiffany & Company also is said to be among the largest private employers having about 9,000 employees as at 2009. Sandra and Roy shows the company generates revenue of more than $2.86 billion. percent of sales from the grocery business and has therefore focused in opening stores for example in 2007, the company was operating about 64 stores in US which was a total of 480,000 gross square feet. There are also 104 international stores totaling to 300,000 gross square feet. Fairfax Square located in Tyson’s Corner opened in 1990 is the largest outside New York. The most profitable location was the store in Costa Mesa in California then the New York store and Boston Copley Place. The company’s social responsibility is to plan and develop a program that will promote community development and to enable more people to improve their life. It also advocates for zero rate waste. Tiffany & co.’s mission involves enhancing and integrating supplier diversity programs where it will be categorised in procurement practices. These practices advocate for minority people in the society especially enabling women to open their own businesses. Some of the ingredients that have contributed to the success of Tiffany & co. include the strengths and virtues of the company’s founder. This is due to his overriding vision and unchanging values.

The Nature of Knowledge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Nature of Knowledge - Essay Example In the seventeenth century, Western scientists started deeper inquiry into earlier postulates. Thus ,it was only when Copernicus came and gave them proof that the earth goes round the sun , that the scientists' opinion changed into knowledge. America was discovered when opinion that the earth was flat, changed into knowledge that it was round, Epistemology is the study of the nature, origin and limits of human knowledge. We come to the question, "What is Knowledge" Is it something concrete or is it something abstract To define knowledge, we must study the uses of knowledge. Knowledge can be 'know him' or 'know that' or 'know how.' It is the task of philosophy to discuss this question- what is knowledge Is it intuitive or acquired through experience How is knowledge different from opinion While Plato answers the enigma of knowledge in his Republic, Aristotle refutes Plato's theories in his writings. Although Aristotle 's empirical theories have been the basis of modern science, I think that Plato is right when he says that knowledge involves true belief, since no one can know what is false. Now, the question, "What is knowledge " poses a conundrum which needs a lot of thinking. To understand the concept of knowledge, we must look at the language. Language is the medium in which a concept can be formed. By studying how the words are used, we can get a fair idea of a concept. To answer the question 'What is knowledge' , we should go to the uses of knowledge. Knowledge is 'know that', or ' know how' or ' know where'. There is an important difference between ' know that' and ' know how'. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, "'Know that 'denotes the possession of specific pieces of information , and a person who has knowledge of this sort can generally convey it to others."(p. 473) Epistemology is focused on 'knowing that'. On the other hand, 'know how' is knowledge related to a skill or ability. A person can have a knowledge of swimming and be a good swimmer , but he may not be able to convey this skill to others. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, 'know how' is a knowledge or ability, "One can have knowledge without being able to explain to other people what it is that one knows"(p. 473) Plato explains knowledge in many of his books including The Republic and the Theaetetus .His works are in the form of dialogues between the pupil and the preceptor The Republic is the most famous of his works. The Theaetetus is one of Plato's greatest works on epistemology probably written in 369 B.C. In this work which is the form of a dialogue, Plato discusses the question "What is knowledge" The question and answer exchange takes place between Socrates, the main questioner , and two of his young pupils. The key question of the dialogue is "What is knowledge" When Socrates asks this question, the pupils are bewildered. The one of them comes out with the answer that it is a knowing something such as geometry or astronomy. Socrates objects to this saying that examples are not definitions. At Socrates' prompting, the young pupil comes out with a proposal that , "Knowledge is perception". When Socrates criticizes this proposal, the pupil comes up with a second proposal that "Knowledge is true belief"., which provokes Socrates to say "What is false

Impact of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act on the Accounting and Auditing Essay

Impact of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act on the Accounting and Auditing Profession - Essay Example The unexpected corporate failures brought the integrity of the financial statement audit into question (Elson & Lynn, 2008). The apparent aim of the new law is to strengthen controls and strengthen compliance with disclosures, in order that the matter of corporate performance and financial condition be made more transparent to the investing public. The Act applies to all corporations registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), otherwise known as public companies. The most important sections of the statute are those that require the establishment of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), Auditor Independence, and Enhanced Financial Disclosures. The impact of the new requirements listed is to strengthen the role and accountability of the internal audit function, in order that management and the board of directors may be held responsible â€Å"to vouch for accounting controls over financial reporting and disclosure weaknesses to shareholders† (Elson & Lynn, 2008:60). Prior to the implementation of the SOX, internal control was observed to be weak because of the weak internal audit performance, lack of independent directors, and inconsistency and general failure to hold the board of directors and internal audit committee accountable. While prior to the SOX, similar recommendations for chang e were already made by the Blue Ribbon Committee, compliance with these earlier recommendations was not as effective than that subsequent to the implementation of the SOX, mainly because of the absence of legal mandatory power of the Blue Ribbon Committee, in contrast with the requirements of the SOX which were legally binding (Lin, Kang & Roline, 2009:10). At least three studies have empirically determined the effect of SOX on the enhancement of internal audit and control by the management and board of directors. In the implementation of SOX, the Chief Audit Executive played an active leadership role in the implementation of SOX (Section 404), emphasizing on risk identification and control as well as remediation. Most reported increasing their resources devoted to corporate governance activities, including the review of ethics, business conduct, legal and regulatory compliance; audit resources were reported to have been increased (Patterson & Smith, 2007) by as much as 66% (Elson & Lynn, 2008). Significant changes were also made to the composition of the audit committee and the board of directors, which included: (a) an increase in the number of independent directors assigned to the audit committee as well as the board of directors; (b) a significant increase in compliance with the requirement that there should be at least four direct ors on the audit committee, as well as having six to fifteen directors in the board of directors; and (c) an increase in the overall average number of audit committee hearings (Lin, Kang & Roline, 2009). These changes pointed to not only formal but also substantial compliance with SOX requirements. Not all effects expected of SOX had materialized. A study of external auditors’ performance was conducted on the expectation that they had begun to exercise a greater conservatism and a more vigorous audit process prior to issuing going-concern or other qualified opinions. The study showed, however, that there had been no significant difference in the changes in the performance of auditor firms when comparing the pre- and post-SOX contexts (Ryu, Uliss & Roh, 2009). Furthermore, there are what are called â€Å"ripple effects,† such as (1) the negative influence on corporate acquisitions and mergers; (2) increased records-management requirements; (3) decreased

Impact of Culture on Consumer Behaviour

Impact of Culture on Consumer Behaviour China is the fastest growing and most dynamic economy and is becoming one of the most important markets in the world. With a total population of 1.3 billion and a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of US$10.2 trillion, China accounts for 12% of the worlds GDP. Luna Gupta (2001) noted that the key factors contributing to the significant economic growth in China encompass: Integration into the global economies and export growth; Being the world manufacturing hub; Expansion of Chinas domestic market and inland China growth; and Commitment to the World Trade Organization (WTO). To excel in China, the understanding of Chinese culture is important. Culture is human activities and environment where sets of values and norms followed by a group of people with inherited ethical habits that are symbolic, meaningful and identifiable whether abstract and material (Blackwell et al., 2007). It is to be noted that every form of the culture elements (materials, social institutions, beliefs and value systems, aesthetics and languages) cannot be viewed singly as they are intricately intertwined as each has its synergistic effect with the other. The national culture of any country is shaped by its core values and is the source of considerable amount of mental programming (Hofstede, 1991; Banerjee, 2008). Therefore, it is imperative for marketers to better understand Chinese consumers behaviour (Cui Liu, 2000; Zhou et al., 2009). The impact of national culture is derived and measured from Hofstedes Dimension of Culture Individualism versus Collectivism; Power Distance; Masculinity versus Femininity; Uncertainty Avoidance and Long-term Orientation versus Short-term Orientation. National culture has considerable influence on consumer behaviour (Jaishankar, 1998; Banerjee, 2008) and is outer stimuli, influencing the diffusion of product across countries (Kumar et al., 1998; Banerjee, 2008). China being a large and complex society with 56 ethnic groups each with its own culture and values, there are different mindsets and values in different regions in China (Ralston et al., 1996; Zhou et al., 2009). It has thus been observed that China is a heterogeneous consumer market and not a homogeneous market (Dou et al., 2006; Zhou et al., 2009). Coastal regions of China have long been the gateway to the West through the import and export activities whilst the vast inland has traditionally relied on agriculture with all related industries depended on the natural resources (Veek et al., 2007; Zhou et al., 2009). Therefore, there are two important cultural differences between the two regions the residents from the coastal regions are more open, individualistic and innovative whereas the inland regions are more conservative and collectivistic (Cui Liu, 2000; Zheng, 2006; Zhou et al., 2009). The different regional subcultures are definitely reflected in the different patterns of consumers shopping behaviours. Therefore, it is pertinent to understand the influence of culture of the regions to avoid confounding the cultural dimension. Luna Gupta (2001) noted that culture affects consumer behaviour which reinforces the manifestation of culture. An individuals consumption behaviour is a result of the individual culture value system developed over time as they socialise in a particular group which is in turn influenced by regional sub-cultures and familial values. The first stage of understanding buyer behaviour is to focus on the factors that determine the buyer characteristics in the black box. These can be summarised as follows: The 7Ps of marketing Product, Price, Promotion, Place, Process, People and Physical Evidence shall be conceptualised and operationalised in a culturally-sensitive environment. Such analysis on consumer behaviour provides to marketers the basic and underlying motives for consumption that helps in understanding the fundamental needs, wants and different forms of the consumers decision making variables. This paper aims to review the impact of culture on the consumer behaviour in China focusing on three of the culture elements which are values, languages and aesthetics and how culture elements shape the purchasing patterns of the Chinese. 2.0 The impact of values on consumer behaviour 2.1 Definition of values Values can be defined as moral or professional standards of behaviour. Literally, it means a set of emotional rules people follow to help make the right decisions in life. It instils a sense of integrity, honesty and diligence in people. As reported by Rokeach, (1968, 1973); Tai, (2008), value is defined as an enduring belief that a specific mode of conduct personally or socially preferable. 2.2 Overview of Chinese values Values, attitudes, lifestyles and consumption patterns for the people of China have been deeply influenced by their long historical and cultural traditions. It is therefore important to have a comprehensive understanding of the significant aspects of Chinese cultural norms that have been shaped and formed mainly from interpersonal relationships and social orientations of the Chinese people. Religion has been diffused throughout the society and the term religionà ¥Ã‚ ®- à ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢ (zÃ…Â ng-jià  o) did not even exist in the Chinese lexicon until the 19th century. It is highlighted that the above behavioural pattern has its origin from the works of Confucius, whose doctrines constitute the basic pillars of the Chinese life and ways of living (Bhasin, 2007; Qian, Abdur Razzaque Keng, 2007). Bhasin, (2007) also recognised that Confucianism had the most profound and lasting effect on Chinese society, where it promoted harmony through moral tenets at all levels of human rela tionships, especially the family and nation. 2.3 Values are regional Industrialisation which began on the coastal areas of China was unevenly spread and hence most of the inland regions were isolated from industrialisation. People in coastal regions with higher industrialisation levels have more interaction with imported products compare to the inland people and thus, adopt more western values. While Chinas coastal and inland regions share the same overall Chinese culture, they may also have their own distinctive values and norms (Huo Randall, 1991; Zhang, Grigoriou Li, 2008). As a result of that, coastal consumers are more individualistic compare to their inland counterparts which are more collectivistic. 2.4 Core Chinese values Understanding basic cultural competence is important when doing business in China. The Chinese core values which affect the consumers behaviour are conversed below. Family and group orientation Chinese society is made up of network of families with cultural values derived exclusively from the same. It strengthens the thought that the Chinese in general are collectivist. It is the family and kinship relations that pass on the heritage to the children and not the educational institutions (Qian, Abdur Razzaque Keng, 2007). Guanxi (à ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ³ à §Ã‚ ³Ã‚ » guÄ n xà ¬) Literally consists of two Chinese characters; guan refers to a gate or a hurdle, while xi means a tie. Taken together, guanxi means pass a gate or a hurdle and get connected (Ambler, 1994; Zhuang, Xi Tsang, 2010). It is an interactive behaviour or tie between two or more individuals that established the closeness of one relationship. The larger ones guanxi network is, the more powerful the person becomes (Qian, Abdur Razzaque Keng, 2007). Renqing (à ¤Ã‚ ºÃ‚ º à ¦Ã†â€™Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ rà ©n qà ­ng) Renqing is a social relationship concept according to an implicit set of rules. It can be interpreted as kind of resources, assistance or favour that one gives others and one should return the assistance given once the opportunity arises. Lee Dawes, (2005); Zhuang, Xi Tsang, (2010) explained that Renqing requires that, in a group, all members should help those in need and that all assistance or favours should be repaid. Those who do not repay assistance are considered untrustworthy. Renqing also can be termed as reciprocity. Mianzi (à ©Ã‚ Ã‚ ¢ à ¥Ã‚ ­Ã‚  mià  n zÇ ) Mianzi can be directly translated as face. (Zhuang, Xi Tsang, 2010) indicated that one is given face when he or she is made to feel respected or important. The fact that saving face is so significant to the Chinese, a person is more concerned with other peoples perception of him or herself and with maintenance of his or her own status (Lee Green, 1991; Qian, Abdur Razzaque Keng, 2007). The strong notion of face saving to a certain extent discourages consumer from voicing their products dissatisfaction, where one loses face in front of others if no positive outcome from the complaint is obtained. Yuan (à §Ã‚ ¼Ã‹Å" yuà ¡n) Yuan can be interpreted as karma or destiny. Chinese believe that there are predetermined things that are beyond ones control. Generally they have low expectations towards the purchased products and tend to attribute failure of the product to fate rather than to the manufacturer. Thrift Thrift has been identified as one of the core Chinese values. Faure Fang (2008) recognised that thrift has a functional impact on social life. Traditionally, Chinese people would bargain over the price when buying goods (Faure Fang, 2008). Chinese in big cities like Beijing and Shanghai put half of their annual per capita earnings into savings (Orr, 2004; Wang Lin, 2009). Traditional creeds Traditional creeds take place in Chinese society due to absence of faith and deep spirituality. The Chinese are characterised as extremely superstitious but not religious (Fang, 1999; Faure Fang, 2008). Chinese tend to believe in all sorts of supernatural powers that can intervene in their daily life (Faure, 2000; Pye, 1986; Faure Fang, 2008). Astrology and geomancy (feng shui) are believed to have direct effect on life, from the date of birth to marriage or buying a new office to the choosing of the opening date. Long-term orientation Traditionally, time is not a main concern for the Chinese. Faure Fang (2008) cited that time is perceived as an unlimited resource such as the air that people breathe. Companies and people could have a long term and continuous perspective about life and time. The long-term orientation relevant to the study of consumer behaviour is exemplified with the habit of saving for the future by the Chinese and hence they may spend less on unnecessary items. The case of Procter Gambles Crest toothpaste which entered the Chinese market in 1997 with green tea flavoured toothpaste that built on the traditional Chinese belief that green tea is healthy and good for teeth, resulted in their revenues increased in China by 24% per year between 2002 and 2006 (Suessmuth-Dyckerhoff, Hexter St-Maurice, 2008). On the other hand Starbucks, despite having more than 400 coffee shops in China failed to recognise the cultural sensitivity of the Chinese when they opened an outlet inside Beijings Forbidden City. Starbucks represents low context culture and are not compatible with the refined taste of cultural legacy condensed in the Forbidden City (Han Zhang, 2009). As a result, the shop had to be closed down under tremendous public pressure. The examples presented clearly show that values do impact consumer behaviour in terms of consumption patterns, lifestyles and the priority of needs. Urbanisation and industrialisation do give some influences on the values but Chinese do not seem to have given up its cultural characteristic, especially in deciding on a particular product. They tend to make judgments in the most traditional manner, thinking about issues of face, respect, trust and even guanxi. Thus, marketers need to engage in different approaches when dealing with the Chinese consumers with different value orientations. 3. The impact of Languages 3.1 Overview of Chinese Language China official language is Mandarin or Putonghua (common language) where an estimate of around 80% of the urban population in China use as their main language of communication (Zhou, 1999; Li, 2004) and there are also numerous major Chinese oral dialects as depicted in Table 3. The complexity of Chinese language is due to one of its attributes, which is a tonal language that relies on four distinct tones with 5 levels of pitch range (Chan Huang, 1997). Table 3: The Sinitic language (Han Chinese) as observed by Swanson, 1999, p.35 Language is arguably the most distinct differences when it comes to culture. For Chinese as observed by Alon, Littrel Chan (2009), they associate written name with the long history of written communication in China and beautiful crafted characters can yield positive brand perceptions. Due to the numerous dialects in different regions within China, communication within different regions are not fully understood, for example, Northern Chinese (who speak Mandarin) may not fully understand Southern Chinese (who speak Cantonese) and vice versa. This results in complications when it comes to making a universal Chinese branding strategy to market in China, and care must be taken when products brand names are being transliterated so that they will have positive appeal to consumers. 3.2 Standardised Written Chinese Characters The solution to unite language in China is the introduction of standardised Chinese writing to either Traditional (primarily outside Mainland China) or Simplified (primarily within Mainland China). The Government officiated Simplified Chinese or pinyin in 1958, which relies on effort to Romanised the pronunciation of Chinese characters. Marketers have long acknowledged the importance of localising their brand names, so that their brand names recall highly amongst Chinese consumers, as this is one of the best ways to attract attention. Coca Cola transliterated its name to à ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ £Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¹Ã‚  (kĆº-kÇ’u-kĆº-là ¨) which means to allow the mouth to be able to rejoice is a clear example of localising brand name as indicated by Alon, Littrel Chan (2009). It can be further noted that in selecting brand names, it is essential that they are easy to remember, spell and pronounce (Li Shooshtari 2003; Alon, Littrel Chan, 2009). In a clear adherence to this, German automakers BMW can be transliterated to à ¥Ã‚ ®Ã‚ Ãƒ ©Ã‚ ©Ã‚ ¬ (bÇÅ ½o mÇÅ ½), meaning treasure horse and Mercedes Benz can be transliterated to à ¥Ã‚ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ Ãƒ ©Ã‚ ©Ã‚ ° (bÄâ€Å"n chà ­), meaning dashing speed. The knowledge of naming products which have meaningful words in China woul d ensure the acceptance and success in the Chinese market. 3.3 Two-Syllable Brand Names Due to the complexity of Chinese characters, the work of Alon, Littrel Chan (2009) noted that out of 9,400 morphemes which relate to one syllable, a combination of these morphemes, rather than individually used, created a 70% Chinese words comprising of two morphemes or syllables. Ideally, two-syllable brand names are preferred as they are easier to pronounce and remember (Chan Huang 2001; Alon, Littrel Chan, 2009). In the case of Coca Cola, when it was first launched in China in 1928, people called by its four syllables brand à ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ £Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¹Ã‚  (kĆº-kÇ’u-kĆº-là ¨) and as its popularity and acceptance grew, Chinese consumers started calling the brand by its two syllables as à ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¹Ã‚  (kĆº-là ¨) as noted in the report of Chan Huang (2001). In the case of another popular soft drink, Sprite, it is a one-syllable brand that has been popularly known by its two-syllable name in China as à ©Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ª à §Ã‚ ¢ (xuĆº-bà ¬) which means snow-blue, which coincidentally also denotes coldness-related word which are very positive words in China for drinks (Chan Huang, 2001). 3.4 Word-Of-Mouth Communication China is predominantly a high context culture country, whereby information on purchase decision is usually referred to family members and friends. With 67% of Chinese consumers rely on word-of-mouth communication to know about a new brand as observed by Nunes, et al. (2010), and Chinese consumers rate word-of-mouth communication seven times more credible than television advertisements (Suessmuth-Dyckerhoff, Hexter, St-Maurice, 2008). Online discussion on the internet is also an effective tool of word-of-mouth communication albeit in a different forum. This leads to companies launching internet campaigns like KFCs China website focusing on interactive discussion with a Chinese web portal, QQ.com which is accessible at kfc.qq.com (Alon, Littrel Chan, 2009). The role of language in consumer behaviour relies heavily on getting a meaningful name in brand naming. Cross cultural translation must be approached sensibly to better understand culture of China. This is often a difficult task as direct translation is not easily achievable due to the fact that Mandarin is radically different from Roman-alphabet-based language. However if done correctly, the combination of chosen Chinese characters can play an important role, thus able to communicate product attributes and benefits, traditional or modern values, beliefs and customs (Fan, 2002; Alon, Littrel Chan, 2009). 4. The impact of Aesthetics on consumer behaviour: 4.1 Definition of Aesthetics Aesthetics relate to beauty and what the senses feel, see, touch, smell and appreciate. Aesthetics are of particular interest to the marketer because of their role in interpreting the symbolic meanings of various methods of artistic expression, colour and standards of beauty in each culture. The uniqueness of a culture can be spotted quickly in symbols having distinct meanings (Ghauri Cateora, 2006 p. 87). In the perspective of marketing and consumer behaviour the term aesthetics relate to the consumers five senses of vision, hearing, touch, taste, and smell in response to an object and has a direct bearing on consumer behaviour. 4.2 The relevance of aesthetics for the Chinese Market To create an impact and succeed in China market and attract consumer by culturally adapting brand names to help the product become a success in China. Various industries need to take into consideration the Chinese rich culture. Colours Colour has significant value for the Chinese due to cultural superstition in terms of product logos and package designs. The colour red (especially when combined with the colour gold) became a symbol of good luck and prosperity (Toronto Star Newspapers, Ltd., 2010), however the colour black is deemed to bring bad luck or symbolises death. Logos Logo perception and designs can lead to attraction or distraction for the Chinese Consumer. Brand name, symbols and designs should not offend the local culture. Logo designs and shapes indicate the following: Even shapes like round and symmetrical signify prosperity, dynamism and harmony while uneven shapes indicate conflicts to the Chinese consumers. Numbers Numbers can be deemed to bring good or bad luck. Certain numbers such 8, 11 and 13 have positive connotation while 4 has been associated with bad luck in the Mandarin language (Fletcher, 2006). Good example for auspicious number: 6, 8 and 9 like the official opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics 2008 began at 8.00pm on 08/08/08 and non-auspicious numbers: 1, 4 and 7 denote bad luck where pronunciation of Si in Mandarin refers to death. Long-term brand viability is more likely as design is not based on of the moment creativity, but rather strategically timeless aesthetics that depict brand attitudes (Blumenthal, 2001). Henderson et al. (2003) suggest that the role of logo design in contributing to brand equity is of primary importance in less industrialized countries, when operating abroad, or in countries with logographic writing styles. India and China, for example, have diverse dialects, making language a significant barrier to communication. (Pittard, Ewing Jevons, 2007). Aesthetics and application to local Chinese customs is important for the success of international companies entering China. Consulting local Chinese experts to strategize market penetration in terms of aesthetics looking at wording, logo, designs and meaning will further enhance their success to Chinese consumers resulting in long term customer satisfaction. 4.3 Aesthetics and Brand Names Mobile phone industry where the aesthetics and looks of the product is important to enhance customer satisfaction and long term commitment is a good example. In China, study was done conducted to test the customer behaviour towards selected brands within the Chinese mobile phone market. The outcome indicates brand image influences Chinese consumer behaviour but the study is not conclusive as factors like language and location of study could limit the bigger picture. (Ogba Tan, 2009) Chinese consumers have readily embraced global brands such as Louis Vuitton, BMW, Nokia, Starbucks and McDonalds. Customisation and localisation are the key words in the strategies of foreign companies catering to the needs and preferences of Chinese consumers. (Euromonitor International from trade sources/national statistics, 2008). 5. Conclusion The impacts of culture on consumer behaviour from the perspective of values, languages and aesthetics in China have been proven to be complex and challenging tasks to the global marketers. Thus, a thorough understanding of culture is a necessary ingredient in the development of effective marketing strategy (Yaprak, 2008). The result of rapid industrialization has prompted the emergence of consumer market and culture. Consumer preferences are also changing in tandem with higher disposable income, increased consumer information and wider product selections and distribution channels which highlights the emerging growth of hedonic consumption values. The upshot of this is that the Chinese consumers are looking for more fun, gratification and pleasure in their consumption experience and it is found that hedonic values have a positive impact on the choice and consumption patterns of the Chinese consumers especially for brand consciousness and preference for foreign brands (Wang Lin, 2009). Although cultural characteristics in China often seem to be permanently enduring, a closer analysis reveals that cultural inclinations change from time to time since societies adopt and adapt to different lifestyles and priorities. This is due to the fact that individuals which constitute a particular culture continuously alter their perceptions, attitudes, values, beliefs and behaviours in light of societal and global changes. These perceptions, attitudes, values and behaviours are typified by the buying patterns of the Chinese. During the Mao era, the word sexy was completely forbidden from general use by the public. This is because a sexy attitude was held to be synonymous with shamelessness (Faure Fang, 2008) and the wearing of short skirt by women was banned. However, these days not only the Chinese media freely discuss and portray sexuality in its colourful variety but the Chinese people confidently flaunt their freedom of dressing with all sorts of skimpy fashion. The annual China Sex Culture Festival in Guangzhou exemplifies how open China has become and is a testament to a major cultural shift. It would not go out of context to highlight here that during the infamous Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), the Chinese were all wearing grey and green Mao uniforms and that the roads were all full with black bicycles as the famous mode of transportation. These images remain only in grainy black and white photographs of the yesteryears since these days the Chinese, at least in the coastal megacities like Shang hai and Guangzhou clad themselves in fashionable dresses and drive big imported cars. These examples show that the shift in value perception and attitudes do have their impact on the consumer behaviour in China in the sense that culture does evolve from time to time and its evolution alters the preference of the buying masses. Cultural evolutions must then be understood by the international marketers so as to develop relevant, suitable and effective marketing strategy in the Chinese markets. In conclusion, culture and its various core elements including values, languages and aesthetics must be seen in a constantly growing perspective. This is the reason why the understanding and appreciation of culture and its limitations in the context of consumer behaviour needs to be broadened. Culture must thus be viewed as a dynamic and holistic force that constantly shapes and reshapes its elements according to the variables of time. The ability of globalisation and modernisation in impacting the Chinese consumer values are almost limitless in its scope and intent. However, China seems to have never given up its single most important cultural characteristics, which is the ability to manage paradoxes (Faure Fang, 2008). Therefore, whilst certain aspects of the culture are still adhered to, other values closely associated with that same culture is slowly or rapidly losing ground. Word count = 3995

Management and Organization Essay -- Business, Scientific Management T

Introduction The management and organizational approaches that are used by various firms play a critical role in their performance. The adopted management approach is important due to the fact that it determines the efficiency with which activities are performed. The organizational structure of the firm on the other hand determines the delegation and application of authority. The organizational structure is developed by the management. The structure facilitates effective interaction among employees and helps in directing resources towards achieving the goals of the organization. The behavior of employees is also influenced by the management and organizational approach (Mullins 3). Thus a firm will only be successful if it adopts the best management and organizational approach. This paper will focus on analyzing two management approaches namely, scientific and bureaucratic theories of management. Scientific Management Theory This theory focuses on the analysis and synthesis of workflows. Its main objective is to improve efficiency within an organization. In order to achieve this objective, the theory proposes that scientific principles should be used in designing processes and managing workers. This theory was developed by â€Å"Fredrick Taylor in the 1880s and 1890s within the manufacturing industry† (Cook and Hunsacker 34). The theory was highly influential in the 1910s as the best management style. However, by 1920s it began to lose its popularity as new management ideas and concepts emerged. The modern organizational approaches and management styles borrow the following concepts from the scientific approach. The concepts include â€Å"logic, efficiency, mass production, rationalization, work ethic and standardization of best practi... ...ty. Finally, the two approaches adopt a top-down system of making decisions. This means that commands or directives are given by the top officials while the junior employees are expected to obey. By contrasting the two approaches, the following differences can be identified. While the scientific approach focuses on improving labor productivity, the bureaucratic system puts more emphasis on administrative efficiency. The scientific approach encourages the introduction of incentive schemes in order to motivate workers. The bureaucratic approach on the other hand places emphasis on the rights of the workers in order to motivate the employees. Finally, the bureaucratic approach considers employment as a life-long career. The scientific approach on the other hand leads to job loses as â€Å"knowledge is transferred from workers to workers and from worker to tools† (Dean 29)

Wilderness versus Civilization

Since the time of the first colonizers that set foot in America, there have been great debates regarding the preservation of the Wilderness or the promotion of Civilization. For as far as common sense thinking would be concerned, it is quite impossible for these two to exist at the same place and at the same time. As could be seen in the essay â€Å"Of Plymouth Plantation†, one could see what a civilization or the introduction of civilization has brought to the people. If one would follow the story, as civilization was brought from England to the Wilderness of America, there have been wars and competition, along with conflicts of intentions. In this regard, it would not be a good idea to establish civilizations in areas were people have already created their own native traditions. The imposition of a civilization to another would most likely cause chaos. There have also been wide arrays of bloodshed, deception and trickery. Nevertheless, if the civilization was not introduced there would be no America today. The introduction of civilization has led primitive America settlements become more organize and modernized.   The introduction of weapons, as shown in the Plymouth story have improved the hunting skills of Indians and increased their defense. However, it has resulted to more trees being burned and more animals being killed, meaning, the destruction of the wilderness. In light of this, I would like to create a study that would focused on which of the two, between wilderness and civilization, weighs more and must be preserved or supported. As could blatantly be seen, on the story â€Å"Of Plymouth Plantation†, there is a conflict of whether it would be better to leave the forest and tickets as it is with its Indian people or to pursue the goal of introducing a civilization in the area. I would like to study the literary history behind the decision made by the governor of Plymouth not to help the England colonizer nevertheless they have go against the natives who are little by little learning the knowledge and technology that was present during their time. I would also try to locate other conflicts in the story that have affected touch the wilderness versus civilization issue. It could have been the political understatement that could be seen to reflect the different intentions behind the issue. This study is worth of consideration since it would help determine which facet of society one should support. It would also help determine what are the merits and demerits of a civilization and wilderness with respect to the actions and reactions done by the people in Plymouth. At the end of this study, readers would become fully aware if the conflict of wilderness and civilization in the story should be resolved as a political, economical issue or an issue of personal gain. Since the story was about why America would want to go against or become independent from the rule of England, the section regarding the pursuit of belonging and introducing the â€Å"English civilization† is also one aspect that must be looked upon. The author of the story might have believed that introducing an English type of Civilization along with its renowned religion might only damaged the wilderness and the consciousness of the relationships of the people in the new country. Works Cited Oelschlaeger, M. (1992).The Wilderness Condition: Essays On Environment And Civilization. Island Press. Davis, W. C. (1995). A Way Through the Wilderness. Harpercollins. Kowalewski, D. (2000). Deep Power: The Political Ecology of Wilderness and Civilization. Nova Science Publishers, Incorporated. Chapple, C. (1994). Ecological Prospects: Scientific, Religious, and Aesthetic Perspectives. SUNY Press. London, J. (2002). The Call of the Wild. Spark Publishing Group.            

Free Essays on Peloponnesian War

In Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War, the author describes and analyzes the conflict which occurred between the city-states of Athens and Sparta (and their respective allies) from 431-404 BCE. More importantly, Thucydides provides the reader with justification for the Spartan victory that resulted from this conflict. The main reason for the Spartan victory, according to Thucydides, is shown in the ultimate viability of each polis’ leader's strategies and projections before the conflict. Prior to any fighting, Pericles of Athens and Archidamus of Sparta (with the aid of Spartan allies) devised net assessments that both believed would provide strategies leading to victory and peace for their respective states. In essence, these net assessments can be broken down into three elements: first, an understanding of the nature of the war; second, the identification of the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy to identify a comparative advantage; and finally, the devis ing of a strategy to achieve victory. As Thucydides argues, the Spartans did a superior job of net assessment in all three of these elements prior to the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War. Spartan Strategy Sparta’s King Archidamus took the realistic approach to the potential war: by realizing the inevitable failure of diplomacy efforts with Athens, he instead chose to prepare his own polis for war under the guise of these so-called diplomatic efforts. As he explained in a speech, â€Å"If [the Athenians] pay attention to our diplomatic protests, so much the better. If they do not, then, after two or three years have passed, we shall be in a much sounder position and can attack them† (The Peloponnesian War, p. 84). Secondly, noting Athens' naval superiority, Archidamus was fully aware that a conflict between Athens and Sparta was not an affair that could be ended quickly. Archidamus knew that the Athenians were unlikely to fight an infantry-based war (Sparta’s a... Free Essays on Peloponnesian War Free Essays on Peloponnesian War In Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War, the author describes and analyzes the conflict which occurred between the city-states of Athens and Sparta (and their respective allies) from 431-404 BCE. More importantly, Thucydides provides the reader with justification for the Spartan victory that resulted from this conflict. The main reason for the Spartan victory, according to Thucydides, is shown in the ultimate viability of each polis’ leader's strategies and projections before the conflict. Prior to any fighting, Pericles of Athens and Archidamus of Sparta (with the aid of Spartan allies) devised net assessments that both believed would provide strategies leading to victory and peace for their respective states. In essence, these net assessments can be broken down into three elements: first, an understanding of the nature of the war; second, the identification of the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy to identify a comparative advantage; and finally, the devis ing of a strategy to achieve victory. As Thucydides argues, the Spartans did a superior job of net assessment in all three of these elements prior to the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War. Spartan Strategy Sparta’s King Archidamus took the realistic approach to the potential war: by realizing the inevitable failure of diplomacy efforts with Athens, he instead chose to prepare his own polis for war under the guise of these so-called diplomatic efforts. As he explained in a speech, â€Å"If [the Athenians] pay attention to our diplomatic protests, so much the better. If they do not, then, after two or three years have passed, we shall be in a much sounder position and can attack them† (The Peloponnesian War, p. 84). Secondly, noting Athens' naval superiority, Archidamus was fully aware that a conflict between Athens and Sparta was not an affair that could be ended quickly. Archidamus knew that the Athenians were unlikely to fight an infantry-based war (Sparta’s a...

Green House Effect essays

Green House Effect essays The greenhouse effect being a natural phenomenon is directly affected by human activities such as new industrial processes, more extensive agriculture and a rapid increase in the world's population causing global warming. Greenhouse effect is like a double jeopardy. Without the natural greenhouse effect we would be living in a very chilly place the worlds average temperature would be minus 18 degree Celsius instead of 16 degree Celsius we are used to. Again, greenhouse effect, influenced by the careless human activities, is the reason of recent increase of average temperature of the earth, popularly known as global warming. The natural greenhouse effect is a phenomenon created by the heat energy radiated by the sun and greenhouse gases (water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and halocarbons) normally present in the atmosphere. Sunlight passes through the atmosphere, warming the Earth; in turn, the Earth radiates this energy back towards space. As suns energy passes through the atmosphere, greenhouse gases absorb part of the energy, while the remainder escapes into space. This means that some of the sun's energy becomes trapped thus making the lower part of the atmosphere, the Earth, warmer. Now, if the atmosphere accumulated all the trapped heat, then the Earth's temperature would just rise and rise, but it doesn't. The temperature only rises until the amount of infrared or long wave radiation leaving the Earth balances the amount of energy coming in from the sun. As long as the amount of greenhouse gases in the air stays the same, and as long as the amount of heat arriving from th e sun is constant, an equilibrium is established. This is a steady state where as much energy is lost to space as is gained from the sun. In this equilibrium, the natural greenhouse effect maintains the earths temperature at tolerable label. According to the scientist of Australian Academy...

Health, Environmental, and Socio-economic Impact of Organic Food Research Paper

Health, Environmental, and Socio-economic Impact of Organic Food Consumption - Research Paper Example Modern times have seen a dramatic increase of organic food consumption. More consumers are drawn towards buying organic food as it is perceived to offer more health benefits and less toxic chemical content. The sales of organic foods in the United States skyrocketed from 1 billion in 2001 to 23 billion in 2008 (Crinnion, 2010). This growth in organic food consumption may be driven by the growing interest of consumers towards healthy lifestyle and environmentally-friendly foods. Unlike inorganic foods, foods which are organically grown are propagated and reared without the use of pesticides, antibiotics, chemical fertilizers and other harmful chemicals (Winter & Davis, 2006). Thus, it possesses high nutritional content and an approximately â…“ less residue of pesticides (Crinnion, 2010; â€Å"Organic Food,† n.d.). In addition, organically grown crops and livestock do not pose a threat into the environment. Various environmental groups claimed that chemicals used in convent ionally propagating crops and breeding livestock contaminate the drinking water, and harm the surroundings (Fookes & Dalmeny, n.d.). However, some researchers argued that some facts about organic foods may be overlooked by consumers. In 2002 the United States Department of Agriculture warned the consumers of the parasites and bacteria found in organic crops. The absence of pesticides and preservatives in organically grown crops makes it more susceptible to bacteria and parasite infection. In turn, consuming organic crops may have an adverse effect to consumer’s health (as cited in Food Marketing Institute [FMI], 2007). This paper seeks to review and explore previous studies on the health and environmental effects of organically grown crops and livestock. This is to determine if the benefits of consuming organic foods outweigh its adverse effects. This paper will also delve into the social and economic impact of organic farming and further technological and research needs. Effects of organic foods in one’s Health A study conducted by Crinnion (2010) found that organic crops contain higher Iron, Phosphorous, Vitamin C as well as Magnesium. These nutrients are seldom found in conventionally-produced crops in the country. Thus, organically grown crops offer consumers a better nutrition. In addition, it contains a high amount of antioxidant phytochemical that repairs damaged cells and helps the body fight heart disease and Cancer. It hampers the development o f cancer cells by reducing mutagenic action of toxic chemicals. However the study conducted by the University of Minnesota found that organic foods contain 9.7 % of E. coli bacteria compared to 1.6% found in conventionally grown crops. Contamination of organically grown crops occurs due to the use of animal manure. Its usage increases the probability of consumers being infected with fecal bacteria. Researchers reiterated that organically grown crops are not considered a â€Å"high-risk food† (Morano, 2004). Organic Trade Association argued that there are no evidences suggesting that organic foods are not safe to consume. Organically grown food was found to possess lower harmful fungi compared to conventionally produced crops (as cited in FMI, 2007). A high amount of residue from toxic chemicals is commonly found in conventionally grown crops. This chemical residue may lessen the chances of procreation or giving birth. Seven hundred women who reported to be constantly exposed to pesticides were found to have high rate of miscarriage. Another longitudinal study conducted by University of Denmark found that women who have high amount of pesticide particularly Dieldren in their bloodstream are more at risk of developing breast cancer. Dieldrin is considered as one of the most common pesticides used in conventionally grown crops in previous years. Exposure to high level of Dieldrin causes

EPR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

EPR - Essay Example The uniqueness of an ERP is that it can be implemented into large and small sized organizations alike. ERPs are divided into different modules like procurement, sales, marketing, etc. which makes it possible for an organization to implement only those modules that are descriptive of their business. Some of the widely known applications available off-the-shelf are my SAP by SAP, PeopleSoft by Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics by Microsoft and Sage ERP by Sage Group. Due to the popularity of 'free' technologies (paid by through advertisements), several open source ERP software are also available. ERPs have gained enormous popularity in the business world and are considered as a 'dream come true'. Thus by looking at the advantages it can be found out whether it is a good dream or not. (TechFaq, 2008) (Swartz and Orgill, 2001) A seller of cartons of steel nails gets an order through the customer service representative who forwards the request on the ERP system to the production department after checking all necessary customer information through the same ERP system. Procurement, Production and all other concerned departments see the same information and update it as its get completed. A route is created where the information is automatically sent to relevant departments who track it down till its completion and its sales to the customer through the Customer Relationship Management systems. The customer gets the carton of nails faster and with fewer errors while the company gets lower cost and tracking facility. Reality Check Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) appears to be a 'dream come true'. These commercial software packages promise the seamless integration of all the information flowing through a company. Mostly companies implement ERPs to try to integrate the financial and customer order information, standardize and improve organizational processes, reduce inventory and standardize HR information (Koch, 2008). However hidden costs such as training,