Realistic Fiction Genre Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Reasonable Fiction Genre Study - Essay Example Reasonable Fictions are stories that offspring of any age will appreciate, since they help such kids to comprehend the human connections, accordingly setting them up for an actual existence later on, since they will have just comprehended the human issues (O'Connor, 2010). This causes them to comprehend themselves better, just as understanding the human potential in them. Through perusing Realistic Fiction stories, kids are given a mirror to see the world, permitting them to comprehend the complexities that exist in our reality, while additionally setting them up mentally for what might be on the horizon. The substance of perusing Realistic Fiction stories isn't just to assist youngsters with seeing the world in an unmistakable view and set them up for the future, yet in addition to introduce an open door for such kids to pick what they would need to be, founded on the characters introduced by the accounts (Galda, Cullinan and Sipe, 2009). While the youngsters are perusing these acco unts, they connect straightforwardly with their preferred characters, intently seeing how they managed this present reality difficulties and battles. This shapes the children’s character and perspectives towards life, since kids can see themselves doing likewise things. Along these lines, Realistic Fiction Genre causes youngsters to comprehend various individuals, places and societies, allowing them a chance to comprehend the world past what they see each day, while helping kids to find what they need to become in future. While choosing the books for my class study, I left on characterizing the standards to be utilized to think of books that genuinely fit in the Realistic Fiction Genre. The standards was surveying the books based on assessing whether they present each day real factors that are fundamental in helping youngsters comprehend the world. Moreover, the books were chosen dependent on their capacity to introduce characters that are sensible and trustworthy, introducin g openings that broaden the perusers thinking viewpoint, and introducing points and conversations that appears to be genuine and thus convincing. Through choosing books that qualify such measures, the points of Realistic Fiction Genre are fulfilled, making the books proper and significant for perusing by kids. The primary book I chose was The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Twain, Mark. This tale is about an evil and extremely bold kid called Tom Sawyer, who was living along the Mississippi River, in the St. Petersburg, Missouri (Twain, 1990). Tom is a badly carried on kid, who takes part in battles at school, thus dirtying his garments and showing up home a complete chaos. As a discipline for his bad conduct, he is required to whitewash a fence, which he is evidently not ready to do. Along these lines, he applies his craftiness to fool his companion into doing it, with a guarantee of conceding him some fortune in type of passes to a Bible retaining challenge, where one would wind up wi th a Bible as a prize. Regardless of being sly and lethargic, Tom is additionally unethical and unscrupulous. He happens to begin to look all starry eyed at another young lady who had as of late showed up around, Becky Thatcher, and requests that her kiss him, as an indication of commitment. Becky hesitantly consents to kiss him, just to understand the contemptibility of Tom later on, when she finds that she had been recently connected with to an alternate young lady, Amy. Thusly, he is dismissed by Becky and returns to his fiendish life, this time in the organization of Huckleberry, who was a child of a well known town boozer. In their experience to a grave to evaluate some fix, they saw a

Better Weight-Loss Tool: Dieting Vs Exercising

A central point prompting weight in created nations is the prepared accessibility of reasonable and delectable food. Notwithstanding it a stationary way of life, including work area occupations and time spent sitting in front of the TV, utilizing a PC, and other â€Å"activities† that require next to zero physical exertion are some different reasons. Individuals are demonstrating more enthusiasm for eating nourishments in cafés and inexpensive food out lets than the home made nourishments. Abundance muscle to fat ratio has been connected to such medical issues as coronary illness, hypertension, osteoporosis, diabetes, joint pain and certain types of cancer.There are various methods of loosing weight. One of them is by abstaining from excessive food intake and another is by working out. In any case, numerous individuals diet basically to diminish their weight to look better and thin. They imagine that the most ideal approach to accomplish it is â€Å"Eat less, weigh less†. There's nothing amiss with looking great and getting thinner however they ought to acknowledge how solid and solid they are. To be effective, the weight reduction ought to be progressive. The most ideal approach to shed muscle versus fat and lessen the weight is by consuming less calories or briefly changing dietary patterns. Adhering to a reasonable eating project can likewise include some order and sacrifice.A effective weight reduction diet must incorporate sufficient measures of every basic supplement that the body needs to look after wellbeing. The eating routine that is wealthy in natural products, vegetables, and entire grains and a couple of prepared nourishments is the best eating regimen for individuals who need to free weight in long haul. Plan your eating regimen cautiously, keeping away from quick nourishments and some other high-fat, high-sugar nourishments, food sources, for example, fish, tofu, and the most slender cuts of meats with significant protein source ar e instructed rather regarding burgers and pizzas. A grown-up lady who is respectably dynamic needs around 2,000 calories for every day to meet all her supplement necessities and keep up a sound weight.She should in this manner pick her eating regimen cautiously which in the long haul ought not have any medical issues, for example, kidney issues, bone mineral misfortune, and other obscure long haul hazard factors (Eisenstein, et al. , 2002). Individuals before long become tired or give themselves a get-away from consuming less calories and restore the shed pounds, in addition to some more. A person’s successful way to deal with remain thin relies upon whether ones weight objective is short-or long haul. On the off chance that one carefully needs to get thin, they ought to be solid and decided towards the eating routine they eat.If your goal is to lessen muscle to fat ratio and keep your weight at a sound, agreeable level, inquire about has affirmed that normal exercise is the most significant factor for long haul achievement . Practicing normally will abstain from keeping abundance muscle to fat ratio. This is the most significant part of your weight reduction plan. Exercise will improve what you're doing with your eating routine, however practice alone will never replace changing your eating routine. Exercise can change the manner in which you look, feel, and perform, just as have a colossally positive effect on your wellbeing and pretty much every part of your life.Setting up a basic, affordable home rec center will likewise help beat a portion of the time restrictions by removing travel to and from the rec center. With a little beginning speculation and a couple of square feet of floor space, you can add comfort to the rundown of why an activity program can be so successful. An appropriate eating regimen combined with normal exercise is the staple to a solid way of life. Some of the time, we don't focus on slimming down until we are certain we can res olve to work out. Or on the other hand we center around practicing to the prohibition of our eating routine. You can practice each and every day for an entire year and I free t just five pounds since you didn't right your diet.Even to get more fit, one need vitality. The most ideal way is maintaining a strategic distance from the fatty nourishments. That empowers you to pack a gigantic measure of calories into a short measure of time. In any case, it is smarter to abstain from eating such a large number of calories in any case. An hour of activity won't fix the harm of eating 5,000 calories per day. Actually, on the off chance that you don't practice by any stretch of the imagination, yet you tidy up your eating regimen, you'll get thinner. In the event that you just exercise and don't tidy up your eating regimen, will you get thinner? Possibly, yet very little, if your uncorrected eating routine is in any way similar to mine was.Research has demonstrated that the main long haul app roach to diminish muscle versus fat (and not body protein and water, which can be fast yet insufficient) is to lessen the admission of high-fat and sweet nourishments and to practice consistently. Ross et al. , (2000) announced that men in both the eating regimen and the exerciseâ€weight misfortune programs lost a normal of around 16 pounds. Weight didn't change in the benchmark group or in the gathering allocated to practice without weight reduction. Muscle to fat ratio diminished in both weight reduction gatherings, yet men in the exerciseâ€weight misfortune program lost more muscle versus fat than men in the dietâ€weight misfortune program.Men relegated to practice without weight reduction lost some stomach fat. Physical wellness improved in both exercise gatherings. The tests for early indications of diabetes improved in both weight reduction gatherings. In any weight reduction endeavor the objective is to lose the overabundance fat that has been amassed in the body, in stead of to get in shape. Food arranged at home offers the least demanding approach to settle on solid decisions about fat, sugar, salt, etc, yet in this day and age, accommodation frequently prevails upon a home prepared supper. A sound eating regimen alongside practice improves the nature of wellbeing and life expectancy.Health is riches, what else one need instead of a decent wellbeing. Being sound will have a significant effect on anybody's life, and that ought to be inspiration enough to begin your eating routine and get moving on that activity programâ€and to keep it up inconclusively. For the best of the two universes, don’t pick among diet and exercise, adopt the exhaustive strategy and permit the two to help each other. Reference: Eisenstein, J. ; Roberts, S. ; Dallal, G. ; and Saltzman, E. (2002).â€Å"High-Protein Weight-Loss Diets: Are They Safe and Do They Work? A Review of the Experimental and Epidemiological Data.† Nutrition Review 60:189â€197. Lej eune, M. P. G. M. , van Aggel-Leijssen, D. P. C. , van Baak, M. A. also, Westerterp-Plantenga, M. S. (2003).Effects of dietary restriction versus practice during weight upkeep in stout men. Volume 57, Number 10, Pages 1338-1344 R. Ross, D. Dagnone, P. J. H. Jones, H. Smith, A. Paddags, R. Hudson, and I. Janssen. (2000).â€Å"Reduction in Obesity and Related Comorbid Conditions after Diet-Induced Weight Loss or Exercise-Induced Weight Loss in Men. A Randomized, Controlled Trial. † It is in the 18 July 2000 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine (volume 133, pages 92-103).

Wiccan religion: The Goddess and Gods of the Wiccan Religion :: Essays Papers

Wiccan religion: The Goddess and Gods of the Wiccan Religion Wicca is the most common type of reconstructionist neo-agnosticism in the United States and is the pre-Christian otherworldliness of the Celtic people groups who lived in the British Isles and Brittany and on the western bank of France. Wicca is a religion dependent on profound individual comprehension of oneself and the multi-stanza in which one dwells. They work with the Gods and Goddess that call to us, and we create associations with them that help and bolster them in their development. Wicca is an otherworldly way, a method for seeing the world and Divinity, and our relationship to it. They accept that Goddess is up and coming in our general surroundings. Goddess pervades each living thing, and the majority of them characterize rocks, soil, water, air, fire, and the plant herself as living things. The God of Wicca is the Horned God, the old God of Fertility: the God of the woodland, group, and field and furthermore of the chase. He is Lord of Life, and the Giver of Life, yet he is likewise Lord of Death and Resurrection. http://www.interlog.com/~spawn/gods.html Wicca is viewed as an extreme confidence regardless of noteworthy quantities of goddess dedicates who are incredibly traditionalist in their ways of life and the fundamentals they hold. The wiccan religion isn't exclusively a women’s confidence. While their are ladies just groupings, and ladies drove, or ladies prevalent ones, there are similarly the same number of blended sexual orientation groupings, in some of which men are prevailing. There are likewise various solitaries, the two ladies and men. In Wicca, professionals notice the blessed duality of the genders in nature and in themselves, and love the Divine as both God and the Goddess. Most current Wiccans feel that while the God and Goddess are independent and equivalent, there are additionally two separate sides of a similar coin: across the board. And all that they see, contact, feel, hear, or sense is Holy. The Goddess is known as The Powerful Lady Mother every one of whom could show up in many, appearances relying upon the individual needs of the individual conjuring them. The God is known as the Horned God. The Horned God is the gathering soul of the pursued creature, summoned by the crude shaman and the clan. The Goddess, regardless of whether Gentle Lady-Mother or roaring and Powerful Seductress has never truly been extensively joined explicitly to a creature structure as much as the God seemed to be.

Value chain analysis - Free Essay Example

2. Literature Review This section provides a broad picture of the dissertation that includes setting up the arameters and limits to the field of inquiry going into the research. Its aim is to identify key ideas, marketing theories applicable and marketing case studies that impinge upon the area of this investigation. It makes an effective starting point leading into the introduction and the background of the dissertation. 2.1 Macro Environment Analysis of McDonalds The analysis is done using a top down approach where first the Macro Environment and then the Micro environment has been examined, in which McDonalds operates. 2.1.2 Internal Anlaysis Internal Analysis is done using Value Chain analysis. The term value chain was used by Michael Porter (1985) in his book competitive advantage; creating and sustaining superior performance. Brown (1997),described value chain as a tool to disaggregate a business in to strategically relevant activities. In McDonalds case, the key value adding activities are inbound logistics, operation, outbound logistics, marketing sales and service. McDonalds logistics function is to buy food on behalf of its operator (franchisee) and arrange delivery in to their restaurants. McDonalds logistics includes; the procurement and shipment of raw materials in to suppliers, the procurement and shipment of finished goods between the suppliers and the distribution centres, together with the warehousing at each distribution centre, the ordering and the delivery to restaurants of all food, packaging and operating supplies. To improve its logistics operation, McDonalds combines a number of food-processing plants dedicated to its operation only. The establishment of food towns consisting of a distribution centre and a bakery, a meat plant, a sauce plant and a chicken plant, gives McDonalds competitive advantage. The supporting activities that can be identified are procurement, human resources development and technology. McDonalds uses electronic procurement system. It had set logistics trends for restaurants with its online ordering system. It was noted that more than 12% of McDonalds franchisees ordered food supplier electronically. Revamping its supply chain with software and technology made it easy to respond quickly and efficiently to customers needs. With the online ordering system, McDonalds had a return on investment of 23.2% in 2008. However, the human resource development at McDonalds is excellent. McDonalds uses a high-engagement approach to improving both their operations, leadership pipeline and employee satisfaction with their career growth. Every management staff at McDonalds receives training at one of the regional training centres and at the national centre, Hamburger University in East Finchley. Training all employees to work in one best way (quick-service culture) made McDo nalds to gain customers loyalty continuously leading to a competitive advantage. 2.1.3 External Anlaysis PEST analysis is applied for an in depth understanding of macro environment in fast food industry where McDonalds operated. Kotler (1998) claims that PEST analysis is a useful strategic tool for understanding market growth or decline, business position, potential and direction for operations. POLITICAL The operations of McDonalds are affected by the government policies on the regulations of fast food operation. Currently government are controlling the marketing of fast food restaurant because of health concern such as cardiovascular and cholesterol issue and obesity among the young and children in the country. Governments also control the license given for open the fast food restaurant and other business regulation need to follow such as for a franchise business. Good relationship with government in giving mutual benefits such as employment and tax is a must for the company to succeed in any foreign market. McDonalds should also protect its workers by ensuring all the hiring, compensation, training or repatriation is according to UK and European Labour Law and the Middle Eastern Labour Laws as stipulated. ECONOMICS As a business entity, McDonalds need to face a lot of economic variables outside its company or its macro environment. Dealing with international sourcing for its material McDonalds should be aware on the global supply and currencies exchange. Remember, McDonalds import most of its raw material such as beef and potatoes due to local market cannot supply in abundant to meet the demand of its product. Any upside of currencies especially dollar will be impacting its cost of purchase. Working on the local country, McDonalds must face government regulations on tax of profit where it gains from the operation and other tax such as entertainment and restaurant service tax. Each country may have different scale or types of tax available and McDonalds should follow the regulation if it wants to continue the operation. As a franchise, McDonalds should also pay certain percentage of the revenue to the parent company in United States. The economic condition and growth of the country also is an important indicator to the demand of products that McDonalds offered. As the food priced slightly above normal foods, not many people will have the income range to consume the products. Moreover if the economy is bad and income percapita is affected, the demand of McDonalds product will certainly going down. On the other hand the good economy also means disposable income is more and people can spend more on more expensive food at fast food restaurant. SOCIAL/CULTURAL The changing lifestyles of Malaysia due to development of Malaysian economy should be also taking into consideration. While more people are able financially to eat at more expensive outlet such as fast food restaurant, they have higher expectation. They want to have quality in services and more conveniences that can differentiate one restaurant from another. Young urban consumers want technology in their life and facilities such as credit card payment, wireless internet, cozy and relaxing ambient place, and other attraction for their hangout and eating. All these needs should also be taken into consideration. There is not much difference between cultural and the purchase of products in a single country but for different countries cultural sensitivity should be upheld. For example in India people (Hindu) do not take beef, Muslim countries do not take pork, German like beers, Finnish like fish type of food menu, Chinese like to associate food with something good (for ex ample prosperity), Asian like rice and Americans eat in big-sized menu. So far McDonalds has shown good efforts in localization of its menu to suit local taste but it should constantly survey and learn about local culture to better understand and design the best product for them. TECHNOLOGY For a fast food restaurant, technology does not give a very high impact on the company and it is not a significant macro environment variables. However McDonalds should be looking to competitors innovation and improve itself in term of integrating technology in managing its operation. For example in inventory system, supply chain management system to manage its supply, easy payment and ordering systems for its customers and wireless internet technology. Implementation of technology can make the management more effective and cost saving in the long term. This will also make customer happy if cost savings results in price reduction or promotional campaign discount which will benefits them from time to time. LEGAL As a certified fast food operator, there are many regulations and procedures that McDonalds should follow. For example is the Halal certification that becomes a concern to Muslim consumers. McDonalds should protect its integrity and consumer confidence by ensuring all materials and process are as claimed or must followed. Other legal requirement that the business owner should follow as stipulated in laws are such as operating hours, business registration, tax requirement, labor and employment laws and quality environment certification (such as ISO) in which the outlet has been certified. The legal requirement is important because the offenders will be fined or have their business prohibited from operating which can be disastrous. ENVIRONMENT As one of world largest consumer of beef, potatoes and chicken, McDonalds always had been critics for world environmentalist. This is because high consumption of beef causing the green house effect by methane gasses coming from the cows ranch. Large scale plantation has effect the environment and lost of green forest opening for plantation activities. Vegetarian environmentalist criticizes the fast-food giant for cruelty to animals and slaughtering. In Japan, once McDonalds want to introduce whale burger causing uproar because whales are endangered species. Before using paper packaging, once McDonalds also had been criticized for being insensitive to pollution because using polystyrene based packaging for its foods. Imagine millions of people purchase from fast food operator and how is the impact to world environment by throwing away those hard to recycle packaging. Our world is getting concern on environment issue and business operating here should not just care for prof it, but careful usage of world resources for sustainable development and care for environment safety and health for our future generation. Critics and concern from all public or activist should be review and support if necessary to ensure we play our social responsibility better. 2.2 Market Position McDonalds is operating in a very competitive market. In order to maintain on the top position of the competition, it is important to understand the companys industry environment to be prepared for actions. Porters 5 Forces is a useful model for analysing the industry environment, it identifies five competitive forces that shape every single industry and market. Supplier Power If suppliers have strong bargaining power, competitive pressure will be greater (Pearce and Robinson, 2004). McDonalds works in partnership with most of their suppliers to protect the quality of their foods and minimise the bargaining power of suppliers. Buyer Power Consumers buying power in the food market is high. With the continuously changes in tastes and the increased concern in healthy eating, companies in the food market has to make changes and improvements to satisfy its customers. Otherwise there is a high possibility in getting bad publicity and lost in profit. Threat of Substitute The threat of substitute is high in the fast food market due to the strong competition and the increasing amount of ready to eat foods. Customers have many choices other than McDonalds, and ready to eat meals are cheaper and convenient. Competition The competition in the fast food market is very high. McDonalds has to compete with strong competitors like Burger King, Pizza Hut, Wendy and KFC. Threat of Entry The threat of new entrant is low in the fast food industry because of the amount of competition with the big players in the market. New entrants will not likely to win due to lack ok economic of scale. The fast food industry is highly competitive. Taking one step further from the internal analysis, in this chapter, external analysis was done so as to determine where McDonalds I positioned in the market, given the intensive rivalry. PESTLE is used to gather data for completion of this analysis. From the data using PESTLE, swot analysis is done to determine how McDonalds strong market position as the largest foodservice and fast-food retailing chain in the world is bolstered by robust all-round growth witnessed by the company. By analyzing PEST and SWOT an understanding of overall of the companys power and how it can grow, is established. This was done keeping the focus on Western European Market and the Middle east. Hence the impact of European Regulations and turbulence caused by ter rorism and Iraq war is also taken as a significant point as part of analysis. Porters five forces model is used as the tool to analyse the market competition in the European and the middle east market. The existing rivalry in the industry is already strong although McDonalds is in a dominant market position. The above analysis helps to conclude MCDonalds competitive advantage and its uniqueness to gain broad target in the aforementioned markets. 2.3 : Marketing Strategy and Mix Every organisations need to identify their strategic aims to be able to have a direct focus of what and when to achieve it within a given time. This is usually based on the organisations limited resources and capabilities. As (Barney 1991), stated an organisation could extend their limited resources and capabilities through organisational learning, sharing, generation of knowledge, redeployment of existing resources in an effective and efficient ways. In this section, the strategic aim of McDonalds is discussed. This is used for evaluating the way it has implemented its objectives and the effectiveness of the global and local marketing strategies. This was important to fully understand its market and environment in order to evaluate its right marketing plans and the adopted strategies. After analysing the market and environment of McDonalds, this chapter focuses on the plans and strategies adopted by the company to overcome its weaknesses and avoid the threats. It uses various survey results to determine the effectiveness of its marketing mix. In the year 2003, when, McDonalds had been having problems on losing market share, reducing profit and bad publicity, the company started aligning their global system around a common mission with a common set of customer focused goal oriented actions. It was called McDonalds Plan to Win which was to put the companys concentration on the five drivers of exceptional customer experiences Product, People, Place, Promotion and Price. This plan was aimed to increase profits by improving its services to increase customers. These 5 variables are also known as the Retail Marketing Mix or the 5 Ps. They are the variables that marketing managers can control in order to best satisfy customers in the target market. This chapter discusses and evaluates the way McDonalds has established its revitalisation plan in the European and the Middle East markets. While doing the research on the five Ps, McDonalds relationship marketing is also examined, that is viewed as an asset and the companys marketing goal is to attract, maintain, and enhance customer relationships. Then there is an argument on whether the combination of five Ps with the relationship marketing is enough to stay on the competition or is there any other areas to be focussed as well. In the aspect of marketing sales McDonalds adopted the concept of 7ps of marketing mix formulated by McCarthy (1975) and Gilligan Fifield (1996). These 7ps includes; product, place, price, promotion, people, process, physical. With these 7ps McDonalds was able to create a uniformity of items that taste the same in different countries. McDonalds realises that although there is cost savings in standardisation but success can be achieved by being able to adapt to a specific environment. It has a pricing strategy that enables it to cope with a particular market. In setting price, McDonalds looks at the elasticity of demand for its product in response to price. Considering the diverse range of culture, custom in different countries, McDonalds has localised its marketing communication strategy using different promotion and advertisement. For instance McDonalds uses the England footballer Alan Shearer as a logo to advertise its hamburgers in the UK and in France its uses Fabien Barthez, t he French international goalkeeper. Obviously, McDonalds uses a number of styles to attract customers. After analysing the market and environment of McDonalds, this chapter will be focusing on the plans and strategies adopted by the company to overcome its weaknesses and avoid the threats. In the past few years, McDonalds has been having problems on losing market share, reducing profit and bad publicity. In the year 2003, the company have aligned their global system around a common mission with a common set of customer focused goal oriented actions. It is called McDonalds Plan to Win which was to put the companys concentration on the five drivers of exceptional customer experiences Product, People, Place, Promotion and Price. This plan was aimed to increase profits by improving its services to increase customers. These 5 variables are also known as the Retail Marketing Mix or the 5 Ps. They are the variables that marketing managers can control in order to best satisfy customers in the target market. (Please refer to appendix 2 for further information on the 5 Ps) Product The following are the strategies applied by McDonalds on their Products: To satisfy customers desire for premium products at affordable prices. More choices on the Happy Meal such as fruit options and milk for the kids. To address the desire for foods that fit into todays lifestyle. McDonalds has added new choices like meal-size salads, fruit options and sandwiches in order to fit the increased concern on health eating. McDonalds is controlling the quality of the foods by working in partnership with its suppliers and to work closely with food experts to ensure the quality is in the highest standard. People The following are the marketing strategies adopted by McDonalds on its People: Speeding up service by simplifying the restaurant environment for their staff and customers. Ensuring the restaurant staffs are focused on being friendly, as well as fast with hospitality training. Providing cost-efficient, relevant training for their world-wide workforce. There are more than 1.6 million people worldwide working for McDonalds. McDonalds has placed emphasis on the training and development of its employees, aiming to provide career opportunities for people to achieve their potential. McDonalds has five commitments to their employees, which are: Respect and Recognition Values and Leadership Behaviours Competitive Pay and Benefits Learning, Development and Personal Growth Resources to Get the Job Done Place McDonalds has over 30,000 restaurants in 119 countries. It opens in places where has high consumer flows such as high street, shopping malls, train station, airports, retail parks, gas stations, and even schools. Freestanding restaurants are positioned so that customers are never more than a few minutes away by foot in the city or by car. The following are McDonalds strategies on Place: To make the environment the gold standard for cleanliness. They have recalibrated their standards and are consistently enforcing them. McDonalds has added additional service to customers by providing Wi-Fi accessibility in some of the restaurants so customers can stay connected to the internet while enjoying their foods. Giving customers more reasons to visit McDonalds by adding more products offering such as coffee and to locate in the right place. Relocating, renovating and rebuilding some of the restaurants to give McDonalds a fresh edge. Promotion Every year McDonalds spent huge amount of money on promotion. The company has been trying to maximise the impact of the advertising spending and broaden their reach through public relations and by placing adverts in media well beyond the traditional prime-time network television format. The objective of spending so much money on promotion is to build brand loyalty and bonds of trust. The following are the strategies: The new creative brand direction Im Lovin It! is designed to connect with customers around the world, especially young adults, moms and kids. It has became McDonalds signature brand voice in 119 countries, generating awareness figures as high as 96% in some parts of the world. Appealing to young adults with relevant advertising. McDonalds is bringing top creative teams from around the world to gather ideas, study trends and find inspiration to create world-class advertising. Price McDonalds has a rigorous pricing process that is used to determine the price for that particular market in each country. The reason is to be able to offer affordable prices to customers and also to be profitable for the company. The following are the process which sets out the basic framework that allows the company to set localised pricing: Selecting the price objective Determining demand Estimating costs Analysing competitors costs, prices and offers Selecting a pricing method Selecting a final price (www.mcdonalds.com) 2.4 : Performance Measurement Quality is an important issue in services due to the features of inseparability, intangibility and perishability. That which can not be stored and is intangible cannot be checked for defects before delivery to customers. In addition each individual involved in the exchange process brings with them varying levels of expectations and levels of satisfaction in addition to the unpredictable nature of human beings. It is this dominant role of human interaction in services that shape customers expectations and create difficulties in understanding and implementing quality initiatives (Behara Gundersen (2001)). Officially McDonalds names three elements in their strategy to be the worlds best quick service restaurant: People (being the best employer), Customers (providing them excellence) and System Growth (for owners/operators, suppliers and company). McDonalds has always been a franchising Company and has relied on its franchisees to play a major role in its success. McDonalds remains committed to franchising as a predominant way of doing business. Approximately 70% of McDonalds worldwide restaurant businesses are owned and operated by independent businessmen and women, our franchisees. Usually, McDonalds offers franchises to poor performing restaurants in order to sustain profitability. Advertising is used to differentiate McDonalds products from competitors and as a means of branding: Advertising Spend in 2001 amounted to  £39m (KFC:  £14m, Burger King:  £8.6m, Pizza Hut:  £7.4m). Furthermore, McDonalds is involved in various high profile sponsorship schemes (e.g. major Sponsor of FIFA World Cup, gold sponsor and official restaurant of the Olympic Games) that secures them favourable PR. Recently McDonalds acquired Boston Market Chicken restaurants, the Donatos pizza chain and Chipotle Mexican Grill. In the UK, it purchased the Aroma coffee chain and 33% of Pret A Manger. This demonstrates that McDonalds has diversified into other segments of the fast food/ convenience /take away market. McDonalds is the worlds largest food service organisation. It has the greatest market share of the breakfast, lunch and dinner market and holds 67% of the UK Burger Market. McDonalds golden arches are the worlds biggest brand with higher awareness than Coca-Cola. McDonalds is constantly introducing new products, usually for a limited period of time. This is because management recognise that consumers like variety as well as a continuation of good products such as Big Macs and Cheeseburgers. Also, they are well aware that if McDonalds has too many products running at the same time then the speed of customer service will deteriorate. However, McDonalds has not introduced healthier products in response to growing concerns about obesity. It is difficult to evaluate the extent to which McDonalds fulfils customers demands. In the 2001 consumer survey conducted by Sandelman Associates, McDonalds was ranked as last out of 60 chains for taste. Statistics that describe McDonalds cleanliness are not available and therefore the achievement of this objective is difficult to examine, but anecdotal evidence suggests that suitable policies are in place to meet that objective. Customer service quality is difficult to assess but it is renowned for being quick. 2.5 : Ethical Criticism Ethical behaviour has come up as one of the most important aspect of any organisation. By Doing the right thing internally and externally, businesses created a good working atmosphere, while also benefiting society and the environment. However many ethical issues are subjective and based on ones values and beliefs. As a result, they are often difficult to enforce and easy to neglect. The result of this is that when the costs are added up, the social balance sheet contains enormous debts to society (McEwan, 2001). This chapter discusses the ethical issues that McDonalds have been facing over a period of time and how effectively it addressing its corporate social responsibility. The 2008 corporate social responsibility report has been critically evaluated and based on that it is determined, whether much of its efforts are just descriptive or has been realistic. It uses various results from the data set based on the primary and secondary research to determine the effectives. It is the notion of an organizations debts to society, which led to the branch of ethics known as corporate social responsibility. This refers to the economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic expectations placed on organizations by society at a given point in time (Carroll and Buchholtz, 2000). This theory of responsibility to society is based around two headings, stated by Wells (1998). Social Responsibility deals with the purposes for which companies should act (Wells, 1998), and Corporate Responsibility is the liability attached to a company for actions done in its name (Wells, 1998). On 2002, McDonalds published its first Corporate Responsibility Report and this was followed up with an updated version in 2004. Neverthless many critics of McDonalds still believe that this, like many Corporate Responsibility Reports, is simply a medley of generalities and assumptions, that do not provide hard metrics of the company, its activities or its impacts on society and the environment (Hawken, 2002), and is peripheral to the core interests of an organization (Strategic Direction, 2002). Consequentially, there is a need to analyse the claims made towards McDonalds, and whether they have been resolved within the two Corporate Responsibility Report. The incident which has done the most damage to McDonalds ethical reputation was the McLibel trial, where the company expected a quick conclusion to its action against activists who had distributed a pamphlet, Whats Wrong with McDonalds?. Instead it ran for two and a half years and became the longest ever English trial, upon its com pletion in June 1997 (McSpotlight.org: The McLibel Trial, 2005). One of the main ethical criticisms consistently faced by McDonalds over the last 30 years relates to the food offered in its stores. Critics claim that McDonalds is a major contributing factor to the ver-increasing levels of obesity in the UK and European countries. Medical studies show that waistlines are expanding faster in the UK than in any other European countryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦with 1 in 5 adults dangerously overweight (Walsh, 2003), while in 2001 it was reported that 300,000 deaths a year in the U.S. are related to obesity compared to 400,000 through cigarette smoking (McMans Depression and Bipolar Weekly, 2004). McDonalds contribution is a result of the unhealthy nature of fast food. For example, a meal of a Big Mac and medium fries would provide you with 910 calories, as well as 46g of fat, 13g of which are saturated (McDonalds.com, 2005). Considering the fact that this is half the Recommended Daily Allowance for a female adult, it is clear that McDonalds does not meet U.S. die tary requirements. Apart from obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and some forms of cancer are related to a diet high in fat, saturated fat, salt and sugar (Inside the McLibel trial, 1995). The impacts of a McDonalds diet were clearly shown in Morgan Spurlocks controversial film Super Size Me, where he ate nothing but McDonalds for one month. Although this was an extreme example, the impacts on Spurlock were dramatic. Spurlock gained 25 pounds, raised his cholesterol by 60 points, dropped his libido and turned his liver into pate (McMans Depression and Bipolar Weekly, 2004). He also experienced headaches and depression, and actually became addicted to the products. The impact of a McDonalds diet on children is also a major ethical concern, as an increasing number of children are faced with obesity problems. Every month, 90 percent of the children between 3 and 9 in America visit a McDonalds (Schlosser, 2001). McDonalds has been criticised for exploiting children wi th advertising. They have traditionally aimed themselves towards children with collectable toys in Happy Meals, as well as colorful advertising campaigns and promotions in schools. Most criticized is the use of the Ronald McDonald clown character, which has been seen as a cynical exploitation of children to use a clown to drum up business (Inside the McLibel trial, 1995). These marketing tactics contribute to the increasing unhealthy diet of many children. Stakeholders in a corporation may not only be human because animals are also seen as an important part of society and deserve the same treatment as humans. McDonalds has been criticized for the way it treats animals before they are killed and turned into fast food. The corporation is the worlds largest promoter of meat-based products, the largest user of beef and the second largest user of chicken (McSpotlight.org: McDonalds and Animals, 2005), and thus is faced with the usual claims aimed at slaughterhouses. It is claimed that ch ickens were crammed into sheds with less than one square foot of space per bird and no daylight (Inside the McLibel trial, 1995). As a result, 44% had leg abnormalities and other health problems (Inside the McLibel trial, 1995). This treatment was not just reserved for chicken but also other animals involved in McDonalds fast food products. 40% of piglets were held in indoor breeding units, and half had tails docked for no apparent reason (Inside the McLibel trial, 1995). Ethical criticism is also aimed at the methods for killing the animals. 14% of chickens received pre-stun shocks, which caused undue stress, while 1% (1,350 per day) were decapitated before being stunned (Inside the McLibel trial, 1995). As well as social ethical issues, corporations must also consider environmental ethics, which means treating natural resources not just as commodities, but as part of the ecological whole. It is important because it affects the image of the company and consumers perceptions. For example, a Wall Street Journal poll in 1991 claimed that 53% of people avoided purchasing a product because of environmental concerns about a product or manufacturer (Hawken, 2002). The most famous environmental issue is the suggestion that McDonalds has destroyed hundreds of acres of Brazilian rainforest to make way for large-scale cattle ranching. This not only removes a valuable natural resource, but also has an impact on global warming, as the rainforest is an essential mechanism for the absorption of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere. McDonalds also annually produces over a million tons of packaging used for just a few minutes before being discarded (McSpotlight.org: Environment, 2005). Traditionally a number of ozone depleting gasses were used in polystyrene foam packaging. In the 21st century, McDonalds uses almost all recycled packaging. However, the company still faces criticism due to the amount of waste it produces. Each of McDonalds US restaurants produces 238 pounds of waste per day and each of its U.S. regional distribution centres disposes of another 900 pounds of waste per day (Svoboda and Hart, 1995). This is not only expensive to dispose of, but also difficult when considering that similar quantities of waste are being produced around the world. McDonalds also experiences internal ethical issues related to the working conditions and treatment of employees. McDonalds employs over 1 and a half million people worldwide, over half of them under 21 years old (McSpotlight.org: McDonalds and Employment). McD onalds has adopted age differentials between adult and younger workers, meaning that they pay most of their employees less than the normal adult minimum wage (Transport and General Workers Union, 2004). For example, McDonalds pays some 16-year olds as little as $6.80 an hour. McDonalds employees also experience poor working conditions with discrimination, illegal working hours, and poor safety conditions. There is little that can be done about this due to the absence of trade unions, within McDonalds, to represent staff. If Milton Freemans theory of stakeholders is adopted, the needs and expectations of staff are just as important as those of customers. The range of ethical criticisms leveled at McDonalds throughout the world has been well-publicized. However, many of these issues were first raised in the 1970s before tighter regulation was imposed and unethical behavior became a hot topic. After 30 years of criticism, it is important to look at what measures McDonalds has taken to improve its ethical conduct and how far this has been successful. McDonalds claims that being a good citizen has been inherent in the company since its inception (Schlosser, 2001). Ray Kroc believed McDonalds had an obligation to give back to the community that gives so much to us. This was rooted in his founding principles of Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value. Since 1955, McDonalds has continually made statements about its conduct to try and reassure shareholders and stakeholders. However, nothing was said or published about what attempts were actually being made to do the right thing. This finally changed in 2002 with the release of McDonalds firs t Social Responsibility Report. The report was composed of 46 pages, which began with McDonalds core values and then looked at the impact of McDonalds in different areas, such as community and the environment. It showed that McDonalds has invested in the Ronald McDonald housing program to house families with seriously ill children, and documented the efforts made to reduce McDonalds impact on the environment. For example, there was a commitment to spend $100 million annually on the use of recycled materials, especially in the building and renovation of its restaurants (Svoboda and Hart, 1995). Overall, the report was a clear statement of intent about its future works in this area (Wood, 2002). Although it was an attempt at social reporting, the 2002 report was a low-water mark for the concept of sustainability and the promise of corporate social responsibility (Hawken, 2002), and its generality, as well as its vague nature meant it was simply a walk around the issues (Wood, 2002). It was seen by many as a PR stunt, which was created to appear like McDonalds was meeting the requirements of an increasingly demanding society. The content of the report was criticized because it focused on issues and areas where McDonalds had been successful, but did not mention well-publicized issues, such as obesity. Similarly, it neglected to mention a number of the companys major environmental impacts. For example, the report talked about water use at the outlets, but failed to note that every quarter-pounder requires 600 gallons of water (Schlosser, 2001). This distinct lack of transparency enabled McDonalds to cover up any bad issues and only show what they wanted the public to see. The k ey problem with the 2002 Responsibility Report was that due to its decentralized nature, McDonalds was unable to provide any of the data that is looked for as core information in their report (Wood, 2002). In its report, McDonalds stated how much money it had provided for social improvements, but no figures on what impact these improvements had. Similarly, there was very little information related to the measurement of environmental impacts and improvements. This meant that the report was written as a narrative, rather than a social report. The effectiveness of the report was also reduced by the fact that there was no comparative data on past and present performance (Strategic Direction, 2002). The final nail in the coffin for the report was the fact that there was no independent verification (Strategic Direction, 2002), which meant that stakeholders could not even have a guarantee of the accuracy of the report. These negative factors meant that the first McDonalds Social Responsibi lity Report was was an impressive statement of intent, but it recognised that the company was not yet ready to report progress (Wood, 2002). Despite the criticisms of the report, McDonalds was satisfied with the result, believing it portrayed the company in a good light and showed stakeholders that McDonalds met societies needs. However, in the 2 years following the reports release, McDonalds experienced its worst financial results in almost 20 years. This was a result of increasing criticism from publications and documentarys, such as Super Size Me, as well as an increase in lawsuits from over weight teenagers in America, who blamed McDonalds for health problems. The result was the second McDonalds Social Responsibility Report in 2004, McDonalds current source of ethical information for stakeholders, which introduces a new accountability structure (Cochran, 1994). The colorful report is double the size of the 2002 edition, with 88 pages, and is a significant improvement, addressing many of the ethical issues which have shadowed McDonalds for the last 30 years. The report says that being responsible is one of our greatest competitive advantages, even though the issues it tackles are growing ever more complex (Allen, 2004). The 2002 report made little mention of McDonalds food, and failed to recognize the ethical concerns associated with it. However, in the current report, food takes top billing (Allen, 2004), with the first 12 pages of the main analysis allocated to Food. The company highlighted efforts to offer healthier options, including salads on its menu, and revealed how they had brought in a full time nutritionist to alter the menu. Possibly the most poignant move was to phase out the Super Size option in all restaurants. McDonalds have also added new options to Happy Meals for children, so fries can be substituted for healthy alternatives like apple slices (Allen, 2004), and offers milk, fresh orange and water instead of soda. McDonalds new stance also involved promoting the importance of exercise (Allen, 2004). On page 8 of the report there is a picture and statement by a professor of exercise at Leeds Metropolitan University, who reinforces McDonalds stance, aimed at helping children lead healthier lives. The section on the environment is also more substantial, with a variety of figures on packaging and waste. For example, McDonalds achieved a 3.2% reduction in packaging during 2003 (McDonalds Corporate Responsibility Report, 2004). This is combined with a section, which shows McDonalds commitment to improving the environmental performance of suppliers. This includes a statement that McDonalds will not purchase beef from rainforests or recently deforested rainforest land (McDonalds Corporate Responsibility Report, 2004), acknowledging one of the specific ethical criticisms aimed at McDonalds. McDonalds also shows its commitment to reducing animal cruelty from suppliers by increasing supplier accountability and conducting nearly 500 audits at beef, pork and chicken processing facilities around the world (McDonalds Corporate Responsibility Report, 2004). The content of this report shows that the company is beginning to acknowledge and account for the unethical stories recounted by critics. A key example of this is the website Super Size Me: The Debate, which was set up by McDonalds to show how they have made improvements in their menu and give advice to customers on products. The Corporate Responsibility Report is written by McDonalds Corporate Responsibility Committee, who ensure that all the political and social requirements are met by the corporation. This is supported by a code of business conduct, which has been in place and updated regularly over the last 35 years. This is the main framework for employee ethics and it is used to ensure that the internal ethical requirements are met, such as a safe working environment, equal opportunities and employee rights. There is also a code of conduct for the board of directors, which shows their commitment to ethical practices (McDonalds Corporate Responsibility Report, 2004). The 2004 Corporate Responsibility Report, and codes of business conduct are all written in a similar style, with emphasis throughout on Responsibility. This word is used numerous times to show that McDonalds doesnt feel it is an obligation, but that it is their responsibility given to them by virtue of being in a powerful position. This word can be applied not only to show external shareholders that the company appreciates it is responsible for their well being, but also to reinforce the notion to staff internally that they must be responsible for ethical conduct in all aspects of their work.] Despite the marked improvements in ethical conduct, there are still criticisms that can be leveled at McDonalds. The 2004 Corporate Responsibility Report is still limited by the fact that it is qualitative, rather than quantitative. It does have some statistics, but there is a need for more, particularly when looking at improved performance. The employee section is dominated by claims of diversity, but little is said about how conditions have been improved or pay structure and age breakdown of staff. As noted in the Lampe-Finn model, it is little more than a means to maintain the status quo while creating images of ethical behaviour (Lampe and Finn, 1992). The report uses bright colors and external partners to emphasize its importance, but really it is merely another piece of corporate propaganda designed to satisfy the majority of stakeholders with minor concerns. It attempts to portray itself as being a corporate citizen, but without the transparency that is necessary to achieve this view. The only parts of the company which society gets to see are those chosen by executives to support their opinion of how the company should be portrayed. There is still an absence of evidence to prove to strong opposition that change is really occurring. This is probably a result of the fact that McDonalds does not have an ethics department or ethics officer. It simply has codes of conduct, which are produced at the top level by directors. The result of this is that because the directors are not experts in ethical conduct, many of the ethical issues are simply covered over by well-publicized, but unsuccessful schemes, and many of the needs of stakeho lders are not met. Over the last 10 years, McDonalds appears to have successfully met its social responsibilities. Its vibrant 2004 Corporate Responsibility Report shows that the menu has been enhanced with healthy options, which reinforce McDonalds public aim to increase the healthiness of its customers. The company has increased recycling and reduced waste in stores across the world, while attempts have been made to improve the standards of its suppliers. This has led to McDonalds taking top position in marketing firm GolinHarriss second annual citizenship survey. The most amazing fact is that this has been done in a way that also meets Friedmans requirement of meeting needs of shareholders by increasing profits. However, when looking deeper into McDonalds attempts to improve its ethical conduct, it becomes clear that McDonalds has offered progressive rhetoric but not changed its internal practices or impact on society and the environment (Hawken, 2002). Much of its attempts are d escriptive and based around meeting future goals. This has a lot of potential, but very little is said about what has been achieved at the moment. The absence of statistical figures means that most of McDonalds attempts at ethical behaviour can and will be questioned by numerous books, documentaries and websites. It is important to remember that McDonalds publicly embraces sustainability as long as it can make money (Hawken, 2002) and many of its ethical attempts are aimed at persuading the public that the business is ethical, rather than ensuring that it is. McDonalds success looks set to continue into the future. This has been achieved despite facing constant pressure from critics about its operating practices. As a result, it seems very unlikely that McDonalds methods of publicizing ethical attempts will change, especially considering the money which would be required. If there was a shift towards full corporate social responsibility, there is a need for an ethical officer and et hics department, comprised of experts who can subjectively analyze the performance of the company and set accurate objectives. There is also a need for full transparency so that the public can be assured that the company is ethical. It would need to reveal the externalities born by other people, places and generations (Hawken, 2002). Until any radical internal changes are made, the poet Henry Thoreau best describes McDonalds corporate initiative: Improved means to an unimproved end. (Hawken, 2002). This also helped in understanding how best McDonalds can work on its feasibility without compromising on the marketing strategies. 2.6 : Developments and Changes for Future Based on the audit of the environment and competition, recommendations are made for McDonald in the fast-food industry the maturity market. Recommendation is made based on the analysis carried out on tactical practices to optimize its marketing situation that includes : 1. If the new diversified possible marketing strategy is supposed to be used to support and communicate its brand values, rather than to detract from its original burger business? 2. Can the long-term goal extend the business and brand by leveraging physical assets, retail know-how and brand strength to innovate and develop new business concepts? 3. Should the company better rebuild marketing team, making sure they have the right person to do the right thing? 4. Should the company stop aggressive expansion worldwide, instead, consolidate their burger business by developing more options in their menu? Satisfying more customers, more often by delivering superior quality, service, cleanliness and value should be the foundation of McDonalds history success and an imperative for capturing growth opportunities in the future. 2.7 : Conclusion This chapter literally concludes the dissertation, giving a brief account of its main points within each chapters.

Why Everyone Should Read Neil deGrasse Tyson’s New Book

Science is intimidating. Despite the fact that we live our lives constantly interacting with and relying on technology and the science that forms the foundation of our modern lives, the vast majority of people regard science as a discipline and general body of knowledge that is beyond their ability to understand, control, or use. Not everyone was born to be a scientist, of course, and we all have areas that interest us more (or less) and in which we demonstrate more (or less) aptitude. That makes it easy to imagine that science is both unnecessary for our daily lives as well as impenetrable — after all, a subject like astrophysics doesnt seem like something youre going to need for the Monday morning scrum meeting, and it also seems like an unimaginably vast subject that relies on math far more than most people are prepared for. And those things are both true — if you are discussing necessity and mastery. But theres a middle ground between being, say, Neil deGrasse Tyson and simply being curious about the universe we exist in. The fact is, a book like Astrophysics for People in a Hurry offers more than dry, stiff scientific knowledge — and there are plenty of reasons everyone should read it. Perspective There’s a reason that the stars have fascinated us for pretty much the entirety of human existence. No matter what your philosophy, religion, or political slant, the stars and planets in the night sky represent obvious proof that we are just a small part of a much, much larger whole — and that means the possibilities are endless. Is there life out there? Other habitable planets? Will it all end in a â€Å"Big Crunch† or Heat Death or will it go on forever? You may not realize it, but every time you look up at the night sky — or check your horoscope  Ã¢â‚¬â€ these questions flash through some level of your consciousness. That can be disturbing, because those questions are huge, and we don’t have a lot of answers for them. What Tyson aims to accomplish with this short book is to give you an anchor of knowledge to demystify the universe a little. That kind of perspective is crucial, because those huge, universal-scale questions also inform and affect our small-scale interactions and decisions here on Earth. The more you know about how the universe works, the less susceptible to fake news, fake science, and scaremongering you’ll be. Knowledge, after all, is power. Entertainment That being said, Neil deGrasse Tyson is one of the most accomplished and charming writers and speakers in our modern world. If you’ve ever seen him interviewed or read any of his articles, you know that the man knows how to write. He manages to make these complicated scientific concepts not only seem comprehensible, but downright entertaining. He’s just that guy you enjoy listening to, and his writing style often evokes the chummy sense that you’re sitting down and having drinks with him as he talks about his day at work. The writing in Astrophysics for People in a Hurry is peppered with anecdotes about famous scientists, interesting little asides about a whole range of things, and plain old jokes. It’s one of those books that will fuel your cocktail party chatter for months to come as you dole out some of the fascinating facts you glean from its pages. Format If you’re still feeling intimidated by the word astrophysics, relax. The chapters in this book were originally separate essays and articles Tyson has published over the years, which means the book comes at you in bite-size, easily digestible chunks — and there’s no test at the end. This is the sort of science book you can read in easygoing bits and pieces, because Tyson’s goal isn’t to turn you into a scientist overnight. His goal is to leave you familiar with the fundamentals. The chapters aren’t overly long, and there’s no math. Let’s repeat that: There is no math. There’s also no jargon or scary scientist lingo — Tyson knows who his intended audience is, and he writes in a chatty, open style. Jargon is designed to close off a conversation to only people in the know, and Tyson avoids it like the plague, opting instead for a vocabulary that everyone, no matter their personal scientific background, will be comfortable with. The end result? No, you won’t be a Ph.D. in astrophysics when you finish the book, but you will have a clear understanding of the forces that control our universe. Knowledge is power, and this is some of the most important knowledge you can learn. Bottom line: This is a fun, fascinating, and informative book that requires no prep work to read, and might just leave you smarter than when you came in. There’s no reason not to read it.

Everyday Use By Alice Walker - 923 Words

In the words of Karl Marx, the founding father of Marxism, Marxism principally believes that â€Å"the history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.† In essence, Marx asserts that every day is a tale of conflict between society’s upper and lower class. While controversial in the real world, this notion is not far-fetched in the realm of literature. For example, Alice Walker’s short story â€Å"Everyday Use† shows prominent signs of tension between classes. When examined from a Marxist perspective, Walker’s characters in â€Å"Everyday Use† highlight how each class values items and how survival needs and societal expectations differ among classes. To clarify, Walker’s narrative focuses on two classes of people: one lower and one higher. In general, Mama and Maggie represent a class that only appreciates practicality, whereas Dee and Hakim-a-barber represent a class that places more value on artistic interest. For example, when Mama asks Dee why she would rather be called Wangero, she explains that â€Å"[she] couldn t bear it any longer, being named after the people who oppress [her], (Walker). In effect, Dee’s new and dramatically different name exemplifies how serious she is about defining her identity with her new culture as opposed to remaining in the same culture as her Mama. In other words, Dee has taken the sole purpose of having a name, identity, and added a symbolism to it of her defiance. In another instance, when Dee sees her family’s butter churn, herShow MoreRelatedEveryday Use By Alice Walker852 Words   |  4 Pagescomes or belongs to one by reason of birth. In â€Å"Everyday Use†, by Alice Walker, the theme of the story can be considered as the meaning of heritage or even the power of education. Alice Walker uses many symbols and motifs such as the following: quilts, education, knowledge, Asalamalakim, and the renaming of Dee. In the story, African heritage and knowledge takes a major role. The African heritage plays a major role in the story, â€Å"Everyday Use†. Alice Walker emphasizes the meaning of heritage by havingRead MoreEveryday Use By Alice Walker1372 Words   |  6 PagesEverday Use† research paper In â€Å"everyday Use,† Alice Walker tells a narrative of a mother’s frustrating relationship together with her two daughters. At this facet, â€Å",Everyday Use†, tells that how a mom little by little refuses the cursory values of her older, successful daughter at the aspect of the useful values of her younger, much less lucky daughter. On a deeper outlook, Alice Walker takes on the theme of heritage and its norms as it applies to African-Americans. Everday Use, is set insideRead MoreEveryday Use By Alice Walker1102 Words   |  5 Pagespoem â€Å"Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers† can be read similar to Alice Walker s short story Everyday Use† both are compared by the women’s ways of showing their strengths and how they identify their values, expressions and strength. Advertised in the general outlines of the plot, both literary themes talks of a quest for freedom, the characters identity and self-expression. Adrienne Rich â€Å"Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers† Alice Walker â€Å"Everyday Use† Comparison Paper Analyzing the two types of literatureRead MoreEveryday Use By Alice Walker1372 Words   |  6 Pagessociety as a whole, but more specifically in the African American Community. Alice Walker gives slight insight into   what being forced   to assimilate is like. She says in her short story Everyday Use: She will stand hopelessly in corners homely and ashamed of the burn scars down her arms and legs eyeing her sister with a mixture of envy and awe. Statements such as these are a regular occurrence in her works. Walker often speaks on the ever so disheartening topic of cultural assimilation and theRead MoreEveryday Use By Alice Walker996 Words   |  4 PagesIn the short story â€Å"Everyday Use† by Alice Walker, the author describes different ideas about one’s heritage. Culture and heritage is at the main point of the story â€Å"Everyday Use† by Alice Walker as symbolized by the quilt. The bond that Mother and Maggie share is brought by their common talent to make works of art like quilts. Dee does not have similar capacity because she does not appreciate manual labor nor believes in her heritage. The idea of pride in culture, heritage, and family is the mainRead MoreEveryday Use By Alice Walker1721 Words   |  7 PagesIn her short story â€Å"Everyday Use,† Alice Walker summarizes the representation of the beauty, the conflicts and struggles within African-American culture. â€Å"Everyday Use† focuses mainly between members of the Johnson family, consisting of a mother and her two daughters. One of the daughters Maggie, who was injured in a house fire and has living a shy life clinging to her mother for security. Her older sister is Dee, who grew up with a grace and natural beauty. â€Å"Dee is lighter than Maggie, with nicerRead MoreEveryday Use By Alice Walker1111 Words   |  5 Pagestheir culture. Alice Walker highlights and distinguishes the dissimilarities and clichà © of country African American women with the actualities that make up their lives. Characterized by short, compound sentences, with long adjectives and use of literary elements, her style is eloquent conversational and authentic. Alice Walker’s short story, Everyday Use is stylistic, ironic and narrates profound interpretation of unique views and approaches to African-American culture. Walker’s use of characterizationRead MoreEveryday Use By Alice Walker1735 Words   |  7 Pages â€Å"Everyday Use† by Alice Walker and â€Å"Brownies† by ZZ Packer are two different short stories with different lessons but both talk about the topic of race. Both stories talks about the time in the 20th century when slavery just ended but racism are still active between African Americans and Caucasians. Walker described a story about a single African American mother who is waiting for her daughter to arrive from college. Packer described a story about these African American fourth graders who are inRead MoreEveryday Use By Alice Walker1655 Words   |  7 PagesIn â€Å"everyday Use,† Alice Walker tells a narrative of a mother’s frustrating relationship together with her two daughters. At this facet, â€Å",Everyday Use†, tells that how a mom little by little refuses the cursory values of her older, successful daughter at the aspect of the useful values of her younger, much less lucky daughter. On a deeper outlook, Alice Walker takes on the theme of heritage and its norms as it applies to African-Americans. Everday Use, is set inside the late ,60s or mid ,70sRead MoreEveryday Use By Alice Walker1447 Words   |  6 PagesAbout â€Å"Everyday Use† The conflict in the story is centered around the clash between the two worlds with which Walker s character Dee is endued. Dee increasingly accuses her heritage of the ideas and rhetoric of the new Black Pride movement. Walker weaves the theme of African cultural nationalism with a descriptive conflict immersed in family issues. On another level, Alice Walker offers a unique look at the struggling African-American woman to find both a personality and voice from the shadows of

Relationship Marketing Strategy and Plan

Question: Discuss about the Relationship Marketing Strategy and Plan. Answer: Introduction The Ark Clothing Co. is mainly into womens clothing business (Theark.com.au 2017). They introduce the clothes based on the seasons as well as they divide the clothes based on the types of clothes like travel (See appendix 3). One of the brands of the Ark Clothing Co. is Nikel and Sole is mainly inspired by the love for the materials that are used to manufacture the clothes. Some of the material that fall under Nikel and Sole are brushed metal, refined yarns, soft washed leather and natural fibers. They not only think of giving the cutting edge products to the customers but also respect the traditional craftsmen. The mission of the organization is that they should not forget the culture and the community while making the business. They believe that design of the clothes should reflect integrity. There are seventy staffs working for the company. They have one store in South Australia and four stores in Victoria. They have a strong online presence and supply wholesale products to eighty retailers nationally. Macro environment analysis The environmental force that might affect the business of The Ark Clothing Co. can be presented with the help of the PESTLE analysis Political The government of Australia is supportive towards virtuous kinds of business that is carried out in Australia. The free trade agreement is one such initiative by the government to increase the amount of business in Australia (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade 2016). Economic Even though the income of the customers in Australia is at rise, they are not spending much in the clothing industry (Heritage.org 2016). Hence, it might be difficult for the Ark Clothing Co. to makes its presence felt in the market (Hollensen 2015) . Social The Australians are trendy and the income level of the customers is high. However, they do not like spend much in clothing. Hence, the company has to use certain tactics that will help attracting the customers (Kotler et al. 2015). Along with the womens clothing, the mens style and clothing has also become famous. Technological Technological aspects of the country will be helpful for the company as the online sale is on the rise (Lusch and Vargo 2014). Customers are preferring to buy things online (See appendix 1) Legal The company needs to adhere to the Industrial Relations Reform Act 1993(Cth) and Industrial Relations Act 1988(Cth)while working in the market of Australia (Ilo.org 2017). Environmental The social trend of Australia is inclined towards the use of eco-friendly products (See appendix 2). Hence, if the Ark Clothing Co. is able to implement such kinds of trends in the men clothing they will be able to draw more customers (Menon et al. 2015). Microenvironment analysis As compared to other industries is Australia, the fashion industry has not been able to create an impact in the Australian economy. There are not many international fashion brands in Australia. Only two international brands are present in the market of Australia and they are Billabong and Rip Curl. The clothing industry has faced challenges over the years mainly because of cautious spending from the part of the consumers. In addition to this, intense competition and the higher rents that limit the range of revenue that could be earned by the fashion retailers. It has been expected that the industry revenue will grow at a rate of 3.9% in the coming five years starting from 2016-2017 (Ibisworld.com.au 2017). The growth will mainly take place due to the sudden rise in the online sales and the shift of the retailers who have brick and mortar shops to the online sales. Data shows that there is a labor force of 12.2 million and domestic market value of the fashion industry of Australia is 28.5 billion (Au.fashionunited.com 2017). The annual retail sales of Australia are 21 billion and around 37,000 staffs are employed in the textile, footwear, clothing and leather industries. Thus, it can be said that the market of Australia will bring mixed opportunities for The Ark Clothing Co. on one hand, the clothing industry of Australia has gone through a number of challenges. On the other hand, it has been predicted that the industry will see a significant amount of growth. SWOT analysis Based on the situation analysis of the Ark Clothing Co. the SWOT analysis will be helpful to the get an idea about the key strength and the weakness of the company and the threats and the opportunities that will be faced by the organization. Strength The strength of the organization is that they will get proper support from the government if there is any need for funds and other types of help (Sheth and Sisodia 2015). The sudden rise in the technology will be helpful for the company, the customers are more inclined to online buying and the if they are able to promote the mens clothing online then it will helpful for the company (Shani and Chalasani 2013). Weakness The customers are nowadays cautious about their spending and hence, it will be difficult to attract the customers towards them (Hollensen 2015). Opportunities The environmental concerns are one of the main concerns of the country right now. It will act as an opportunity to the Ark Clothing Co. to design their new clothing line that will be eco-friendly and would not cause any harm to the nature. Threat A number of competitors are present in the market and as the customers are not willing to spend much hence, the competition will more intense among the present companies (Kotler et al. 2015). There are two international clothing companies present in the market of Australia. The presence of international brands might attract the customers more and they might prefer the international brands to the domestic brands (Lusch and Vargo 2014). The threat of other industries will prevent the Ark Clothing Co. from gaining the desired revenues (Menon et al. 2015). The hospitality and the tourism industry gain a huge amount of customers (See Appendix 4). Hence, the clothing industry will be at loss, due to the shift in interest among the people. The problem The clothing industry faces challenge in the market of Australia. To enhance their business, the Ark Clothing Co. has introduced the mens clothing section. The problem that the company will face is attracting the customers towards the new clothing line in a time when the customers are not attracted to the clothes. While launching the mens clothing line, the company should keep in mind the mission of the company. As the mission of the company is to combine design and integrity hence, the corporate objective will be to introduce the new line with the same mission in mind. Thus, launching the new clothing line will not solve the issue due to the tough competition in the market. Hence, it can be said that either they have to introduce a design that will new to the market or use a different manufacturing technique that will help the customers to understand the uniqueness of the clothing line. The situation analysis will be helpful for the Ark Clothing Co. to understand the factors that sh ould be incorporated to solve the problems. Ansoffs Matrix in problem solving As per the Ansoffs matrix, the Ark Clothing Co. should think of expanding the business by either by bringing changes in the area of operations or by changing the product. Australia is not the proper market that is helpful for the clothing industry, hence, it is necessary to bring changes in the business so that the company is able to gain good amount of revenue from the market (Shani and Chalasani 2013). Other than changing the manufacturing process or the product, the company cans also bring changes in the marketing styles so that they are able to attract more customers in future (Hollensen 2015). Conclusion: Even though Australia is a developed country, yet the customers are not ready to spend on clothing and apparels. The Ark Clothing Co. is a mid-sized company and it can be concluded that even if it is having a strong economy, they do not have proper customers. The Ansoffs matrix will be helpful in understanding the future alternatives that the company will take. Moreover, based in the Ansoffs matrix, recommendations will be provided to the company. As per Ansoffs Matrix, it can be recommended that the company have to take good amount of risk to make their presence felt in the market. They are introducing a new type of product in the market; however, they should use eco-friendly products to manufacture new products in the market. They can highlight the type of materials they are using to attract the customers. The people in Australia are keen to use environment-friendly products. As there are a number of competitors in the market, the only way to attract the customers is to promote the use of the materials that will be used to manufacture the products. References Au.fashionunited.com, 2017.Fashion industry statistics Australia. [online] Au.fashionunited.com. 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