Beneficiaries of U.S Social Programs Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Beneficiaries of U.S Social Programs - Term Paper Example The social security program was created in 1935 with the purpose of providing pension benefits to retired senior citizens and disabled workers. The program in 1965 was expanded in order to provide medical insurance benefits known as Medicare. The beneficiaries of the program are people over the age of 62 who worked during their lifetime a minimum of 40 trimesters. People who become physically or mentally disabled also qualify for social security benefits. The wife or husband of the beneficiary as well children under the age of 18 may qualify to receive benefits. People that receive a low amount of social security can apply for additional help such as supplemental social security income (SSI). SSI gives these people an extra check to pay for their living expenses. Senior citizens that receive social security income because of age have options to improve their standard of living. They can reenter the workforce part time and still receive their social security income. The social securit y system has many critics among the scholarly community. According to Bloice (2010) the US congress is conspiring to lower the benefits the future generation of senior citizens. A second program that is available in the United States to help feed people in need is welfare.

Night by Elie Wiesel Essay Example for Free

Night by Elie Wiesel Essay Night by Elie Wiesel. Born in the town of Sighet, Transylvania, Eliezer is a young and strong –minded individual, but doubts his religious beliefs. He and his family were taken from their home in 1944 to Auschwitz concentration camp, which was known as the Holocaust. Eliezer, being a dynamic character had many thoughts and feelings towards life and his father. His thoughts and faith always changed (Wiesel 33). But, he always tried to stay strong, hopeful and determined for himself and his father. While in Auschwitz, Elie thought alot about how his life was changing (38). He went from a 13-year old deeply observant and very religious teen, into a wishing, confused and doubtful individual. Being dynamic changes you as a person and it affected the mood and tone of the story. Eliezer’s appearance wasn’t really mentioned in the story. But you could imagine what happened with eating just bread crusts, soup, and sometimes nothing to drink (54). When Eliezer broke his foot, he still hopped for survival along with his frail father (78). His belief and faith subsided the longer they stayed in the camps. Others lost complete faith in their God that they trusted (66). It was every man for himself and they would do anything to stay alive, even kill. While staying in the camps Eliezer sometimes decided between life and death, to escape the hurt, torture, and pain. Once they were finally released free, no one thought of revenge (115). All they wanted was to eat and when they were no longer hungry, they still didn’t think of revenge. Freedom and food were the only things left to think about (113). Eliezer is a young and strong-minded individual, but doubts his religious beliefs. Being a dynamic character means that you aren’t sure about decisions and your mind is always changed. When Eliezer found the strength to get up and look at himself in the mirror, the gaze that looked back at him never left him.

The Flat Tax :: Essays Papers

The Flat Tax TITLE: THE WRONG WAY TO SELL A NEW IDEA Many people would like you to believe that flat tax is so named because it will flatten your finances. That at the least is the intended conclusion. By eliminating personal deductions like mortgagee interest payments, the study claims, the flat tax would reduce housing values in this country by upwards of 10 percent. The study's methodology is shaky at best, and the jury on housing values is still o ut. Despite the forces allied against the flat tax, tax reform has grown steadily because the current tax system is so unpopular and the alternatives promise so much. But in addition to the possibility of lower housing values, the flat tax poses several other serious problems too easily dismissed by its advocates.

Stalin – History

How far was Stalin’s victory in the power struggle between 1924 and 1929 the result of the popularity of his policies? Even though Stalin’s victory in the power struggle was partly due to his popular policies, it was not just this that allowed Stalin also because of the mistakes made by other rivals and factors that played into his hands. For example Trotsky was a former menshevik which helped Stalin accuse him of not been a true Bolshevik. There are many reasons that suggest Stalin’s victory in the power struggle was because his popular policies.For example Stalin’s popular policy of Socialism in one country put the needs of the USSR first, this was particularly popular because the conditions for the majority of the Russian people was unthinkable as extreme poverty was common for the average Russian in the the early 20th Century. It was a lot more popular than Trotsky's idea of World revolution, which would have seen many of the resources owned by the USS R sent abroad to try spread the Communist revolution abroad in other countries. Stalin developed his idea in Socialism in one Country because he did not like Trotsky.Stalin recognised that Trotsky’s policy was over optimistic and unpopular. The First World War and the civil war had destroyed the Russian economy and Stalin’s policy showed faith in the soviet people, almost portraying that Stalin believed in the Russian people. Stalin portrayed the Worldwide revolution as a policy that put the needs of other countries before those of the Russian people. Trostsky’s Jewish background marked him as a disloyal outsider among many party members anyway, and his international policy only seemed to confirm that he was not loyal to the people of Russia.It was not just his popular policies that saw Stalin replace Lenin as the leader of the USSR. It was also partly due to the mistakes and weaknesses made by the other leading Bolsheviks such as Trotsky. Trotsky was seen as to o powerful because he was the leader of the 5 million strong red army, he was known as the Red Napoleon. Trotsky was also Jewish, even though he himself believed that this reason would stop him from becoming the next leader, many argue that this was not such a big problem.However he was an ex menshevik which allowed Stalin to question his belief in Bolshevism, it was this fear that Trotsky was too powerful that led to kamenev and Zinoviev to side with Stalin. His popular policies were key to Stalin becoming the next leader of the USSR. Stalin’s commitment to the NEP until 1927 allowed him to defeat the united opposition of Trotsky, Zinoviev, and Kamenev. After the fall of Trotsky Zinoviev and Kamenev realised that Stalin was now the most powerful figure in the party and they began to speak out against the NEP.This was not only an attack on Stalin but an attack on Bukharin resulting in the two uniting. The NEP was particularly popular because it was following the line of Lenin and more than anything it seemed to be working as the Russian economy recovered in the mid 1920's. However Stalin was victorious in the power struggle not just because his policies were popular but because he had a great deal of luck. The two main pieces of luck that Stalin had was the ban on factionalism introduced by Lenin before his death and the appointment of Stalin as general secretary in 1922.Originally when Stalin was first appointed as General Secretary many Bolsheviks didn't realise the potential power which this now gave Stalin,one Menshevik described Stalin as the ‘grey blur'. However this gave Stalin power that nobody could have anticipated, it allowed for Stalin to appoint the regional secretaries, meaning that Stalin was able to rebuild the party by selecting the people who he wanted into key posts. This meant that slowly the party was been built up of people which were supporters of Stalin. The second bit of luck which inevitably benefited Stalin was the Ban o n Factionalism which was introduced in 1921.This ‘Ban on Factionalism' meant that everybody within the party were not able to speak out against official party policies and if somebody did then they were accused of been a factionalist and therefore expelled from the party. This benefited Stalin greatly as he could use this to his advantage, anybody that publicly spooke out against one of the policies which he supported could be branded as a factionalist and not a supporter of Lenin and therefore be defeated in the struggle for power. It could be argued that Stalin's policies were the main reason as to why he was victorious in the power struggle, however it is important to remember hat Stalin was extremely pragmatic when it came to what he believed in, changing his mind and supporting particular policies when it suited him, so the real fundamental reason as to why Stalin was victorious in the power struggle was because Stalin unlike the other leading figure of the party played h is cards right and was clever when it came to who he sided with. It was his cunningness combined with the amount of luck which he had which led to him eventually becoming the next leader of Russia in 1928.

Law and Ethics, Patients Rights in Practice Essay

In particular, those aspects observed by the student relating to patients privacy, confidentiality and any situations which warranted a limitation to patient privacy will be described and discussed with reference to patients rights. Situations in the hospital setting where the student nurse viewed health professionals informing patients about treatment options, encouraging patients to take action in decisions about their health, and gaining informed, voluntary consent prior to procedures will be discussed. An explanation of reasons for selecting privacy and consent as two essential concepts which health providers must understand will be illustrated. The legal and ethical responsibility of health care providers in relation to the aforementioned fundamental principles of achieving patient privacy and gaining informed voluntary consent will be examined with a clear emphasis on patient’ rights. While on clinical placement, the student nurse observed health professionals maintaining patient privacy to a high standard by consistently shutting curtains around patient’s beds, lowering their voices when working with patients in rooms containing multiple beds, courteously requesting visitors to leave the room when procedures of a sensitive nature were preformed and closing patient’s doors to limit unwanted interference from hallways. In order to show patients respect, dignity and consideration, which are outlined as a fundamental patient right in the Queensland Health Public Patient’s Charter (2002), patients were consistently examined in areas that were as private as was possible at the time. This attempt by health care providers to maintain the physical privacy of all patients by consistently minimizing unwarranted outside attention is a clear demonstration of how health care providers maintained patient dignity, consideration and respect. According to the Ramsay Health Care/Cairns Private Hospital Patient Charter (nd. , patients have a right to be treated with courtesy throughout their hospital experience. The actions of the health care team correlate positively to this statement as through the maintenance of patient’s physical privacy, health care providers are demonstrating consideration for their patients and respecting their rights set forth in both the Queensland Health public patient charte r and the Ramsay health care charter. Throughout the clinical placement of the student nurse, the health care facility in question demonstrated exceptional adherence to national privacy principles 4. set forth in the Privacy Amendment Act (2000). Initiatives currently in place at Cairns Private Hospital ensure confidentiality of both patient’s medical records as well as patient’s personal details by limiting outside access to confidential information and preventing health care professionals from transmitting such information to the broader community. One such example observed by the student nurse involves the hospitals policy preventing nurses from leaving the hospital with materials used in nursing handovers that contain information regarding patient’s condition and personal details. The destruction of such material prevents the transmission of private information to the wider community and demonstrates the role of health care providers in maintaining patient privacy. According to the national privacy principle 4. 1 extracted from the Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act (2000, p. 9), â€Å"An organisation must take reasonable steps to protect the personal information it holds from misuse and loss and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. Therefore, by ensuring patients information is protected from unauthorised access and disclosure, Cairns Private Hospital is fulfilling the legal obligations set forth for private organizations in the Privacy Amendment Act (2000) principle 4. 1. Patient’s right to have their personal information kept private and confidential, as outlined in the Queensland Health Public Patient’s Charter (2002), was also exceptionally demonstrated by those nurses with whom the student nurse was in contact during c linical placement. Health care providers consistently maintained patient confidentiality by limiting discussion of patient’s condition to those situations where health care providers must share patient information to improve patient care. When the student nurse observed an exchange of information between health care providers pertaining to patient’s condition, it occurred in a manner such that other patients or visitors were unable to discern the content of discussion. This includes, but is not limited to, patient information related in nursing handovers. By treating patient’s personal information obtained in a professional capacity as confidential, nurses are adhering to the expected national standards for Australian nurses as stated in ANC Code of Professional Conduct for Nurses in Australia (nd. ). The importance of maintaining patient privacy is unquestionable. Patients belief that health care professionals will handle their personal information with respect, dignity and maintain their confidentiality not only illustrates the ethical and legal responsibilities of health care providers, but correlates positively with the formation of trust between patient and nurse. According to Stein-Parbury (2005 p. 42), â€Å"†¦ without trust, there is minimal self-disclosure and little chance that patients will share their experiences with nurses or that nurses will come to understand patients’ experiences. † Therefore, through the maintenance of patient privacy and confidentiality, the element of trust, which forms the basis of all nurse-patient relationships, is strengthened. Crisp and Taylor (2005), illustrated the importance of patient privacy and confidentiality as without these two essential components patients would not feel able to tell health care professionals their most intimate and private details. This potential hesitation to share personal information with health providers can have a negative impact on the provision of care and can ultimately lead to treatment that does not take into consideration essential aspects of patient’s health. The maintenance of patient’s privacy is essential in both building trust between nurse and patient and providing holistic nursing care. As stated previously, the maintenance of patient privacy has implications in both legal and ethical spheres and is paramount to the formation of the nurse-patient relationship. Student nurses must therefore gain an understanding of the importance of maintaining patient privacy to ensure that once qualified as a registered nurse, one will understand the reasons why legally and ethically we must adhere to the guidelines. In today’s health care setting, the emphasis of patient’s rights and understanding these rights is paramount if one wishes to practice safe appropriate care for all peoples. It is for these reasons that the central issue of patient privacy was selected for consideration. Although the importance of maintaining patient privacy is unquestionable, there are ertain situations that warrant the sharing of patient information. As observed by the student nurse, health care professionals continuously share patient information between themselves in attempts to allow allied health professionals to provide appropriate holistic patient care. In today’s hospitals, with shift work and the increasing specialization of various allied healt h workers, it is essential that patient information is shared to improve patients care and outcome. In order to achieve appropriate care for patient’s, this is a requirement and will not be considered as a breach of patient privacy. This team work approach to health care is viewed as of benefit to the patient and is absolutely essential is today’s health care facilities where health care professionals are increasingly working in more specialized fields. Throughout the entire clinical placement, the student nurse consistently observed health providers informing patients of their various treatment options, encouraging patients to take an active role in decisions about their health, and ultimately gaining informed voluntary consent prior to any procedure. As outlined in the Queensland Health Public Patients Charter (2002), and the Ramsay Health Care/Cairns Private Hospital Patient Charter (nd. ), patients have a right to easy to understand information about their condition, treatment options, risks, and expected outcomes. The health providers viewed by the student nurse exemplified exceptional adherence to the patients right to accurate information as nurses were observed directly informing patients wherever possible about their treatment options, risks, and choices available to them. Health care providers not only adhered to their legal obligation of providing treatment information to patients, but did so in a way that reflected nurses ability to use due care in support of their ethical responsibilities. According to the Ramsay Health Care/Cairns Private Hospital Patient Charter (nd. ), patients have a right to ask questions and seek clarification in regards to matters that concern them. The actions of the health care team exemplified good practice with reference to this patient right. Health care providers were willing at all times to respond to patients questions or concerns and faced each situation with enthusiasm and clear respect for patients right to ask questions and seek clarification. Patients right to take part in decisions about their health care as stated in the Queensland Public Health Charter ( 2002), was viewed by the student nurse to occur in conjunction with the aforementioned patient right to information about treatment. By providing patients with easy to understand information about their condition, it allowed patients to make informed choices regarding their treatment and overall health. Health professionals were observed to provide patients with the information they require such that patients could make their own decisions regarding their treatment options. By thoroughly providing patients with necessary information as well as encouraging patients to take an active role in decisions about their health, health providers were empowering patients and fostering patient’s autonomy. Autonomy, the freedom to decide and act (Stein-Parbury, 2005), can be enhanced when a patient is given information about their condition and encouraged to take an active role in making decisions about their health. Informing patients of various treatment options and encouraging patients to take an active role in decisions about their health are fundamental components of informed voluntary consent. Informed voluntary consent may be implied, written or verbally given. The student nurse observed various nurses obtaining implied consent from patients when performing routine procedures such as taking a blood pressure reading. The student also viewed health providers obtaining verbal consent from patients when preforming procedures such as showering and mobilizing patients. The health providers adhered to the legal requirements which state that consent must be voluntarily given and informed (Forrester & Griffiths, 2005). The actions of the health care team correlate positively to the statements set forth in both the Queensland Health Public Patients Charter (2002) and the ANMC Code of Ethics for Nurses in Australia (nd. ). The charter asserts that patients have the right to give their permission before they are treated. Whether consent was implied or verbal, the student nurse observed patients giving their permission prior to any procedure. According to Value Statement 2 in the Code of Nursing Ethics (nd. ), nurses must accept the rights of individuals to make informed choices in relation to their care. By ensuring that patients right to make informed choices in relation to their care and obtaining informed voluntary consent, health providers are meeting their legal and ethical obligations surrounding patients consent. It is essential that student nurses have an understanding of their moral and legal requirements surrounding patients consent. If a health provider performs a procedure without acquiring consent, there is a possibility that their actions legally may amount to assault or battery. According to Forrester and Griffiths (2005), battery involves the unlawful touching of a person without his or her consent. In charges of battery, there is no requirement that the patient sustains any injuries as a result of health professionals unlawful touching. Health providers must therefore have an understanding of the legal ramifications surrounding consent to ensure that they provide safe nursing care based on respecting patient’s legal rights. It is for this reason that the issue of patient’s consent was included for discussion in this paper. It is becoming increasingly important for health professionals to have an understanding of their legal and ethical responsibility for the maintenance of patient privacy and obtaining informed voluntary consent prior to preforming any procedure with patients. With the emphasis on patiens rights becoming more prevalent in the health care setting, it is essential that health care workers respect patient’s rights which include, but are not limited to, maintaining patient privacy and obtaining informed voluntary consent. The health providers present at the health care facility attended by the student nurse were observed to demonstrate good practice with respect to patients’ rights as set forth in the Queensland Health Public Patients Charter (2002).   

Anais Nin Essays - House Of Incest, Anas Nin, Free Essays

Anais Nin Essays - House Of Incest, Anas Nin, Free Essays Anais Nin Anais Nin was a passionate woman, not only in her works but also in her life. The fact that she lived life to the fullest is what made her books so intriguing. Although her diaries were a chronicle of her experience, her fiction showed the reader sides of her while displaying everyone's innermost desires. In her own words Nin says, "the role of the writer is not to say what we can all say, but what we are unable to say" (Rollins), and she does exactly that. For this reason her works take one on a journey through one's soul and allows the pondering which may never have been considered. This feeling of self discovery is quite powerful and erotic; the enpowerment supplies a feeling of utter enjoyment. This is why Anais Nin's books are ageless, and they are impossible to parallel or surpass. Though many author's draw their story ideas from life experiences. Anais takes most directly in order to make them pure and unclouded by the imagination. This is why her favorite method of writing was the use of her actual diaries. She wrote of her many love affairs and personal traumas in order to educate the reader as well as to examine her true self. For it is known that one person could not experience all that is possible, and therefore one must learn from others mistakes as well as their own. Nin is greatly renown for her diaries, especially for her famous letters of her affair with Henry Miller . This later amounted to a movie based on the relationship "Henry and June" in 1986 (site 1). Yet her fiction, although quite intellectual and harder to grasp than her diaries, also reveals a lot about the writer and open views on all aspects of living. She is creative enough to allow all to draw something personal from her writings, and this makes reading her novels an experience that one could associate with some aspect of their own life. Nin's heightened "sensitivity and perception" (site 1) are derived from her fiery lifestyle which started when she was very young. She was born in France, a country of vast influence, and she traveled throughout Europe for most of her childhood. When She was twelve years old she was relocated to New York, where the culture and diversity is unparalleled. She experience d so many lifestyles as various occupations: a dancer, a teacher, and later on even a psychoanalyst (Scholar 5). She lived a very "free" life style for the time period, and she enjoyed this liberation to the fullest. She had many affairs, but she also had many great relationships that helped her improve and most of all "experience". Through all of this she never lost the ability to appreciate her solitude. As her fictitious novels are analyzed it will be shown that a large part of Anais Nin resides in every one of her works, but she made sure to leave enough to allow a little piece of every reader to fit.! In this way the reader may be alone but in good company. Anais creates this aura by using the literary device known as negative capability, which is basically concurrence with the philosophy of "saying less is saying more" (Walsh). She writes in such a way that allows one to see a general idea that does not cheapen a complicated idea by trying to isolate and define it. The theories which she attempts to explain are often too complicated for words, so Nin often turns to surrealism when she can think of no other way to address them. Human emotion and existence is not something that can be black or white, and Nin describes it as somewhere in the gray area (Knapp 39-68). The use of poetic and stream-of-conscientiousness phrasing allows the reader to find there own relative truth, since absolute truth in these situations are impossible. Her metaphors are powerful and shocking, but Nin was not an extreme surrealist. She believed in the fusing of the conscious and unconscious minds to allow one to see the total picture, instead of only looking from one point of view. Negative capability is best displayed in The House

Free Essays on Shakespeare’s Parallels

Shakespeare’s Parallels Being an accomplished playwright, William Shakespeare wrote thirty-seven brilliant plays during his lifetime. Often in his plays there are events that coincide with each other as well as characters and themes. Even in two seemingly different plays – a comedy and a tragedy – these parallels are apparent. Twelfth Night and Othello each show prime examples of reoccurring motifs. When comparing this comedy and this tragedy, specific parallels can be drawn. Setting is a significant part in Shakespeare’s plays. The mood of the play and characters change with the different locations. In Twelfth Night, Olivia’s house and the Duke’s palace are the prominent settings. In this play, the head of the household sets the tone for that environment. A feeling of sorrow and mourning can be felt, upon entering the house of Olivia: â€Å"A virtuous maid, the daughter of a noble count That died some twelvemonth since, then leaving her In the protection of his son, her brother, Who shortly also died; for whose dear love, They say, she hath abjured the sight And company of men† (1.2.36-41). Her sorrow is felt throughout the household, contributing to the drunkenness of the other characters living there, Sir Andrew and Sir Toby. The Duke, Orsino, is also in a saddened state of mind; he is heart-broken over Olivia. His palace is also in a tone of unhappiness, however, Orsino and his attendants are trying to improve the situation. VIOLA. â€Å"Say I do speak with her, my lord, what then?† DUKE. â€Å"O, then unfold the passion of my love; Surprise her with discourse of my dear faith; It shall become thee well to act on my woes. She will attend it better in thy youth Than in a nuncio’s of more grave aspect† (1.4.23-28). Not only does Twelfth Night contain contrasting settings; Othello... Free Essays on Shakespeare’s Parallels Free Essays on Shakespeare’s Parallels Shakespeare’s Parallels Being an accomplished playwright, William Shakespeare wrote thirty-seven brilliant plays during his lifetime. Often in his plays there are events that coincide with each other as well as characters and themes. Even in two seemingly different plays – a comedy and a tragedy – these parallels are apparent. Twelfth Night and Othello each show prime examples of reoccurring motifs. When comparing this comedy and this tragedy, specific parallels can be drawn. Setting is a significant part in Shakespeare’s plays. The mood of the play and characters change with the different locations. In Twelfth Night, Olivia’s house and the Duke’s palace are the prominent settings. In this play, the head of the household sets the tone for that environment. A feeling of sorrow and mourning can be felt, upon entering the house of Olivia: â€Å"A virtuous maid, the daughter of a noble count That died some twelvemonth since, then leaving her In the protection of his son, her brother, Who shortly also died; for whose dear love, They say, she hath abjured the sight And company of men† (1.2.36-41). Her sorrow is felt throughout the household, contributing to the drunkenness of the other characters living there, Sir Andrew and Sir Toby. The Duke, Orsino, is also in a saddened state of mind; he is heart-broken over Olivia. His palace is also in a tone of unhappiness, however, Orsino and his attendants are trying to improve the situation. VIOLA. â€Å"Say I do speak with her, my lord, what then?† DUKE. â€Å"O, then unfold the passion of my love; Surprise her with discourse of my dear faith; It shall become thee well to act on my woes. She will attend it better in thy youth Than in a nuncio’s of more grave aspect† (1.4.23-28). Not only does Twelfth Night contain contrasting settings; Othello...

Student Portfolios for Middle and High School Teachers

Student Portfolios for Middle and High School Teachers Definition: Student portfolios are collections of student work that are typically used for an alternative assessment grade in the classroom. Student portfolios can take a couple of forms. Two Forms of Student Portfolios One type of student portfolio contains work that shows the students progression through the course of the school year. For example, writing samples might be taken from the beginning, middle, and end of the school year. This can help show growth and provide teachers, students, and parents with evidence of how the student has progressed. The second type of portfolio involves the student and/or teacher selecting examples of their best work. This type of portfolio can be graded in one of two ways. In many cases, these items are graded normally and then placed in the students portfolio. This portfolio can then be used as evidence of student work for college and scholarship applications among other things. The other way that these types of portfolios can be graded is to wait until the end of a term. In this instance, typically the teacher has published a rubric and students collect their own work for inclusion. Then the teacher grades this work based on the rubric.

Chapter 8 Discussion 2 Week 5 Receivables Assignment

Chapter 8 Discussion 2 Week 5 Receivables - Assignment Example This would mean that a firm may either have to abandon its plan for a liberal credit policy or it may end up having cash flow crisis if it continues with the plan. Competitors’ actions and reactions of customers to a change in the credit policy are important. It is possible that customers may shift their business in favor of a competitor who offers the best credit terms. Credit controllers in firms should take a competitors and customers analysis to determine possible effects to a change in credit policy. The management should ensure that it adopts a policy that poses minimal risk of lost customer goodwill as well as providing a sustainable competitive advantage (Bartels, 1967). Probability of bad debts and the managements risk appetite are also a major influence of a credit policy. If the management of a company determines that there is a high risk of their credit sales becoming bad, they would probably set up a tight credit policy. Companies whose management is risk averse do not favor loose credit policies. Impact of the credit policy on turnover, profitability and liquidity should also be considered. The management should seek to maintain a balance between increasing sales and profits and maintaining liquidity at appropriate levels (Talekar, 2005). This trade-off dictates the credit policy of a firm. The company may opt to reduce the credit limits of clients who are perceived to pose a high risk. The management should carry out customer due diligence and analyses so as to assess the credit worthiness of their clients. This should be done periodically, and the management should ensure that credit limits are lowered for high risk clients. This should be done carefully so that the customer’s loyalty is not eroded. The amount of $ credit sales should be capped to a certain limit depending on the credit worthiness assessment. The management may seek to use third parties

Practical 'learning and development event' for a local UAE company in Research Paper

Practical 'learning and development event' for a local UAE company in need of a leadership capacity development training - Research Paper Example The objective of the paper has been to identify the training needs in accordance with the leadership capacity of EITC. During the observation, it was noted that the workforces of EITC comprise a diverse culture with a major inclusion of authoritative leadership style which implies that the managers follow a commanding portfolio. It is also observed that the managers follow a centralized form for managing the activities of the company. The HRD department of the company is also observed to be lacking in managing the diverse workforces in this changing and highly competitive business environment. It is owing to this reason that the company should be facilitated with effective training as well as development program. Accordingly, the four competencies including leading people, strategic management, stimulating commitment and managing change has been suggested to the HR manager in EITC for the enhancement of their skills as well as to perform effectively in the ever changing and competiti ve business environment. OVERVIEW STATEMENT Emirate Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC) instigated its operations in the year 2006. ... In its current practices, the Emirati telecom company, i.e. EITC was reported to serve around 5 million people as customers as well as around 40,000 businesses in the local market segments as on 2011. The company is further noted to count on around 2,000 employees’ productivity to deliver superior quality services to its customers. A unique feature of the working environment in EITC is that it comprises employees belonging to diverse cultures from around 60 countries even though the company is still observed to be operating within the local market of UAE. Nevertheless, half of the senior management team as well as staff serving customers directly comprise UAE nationals (EITC, â€Å"Who we are†). Taking the virtues of its diverse workforce, the company seeks to provide better value to customers and thereby increase its leadership capability to satisfy its customers’ expectations and requirements. Accordingly, with respect to developmental training, the leaders in ETIC are observed to be mainly emphasized on equality as well as on continuous improvement of the overall workforce. Moreover, as per the vision of the company, the employees should be honest, loyal and integrated in order to execute the assigned task not only competitively but also yielding adequate sustainability. It is in this context that the working environment of ETIC has been strongly influenced by the present business scenario, where the business world has been changing continuously with immense rapidity with respect to competitions and other social, organizational as well as economic changes. The concept of globalization and the development of technologies are determined to be the major factors

Strategic Audits of Delta Airlines Research Paper

Strategic Audits of Delta Airlines - Research Paper Example Delta exists to include people of different diversities, religions, races, education, sexual orientation, gender identification, family status, geographical regions, citizenship, and styles of communication, socioeconomic background, skills, knowledge and much more. It is a great supporter of local organizations which focuses specifically on wellness and social health. For instance, Delta airlines has sponsored Cancer Society in America, Carter Center, Breast cancer centers, Network for Children Miracle, St. Jude Children Hospital, Humanity Habitat and much more (Datamonitor, 2010). Delta also is effective in supporting community-based organizations. For instance, the museums that enlighten, inspire, and exhibit people to make them important and enhance the betterment of this world is in partnership with Delta airlines. Other partnership includes Current partnerships include the Tribeca Film Festival, National Black Arts Festival, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Minnesota Orchest ra, High Museum of Art, Fox Theatre, Guthrie, and many more partners (Datamonitor, 2010). The objectives are in consensus with each other and they resonate well with the mission and external environment. For instance, Delta is involved in community activities which fulfill one of its missions.Delta airline is a company that strives to promote a culture that includes all the members in all levels of the operational environment. In addition, the management at the top acknowledges any level of contribution of all the stakeholders.

Quotes about education Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Quotes about education - Assignment Example A higher education blesses a person with techniques and tactics that can be effectively utilized to deal with the daily life agenda in a much efficient way, even if it involves stealing. The minor act of stealing from a freight car without education can be improvised into obtaining a legal hold on the entire railroad with education in addition to acquiring a stronghold in foreign policy. So the importance of education cannot be better emphasized than this quote. The author was a lawyer and a politician by profession and therefore was in a better position to understand the significance of formal education. The author, Ralph Waldo Emerson, lies due importance on the self-esteem of the pupil; this self-esteem plays a pivotal role for a student’s power of grasping the essence of education. Respecting the student provides him/ her with a self-confidence and motivation which drives them towards better accomplishment of study goals and objectives. A person who is drowning in self-pity and underestimation can never reach the aptitude required for a bright career. The author specialized in Western

3D xml Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

3D xml - Essay Example X3D builds on the success of the Virtual Reality Modelling Language (VRML) with expanded features such as stricter conformance, additional data encoding formats, and more advanced APIs. Its componentized architecture introduces the profiles feature, which allows for a modular approach to supporting the standard. X3D also features backward compatibility with legacy VRML data (http://www.web3d.org/x3d/specifications/x3d/).   In order to model the numerous graphics nodes constituting a virtual environment, the X3D software makes use of a scene graph, which is a directed and cyclic tree structure. This type of graph has a definite beginning with parent-child relationships between each node, with each node having a single parent. The only exception to this rule is the X3D root at the very top of the graph. The graph in itself contains no cycles or loops, and it organizes all aspects of a 3D scene in a hierarchal manner that systematizes appearance, animation, geometry and event routing (Brutzman, Daily, 2007). As has been already stated, the software is based on VRML or the Virtual Reality Modelling Language, an international standard first adopted in 1997. However, X3D differs from VRML in its inclusion of Extensible Markup Language (XML), which allows it to integrate with other Internet-based software (Brutzman, Daily, 2007).   X3D’s scene-graph architecture and file-format encoding are based on existing VRML technology, which is formally known as the ISO/IEC 14772 -1:1997 international standard. However, it is more commonly known as VRML 2 or VRML 97, and it is well-known for a highly expressive 3D interchange format that is supported by a wide range of codebases and tools. VRML 97’s geometry and behaviour capabilities are expressed in X3D through XML. Moreover, X3D enables users to carry out node prototyping and program scripting, whether in ECMAScript or in Java. All of these features provide outstanding support for

Product channeling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Product channeling - Essay Example These systems can be integrated vertically or as separate, independent entities. Insurance distribution can be found using any or all of these methods collectively. The ability to navigate distribution channels would require understanding of optimal timing. "Choosing the right channel for the life cycle stage of the product can have a dramatic impact on sales, and often it determines the success or failure of any new or existing product." (Combs, L. S.; The Right Channel at the Right Time; Industrial Management; 46(4); July -August 2004) But in essence, there are many methods toward choosing either a singular channel or multiple channels for distribution purposes, especially in the world of insurance. "The proliferation of disconnected distribution channels is a product of the competitive nature of the insurance industry." (Toth, W.; Navigating Distribution Channels; Insurance & Technology, 30(7), S6-S8; 2005) This alone speaks volumes in the realm of the life cycle considered to be prominent in insurance sales, that during peak times the effectiveness of disconnected distribution channels, or independent distributors or contractors, would in f act be of benefit toward the industry. The most effective channels for insurance would have to be independent marketing organizations for two reasons; this gives the co

3D xml Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

3D xml - Essay Example X3D builds on the success of the Virtual Reality Modelling Language (VRML) with expanded features such as stricter conformance, additional data encoding formats, and more advanced APIs. Its componentized architecture introduces the profiles feature, which allows for a modular approach to supporting the standard. X3D also features backward compatibility with legacy VRML data (http://www.web3d.org/x3d/specifications/x3d/).   In order to model the numerous graphics nodes constituting a virtual environment, the X3D software makes use of a scene graph, which is a directed and cyclic tree structure. This type of graph has a definite beginning with parent-child relationships between each node, with each node having a single parent. The only exception to this rule is the X3D root at the very top of the graph. The graph in itself contains no cycles or loops, and it organizes all aspects of a 3D scene in a hierarchal manner that systematizes appearance, animation, geometry and event routing (Brutzman, Daily, 2007). As has been already stated, the software is based on VRML or the Virtual Reality Modelling Language, an international standard first adopted in 1997. However, X3D differs from VRML in its inclusion of Extensible Markup Language (XML), which allows it to integrate with other Internet-based software (Brutzman, Daily, 2007).   X3D’s scene-graph architecture and file-format encoding are based on existing VRML technology, which is formally known as the ISO/IEC 14772 -1:1997 international standard. However, it is more commonly known as VRML 2 or VRML 97, and it is well-known for a highly expressive 3D interchange format that is supported by a wide range of codebases and tools. VRML 97’s geometry and behaviour capabilities are expressed in X3D through XML. Moreover, X3D enables users to carry out node prototyping and program scripting, whether in ECMAScript or in Java. All of these features provide outstanding support for

Susan Wolf - Asymmetrical Freedom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Susan Wolf - Asymmetrical Freedom - Essay Example The essay "Susan Wolf - Asymmetrical Freedom" discusses Asymmetrical freedom of Wolf. According to Wolf, an agent’s actions are psychologically determined only on condition that his actions are determined by personal interests. By this, he means that his desires or values, and own interests are wholly determined by his environment or heredity. If people’s actions are determined, there is a high probability of the idea of psychological determinism being true. Considering what not being determined by his interests would mean for the actions of an agent, or for an agent to be capable of acting despite his interests, Wolf argues that the agent can act against everything that he cares about and what he believes in. For instance, if a son of an agent was in a burning building, yet the agent is standing and watching the building consumed by fire, then a person could think that such behavior ought not to be regarded as an action, but as spasms that are beyond the control of the agent. If it is an action, then they are so bizarre that an agent who did not bother to help may have been insane to have the ability to perform it. Wolf’s views suggest that if people require an agent to be psychologically undetermined, they cannot expect him to be an agent of good morals. This is on grounds that if people expect that his interests do not determine his actions, then probably they cannot be determined by his ethical or moral interests. However, if people expect that his interests should not be determined by something else.... We believe that his actions are determined by the precise kinds of interests and that the right sort of reasons determines their interests. On the other hand, an agent who is not determined psychologically has no ability to carry out actions that are right. If his actions can never be suitably correct, then in doing right actions, he can never go wrong. One problem emerges from this situation, and that is that the undetermined agent seems to be free from moral reasons. Consequently, the satisfaction of the state of freedom tends to overpower the satisfaction of the state of value. Philosophers have got intuitions wrong, since there is an asymmetry in people’s intuitions concerning freedom that has been for a long time been overlooked. Consequently, it seems that the answer to the issue of free will can only be found in two options: either the verity that the action of an agent was determined will always be compatible with him being responsible for the action or the fact that t he action of the agent was determined will often rule his responsibility out. Wolf suggests that the solution lies in the idea that both the incompatibilities and compatibilities are wrong. To be responsible beings, we need suitable combination of indetermination and determination. Susan Wolf’s views on the issue that being psychologically compelled or determined by good is compatible with the compelled agent being responsible for his action is plausible. This is due to the reason that an agent cannot be blameworthy in his morals if he is determined in the way he acts. In my view, determination is compatible with the responsibility of an agent to perform a good

Valuing Literacy Essay Example for Free

Valuing Literacy Essay In speaking about the value of literacy in the classroom, it is essential to reflect upon our own personal histories in the classroom setting. Being that my favorite content has been primarily math, it was often difficult for me to be interested in literacy. Language, both spoken and written, did not appeal to me in the same way that math and numbers did. I always found math to be very logical, simple and straight forward, with understandable rules, while language seemed subjective, with rules that alter and change over time. However, even though language was not my favorite subject, it is vital to understand the ways in which people are aided by having a strong command of language. Development The development of the child as one passes through the school system is a constantly shifting and evolving process. I remember listening to bedtime stories as a young child and learning to read, then learning how to spell and write in elementary school and understanding the parts of speech. As I progressed into secondary school, I was expected to organize and refine my writing, developing concepts in depth. It is a natural process for children to start out slow with literacy skills. However, it is important for children to be supported in language acquisition as they grow older, promoting the comprehension of multifaceted ideas (Plaut, 2008). Content There were various methods employed by my parents and teachers to help me to fully understand the content of literacy. When reading with my parents, we took turns reading and pronouncing words. They encouraged me to read to them, just as they were happy to read to me. In elementary school, I received further instruction in grammar and semantics, learning how words worked within sentences, how words were spelled, how to gain meaning from the concepts being communicated. In secondary school, I was encouraged to write essays, to fine tune my organizational skills, and to communicate ideas in a comprehensive and orderly fashion. Experiences In reflecting on how some of my experiences with literacy were helpful or harmful, it is important to note that not all children learn about language in positive ways. Sometimes, the very people who are supposed to be our teachers use language to deflate the self esteem of children. I remember being reprimanded for reading something incorrectly, and the result was that I was less confident the next time. On the other hand, I remember instances of teachers praising my writing and pointing out what worked. I believe that praising the good is often more productive than shaming the mistakes. Social Impact The social impact of literacy is an important element of language acquisition. When family members, teachers, and friends are not highly educated in literacy or do not value language skills, then the result is a social environment which is not adequately supportive (McKenna Robinson, 2009). Social interactions have a way of making or breaking a person, and it is important to recognize the gulf between the expectations of the greater academic society and the reality of one’s social atmosphere. Practice In bringing my own literacy skills to a higher level and moving from being a student to being a teacher, it is highly important for me to be able to be an excellent model of literacy to the students I teach. Although I am focused on being a math teacher, the explanation and understanding of any subject has to be successfully communicated through language (Zwiers, 2007). It is of utmost importance to me and my future students that I be able to support them in polishing their literacy skills. In order to do this, I must focus on my own level of excellence. References McKenna, M. Robinson, R. (2009). Teaching through text: reading and writing in the content areas. Allyn and Bacon. Plaut, S. (2008). The Right to Literacy in Secondary Schools: Creating a Culture of Thinking. Teachers College Press. Zwiers, J. (2007). Building academic language: essential practices for content classrooms. John Wiley and Sons.

The Advantages Of Renewable Energy Resources Environmental Sciences Essay

The Advantages Of Renewable Energy Resources Environmental Sciences Essay The rapid growth of the world population leads to energy demand on a rise especially in developing countries. In addition, due to the limited ability to supply of non-renewable there are a number of huge challenges that are posed to the population of the world. This situation leads to the risk of depletion of cheap fossil energy and environmental pollution as well as climate change. According to Loir, there will probably be sufficient oil and gas for this century, and coal for 2 or more (Loir .N 2007, p.843). Or Edwin Cartlidge reports the annual total consumption of energy sources by the world population is about 1.41017 kWh, of which the proportion of the fossil energy has accounted for 90% of the energy sources used (Physics World 7/2007). Therefore, researchers around the world have been constantly trying to find solutions to diversify energy sources and reduce harmful emissions and greenhouse emissions into the environment and renewable energy sources have taken the spotlight. T hus, what is the renewable energy? The Oxford Dictionary () defines renewable energy as natural energy that can be used again and again and will never run out. There are four major types of renewable energy: solar, hydro, wind and geothermal energy. This paper will discuss advantages and disadvantages that renewable energy resource (RES) brings, as well as analysis the importance of RES to the worlds future. 2. Discussion of findings 2.1 Advantages of renewable energy resources (RES) The use of renewable energy has many potential benefits, including human beings and environment. Firstly, one of the most important  advantages of renewable energy  is that it is renewable. Essence of RES is derivation from natural processes so the energy is sustainable and never run out. Truly, renewable energy is really important and necessary to human beings when fossil fuels are more and more exhausted. With the never-ending supply of renewables, we would feel secure when having abundant supply of energy to last our planet, our human race and our economies, for generations and ever. Khemani (2011) says: As long as human life is there, there will be earth, sun, wind and water, and the energy from these sources will also be available as long as they are there. With the abundance from many renewable resources and development of science and technology, he strongly believes that renewable energy can meet the worlds energy needs today and tomorrow. Secondly, another benefit of renewable energy technologies is that ability of providing a measure of assurance of continued electricity supply at times when it otherwise might be threatened. In some circumstances, renewable energy technologies can be more reliable than other forms of electricity. For example, solar electricity systems can be used after storms for response and recovery. Renewable energy technologies such as generators powered by photovoltaics (PV) can supply electricity if the grid fails. Often the sun comes out in the immediate aftermath of a devastating storm. It can take weeks to repair the electricity grid and restore power to all customers. If battery storage is added to the system, it can supply electricity even after the sun goes down or through several cloudy or stormy days. Energy is needed to provide lighting, heating, air conditioning, cooking, transport and to  power  all the technologies in the family home or business premises (Parker 2010) Moreover, renewable energy not only is regarded as an unlimited resource but also plays an important role to regional development. Renewable energy and energy efficiency can help revitalize rural communities. For example, Wind turbines and solar panel systems can provide energy and provide rural communities with new tax revenue. Farmers on windy lands can lease space to wind developers, earning thousands of dollars for each turbine every year. One of the greatest alternative energy benefits is that it is so much better for environment than the use of  fossil fuels that contribute heavily to issues such as acid rain, smog and global warming. On the contrary, renewable energy has little or no waste products such as carbon dioxide or other chemical pollutants. Renewable energy systems produce much lower carbon dioxide emissions as opposed to carbon-intensive fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas while they are being used only a small amount of fuel during the manufacturing of equipment (Walser 2012). With renewable energies, energy is usually converted from one form to another without the creation of pollutants. Chandler (2006) takes solar energy as example, light energy from the sun can be converted directly to electricity using photovoltaic without the production of any pollutants like carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gasses. Similarly, wind power energy relies on moving air and converts it into electricity wit hout polluting the environment. Therefore, it is obvious that the non-pollution or minimal impacts on environment are the positive advantages of renewable energy. 2.2 Disadvantages of renewable energy resources (RES) Although it is obvious to recognize the human as well as environmental advantages of utilizing renewable forms of energy, we must also consider some limiting sides from the energy. The biggest disadvantage of renewable energy is that the cost of the energy is relatively higher than non-renewable energy. The initial costs of renewable energy still make many people ignore it completely when comparing it with fossil fuel on two aspects: total cost and over the same time period. For example, installation of solar energy water heater costs many times in comparison with a heater, so they decided to buy heaters for hot water solution. According Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) (2008) reported that turbine installation costs $ 47.5 billion; by contrast, we only have to spend a much smaller amount of money to build thermal power station about $ 2,25 billion (Shah 2011). He also pointed that other incidental costs such as maintenance costs and production costs cause price increasing. Generally, it is price that the reason has prevented approaching and using clean energy as compared to the fossil fuel sources of energy. Another distinct disadvantage is relying too much on weather conditions and geographic locations to create energy (Sinclair 2011). Each types of renewable sources is just better suited to some places. This means that you cannot use each of these renewable sources in all locations. For instance, when using geo-thermal energy, you must be in a location that provides the environment for geo-thermal energy to be produced. Likewise, we cannot generate hydro-electric power without having a fast-flowing water source, such as a river or waterfall. In addition, the energy also brings some inconvenient problems. Take solar energy water heater as an example, it is inefficient because in summer ambient temperature are high and the use of hot water is not needed; however, in the winter we could not have hot water due to low light of the sun. Shah (2011) claimed that despite the fact that most renewable energy sources are more environmentally friendly they may still have a negative impact on the environment. He stated that hydroelectricity projects can cause a dramatic change in the development of wildlife and ecosystem along the river and flood risks. 2.3 Can renewable energy supply the Worlds energy needs? With the significant benefits from renewable energy, we cant deny that roles of it are more and more important. Nowadays, by advances and achievements of science and technology scientists are having every confidence in bright future of renewable energy. According to the report of The  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2011, renewable sources occupied about 13 percent of the worlds energy in 2008 and the proportion likely to have risen. The report also point out that within four decades renewable energy  could account for almost 80% of the worlds  energy supply. The statistics are completely appeared in the near future if we combine four main alternative resources and use hydroelectric to fill in gaps, which makes easier to match demand. The most important thing is to combine renewable energy sources into a bundle (cited in BERGERON 2011). Particularly, in research (Edenhofer et al. 2011) shows that by 2050, geothermal energy could meet more than 3 percent of global electricity demand and about 5 percent of the global heat demand, hydropower will contribute about 30 percent of worldwide electricity supply, wind power will grow to more than 20 percent and solar energy becomes one of the major sources of energy supply with about 15 percent.

Broadband IP Networks :: essays research papers

Putting Broadband to work Broadband value added services create value and loyalty, thus revenue. Abstract   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Broadband carriers, access, and service providers initially focused on providing Internet Access. As competition and price pressure intensify, Providers are seeking to deploy IP-based value added services. Rapid Industry adoption of rich streaming media is being driven by an eco system of interested parties: Service providers, Advertisers, Broadcasters, Consumers and Carriers. This rapid conversion needs a new platform to manage, store, protect and distribute Broadband Content of all types (Games, Video, Music and Business Applications) This document describes the needs and the solution for such a platform, empowering the new breed of horizontally layered providers of services. RAGA’s platform was developed to uniquely address these concerns and offer and end-to-end solution for Broadband Content Delivery. We regard Broadband as a powerful technology, potentially a â€Å"Killer App†, because it can change and redefine our lifestyle, reshaping infotainment and the way we use our leisure. Broadband is a new infrastructure for numerous Infotainment services not possible before. It enables a Content Revolution in Entertainment (especially Music, Video and Games), education, Productivity and Communication. During the last two years, the industry seems to understand this trend, and traditionally well-defined borders between separate types of operators seem to now blend. The Telecommunications Market is undergoing a vast convergence process. Different industries, having served in the past different sectors in the market, have now contributed, mostly thanks to technological advances, to the formation of the â€Å"Information Society†, where the general public accesses incommensurable quantities of all types of content and media: Basic requirements to deliver Broadband Content To fully realize the potential of a public network delivering Broadband On-Demand content to a ‘segment of one’ user, Service intelligence is needed in the network, across all applications. To get a coherent and repetitive intelligence across many applications, the best solution is to host them on a single Middleware or Platform (which is what the RAGAâ„ ¢ framework is all about), which applies the intelligence to all content and applications. The service intelligence needs to ask each user: Who are you? What applications do you want to use? Are you allowed to use it? What class of service do you require? How much are you willing to pay for that service? The platform must then dynamically apply the necessary combination of security, performance, address management, and protocol functions. This user-oriented, session-aware service model requires that the platform support the following service intelligence functions: User Authentication and Authorization –for secure access control

Theme in Housman’s “to an Athlete Dying Young”

? Theme in Housman’s â€Å"To an Athlete Dying Young† By Genea Cannon Dr. A. Kantor English 1302 6 March 2009 â€Å"To an Athlete Dying Young† by A. E. Houseman The time you won your town the race We chaired you through the market-place; Man and boy stood cheering by, And home we brought you shoulder-high. Today, the road all runners come, Shoulder-high we bring you home, And set you at your threshold down, Townsman of a stiller town. Smart lad, to slip betimes away From fields where glory does not stay, And early though the laurel grows It withers quicker than the rose. Eyes the shady night has shut Cannot see the record cut, And silence sounds no worse than cheers After earth has stopped the ears: Now you will not swell the rout Of lads that wore their honors out, Runners whom renown outran And the name died before the man. So set, before its echoes fade, The fleet foot on the sill of shade, And hold to the low lintel up The still-defended challenge-cup. And round that early-laureled head Will flock to gaze the strengthless dead, And find unwithered on its curls The garland briefer than a girl’s. Thesis and Outline Thesis: Housman uses visual imagery, double-meaning words, and life cycles to develop a theme of fading glory. I. Visual Imagery A. Presence B. Effect II. Double-meaning Words A. Presence B. Effect III. Life Cycles A. Presence B. Effect Genea Cannon DC English 1302 Dr. A. Kantor 3/6/09 Theme in Housman’s â€Å"To an Athlete Dying Young† In Alfred Edward Housman’s â€Å"To an Athlete Dying Young†, the theme of fading glory is evident throughout the piece. Knowing and comprehending the theme is important to understanding the poem. Housman uses visual imagery, double-meaning words, and life cycles to develop a theme of fading glory. Visual imagery is used in many ways to present the theme. In the first stanza, the narrator is remembering the day that the runner won a race for his town. When Housman states that â€Å"Man and boy stood cheering by, And home we brought we brought you shoulder-high† (Housman Lines 3-4), it is obvious that the athlete was praised because â€Å"he was placed on an emotional/psychological pedestal as well as a physical one† (Napierkowski 230). Next, Housman states that Today, the road all runners come, Shoulder-high we bring you home, And set you at your threshold down, Townsman of a stiller town. (Lines 5-8) These lines vividly paint a picture of the athlete being carried high again, but this time the athlete in his own casket on the way to his grave. The saying â€Å"The road all runners come† expresses the â€Å"speaker’s awareness of the mortality of all people† (Napierkowski 230). The story is continued in line 7 by burying the body at his â€Å"threshold†. â€Å"The ‘threshold’ may literally be the physical edges of a grave, but it could also refer to the boundary between earthly reality and the world of the dead† (231). This shows that all people will die and that this particular athlete was held high even though he was on the way to the grave, because he died young and was still remembered for what he had done in his life. Another use of imagery is shown in lines 11 and 12, when Housman says â€Å"And early though the laurel grows It withers quicker than the rose. † This is showing that the athlete gets his fame early in life, but just like the laurels, his glory fades quickly. â€Å"The idea of a laurel leaf representing the brevity of physical beauty and strength is furthered by its comparison to the feminine and delicate rose, which grows early in the season and withers and dies quickly (but not as quickly as the laurel)† (231). In the last stanza of â€Å"To an Athlete Dying Young†, the image of the dead athlete having already passed through the threshold and existing in the world of the dead is presented. The athlete is wearing the victory wreath made of laurel. The only difference in the wreath of laurel in the world of the dead and the wreath of laurel on earth is that the laurel does not ever fade in the world of the dead. â€Å"The garland is expressed as ‘unwithered,’ reiterating Housman’s theme of the permanent victory an early death might provide† (232). These are a few of the ways that imagery shows up the theme of glory fading throughout the piece. Not only does visual imagery present the reader with the theme, words that have double-meaning also play an immense role in the poem by Housman. One instance of double-meaning words is in the fifth stanza when it is said: â€Å"Now you will not swell the rout Of lads that wore their honors out, Runners whom renown outran And the name died before the man. † (Lines 17-20) These lines strengthen the observation made by the speaker that at some point all athletes will fade in their ability to make such a performance and win. Glory is fleeting. The only way a person can capture it and make it last is to die young after achieving greatness† (Cummings). â€Å"Their ‘renown’ eventually outruns them: because they can no longer uphold their athletic reputation by sustaining their peak performance, their reputation, or ‘name,’ dies before they do† (Napi erkowski 231). And the name does not actually â€Å"die† it actually fades from people’s memories, whereas the person dies. This is where the double-meaning comes into play. Since the hero-athlete of this poem has died while at his peak, he will not have to become part of this ‘rout’ (crowd) of has-been athletes† (231). Words that have double-meanings play a big role in the production of the theme in poem written by Housman. In addition to visual imagery and double meaning words, life cycles have an important effect on the theme of the poem. Lines 9 and 10 of Housman’s poem say â€Å"Smart lad, to slip away From fields where glory does not stay,† These lines are saying that glory does not remain upon the earth long; after a while the accomplishments you achieved will be forgotten. The speaker suggests that the athlete was â€Å"smart† to die and leave the natural world, where â€Å"glory does not stay† (Napierkowski 231). Had the athlete grown older, the townspeople would have forgotten his accomplishment when other runners replaced him, meaning other runners would steal the spotlight when the athlete was no longer the best. This shows that heroes cycle through our lives like people who cycle through our lives. Alfred Edward Housman’s â€Å"To an Athlete Dying Young† has an interesting theme of fading glory. This theme is presented through visual imagery, double-meaning words, and life cycles. These three things used in the poem vividly paint a picture for the reader’s mind presenting the theme in a way that the reader can not miss. Works Cited Cummings, Michael J. â€Å"To an Athlete Dying Young†. Cummings Guides. 27 Jan 2009. 3 March 2009. . Housman, A. E. , â€Å"To an Athlete Dying Young. † The Collected Poems. London: Jonathan Cape, 1939. Napierkowski, Marie Rose, and Mary K. Ruby, eds. â€Å"To an Athlete Dying Young. † Poetry for Students. Vol. 7. Detroit: Gale, 1998.

Developing Brand Positioning Strategy for Canadian Club

Developing Brand Positioning Strategy for Canadian Club Whiskey [pic] Developing branding strategy for Canadian Club A. Assess and fully critique the success of Canadian Club’s repositioning strategies used in the case. Use brand theories and concepts to evaluate the company’s branding strategies listed in the case. According to Keller(1993) the effective brand positioning gives a brand a competitive advantage or â€Å"unique selling proposition† that determines a reason why consumers are buying this product or service (Keller, 1993).Similarly, Kay (2004) argues that brand’s strength depends on its successful positioning within consumers’ mind. Furthermore, it is claimed that strong brands should possess â€Å"difference† and â€Å"consistency†, however the difference should be meaningful for consumers. In the case of Canadian Club whisky it aimed to differentiate its quality and uniqueness through exciting advertising campaigns such a s â€Å"Adventure Series†, â€Å"Hide A Case†, â€Å"CC Find-A-Case Challenge† or â€Å"Damn Right Your Dad Drank It†. Also, Keller (1993) claims that brand knowledge consists of brand awareness and perceived brand image among consumers.Brand image is further divided into favourability, strength and uniqueness of brand associations. Therefore, in the case of Canadian Club a brand image is conveyed through unique and distinctive experiences that consumers associate with a brand. For example, introduction of â€Å"Adventure Series† advertising campaign in 1920s aimed to increase CC’s global sales whilst showcasing print ads of travellers going to remote locations all over the world and performing brave actions. After that they were relaxing with a glass of CC.As a result a brand’s image is distinctive from the category as it appeals to its target audience as a unique and exclusive drink associated with adventures. Also, it benefits cons umer experientially. In addition, Keller (1993) claims that developing a brand equity requires four value stages: marketing program investment, customer mind-set, market performance and shareholder value (Keller, 1993). Furthermore, marketing program should be clear, relevant, distinctive and consistent throughout all the marketing communications.For example, CC introduced â€Å"Hide-A-Case† campaign in 1967 which aimed to challenge drinkers to search for bottles of Canadian Club kept hidden at remote locations all over the world. CC cases were hidden in places such as the Swiss Alps (Switzerland), Mt. Kilimanjaro (Tanzania), Angel Falls (Venezuela) etc. Therefore, the campaign was interactive and engaging which is another distinctiveness for the category. Also, the campaign was communicated through the hints of where to find CC cases published in magazine ads or sport pages in daily newspapers.Therefore, it was relevant for targeted audience and consistent throughout all the communications. Other campaigns involved â€Å"CC Find-A-Case Challenge†(1981) and â€Å"Find A Case Challenge†(2004) which were similar to earlier launched â€Å"Hide-A-Case† campaign, however CC cases were hidden in locations such as in Death Valley in California, on top of a skyscraper in New York City, etc. Also, the campaign involved a form of contest where teams were participating in 7 different fun-filled events or games assessing their physical and mental skills like CC Poker Run, Roll the Barrel, CC Hockey Challenge etc.The winning team was awarded of US 10000. Hence, all these campaigns were interactive, engaging and communicating brand’s uniqueness and exclusivity to the target audience. However, due to failure to address declining sales in 1990s the company had to develop new repositioning strategy for a brand. Therefore, they launched â€Å"Damn Right Your Dad Drank It† campaign aiming to expand their target audience into young male d rinkers. The campaign was based on nostalgia branding concept. According to Kay (2006) reviving brands is a viable strategy.Furthermore, it is claimed that retro branding or nostalgia branding is where perception towards brand depends upon consumers’ nostalgic leanings can be a powerful management option (Kay, 2006). Similarly, Kessous and Roux (2002) argue that nostalgia can be used to reposition company’s product in the market and differentiate it through creating emotional appeals to the consumers of their past experiences (Kessous, 2002). Therefore, nostalgia is defined as a preference towards objects (people, places or things) which were common when one was younger.The nostalgia can be further classified into â€Å"first-time nostalgia† and â€Å"long-standing nostalgia†. However, nostalgia branding is usually used within confectionary or sweets market which is why pursuing this type of strategy for Canadian Club whisky was criticised as being risky. Furthermore, whisky category itself is viewed as drinks for mature and old consumers and there was a threat to strengthen this image even more whilst using nostalgia branding. However, the campaign succeeded as it was relevant to the target audience (young males) and consistent to its brand image as it provoked masculinity and stylishness.Also, it was consistent through all the marketing communications such as billboards, point-of-sale items, radio advertising, out-of-home advertising, in-market events, and experiential elements. In addition it was distinctive to the usual category’s advertising campaigns that usually consisted of stereotyped â€Å"sex sells† ads playing on hot chicks and smoking’ bods or â€Å"James Bond† appeal. Finally, the brand’s image and values were clearly communicated through the campaign. Therefore, nostalgia branding enabled company to reposition itself from being an exclusive and sophisticated drink into more of a mass market product.Finally, Shamma (2011) claims that total brand equity consists of product and corporate brand equity which depends on company’s market, social and financial performance. Furthermore, there is a positive relationship between company’s corporate brand and socially responsible marketing and total brand equity (Shamma, 2011). Similarly, Grace and King (2011) talks about employee brand equity, which is the result of positive and productive employee brand-related behaviour and is strongly linked with brand’s strength (Grace and King, 2011).In contrast, Kay (2004) argues that corporate branding differs from product and service branding as it is aimed at different target audiences. For instance, corporate branding usually targets company’s shareholders and employees whereas product and service branding is focused on consumers who are not really interested in corporate brand identity (Kay, 2004). However, it is also claimed that some companies, esp ecially those that started as niche businesses that appealed to small segments of socially conscious customers succeeded in creating strong and distinctive corporate brands.Referring to CC and Jim Beam corporation consumers are not that concerned about company’s overall image, however introduction of corporate social responsibility and socially responsible marketing could enhance employees’ satisfaction and therefore employee brand equity. B. You have assumed the role of, Brand Manager for Canadian Club. Develop a brand positioning plan to strengthen the Canadian Club brand for the next three years (2014-2017). Suggest a variety of branding strategies that are appropriate for the brand’s identity and target market.Use current research about the brand and the whiskey industry prior to answering this part of the assignment. Use theory to justify your arguments! Canadian Club whiskey belongs to UK spirits market which was estimated to be worth ? 11. 09 bn. at curre nt prices in 2011 (Keynote, 2012). The UK spirits and liquors market is expected to grow by 16. 4% reaching a value of ? 13. 42bn in 2016. Thus, there is an opportunity for Canadian Club to further increase and strengthen its share of market. Canadian Club whiskey is a prestigious brand owned by Beam Global Spirits & Wine Corporation which is US-based company.It also owns brands such as Jim Beam, Courvoisier and Tequila Sauza. Since 1920s Canadian Club differentiated itself as a high quality, exclusive whisky offering experiential experience for its drinkers. Its current target market is those from legal drinking age to 34, however company is looking forward to strengthen its appeal among younger consumers in order to capture their life-time loyalty (Twiss, 2012). Referring to its main competitors the direct competitors are Diageo’s Johnnie Walker scotch whiskey and Jack Daniels â€Å"Tennessee Whiskey†.Diageo is a leading distiller which currently owns more than 35% o f the spirits and liquors market globally and is expanding to emergent markets such as India and Asia (BBC, 2013). It also owns brands such as Smirnoff Vodka and Gordon’s Gin. Furthermore, Scotch whiskey is the leader of whiskey category in UK and worldwide and its exports were worth ? 4. 23bn in 2011 (BBC, 2013). However, there is an increasing trend among younger consumers to choose vodka and other â€Å"white† spirits to mix them in their cocktails.Therefore, in order to sustain and increase its market share Canadian Club needs to tackle competition arousing not only from â€Å"dark† spirits but also from â€Å"white† spirits such as vodka, rum, gin etc. Referring to category’s recent adverts Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky (Diageo) launched a new global advertising campaign in September 2012 entitled â€Å"Where Flavour is a King†. The campaign uses facebook application to educate users about different flavours that make up each Johnnie Wal ker label (MarketingWeek, 2012).Meanwhile, Jack Daniels â€Å"Tennessee Whiskey† has recently introduced their â€Å"Legend† campaign where it is positioned as a whiskey of â€Å"Rock & Roll† era (International Business Times, 2013). On the other hand, Canadian Club recently introduced its â€Å"Beer fairies† campaign in Australia featuring unattractive beer drinker possessing all the negative traits associated with beer drinking. The campaign seeks to position CC as a refreshing alternative through the use of parody and provocative advertising (Campaign Brief, 2012).Furthermore, it introduced â€Å"Join the Club† campaign where company’s CEO is represented as a brand ambassador and is sharing his â€Å"Whiskey wisdoms† with consumers about masculinity and manhood. It is evident that several classic liquor companies have been recently using manly images in order to appeal to growing macho men population. For instance, John Jameson and its campaign â€Å"legend of John Jameson† with images of its founder arm-wrestling or Canadian Wiser’s whiskey and its â€Å"Wiserhood† campaign featuring a â€Å"society of uncompromising men† who applaud any man who resists an occasion that threatens his manhood (Krashinsky, 2012).Also, many of spirits and liquor companies are incorporating social media when creating a branding strategy in order to target younger and more affluent audience. For instance, Canadian Club whiskey fans are encouraged to share their â€Å"Whiskey Wisdoms† on facebook in order to get an access to exclusive content, invitations to local events and wisdom (Lukovitz, 2012,). Similarly, Smirnoff promoted its Vodka Ice drink through social media whilst encouraging fans to participate in a drinking game and share experiences and photos on facebook page.According to Avery and Fournier (2011) open source branding is a new concept in marketing where a â€Å"brand is embedded in a cultural conversation such that consumers gain an equal, if not greater, say than marketers in what the brand looks like and how it behaves† (Fournier, 2011, pp. 194). It is enabled through social media technologies such as blogging, video sharing, social bookmarking, social networking, and community platforms (Fournier, 2011).Furthermore, it is evident that engaging with the â€Å"right† individuals through social media platforms can help to promote word-of-mouth for a brand, spread brand knowledge, generate sales and increase return on investment (Kumar, 2012). However, since the marketers do not have so much control on the overall brand’s image in open source branding social media can also have a negative impact on brand’s equity.Therefore, it is claimed that when incorporating social media in their marketing activities companies should take into consideration four powerful and challenging Web-enabled themes: The Age of the Social Collective, The A ge of Transparency, The Age of Criticism, and The Age of Parody (Fournier, 2011). Referring to social collectiveness it is evident that online communities provide an opportunity for in-depth discussion of shared interests among consumers, therefore strengthening group bonds. Also, some of the companies developed their business models based on social collectiveness concept.For instance, Groupon offers a variety of daily deals for restaurants, spas, massages and other activities for its members but offers are valid only if enough people sign up to receive them (Fournier, 2011). The Age of Transparency and The Age of Criticism claim that due to significant technology changes the news and opinions about particular brand spread very fast and can have a significant impact on brand equity (Fournier, 2011). For instance, due to transparency BP recently experienced a fiasco with its leaking Deepwater Horizon oil rig.The news had a significant impact on negative brand’s reputation as B P was pursuing an image of the environmentally-friendly petroleum company and was developing activities to strengthen this image. Similarly, there is a power of disappointed company’s internal employees revealing market’s and firm’s secrets to a wider public that can damage company’s image. Criticism enabled through social media technologies can also have a great impact on company’s brand equity even if a small number of consumers is complaining. For instance, when introduced its new product formulation called Dry Max,Pampers had to deal with a negative impact arousing from consumers who claimed that a product caused diaper rash and was not suitable for consumers. Finally, The Age of Parody refers to online users’ view of social media being a pastime or a source of entertainment. Therefore, it is not surprising that many companies are trying to grab consumers’ attention through creating funny and interactive campaigns that go viral. H owever, the difficulty is to evaluate the impact and reach of these campaigns. Another recent trend in social media applications is mobile marketing and mobile social media.With increasingly powerful mobile devices, many social media applications have gone mobile in order to reach customer instantly without any time or location limitations (Kaplan, 2012). Thus, mobile marketing is defined as â€Å"any marketing activity conducted through a ubiquitous network to which consumers are constantly connected using a personal mobile device† (Kaplan, 2012, pp. 130). In contrast, mobile social media is defined as a â€Å"group of mobile marketing applications that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content† (Kaplan, 2012, pp. 31). It is also claimed that mobile social media applications can be classified according to users’ time and location sensitivity. For example, quick-timers involve transfer of traditional social media applications to mobile devices to increase immediacy such as posting Twitter messages or Facebook status updates. In contrast, space-timers involve exchange of messages with relevance for one specific location at one specific point-in time, for example Facebook places, Foursquare and Gowalla.Space-timers are the most sophisticated form of mobile social marketing applications as user’s participation does not primarily depend on user’s monetary motivation. According to the theory the increasing willingness to check in certain locations through Foursquare can be explained through self-presentation and self-disclosure concepts, and impulsiveness theory which claims that individuals often struggle between displaying long-term control and giving into short-term temptations (Kaplan, 2012).Therefore, lots of companies are collaborating with Foursquare to promote their sales and discounts, develop relationships and loyalty programs. Furthermore, it is estimated that by 2020 a mobile device will be the primary Internet connection tool for most people in the world (Kaplan, 2010). However, when integrating mobile social marketing applications companies should also make sure that it is integrated into the lives of consumers, offered activities or promotions are individualized according to each user’s preferences and interests and users are involved through engaging in conversations.Otherwise, it can become intrusive, annoying and threaten personal privacy. Nevertheless, mobile marketing provides high rate of personalisation, interactivity, low cost of reaching large audience at the right time at the right place, immediate, one-to-one communication, does not depend on time and space etc. Hence, followed the benefits of increased brand awareness and sales through social media and mobile social marketing applications here are proposed brand positioning strategies for Canadian Club 2014-201 Strategy OneFirstly, a new brand positioning campaign called â€Å"Canadian Club-Unexceptional Qua lity† will be launched in September 2014. A campaign will focus on promoting major brand’s assets quality and exclusivity in order to capture wider audience. The main company’s strategy will be to use facebook application to educate users of brand’s quality and suitability for various occasions in order to increase the usage. It will involve posts of various taglines such as â€Å"There’s no better way to impress a woman than†¦ Canadian Club-Unexceptional Quality† or â€Å"To be well groomed is an exception†¦Canadian Club is Unexceptional! † in order to strengthen marketing communications message. The campaign is also going to encourage users to post and share photos of various occasions when CC can be consumed. This way brand tries to engage with audience whilst suggesting that CC is not only old men drink and can be consumed during various occasions. Additionally, in order to boost users’ confidence and strengthen th e relation between brand’s image and quality the campaign will provide tips on their facebook page for exclusive Canadian Club consumers of how to best dress up when drinking Canadian Club.These tips will only be accessed if users liked a page. This campaign’s aim is to engage users in open and active conversations about the brand and its quality, as well as increase awareness. The campaign will be supported by billboards, radio and youtube videos. Strategy Two Secondly, since company aims to target younger audience in order to capture their life-time loyalty the use of mobile social marketing is essential. Therefore, it is suggested to develop a mobile application that either engages, interacts or benefits consumer.Furthermore, many of the companies nowadays collaborates with mobile social media applications such as Foursquare in order to generate users’ word-of-mouth, facilitate sales promotions and discounts or develop relationships through loyalty programs. Hence, Canadian Club will use foursquare website to promote brand’s image and increase sales. Therefore, users will be encouraged to check-in at five high class luxurious bars, restaurants or hotels listed on Canadian Club’s foursquare web page in order to get a 40% discount for a suit for upcoming occasion from a local high quality retailer.The check-ins should be followed by user’s comment about Canadian Club’s exceptional quality and shared on facebook with his friends. The number of discounts will be limited and the promotion campaign will run until all the discounts will be given away. Users will be updated of the remaining promotions on Canadian Club’s facebook page and personally reminded how many more locations they need to check-in if entered a competition. The campaign firstly will be tested in US and then adopted in emerging markets such as India, China, Russia. Some adjustments will be made if needed to adapt to local market. Conclusion sFor decades Canadian Club whiskey was known for its exclusivity and unexceptional quality. A brand always tried to differentiate itself from competitors whilst launching various interactive and exciting advertising campaigns that were unusual and innovative for the category. Therefore, when suggesting different brand positioning strategies for 2014-2017 Canadian Club should remain enforcing its distinctive image and promoting high quality in the market. Hence, a number of social media and mobile social marketing strategies were suggested in order to capture younger users’ attention and build life-time loyalty towards the brand.For instance, the use of facebook application to educate users about Canadian Club’s high quality and suitability for various occasions is suggested, which will increase brand’s awareness whilst engaging in users’ conversations and encouraging them to share comments and photos. Also, due to increasing number of mobile applicationsà ¢â‚¬â„¢ users and forecasts of mobile phone becoming as a primary internet connection tool marketers should pay a great attention into mobile social media marketing when developing a brand positioning plan.Therefore, a Canadian Club’s collaboration with Foursquare website was advised in order to grab consumers’ attention, spread word-of-mouth and increase sales whilst asking users to check in at 5 high class listed locations to get a 20% discount for a high quality suit from a local retailer. Overall, both of these strategies will allow Canadian Club to position itself as high quality and suitable for various occasions drink among younger consumers and will help to achieve a competitive advantage through the use of mobile social marketing. References E-jounals: Fournier, S. , 2011.The uninvited brand. Business Horizons, [Online]. 54, 193-207. Available at:http://www. sciencedirect. com/science/article/pii/S0007681311000024  [Accessed 02 March 2013] Kaplan, A. M. , 20 10. Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of Social Media. Business Horizons, [Online]. 53, 59-68. Available at:http://www. sciencedirect. com/science/article/pii/S0007681309001232  [Accessed 03 March 2013] Kaplan, A. M. , 2012. If you love something, let it go mobile: Mobile marketing and mobile social media 4Ãâ€"4. Business Horizons, [Online]. 55, 129-139. Available at:http://www. ciencedirect. com/science/article/pii/S0007681311001558  [Accessed 06 March 2013]. Kay, M. J. , 2006. Strong brands and corporate brands. European Journal of Marketing, [Online]. 40, issue 7, 742-760. Available at:  http://www. emeraldinsight. com/journals. htm? articleid=1562577&show=abstract[Accessed 11 March 2013] Keller, K. L. , 1993. Conceptualizing, Measuring, and Managing Csutomer-Based Brand Equity. Journal of Marketing, [Online]. 57, 1-22. Available at:  http://www. jstor. org/stable/1252054? seq=2&uid=3738032&uid=2&uid=4&sid=21101887384081  [Accessed 12 March 20 13] Kessous, A. , 2008.A semiotic analysis of Nostalgia as a connection to the past. Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, [Online]. 11, issue 2, 192-212. Available at:http://www. emeraldinsight. com/journals. htm? articleid=1718576&show=abstract  [Accessed 11 March 2013] King, C. , 2011. Employee brand equity: Scale development and validation. Journal of Brand Management, [Online]. 19, issue 4, 268-288. Available at:  http://www. palgrave-journals. com/bm/journal/v19/n4/abs/bm201144a. html  [Accessed 14 March 2013] Kumar, V. , 2012. Increasing the ROI of Social Media Marketing. MITSloan Management Review, [Online]. 4, issue 1, 55-61. Available at:  http://scholar. google. co. uk/scholar? q=Increasing+the+ROI+of+Social+media+Marketing&btnG=&hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&as_vis=1  [Accessed 03 March 2013]. Shamma, H. M. , 2011. Integrating Product and Corporate Brand Equity into Total Brand Equity Measurement. International Journal of Marketing Studies, [Online]. 3, i ssue 1, 11-17. Available at:http://scholar. google. co. uk/scholar? q=Integrating+Product+and+Corporate+Brand+Equity+into+Total+Brand+Equity+Measurement&btnG=&hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&as_vis=1[Accessed 14 March 2013] Websites and Industry Reports: Campaign Brief. 2012.Canadian Club hires comic legend John Cleese to poke fun at ‘beer fairies' in new campaign set to launch tomorrow via The Works, Sydney. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www. campaignbrief. com/2012/04/canadian-club-hires-comedian-j. html. [Accessed 05 March 13] Fraser, D. 2013. How Scotch whisky conquered the world. BBC News. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/uk-scotland-20946411. [Accessed 15 March 13] Joseph, S. 2013. Johnnie Walker launches first umbrella brand campaign. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www. marketingweek. co. uk/news/johnnie-walker-preps-umbrella-brand-campaign/4003702. article. Accessed 11 March 13] Key Note (2012) Spirits and Liquors Market 2012. Hampton: Key Note Krashinsky, S. 2012. M ustache marketing: Selling ‘whisky wisdom’ to younger drinkers. [ONLINE] Available at:  http://m. theglobeandmail. com/report-on-business/industry-news/marketing/mustache-marketing-selling-whisky-wisdom-to-younger-drinkers/article5508749/? service=mobile. [Accessed 05 March 13] Lukovitz, K. 2012. Canadian Club Intros â€Å"Join the Club† Campaign. Marketing Daily. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www. mediapost. com/publications/article/188057/canadian-club-intros-join-the-club-campaign. html#axzz2O2P5U9uX. [Accessed 14 March 13]

Nike in China

Executive Summary Overview Nike is the market leader in athletic shoes in the United States. The Oregon based company has always utilized offshore facilities in low-income countries to produce at minimal costs followed by importation into predominantly the US for sales. Nike is quick to divest from emerging markets as costs rise and has recently signed short term production contracts with a long term strategy of production in China. Unlike Nike’s previous global endeavors, the political and cultural atmosphere in China has made the collaboration more demanding. Opportunities As the South Korean standard of living continued to improve, expected wages grew forcing Nike to look elsewhere for low cost shoe production. Market research identified China and India as the best long term possibilities for the new production facilities based on finances. Due in part to a trusting relationship between Nike and the Chinese government based on the family lines of vice president David Chang, China was determined to be the optimal location to grow. The possibility of a joint venture giving Nike access to a possible billion customer market was another opportunity that could only be found in China. Issues in China Nike has spent the last four years building facilities, training staff, and developing relationships in China. Unlike other facilities in low GDP countries that had been utilized previously, the China collaboration has been less than successful. The current infrastructure combined with landlocked facilities made transportation logistics difficult. The Chinese government had certain expectations and standardization requirements that were misaligned with Nike’s incentives in terms of quality, pay, pricing, and employee motivation. The PRC government also created difficulties in import/export restrictions causing logistical problems with raw materials, specifically anything entering the country through South Korea, a major Nike supplier. While a foothold in China could eventually lead to an enormous new customer base, the current global strategy was ill suited to take advantage at the current time. Options * Shift strategies in China from global to multi-domestic to take advantage of the market. This option would require the formation of a joint venture with the Chinese government. Move factory locations to reduce transportation and logistics issues. * Pull out of China completely. Recommendations We believe the government regulations will make quality improvement and cost effectiveness highly unlikely in China. Furthermore, a multi-domestic strategy requiring a high investment rate would be required to take advantage of the Chinese population as a new customer market. With low expendable income and a forced jo int venture with the government necessary to sell Nike in China, we determined that selling in China is not currently an option. As such, the team recommends an urgent identification of new possible production environments with a concerted and eventual total divestiture in China. Questions a. How has Nike conceptualized the athletic shoe industry: global or multi-domestic? Justify your answer. What are the implications of this conceptualization? Nike instituted a global strategy, as opposed to a multi-domestic strategy, from the company’s onset to compete in the athletic shoe industry. Knight identified opportunities abroad to reduce costs in the upstream functions of the value chain. Through the coordination of overseas operations integrated with US downstream functions focused on local US markets, Nike’s utilization of a Porter-defined global strategy has brought the company to China. The Far East’s Role in the Value Chain Beginning with the first Japanese facilities, Nike factories located in the Far East, Europe, and South America have accounted for approximately 93% of shoe production with only minor assembly in the US. The identified regions within this concentrated configuration were almost exclusively production-only facilities without the R&D, sales and marketing, and other downsteam services required for a successful multi-domestic strategy. The countries had been targeted due to low costs with certain factories being divested over the years due to increasing wage rates and political uncertainty. Competition to reduce costs between different countries was key to identifying new opportunities and deciding on which factories would remain open as economic factors changed. While reducing costs was the main concern in global production, Nike could not accept a subsequent loss of quality. Previous experiences in Far Eastern plants had proven successful via quickly accepted technology transfer and ratios of grade-B shoes falling below 5% at rapid rates. Without the combination of high value and low cost, the strategic competitive advantage would be lost. Assumptions and Implications of a Global Strategy Nike moved to China based on their strategic history of standardizing the operations life cycle. Knight believed China would mirror other Far Eastern locales. Cost cutting assumptions included pay based on relative Chinese wages (as opposed to relative Nike production wages), employee incentives capabilities, minimal import/export barriers, and an infrastructure for facile distribution logistics. For each unforeseen difficulty encountered along these assumptions, Nike’s costs would increase and could drive margins down to a point where China would no longer be financially competitive. The Olympic team public relations venture attempted to further the relationship between Nike and the Chinese government, not to present a new product for the public. The millions spent were misaligned with a low cost model and were identified with past exploitations by the West. While the possibility of two billion feet was enticing, Nike was in China to produce, not sell, shoes. There was no plan to market, distribute, or sell in China. Accordingly, the idea of a joint venture should not be on the table under the current strategy. However, the PRC strongly pushed JVs and the lack of a true collaborative environment could be detrimental in an environment so heavily regulated. b. Speculate on the reasons for Nike wishing to enter China. Before the entry do you think these reasons were valid? Justify your answer. China’s Excellence in Manufacturing China is known for their excellence in manufacturing. Nike intended to exploit this excellence in order to drive down their supplier costs, while maintaining their customer’s willingness to pay constant which creates value for Nike’s customers and shareholders. Prior to entry and based on Nike’s due diligence, this was a valid reason. However, Nike either underestimated or did not entirely comprehend the challenges of conducting business is China. From the difficulty of sourcing local materials to the inconsistency in quality of the finished product, China was not the optimal manufacturing location for Nike. Rapid Growth of the Athletic Footwear Market in the 1970’s (& Bad Forecasting) Perhaps Nike did not do enough high quality market research to see that the growth was slowing in their market. Nike may have become complacent due to their dominance in the industry or Nike may have discounted the market trends in the athletic footwear industry that showed a decline in the rate of growth, when comparing the 1970’s to the 1980’s. The bottom line is that Nike did not accurately forecast and adjust their strategy to the athletic footwear industry trends and market conditions. Prior to entry and based on Nike’s due diligence, this was a valid reason. Nike chose to enter China, in part, to meet the demand of the growing market. However, perhaps they should have spent more time and resources on market research, which would have revealed that the growth rate was declining, and perhaps additional suppliers were not necessary to carry out their business plan after all and that a different international location might better meet their sourcing needs and goals. Rising Costs from Existing Suppliers One of the reasons Nike planned to enter China was due to the costs of conducting business in other countries (for example, South Korea and Taiwan) had been increasing. Nike thought that they could source product from China at a lower cost than their current offshore producers. Prior to entry and based on Nike’s due diligence, this was a valid rationale. Due to the multiple issues that Nike faced in China, the costs associated in producing a pair of shoes were actually higher in China than their other international producers. See Table A in the appendix for a landed cost comparison from the case. Two Billion Feet Although the case clearly specifies this is not a reason for entry into China, one of Chang’s motives may have been to sell directly to the Chinese. The size of the Chinese population is over three times the size of the United States. Even though the shoes produced in China were for the US, Chang may have considered producing a low cost shoe for the Chinese. Perhaps Nike’s long term strategy was to navigate the Chinese political system, develop a strong local production presence, and then ultimately sell low cost footwear directly to the Chinese market. This reason was not valid prior to their entry. Nike’s product was not produced for the Chinese, as the average Chinese consumer could not afford the product. b. How did the decision to enter China complement Nike's overall strategy? Nike’s decision to enter China was based on flawed information. Nike underestimated the inherent challenges (political bureaucracy, materials sourcing, shipping and transportation, quality control and the Chinese culture of non-motivation and non-commitment) they faced when conducting business in China. Nike also failed to accurately forecast the demand in the athletic footwear industry. The decision ultimately hurt Nike’s overall strategy, as their production costs rose, while the demand for their product was declining. Higher cost and declining demand both negatively affected Nike’s bottom line. c. Identify the entry and ownership strategies used by Nike in entering China. Do you think they were appropriate? Base your analysis on the entry and ownership strategies outlined by Robock and Simmonds, referenced above. Justify your answer. As costs started to rise in other Asian markets, Nike made the strategic decision to open new full-scale manufacturing facilities in China, with the goal to reduce production costs. Nike’s entry strategy into China created obstacles in achieving their long-term goals, which they should have foreseen. Below are a few factors that contributed to the obstacles. External Factors Nike underestimated the scope of the Chinese bureaucracy. Nike’s only choice was to hire a consultant to navigate the issue. This consultant increased Nike’s costs of doing business in China. Furthermore, Nike overestimated the size and future growth potential of their target market. Nike should have conducted additional due diligence and more thorough market research before deciding to move into China. In addition, Nike did not forecast the materials sourcing issue, which added to product costs. Internal Factors Nike failed to forecast/implement some key factors when deciding to enter China. Nike lacked the necessary internal operations to actively manage and solve production problems in real time. Also, Nike had great difficulties communicating the issue of quality control to the Chinese. Furthermore, the Chinese managers and workforce lacked motivation to perform their jobs to levels satisfactory to Nike. Ownership Nike chose to be wholly owned. Nike did not pursue the joint venture route, even though China tried to persuade Nike otherwise. Nike did, however, hire a consultant as a strategic partner to help them navigate the challenging bureaucracy. Given the political climate in China, perhaps Nike should have approached China with a joint venture agreement. Having China as a partner may have saved Nike time and resources when launching a new manufacturing platform. Or, perhaps Nike should have formed a strategic partnership with a local footwear manufacturer in order to bypass some of the issues with starting an entirely new facility and would have had some assistance in navigating the local market. d. Would you say Nike's entry into China was a success? Give reasons for your view, explaining why the entry was successful or a failure. At the time of case study, Nike’s entry into China was not a success. This evaluation is based on several reasons primarily due to the cultural clash between Nike and Chinese production. By 1984, Nike encountered a range of problems—from quality issues (only 80% of Chinese shoes were A-Grade), to inventory management (records kept on a guess method of expected usage), lack of flexibility from Chinese managers, motivational issues with management and workers, as well as complex and difficult government relations. Quality Issues in Product and Management When China’s reformist leader, Deng Xiaoping, opened China to foreign investment and global market opportunities, Nike seized the opportunity to buy a finished shoe product from the PRC as a long-term, low-cost supplier. However, despite China’s opening to the global market, it still existed as a socialist state with severe trust issues and obstructions to the free flow of information. These factors compounded to cause an array of production difficulties. Due to the Chinese factories still producing 20% B-grade shoes (significantly higher than both South Korea and Taiwan), Nike management not only wasted additional time arguing with Chinese managers on the quality problems (rather than actually improving the problem) but Nike also had to hire additional inspectors for each factory. While the money spent to hire these inspectors was relatively low, this illustrates the need for oversight and the lack of faith and trust in the Chinese managers to run the factories to Nike’s standards. Governmental Regulation Additionally, as a socialist state, Chinese workers lacked motivation to increase production (factories at a standstill by midday) and to adhere to production schedules since they would be paid the same regardless of output. Even attempts by Nike of monetary incentives only appeared to have an effect for approximately 60 days. Because of the central planning system, the Chinese managers were used to stable prices. Price negotiations proved extremely difficult as none of the actual participants in the negotiations (foreign trade bureau, factory directors, local production bureau leaders) had the authority to make price decisions—everything relayed to authorities in Beijing. Compared to Korea or Taiwan, negotiations were slow which was extremely detrimental in a global and ever-changing environment. The levels of bureaucracy in China were much higher than those encountered in South Korea or Taiwan. Although Nike tried to establish a positive relationship with China (through contributions to the country’s sports activities and hosting various Chinese officials visiting the U. S. ), meeting with the high-live leaders in China did not prove useful. The Chinese bureaucracy made making decisions difficult as it was never apparent who was in charge of what and Chinese officials did not show the same level of interest in establishing a relationship with Nike (leaders sometimes did not show up for appointments). Ultimately, all of the cultural difficulties resulted in extremely low production numbers (Nike originally targeted production growth to 1,000,000 pairs per month by mid-1980’s but annual production in 1984 was only 700,000 pairs), significantly lower than both South Korea and Taiwan. Although Nike had ultimately hoped for a 20% price advantage over Korea, they were still losing $1. 00 on each pair of PRC shoes while the quality was much lower on these shoes as well. e. Identify the options available to Nike regarding its operations in China. If you were Chang at the time of the case, what future course of action would you recommend in China? Options Some of the options available to Nike regarding its operations in China are to pull operations out of China completely or consider entering into a joint-venture agreement with China. As of 1984, Nike’s foray into China has not been a success due to a variety of reasons (listed above). If Nike were to pull operations out of China, they would risk losing all of the equipment investment as well as damaging the sensitive and already tenuous relations ith the government. Other countries would have to be evaluated as a low-cost source of production. Some possible countries could be Indonesia or shifting a greater percentage of production to Taiwan as their comparative changes in unit labor cost, although increasing, were significantly lower than Korea or Taiwan. However, if Nike did decide to stay in China and enter into a joint-venture agreement, this step would potentially be viewed as a sign of trust and evidence of commitment by China. Nike would also be allowed to sell its products in China—a significant market to consider with a population of 1 billion people. Nike would also have additional freedoms with regards to hiring and dismissing personnel. The costs of a joint-venture agreement though, were estimated at $500,000 per factory and worker salaries would be about 20% higher than local factories. Recommendations to Nike If we were Chang at the time of the case, the future course of action that we would recommend to Nike would be to pull out of China operations. Although the possibility of access to a market with 1 billion people seems counter to this decision, China’s great strides in opening to global markets indicates the likelihood that Nike will be able to access this consumer at some point without having to make the commitment of a joint-venture agreement. Additionally, while recognizing the sunk-costs bias, we feel that the potential costs to continue operations in China would result in Nike still losing money on each pair of shoe produced instead of cutting their losses and finding another profitable production avenue. Conclusions Nike saw China, as well as the many impoverished nations where previous production had occurred, as a part of the supply chain with a cost effective advantage. Korea and Taiwan had become increasingly expensive and China was a long term option. Unfortunately, Nike did not understand the political or cultural implications for utilizing China as part of a global strategy. The political environment and infrastructure in China created unforeseen difficulties for Nike in building an efficient production system. Government controlled wages reduced the influence of incentives for both work efficiency and quality. Strained relationships with the South Korean government made importation of materials slow and expensive. Transportation logistics and regional cultural differences made the government suggested sites for initial factory locations less than ideal. China’s two billion feet did not align with Nike’s global strategy. The Chinese public could not afford the high costs for the Nike brand and current ROI expectations could not be achieved. The Chinese government’s relationship approach to external companies would have much greater acceptance towards a mutually beneficial joint venture. Some saw Nike’s global strategy as exploitation. The financial impact of Nike’s strategy could not be delivered in China. The collaborative relationship desired by the Chinese government was misaligned with Nike’s needs. Together, it becomes apparent that the best option for Nike is to locate a better location for production urgently and completely divest in China.