Importance Of Operations And Supply Chain Management

Importance of Operations Organizations’ have matured over the years; they have learned and adapted to become more strategic in every aspect of their business. One way organizations’ have done this is by understanding the importance of operations and supply chain management. The author will explain how operations and supply chain management evolved to what it is today, how this is important to the company’s strategy, and define the dimensions of the quality. Evolution Everything adapts and changes as it matures. This is how things advance to the next stage of evolution. Operations and supply chain management is not exception to this rule, it too advanced. In the early years this term was never thought of, companies focused on logistics research and was concerned on how to improve material handling. By the 1960’s it was all about merging warehouse, transportation and material handling in to one label called Physical Distribution. (Robinson, 2015) Technology increased its evolution and by the 1970’s-1980’s computers optimized the system for companies to create programs to help with planning, storage and inventory controls. It was during this time that organizational leaders saw the importance of operations and supply chain management had on the company’s bottom line. To improve available data collected and accuracy ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system was implemented in the 1990’s. Technology made the biggest impact to operations and supply chain managementShow MoreRelatedBus 430 Assignment 2: Inventory Management1369 Words   |  6 PagesBUS 430 Assignment 2: Inventory Management http://homeworkfy.com/downloads/bus-430-assignment-2-inventory-management/ BUS 430 Assignment 2: Inventory Management Assignment 2: Inventory Management Due Week 8 and worth 300 points Research two (2) manufacturing or two (2) service companies that manage inventory and complete this assignment. Write a six to eight (6-8) page paper in which you: 1. Determine the types of inventories these companies currently manage and describe their essentialRead MoreSupply Chains and Inventory Management Essay1155 Words   |  5 PagesSupply Chain and Inventory Management December 6, 2008 Supply Chain and Inventory Management With the increased globalization, competition and complexity in global supply chains, more companies have realized that supply chain management is critical to the optimal organizations overall operation. It is no longer just the responsibility of the warehouse manager and logistics director (Pundir, 2008 and Wharton). In the past, many organizations didn’t manage their supply chains they left thatRead MoreLogistics Management And Supply Chain Management1171 Words   |  5 PagesLogistics and Supply Chain Management Topic: Do the terms, ‘logistics management’ and ‘supply chain management’ have the same meaning in operations and why logistics management might be of strategic importance to a manufacturing or service organisation. During last two decades, the importance of logistics has been noticed around the world. In global markets, the effects and further developments of logistics and supply chain management for corporate success has increased significantly that resultRead MoreMaterials Management Proposal1445 Words   |  6 PagesMaterials Management Proposal Laura Dean 2/7/2011 Materials Management Proposal Materials and operations management play a crucial role in the success of any organization. Of particular importance to the materials and operations divisions is management’s complete understanding of the hospitals functions as a whole entity. After reading this paper, one will understand the importance of materials management and operations management as well as how both departments must work together to ensureRead MoreStrategic Vision And Operations Planning1210 Words   |  5 Pagessuccessful supply chain management. However as 2016, Walmart closed 269 stores, this means that not all the stores are successful and there is a problem that is affecting its operations planning. Walmart by 32nd St. has operation planning problems during winter time when the population increases in the area. This report was written to understand the importance of developing a strategic vision and operations planning in order to help the store current seasonal problems. I find out that Supp ly Chain ManagementRead MoreSupply Chain Management And Healthcare Industry1745 Words   |  7 PagesSupply Chain Management –For Healthcare Industry Introduction: Economic downturn in Healthcare sector has given renewed importance to supply chain management in healthcare industry. Supply chain management has great effects on hospital organizations. On papers Supply chain accounts for 30 to 40% in healthcare industry but that is only if we consider just the cost of goods under the supply chain , instead if we look at factors like cost of inventory , cost of procuring and other costs associatedRead MoreLogistics and Supply Chain Management1168 Words   |  5 PagesTopic: Do the terms, ‘logistics management’ and ‘supply chain management’ have the same meaning in operations and why logistics management might be of strategic importance to a manufacturing or service organisation. During last two decades, the importance of logistics has been noticed around the world. In global markets, the effects and further developments of logistics and supply chain management for corporate success has increased significantly that result in a large amount of companies haveRead MoreDemand Forecasting And Supply Chain1628 Words   |  7 Pagesglobal logistics and supply chain. In general, logistics and supply chain are the key to maintain the normal operation of the business. However, globalization has changed the way the business operates, it gives companies potential threats but it also provides valuable chances. In this regard, it is necessary to manage supply chain. Demand forecasting and estimation provide significant information about the market and order, and clearly identify the potential problems in supply chain (Skiver 2015). ThisRead MoreEssay on Protecting The Supply Chain1004 Words   |  5 Pagescompany’s supply chain, the more vulnerable the company becomes. When the company’s suppliers spread further and further away from the company, the company becomes even more vulnerable to political and currency risk, cyber attacks, missed inventory goals, and failed communication with the supply chain. For a company to overcome those potential vulnerabilities, a company must build safeguards into their operations. Those safeguards include a strong corporate backing in supply chain management, solidRead MoreCanadian Tire Auto Services Main Supply Chain Strategies Essay1678 Words   |  7 PagesCanadian Tire Auto Services’ main supply chain strategies. Canadian Tire provides many automotive services for their clients with many locations across the countries. Our goal for this project will also be to look into Canadian Tire’s logistics operations, their process of sup plier selection, and evaluation. We will also look to study their use of the latest IS/IT innovations. We will then conclude our project by realizing the importance of supply chain management integration, as well as, the challenges

Integrated Theories of Criminal Justice Essay example

Integrated Theories of Criminal Justice Abstract Two theorist and theories that have been recognized by many involved in the criminal justice field are Ross L. Matsuedas Theory of Differential Social Control, and, Charles R. Tittles Control Balance Theory. Matsuedas theory, (1) identifies a broader range of individual-level mechanisms of social control, (2) specifying group and organizational processes for controlling delinquency, (3) conceptualizing classical criminological theories as special cases of a general interactionist framework, and (4) testing the interactionist model empirically against specific hypotheses drawn from competing theories. Tittles theory believes deviance results from the convergence of four variables: (1)†¦show more content†¦Another theoretical trend integrates traditional theories, such as anomie, disorganization, social control, labeling, differential association, and social learning theories, to increase explanatory power or link levels of explanation (Elliott, Ageton, and Canter 1979; Elliot t, Huizinga, and Ageton 1985; Pearson and Weiner 1985; Thornberry 1987). Which leads us to two theorist that have been recognized by many involved in the criminal justice field. One being, Ross L. Matsuedas Theory of Differential Social Control, and the other, Charles R. Tittles Control Balance Theory. Matsueda takes a different avenue and specifies a theory of delinquency based on unified framework of symbolic interactionist view of the self as a reflection of the appraisals of others. He (1) identifies a broader range of individual-level mechanisms of social control, (2) specifying group and organizational processes for controlling delinquency, (3) conceptualizing classical criminological theories as special cases of a general interactionist framework, and (4) testing the interactionist model empirically against specific hypotheses drawn from competing theories. Ross Matsueda uses symbolic interactionism to show how the social control of delinquency lies in an interactionist co nception of the self. He bases his explanation on Meads (1934) thesis that the self arises in problematic situations when an individual takes the role ofShow MoreRelatedAdvantages And Disadvantages Of Theory Integration1050 Words   |  5 PagesAdvantages/Disadvantages One disadvantage of theory integration the possibility of the wrong mixture of theories by criminologist which could increase the odds of a person gravitating towards criminality increase (Frame, 2009). Another disadvantage with integration is variables get missed and vital information is left out. Finally, integration can lead to misconceptions of theories. The advantage of integration different theories is that decreases repetition where two theories are relaying the same message withRead MoreThe Role Of Criminology And The Future Of Criminology1583 Words   |  7 Pagescriminologist have considered theory integration important for the future of criminology due to the flourishment of crimes in society. Researchers have begun to study crime and the punishments associated with specific crimes that do not include trust crimes such as fraud, workplace theft or income tax invasion. However, they are studying an array of criminal behaviors that involve illicit and illegal behaviors in an effort to establish how important integrated theory will affect the future of criminologyRead MoreRestorative Justice Essay954 Words   |  4 PagesRestorative justice is an innovative approach to the criminal justice system that focuses on repairing the harm caused by crimes committed. The methods used in the conventional justice system may deter the off ender from committing further crimes, but it does neither repair the harm caused, nor help them acknowledge their responsibility, instead it stigmatises them, worsening the situation instead of improving it (Johnstone 2003). â€Å"Stigmatisation is the kind of shaming that creates outcasts; it isRead MoreCriminal Behavior : Crime And Crime Essay933 Words   |  4 Pagesefining Criminal Behavior Part A: Criminal behavior Even though crime and criminal activities have existed for a while, the intensity, sophistication, art of execution, and the ultimate consequences have been profound in the current age. Simple crimes such as petty theft and corruption have grown to a larger scale in modern society, and after reviewing all existing concepts, the sociological theories befit a comprehensive explanation for criminal behavior in the present society (Cornish ClarkeRead MoreSex Crime Essay1176 Words   |  5 Pagesof special attention from the public as well as the criminal justice system. Is this because our system is a static reflection of the society/community they answer to? Sexual offense stories infiltrate every membrane of our society, from legal mores to norms, from social media to religion. Our system of justice can’t help but deliver attention to this area. Justice demands it and society needs it for interpersonal validation. The Criminal Justice system has given humans a scale to rate wha t is normalRead MoreCriminal Justice Organizational Effectiveness Essay1084 Words   |  5 Pagesachieving the desirable results is indicative of organization effectiveness. The United States Criminal Justice system is amongst the most respected governmental entities on the planet; and with a formidably structured and well developed hierarchy, history has uncovered its adaptability through operational effectiveness. Although many process, protocols, and scientifically reforms have been adopted, criminal justice practitioners and senior level leaders provide are continuously developing and revitalizingRead MoreWhat Causes Delinquent Behavior Essays931 Words   |  4 Pagesstudied the Criminal Justice System and the behavior of criminals using different forms of theories, which in turn, lead to the Classical School and the Positive School. We all use theories in our everyday life. We make assumptions about certain things, that in turn allow us to form a kind of theory or thought. We gather these assumptions very early on in life, by what we have been taught or have learned. Exactly what is a theory and how is it different form a hypothesis? A theory is a set ofRead MoreUnderstanding Criminals Essay978 Words   |  4 Pagesengage in criminal activities. We as human beings are all capable of committing or engaging in delinquent behavior. What stands in the way of a person that makes them decided to engage in deviant behavior or to choose not to commit crimes at all? We may never truly know or understand the real reasons behind why certain people make decisions like these everyday. Early philosophers and scientists looked carefully and dug deep into the Criminal Justice System and the behavior of criminals using theoriesRead MoreGeneral Theory Of Crime And Delinquency919 Words   |  4 PagesGeneral Theory of Crime and Delinquency Many theories exist including biological, psychological, and sociological theories that have been proposed by many criminologists in the criminal justice field and have been closely studied by people (Agnew, Cullen, Wilcox, 2004). Most theories are proposed at the micro level meaning it tries to explain the criminal behavior of individuals and some are proposed at the macro level which tries to explain the crime rates in social groups, meaning micro focusesRead MoreEssay on Theories of Crime and Criminal Activity1488 Words   |  6 PagesTheories of Crime and Criminal Activity Every theory of crime has at least 2-3 meta-theoretical levels above it. The fundamental issues are usually addressed at the approach level, and are often called the assumptions, or starting points, of a theory, although the term assumptions more strictly refers to the background or domain boundaries one can draw generalizations about. Above the approach level is the Perspective level, the largest unit of agreement within a scientific community, and

Important Factors In Making Decisions †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Important Factors In Making Decisions. Answer: Introduction In any business organization themarketing department plays a very significant role as it is the driving force towards the profit maximization as well as sales maximization process. For the purpose of decision making and policy making, it is very important for every company in all industries to carry out market research. Market research helps the management of a company gather relevant and in depth information regarding the industry and the market in tendencies. Internal data and market intelligence are some of the important factors in making decisions regardingmarketing strategies (Zhao, Fan, Hu, 2014). Buying behavior is another important concept in marketing. It is the process of decision making by an individual based on the requirement of an idea, product or service back up and supported by the monetary purchasing power of that person. It is also an emotional and psychological process and hence it is easily influenced or heavily dependent on the internal, external and situational factors(Thompson Prendergast, 2015 ). Indentifying and evaluating the information needed for marketing decision making Internal data and market intelligence Internal data Internal is the data and formation that is gathered from the internal network sources of the company. The purpose of internal data is to understand the market opportunities and problem areas of the company so that a solution and a growth proposition can be planned. In case of a restaurant like Matterhorn it the sources of internal data will be firstly feedback from the customers, mostly it is notices that a book or an electronic device is used to take the inputs of the customers regarding various aspects of the restaurant. This is a gold mine of information and this information can be analyzed in order to understand the advantages and the challenges of the restaurant. Another source of internal information is the accounting, operations and financial records of the restaurant. The inventory records the rate of inflow and out flow of the inventories; the financial records help the company understand the capability of growth and credibility in terms of expansion(H. Davenport, 2014). Market Intelligence It is the gathering, understanding and reviewing of data and information that is already available in the market about the market environment, competitors of the business and growth opportunity and many more. For a restaurant business one important source of market intelligence is internet, smart usage of internet can enable the company and the management to gather a lot of information and insights about the market environment and the competitors. There is a plethora of information that is available in the internet with minimum skills a researcher can gather valuable information for the restaurant. Even menus of other competitors are available in the internet. Public gathering like food festival, food fair etc where competition and target market meet at the same place is a good source of market intelligence. By participating in such public activities gives insightful information to the company regarding many aspects of the business, many times companies even understand their shortcom ing by watching other competition work so closely(Forsgren Sabherwal, 2015). Market research brief Matterhorn has over the years established itself as a cultural hub with a list of clientele who are from diverse background offering the ambience of the setting a multicolor dimension. The menu served by the restaurant is fresh and modest, displaying the best form the natural production of New Zealand. The menus are complemented by a wide range of all types of fine wine. Established in the year 1963, this restaurant has gathered goodwill and appreciation both from the industry and the customers continuously(Greenland, Combe, Farrell, 2016). Research objective To identify the market opportunities and potentials for the betterment of the list of wine that is being served in the restaurant To analyze the business environment To understand the competition To develop a scope and plan for improvement in the list of wine To determine an average price point that existing or potential customers are willing to pay by the bottle or glass Research methodology Depending on the essence and the topic of research the company has to take up a proper planning and strategy to gather information, analyse it and then draw a conclusion. The suitable tools have been opted on the basis of the research aims and objectives that have been stated above. Both secondary and primary research has to be conducted in order to get desirable outcomes of the analysis. For secondary research menus and list of wines that are available with the competitors has to be analysed and a gap has to be recognised in the list that Matterhorn has to offer. Keeping in mind the kind of investment that is possible for the company relevant stack has to be bought. Customers feedback and one on one interview will the potential or existing customers will give an insight of what they expect from the list of wine(Al-Shatanawi, Osman, Ab Halim, 2014). Questionnaire What is your age group? 18- 25 25-45 45-60 What is your gender? Male Female How often do you like to consume wine? Once a week Once in 15 days Once a month What do you prefer? By the glass By the bottle What is the price range that you prefer for a glass of wine? $10-$20 $20-$25 $25 or more Please mention the wine that you think should be included or exempted from the existing menu? An individual comes to a restaurant to enjoy a meal with family or friends, it is unfair to take away from the fun time of the precious customers, hence the questionnaire is kept short and crisp to the point. The questions are not complicated to understand as the language is kept simple. Yet the answers to the questions will give insightful information about the preference of the people. The wine menu has large options to choose form and often people get confused and hence the last question is very important(Sarstedt Mooi, 2014). Factors effecting buying behavior Buying influence factor Individual factors The Age and the personality of an individual is one of the important aspect of personal factor with age a lifestyle choice and preference and mindset changes and with that purchase behavior also changes. Age determines the importance of one product to another and prioritizes it in the purchase process. Personality convinces a person the need or the exemption of a certain product or service that is available. Secondly the occupation of an individual affects the buying decision. For example: the requirement of a notebook is far more important to a student than a person, who is a professional plumber. During segmentation of a market business organizations keep in mind the occupation of the target market as well. Purchasing power is a direct reflection of a persons financial condition and it is one of the main factors that influence buying behavior. An individual may want to buy a lot of things but may not have the purchasing power and hence not end up buying it. Lastly lifestyle of an i ndividual is dependent on the choice of products or services he or she might be interested in using. For example a person who leads an extravagant lifestyle will want to spent money at a spa where is a person who is likes to lead a modest life will save that money for a future use or investment (Arora Banerjee, 2017). External or group factors Friends and family are the most important external group of people who influence the buying behavior of an individual. if a person is interested to buy an item but is confuse with the brand or type of product he or she should invest in, they immediately turn to the friends and family for advice and most of the time end up buying products that are suggested by them. The culture of a person is most of the time the reason how a person behaves in a certain situation, this is also true when it comes to buying behavior. For example, a person who belongs to a western culture will invest in a fine bottle of wine where as people from eastern culture may not find it worthy of spending so much money on. Culture is a very complicated faith of human behavior as it nurtures it and develops a perspective within a human being. Hence culture becomes very important while deciding on the buying behavior of an individual. Society and culture goes hand in hand and the society teaches to use a certain product or service. For example an individual learns how to use cutlery or how to shop from a super market(Kuan, Zhong, Chau, 2014). Reference group of people are under social factors which have significant potential of determining and manipulating consumer behavior. This impact varies from one person to another and also one product to another. The concept of an opinion leader also works in this group. This is a prime reason why brand have ambassadors to endorse their product or services(Chong, Xin, Yushi, 2016). Situational factors Ambience of a restaurant is a perfect example for situational factor which influences buying behavior. A lot of people will want to visit a restaurant in order to experience a unique setting and ambience. The situational factors are not permanent and can be easily changed. Fashion retail outlets design their interior in sync with the theme of the products they are selling example: lingerie items or boho chic or classic etc. It is found that the attractive packing also creates a situational buying factor (Jung Chang, Yan, Eckman, 2014). SWOT Analysis of the menu Strength of the menu The freshness and the high quality raw material ingredients which are used to prepare the food items in the menu are the most important strength of the restaurant. The management of the restaurant has made sure that the raw materials are supplied from trustworthy and credible suppliers so as to keep up with the high quality of the food. Another aspect of the restaurant which can be considered its strength is that the goodwill and popularity of the restaurant is wide spread any collaboration with the company will only enhance the idea about the quality of food and wine that is going to be served. Lastly, the food that is served under the inspection of head Chief Sean Marshall is surely sumptuous and delicious in nature(Bull, et al., 2016). Weakness of the menu One of the prominent weaknesses of the menu is that it is very limited and the vegetarian side of the menu is not as exciting as the non-vegetarian menu. Another weakness of the restaurant is that there are too many wine options to choose form which usually makes the customer confused when it comes to choosing from the long list. It is a restaurant and not a catering business hence it will be difficult for any company to deal with Matterhorn for catering orders. Catering is an additional service that Matterhorn can easily adapt(Hill, Jones, Schilling, 2014). Opportunities Catering is a new business idea that will fetch good clientele and revenue for the restaurant; it is a great opportunity and a good option for expansion and growth. The goodwill and popularity of the restaurant will help the business to get a good list of clients. Threat The biggest threat to Matterhorn is Ancestral is a restaurant that is headed by renowned award winning Chief and the menu reflects the authenticity in culture and taste exploring modern Cantonese and Sichuan flavors. Concentrating on innovating traditional flavor with textures and contemporary twists chief brings a unique taste to the menu. The popularity and the wide range of alcohol collection of Matterhorn can be the factor of interest for the buying center(Bull, et al., 2016). Take the company international If the management were to take the company international the best option for expansion for a New Zealand company is in Australia. There are several trade facilities and option of benefits available with the expansion in Australia as both the companies have treaties and agreements of international trade and commerce which will mutually benefit the interest of both the countries. There are a lot of Australian companies expanding in New Zealand vice versa. The target market and the psychological as well as behavioral pattern of the target market of both these countries are alike hence Australia will be a good option(Banalieva Dhanaraj, 2013). Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning Segmentation Based on the characteristic and requirement criteria companies divide the potential and existing customers into groups this is called market segmentation, by this process companies easily understand the mindset of the people. Theoretically the consumers that the company should be catering should be in the age group of 21-55. These people should be geographically located in wellington, New Zealand. The behavioral patterns of the target group pf people are the ones who want to enjoy a good meal with good music(Venter, Wright, Dibb, 2015). Psychographic division includes people who are willing to spend their money on good food and have a good time with friends or family. Practically the restaurant is open to all food and music lovers, the image of the brand is modest and unpretentious, people visit Matterhorn to have a good time enjoy food irrespective of the age, native country location, occupation etc. It is a wrong concept to think that a restaurant is open to all, behavioral and ps ychographic aspects of segmentation of target market plays a more important role in case of restaurant. If a person is hungry he or she will not end up going to a restaurant, they can also opt to cook at home and enjoy a meal at home. One of the biggest competitions to any restaurant business is the option of cooking at home. Hence, people with good taste in food and music are the basic target segment of the market that Matterhorn focuses on(Venter, Wright, Dibb, 2015). Target Marketing Strategy In order to market the restaurant to the target customers the best option is to keep up to the image that Matterhorn has built throughout. The company has a reputation of being modest and that is what should be the essence of the marketing strategies. The items in the menu are all moderately priced keeping in mind the diverse background of the people who visit Matterhorn. Similarly the wine and cocktail menu also have a choice for everyone. Social media is the platform that is best suited for a place like Matterhorn to communicate with the target audience. Facebook Twitter and Instagram pages should be updated to advertise the musicians who are going to perform at the restaurant(Bublitz Peracchio, 2015). Since the past record show that 70% of the crowd that gathers at the restaurant are young adults social media platform will be the best way to reach the target market. Even paid ads in the social media to promote the page of the restaurant will be a good investment. Keeping in mind the marketing mix theory of the 4Ps the marketing strategy is implemented to get more attention from the people the company wants to attract. Promotion is one of the Ps form the marketing mix and is a significant pillar in from a customer base and maximizing the sale of the restaurant(Bublitz Peracchio, 2015). Perceptual map Figure: Perceptual map Source: Authors Creation Bibliography Al-Shatanawi, H. A., Osman, A., Ab Halim, M. S. (2014). The Importance of Market Research in Implementing Marketing Programs. nternational Journal of Academic Research in Economics and Management Sciences , 150. Arora, N. Banerjee, N. (2017). Decline of Small Brands of Apparels in India. Factors That Influence Buying Behavior. Banalieva, E. R., Dhanaraj, C. (2013). Home-region orientation in international expansion strategies. Journal of International Business Studies , 89-116. Bublitz, M. G., Peracchio, L. A. (2015). Applying industry practices to promote healthy foods: An exploration of positive marketing outcomes. . Journal of Business Research , 2484-2493. Bull, J. W., Jobstvogt, N., Bhnke-Henrichs, A., Mascarenhas, A., Sitas, N., Baulcomb, C., et al. (2016). Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. A SWOT analysis of the ecosystem services framework. Ecosystem services , 99-111. Chong, X., Xin, G., Yushi, Z. (2016). Influence of Electronic Word of Mouth Marketing via Social Networking Website on Consumers' Group-buying Intention: Considering Mediating Effect of Brand Trust. Technology Economics, , 014. Forsgren, N. ., Sabherwal, R. (2015). Business Intelligence System Use as Levers of Control and Organizational Capabilities. Effects on Internal and Competitive Benefits. Greenland, S. J., Combe, I. A., Farrell, A. M. (2016). Stakeholder preference and stated vs derived importance satisfaction research. International Journal of Market Research , 35-56. Davenport, T. (2014). How strategists use big data to support internal business decisions, discovery and production. Strategy Leadership , 45-50. Hill, C. W., Jones, G. R., Schilling, M. A. (2014). Strategic management: theory: an integrated approach. Cengage Learning. Jung Chang, H., Yan, R. N., Eckman, M. (2014). Moderating effects of situational characteristics on impulse buying. International Journal of Retail Distribution Management , 298-314. Kuan, K. K., Zhong, Y. ., Chau, P. Y. (2014). Informational and normative social influence in group-buying: Evidence from self-reported and EEG data. Journal of Management Information Systems , 151-178. Sarstedt, M. ., Mooi, E. (2014). A concise guide to market research. The Process, Data, and. Thompson, E. R., Prendergast, G. P. (2015 ). The influence of trait affect and the five-factor personality model on impulse buying. Personality and Individual Differences , 216-221. Venter, P., Wright, A., Dibb, S. (2015). Performing market segmentation: a performative perspective. Journal of Marketing Management , 62-83. Zhao, Fan, Hu, . (2014). Business challenges and research directions of management analytics in the big data era. Journal of Management Analytics , 169-174.

THE EFFECTS OF ALTITUDE ON HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY Changes In Altitude Have A

THE EFFECTS OF ALTITUDE ON HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY Changes in altitude have a profound effect on the human body. The body attempts to maintain a state of homeostasis or balance to ensure the optimal operating environment for its complex chemical systems. Any change from this homeostasis is a change away from the optimal operating environment. The body attempts to correct this imbalance. One such imbalance is the effect of increasing altitude on the body's ability to provide adequate oxygen to be utilized in cellular respiration. With an increase in elevation, a typical occurrence when climbing mountains, the body is forced to respond in various ways to the changes in external environment. Foremost of these changes is the diminished ability to obtain oxygen from the atmosphere. If the adaptive responses to this stressor are inadequate the performance of body systems may decline dramatically. If prolonged the results can be serious or even fatal. In looking at the effect of altitude on b ody functioning we first must understand what occurs in the external environment at higher elevations and then observe the important changes that occur in the internal environment of the body in response. HIGH ALTITUDE In discussing altitude change and its effect on the body mountaineers generally define altitude according to the scale of high (8,000 - 12,000 feet), very high (12,000 - 18,000 feet), and extremely high (18,000+ feet), (Hubble, 1995). A common misperception of the change in external environment with increased altitude is that there is decreased oxygen. This is not correct as the concentration of oxygen at sea level is about 21% and stays relatively unchanged until over 50,000 feet (Johnson, 1988). What is really happening is that the atmospheric pressure is decreasing and subsequently the amount of oxygen available in a single breath of air is significantly less. At sea level the barometric pressure averages 760 mmHg while at 12,000 feet it is only 483 mmHg. T his decrease in total atmospheric pressure means that there are 40% fewer oxygen molecules per breath at this altitude compared to sea level (Princeton, 1995). HUMAN RESPIRATORY SYSTEM The human respiratory system is responsible for bringing oxygen into the body and transferring it to the cells where it can be utilized for cellular activities. It also removes carbon dioxide from the body. The respiratory system draws air initially either through the mouth or nasal passages. Both of these passages join behind the hard palate to form the pharynx. At the base of the pharynx are two openings. One, the esophagus, leads to the digestive system while the other, the glottis, leads to the lungs. The epiglottis covers the glottis when swallowing so that food does not enter the lungs. When the epiglottis is not covering the opening to the lungs air may pass freely into and out of the trachea. The trachea sometimes called the "windpipe" branches into two bronchi which in turn lead to a lung. Once in the lung the bronchi branch many times into smaller bronchioles which eventually terminate in small sacs called alveoli. It is in the alveoli that the actual transfer of oxygen to the blood takes place. The alveoli are shaped like inflated sacs and exchange gas through a membrane. The passage of oxygen into the blood and carbon dioxide out of the blood is dependent on three major factors: 1) the partial pressure of the gases, 2) the area of the pulmonary surface, and 3) the thickness of the membrane (Gerking, 1969). The membranes in the alveoli provide a large surface area for the free exchange of gases. The typical thickness of the pulmonary membrane is less than the thickness of a red blood cell. The pulmonary surface and the thickness of the alveolar membranes are not directly affected by a change in altitude. The partial pressure of oxygen, however, is directly related to altitude and affects gas transfer in the alveoli. GAS TRANSFER To understand gas trans fer it is important to first understand something about the behavior of gases. Each gas in our atmosphere exerts its own pressure and acts independently of the others. Hence the term partial pressure refers to the contribution of each gas to the entire pressure of the atmosphere. The average

Example of Formal Letter †English Course Assignment †Letter to TVs Survivor Programme

Example of Formal Letter – English Course Assignment – Letter to TVs Survivor Programme Free Online Research Papers Example of Formal Letter English Course Assignment Letter to TVs Survivor Programme Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing with regard to your advertisement requesting of volunteers to take part in the next edition of your survivor programme, which I have been watching for the last three seasons. I do not usually tend to fight for things I do not believe deeply in. This is why I am applying for this programme, because I truly think of myself as the kind of person you are looking for in order to give once again the programme the excitement and addiction it has achieved through the years. Since I have always travelled to the poorest areas of the planet where your security relies only on your own survival skills, I feel capable of adapting to the conditions set on your programme, even to the TV cameras. Although I am an adventurous person who will never be afraid of your risky games at least none has scared me to the point that I would hesitate to participate in the reality show I always avoid risking my groups security. It is always important to stop and think of your actions and evaluate the possible consequences, specially when, as in your programme, you are not alone and decisions must be taken for the whole group. Because I think this is not only a survivor programme but a situation where people have to learn to trust their group partners because those who isolate themselves tend to lose in the rivalry for survival. Being sociable is the strongest characteristic I have to be chosen from all the contestants. Referring to the three things I would be allowed to take, I would like to take a family photograph which means much to me and gives me energy when depressed, a jack-knife because I think it may be quite useful for everyone in many cases and, finally, a pen and a diary in order to narrate everything that happens daily. I am looking forward to hearing from you and am available for interview whenever you might request it. Yours faithfully Student Writer Research Papers on Example of Formal Letter - English Course Assignment - Letter to TVs Survivor ProgrammeAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2Arguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)Influences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesStandardized TestingComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in Capital19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesWhere Wild and West MeetResearch Process Part One

Does It Matter Where You Go to College

Does It Matter Where You Go to College SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Getting into an elite college is becoming increasingly harder, and many students (and their parents) place tremendous stress on themselves to try to do all they can to get into one of the most prestigious colleges. They believe that graduating from a top college will allow them to have a more prosperous future. While it’s undeniable that elite colleges attract the highest caliber of student, there’s still debate about whether these colleges directly impact professional outcomes.So really, does it matter where you go to college? In this article, I’ll explore the impact of attending an elite institution. While it’s extremely difficult to compare the educational and social impact of one college versus another, we can try to determine the influence a specific college has on one’s professional future. feature image credit:bluefieldphotos bp/Flickr What Is an Elite College? For the purposes of this article, elite colleges are the most selective, prestigious colleges in the country. These colleges are seen as the gold standard, and that's why so many students spend years of hard work and worry to try to get into these schools. Some examples of elite colleges are the Ivy League schools, MIT, Stanford, and the University of Chicago. If you're looking for a complete list, I'd include the top 15 National Universities and the top 5 National Liberal Arts schools in US News on this list of revered super schools. Why It Does Matter Where You Go to College There are a number of reasons why going to a more prestigious schoolcan benefit your future. Below,I’ll detail some of the most important benefits of attending an elite college. Keep in mind that I'm focusing on the potential financial and professional benefits of going to a top college. Additionally, elite colleges may challenge you more academically, and you may enjoy surrounding yourself with other incredibly motivated and successful students. On the other hand, some of the classes at top schools may make you feel overwhelmed. You may feel compelled to select a less rigorous major, or you may not have time to do as many extracurricular activities or have an enjoyable social life. Graduates of Elite Schools Are More Likely to Have Future Financial and Professional Success Probably, the main reason students and their parents care about gaining admission to top colleges is because they believe that attending one of these schools is a ticket to future success. While it’s difficult to prove that going to an elite college makes you successful, there’s a strong relationship between attending an elite school and being successful. On average, graduates from elite schools make more money, and degrees from many elite schools provide the best return on your college investment. Also, while only 2%-5% of all US undergraduates graduate from top schools, 38% of Fortune 500 company CEOs and 44.8% of billionaires graduated from elite institutions. Similarly, of Forbes’s most powerful people, 55.9% of powerful women and 85.2% of powerful men attended elite schools. Graduates of Top Schools Are More Likely to Graduate Even if you believe that all college degrees are equal, the top schools tend to have the highest graduation rates. Those who attend the most prestigious schools are much more likely to get degrees. For example, Harvard’s graduation rate is 98%. Meanwhile, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, a significantly less selective state school, has a graduation rate of 76%. Cal State Los Angeles, a California State University school, has a graduation rate of 41%. There are a number of factors that may contribute to the varying graduation rates. The most selective schools only admit top students; therefore, almost all of their students possess the necessary motivation to ensure that they graduate. Also, selective schools, particularly selective private schools, may offer more support services and guidance that result in higher graduation rates. Finally, some of the larger, less selective state schools have a higher percentage of low-income and nontraditional students. These students face additional obstacles that can prevent them from graduating. Low-Income Students May Benefit the Most From Going to a Top School On average, low-income students have significantly lower graduation rates. Furthermore, low-income students are more likely than wealthier students to attend a college that is less selective than one they could have attended. A widely read study determined that, for students admitted to elite schools, choosing to attend a somewhat selective school like Penn State over the most selective schools like Harvard didn’t impact future earnings for the majority. However, the payoff of attending elite colleges was greater for economically disadvantaged students. Why It Doesn’t Matter Which College You Attend There is definitely an argument to be made that where you go to college is insignificant. What matters are your skills, experience, work ethic, and that you get a college degree. Here are some reasons why it may not matter where you go to college. Going to an Elite School Isn’t Essential for Future Professional Success As previously mentioned, a study concluded that students who were admitted to top schools and opted to go to less selective schools ended up earning as much as their peers who graduated from the top schools. Therefore, you can conclude that what really matters isn’t where you go to school but possessing the attributes that make you competitive for admission to the top schools. Similarly, a Wall Street Journal study found that the prestige of a college doesn’t impact future earnings for many students. Specifically, the studyconcluded that a school’s prestige does have an impact on future earnings for business and liberal arts majors, but there is virtually no impact on future earnings for STEM majors. Additionally, even though graduates from the top schools are more likely to become CEOs or ridiculously wealthy, the majority of people who do aren’t graduates of elite institutions. Any Advantage of Going to an Elite School May Be Offset by Its Cost Even if going to a top college leads to somewhat higher earnings, those higher earnings may be more than offset by the substantially higher price of elite private colleges. For example, for the 2015-2016 academic year, the estimated cost of attendance for a year at Stanford was $65,177. For a California resident, the estimated cost of attendance for UCLA was $32,289. Over four years, that’s a difference of more than $120,000. Even if, hypothetically, the Stanford degree led to an annual salary that was $2,000 more than the UCLA degree, it would take more than 60 years of that extra salary just to cover the added cost of attending Stanford. However, keep in mind that elite private colleges typically offer the most generous financial aid. The listed cost of attendance may not be what you end up having to pay. Elite colleges aren't cheap. Conclusion: Does It Matter Where You Go to College? The short answer is that it depends. Primarily, it depends on your goals and background. If you want to become president or a CEO, you may be more likely to do so if you attend one of the most elite colleges. Similarly, some of the top Wall Street and consulting firms are known to almost exclusively hire employees who graduated from the most prestigious schools. Also, graduates of elite colleges have an advantage in the business world from strong, powerful alumni networks. However, If you want to be a scientist or teacher, there may not be much of an advantage, at least monetarily, from attending a top school. On the other hand, the data does suggest that students from low-income backgrounds may benefit the most from attending elite schools and choosing to attend the most selective school that accepts them. Furthermore, the answer depends on which schools you’re comparing. The difference between graduating from Stanford and graduating from UCLA is probably minimal, if there’s any difference at all, in the eyes of most employers and graduate schools. However, there’s a much larger difference between Stanford and Cal State Los Angeles. Again, you can still achieve any professional goal if you attend from Cal State Los Angeles, but the graduation rate of Stanford is significantly higher, and the average salaries of Stanford grads are substantially higher. It's important to remember that you can graduate from any college, and if you fully apply yourself, you can be a successful CEO, doctor, engineer, or whatever else you aspire to be. Similarly, if you go to an Ivy League college and try to coast through life without showing the dedication that got you into an elite college, you're likely to experience limited success. What Should You Do? Regardless of the school you attend, your work ethic, character, and aptitude will influence your future more than the college you graduated from. Maintain focus and keep working hard, and you’ll give yourself the best opportunity to reach your goals. Because getting a college degree is undoubtedly linked to future success, you want to attend a college that’s a good fit for you and your needs so that you’ll be more likely to graduate (and likely happier!). Find out how to go about researching and choosing a college. Also, research the professional outcomes for students who share your background and graduated with a degree in your intended major. You can use sites like payscale.com and College Scorecard to help you with your research. For example, while the University of Utah is ranked as the 5th best National University in the country by US News, it’s considered one of the very best colleges in the country for video game design. If you want to be a video game designer, going to the University of Utah may be more beneficial to your future career than going to Princeton or Yale. If you’re the first one in your family to go to college, or you have a disability, investigate how well students in your situation fare at a particular school. Each student has specific needs and goals, and you should try to determine how well a college will cater to your needs, and if it's well-equipped to help you fulfill your dreams. What's Next? If you've decided that you want to go to an elite college, find out how to get accepted. Also, you should know how many colleges to apply to and the complete college application timeline. Finally, if you think you can't go to an elite college becauseyou have sub-pargrades, but you want to go to a good school, learn about the best schools with low GPA requirements. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Discuss.. The image of managers as rational and analytical planners, Essay - 1

Discuss.. The image of managers as rational and analytical planners, decision makers and issuers of commands does not stand up to scrutiny when researchers examine what managers actually do - Essay Example The other members of the organizational community may be attached to the organization as their economic activity or as a source of some satisfaction. Besides, the nature of human being that deviates from the ideal situation does not allow them to operate collectively towards the achievement of common objective. There is a lot of diversity among the human resource. There is also need to plan the activities of an organization and make appropriate decisions at certain points in the organization. These require some kind of management, a way of passing information and coordinating the activities in the organization (Watson 2003, p4). The roles of the various employees need to be defined, there is need to supervise how the employees perform the tasks as a way of appraisal or dismissal, and there is a need to review the organizations objectives and evaluate the overall performance of the organization. There is a need to establish proper relation with the individuals that are outside the org anization as well. The diverse need of the community that surrounds the organization including the employees of the organization is what makes management one of the challenging roles in an organization. A manager who partly owns a company will provide a different managerial approach than the other one who has no share in the organization (James, 1999, p.2). The role of managers in an organization has received various scrutinies due to the ambiguity that exists in defining term itself. The operations in a given organization may not go on smoothly not because the top management consists of incompetent personnel but because the managers are not doing the right things. Watson (2001) thus describes management in three different aspects: management as a function, management as activities and management as a team of people (p.35). The kind of manager that Watson mentions includes both the middle manager and the senior manager. The

Personal Responsibility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Personal Responsibility - Essay Example Indeed, this understanding aligns with the definition given by scholars. Considering one of such definitions as given by Hughes (2012), personal responsibility is defined as â€Å"a balance of one’s reasoning skills, referred to as rationality, and intuition, referred to as sensibility, so as to determine the fulfillment of duties for the good of each individual, referred to as autonomy.† This definition appreciates independence in decision-making and sensibility with regards to the environment just as I had postulated. It calls for the need to bear the consequences of actions taken. This virtue would be critical for students who co-exist in a shared environment for the realization of their goals in school. The view of personal responsibility from the reputation lens ensures that a personally responsible person lives up to the expectation of the community. This is further boosted by the relationship lens which calls for fairness and liberty for all. As such, personal re sponsibility, which involves autonomous decision-making with the consideration of all stakeholders, is a critical virtue that promotes college success, thus my adoption of a plan to foster my personal sense of responsibility. Personal responsibility positively relates to college success. The first reason is because personal responsibility fosters autonomy. The concern of a student who has a sense of personal responsibility would be to protect individual rights. In protecting these rights, the students would be best placed to establish themselves an environment that best fosters their learning. As a result, Roth (2010) argues that this optimizes their performance in college. Moreover, because of the call for ethical behavior with regards to personal responsibility, this attribute would cause college students to not only fulfill what is expected of them but also create the greatest good. Thus, while seeking to meet their individual objectives, such students would also be keen to ensure

West Jet Case Study Essay Example for Free

West Jet Case Study Essay Strengths The greatest strength of WestJet is their brand image. Through their superior customer service, WestJet has become one of the most trusted brands as well as Canada’s preferred airline. (Anonymous, 2011), (marketing weekly news, 2012) One of the most important strengths of WestJet is their ability to provide low fares to consumers because of their low cost structure. (Yannopoulos, 2011) A key strength for WestJet has been the ability to achieve success through a great corporate culture, and using Strategic hiring, training, and rewarding service oriented employees. They understand the importance of top-down commitment by management. (Karp, 2011), (Ostrower, 2012), (Carr, 2011) Weaknesses By only having one size of airplane, WestJet is restricted to number of flight destinations. Consumers may find alternative options such as flying from the United States of America. (Sherlock,2012) Another drawback of having one size of airplanes limits the capacity of flyers. (Karp, 2012) Opportunities There will always be a reason for people to fly whether it’s for business or pleasure and they will always look for the lowest possible cost. In fact WestJet is actually seeing fewer empty seats. (The Ottawa Citizen, 2012) Increase international growth by acquiring more Code sharing partners. (Sorensen, 2010), (Transportation Business Journal, 2012) By agreeing with Bombardier to include smaller turboprop airplane WestJet can expand into smaller domestic markets without the risk of having to increase fees. (Ostrower, 2012), (Cameron, 2012), (David, 2012) Threats With Air Canada not performing so well, the Canadian government might allow foreign up-starts into the market. (Sorensen, 2012) Surface transportation (automobiles, buses, rail transportation) could take away customers for short-haul trips. A recession might slow the amount of people travelling. (Deveau, 2011) Price of oil could increase fees. (Cameron, 2012), (Deveau, 2011) Bad weather could prevent travel to certain destination. Issues Analysis 1. WestJet has been in the industry for over 15 years and has built its reputation giving customers great value by offering low fares with exceptional customer service. 2. Face competition from Air Canada and surface transportation services. 3. With only three kinds of airplane, maintenance cost remain low but WestJet can only offer economy class and can only fly to limited destinations. 4. Even though Air Canada is the leader in this market, WestJet is the favorite among flyers because of their superior customer service and added features (i.e. Seatback TVs, Web check-in, more legroom, etc) Recommended Alternatives I suggest that WestJet go after the business traveler because this segment spends a lot of money and has a high frequency of flying. However, it should not ignore the seasonal or occasional traveler because this is the segment does contribute to the growth of the company and has helped West Jet reach the level it’s at right now. Product: * Air service to 76 destinations in Canada, the United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean. (PR Newswire Association, 2012) * Increase the size of their aircraft and add other international destinations such as cities in Europe and Asia. (Transportation Business Journal, 2012) * Expand to other domestic markets that have not been reached. (Ostrower, 2012) Place: * Online * Travel Agencies Price: * Prices vary depending season, destination, and amount of seats left on the airplane * Domestic Flight (ex. Toronto to Montreal) $155 $200 * Domestic Flight (ex. Toronto to Vancouver) $400 $500 * US Flight (ex. Toronto to Orlando) $175 $400 * Sun Destination (ex Toronto to Kingston, Jamaica) $250 $500 (All prices are quoted for the summer of 2012 through westjet.com) Promotion: * Online * TV * Radio * Billboards * Sponsorship * Loyalty or Rewards programs such WestJet Dollars. (Cropp, 2012), (Braidwood, 2012) Selection of the best Alternatives Product: West Jet should try to increase their market share by getting into the smaller domestic markets. With the agreement with Bombardier to introduce a new set of smaller turboprops (propeller planes) that consumes less fuel and seats a lower amount of passengers is a great fit. This will help West Jet to keep their operating cost low and should keep fares low for the consumers as well. Place: Web booking and travel agencies are the best places to book a flight. Online gives the consumer convenience booking while travel agencies are good for those who prefer to speak a person and/or are uncomfortable booking online. Price: As mentioned above, prices do vary depending season, destination, and amount of seats left on the airplane. With the new smaller turboprops, West Jet should be able to maintain their low fares versus their competition. Promotion: With most people booking flights online, the best promotions should be right on the WestJet.com so that they can help drive traffic to their website. In addition, have special deals emailed to current base of customers or those who book a flight with WestJet. Conclusion I believe the greatest advantage that WestJet has is a positive image from both consumers and employees, they kind of go hand in hand. Because WestJet has great incentive program for their employees, it helps drive home the idea that great customer service is number one. When your front line workers (the ones that have the most interaction with your customers) are treated well and are recognized for their hard work, the company and customer both win. I think their model of low operating costs, between smaller hubs, with only one kind of airplane was a great strategy to get them where they are now. However, I can in vision in the next 10-15 years WestJet stepping up to include a larger airplane that can travel into more foreign destinations because long-haul flights generate the most amount of money. Work Cited Canadas most trusted brands in 2011. (2011). Marketing, 116(6), 17-21. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/920212383?accountid=3455 Yannopoulos, P. (2011). Defensive and offensive strategies for market success. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 2(13), n/a. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/904511236?accountid=3455 Karp, A. (2011). WestJets VALUE PROPOSITION. Air Transport World, 48(1), 46-50. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/839037396?accountid=3455 Ostrower, J. (2012, May 02). Bombardier wins WestJet order for turboprop planes. Wall Street Journal (Online), pp. n/a-n/a. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1010422700?accountid=3455 WestJet; WestJet is canadas preferred airline. (2012). Marketing Weekly News, , 1282. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/964463239?accountid=3455 Sorensen, C. (2010, May 31). READY FOR TAKEOFF: WestJets big plans to conqure air canada and then the world. Macleans, 123, 35-35. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/757889199?accountid=3455 Carr, D. F. (2011). Westjet cuts costs with crowdsourcing. Informationweek Online, , n/a. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/896003391?accountid=3455 WestJet ranks globally as a top 10 airline. (2012, Jul 10). Canada NewsWire, pp. n/a. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1024241175?accountid=3455 Cameron, D., Pearson, D. (2012, Jul 09). Propeller planes, fueled by economics, take off; at current oil prices, props make more sense for carriers than smaller jets. Wall Street Journal (Online), pp. n/a-n/a. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1024003999?accountid=3455 Sherlock, T. (2012, Jun 18). Millions of canadians flying out of U.S. airports. The Vancouver Sun, pp. A.1. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1021240152?accountid=3455 Airlines, aviation; WestJet and korean air launch code-share agreement. (2012). Transportation Business Journal, , 109. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1015618972?accountid=3455 Deveau, S. (2011, Jan 20). Analysts split on investment merits of air canada vs. WestJet; labour talks ahead. National Post, pp. FP.14. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/846811799?accountid=3455 Canada; fewer empty seats at WestJet, air canada. (2012, Jul 06). The Ottawa Citizen, pp. E.3. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1024045691?accountid=3455

Multiple Personality Disorders Essay -- essays research papers

â€Å"Multiple Personality Disorders†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sometimes people undergo traumatic experiences in their lives that are either physical or mental and maybe even a combination of both. If the experience was so intense, and so horrible, that the mind didn’t want to remember it, or possibly didn’t know how to deal or cope with it, then that one experience has the power to split a person’s mind into â€Å"another personality†. If this happens, the other personality or personalities come out when a person who has MPD (Multiple Personality Disorder) is put in a situation that he/she doesn’t know how to handle or feels that the other personality can handle it better. People suffering from MPD also have the risk of developing some symptoms of MPD that include fugue and amnesia. Fugue is the loss of identity in which the person suffering from fugue would not know who they are, who their family and friends are, where they worked, etc. Amnesia is a temporary loss of memory. If a person ex periences amnesia they are not going to remember a specific event or experience in their life. People with amnesia know who they are but do not know of a traumatic event that happened in their life. If someone has MPD then fugue and/or amnesia are most likely present as well. I will be writing brief descriptions of a few people who suffer from multiple personality disorder. Gretchen, John, Barb, and Beth plus are all people diagnosed with MPD.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gretchen is a thirty-four year old woman and has been diagnosed with multiple personality disorder. Gretchen has three personalities, one is her, another is called â€Å"Myself†, and the third personality is â€Å"Enigma†. â€Å"Myself† concentrates better, and she comes out when Gretchen is having a bad day. She deals with Gretchens problems better then Gretchen can. â€Å"Myself† makes attempts to kill Gretchen. She cuts herself repeatedly and doesn’t know why. â€Å"Myself† also relives the abuse that was done to Gretchen as a child. â€Å"Enigma† is the evil personality. She doesn’t come out very much but when she does, she physically abuses herself, and tries to commit suicide to kill all the personalities. â€Å"Enigma† reminds me of the Exorcist because her voice is different, and the things she talks about is sadistic and evil. Gretchen has no conscious awareness of what is going on when the ot her personalities are out. She k... ...ear old girl and was the first multiple to appear to the therapist. â€Å"Janet† comes out to drive. â€Å"Carol† comes out to grocery shop. â€Å"Mary† is the financial keeper. â€Å"Skeptic† claims that Beth is a liar and is acting everything. â€Å"Yardwoman† takes care of the yard. Beth once caused her family to be $6,000 in debt because all her personalities had a combined seventeen credit cards and ran them up. Beth was abused and raped from age ten until the age fourteen.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Multiple Personality Disorder is a serious and real condition that is basically present in people who have gone through some kind of abuse or traumatic experience. So far MPD is not known as hereditary. There is no true explanation for multiple personality disorder but its accepted as a condition. Multiple personalities have not only been proved as dangerous and hazardous to surroundings, but its also the mystery of every psychologist and therapist. Many people devote their lives to unlock the secret of MPD and they try and unlock the â€Å"locked† memories in MPD patients minds. Multiple personality disorder has and continues to boggle the minds of psychologist everywhere and is still unexplainable.

Epistemic Opacity

Michelle Freeman 05/24/2012 English 101 Epistemic Opacity Computers, tablets, I-phones, I-pads, cellular phones, e-readers and more are now considered daily necessities as well as pleasure apparatus’ that society relies on exponentially to get through each day. From the time we wake until we lie our heads down at night, society is constantly â€Å"plugged in† to some sort of technological advance. Due to this dependency on these electronic devices, society has succumb to a world of bits and bytes with no real consideration to how these tools work or provide the connection(s) we have come to count on.Sherry Turkle, an Abby Rockefeller Mauze Professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology states in her essay How Computers Change the Way We Think, â€Å"Some thinkers argue that the new opacity is empowering, enabling anyone to use the most sophisticated technological tools and to experiment with in complex and creativ e ways. But it is also true that our tools carry the message that they are beyond our understanding. It is possible that in daily life, epistemic opacity can lead to passivity† (568).Epistemic opacity is a fancy way of saying that the understanding of how something actually works does not mean that you don’t know how to use or work that same something. Take a lawnmower for example; a person of general intelligence understands that gasoline needs to be put into the engine in order for it to run. That same person understands that depositing of oil is equally important for the engine to maintain lubrication and cooling. A turning of a sharp blade that is powered by the engine is what cuts the grass.Intellectually we understand not only how to use the lawnmower but how the lawnmower actually works. Typically we are not passive in our acceptance of such general day to day use items, such as said lawnmower. Technology however, is different. The intellectual understanding of t echnology and how it actually works does not seem to be a priority for the masses of today. The importance of understanding of personal technologies is key to counteracting this opacity that appears to be more and more prevalent as technological developments continue to progress.By not paying attention to the basic understanding of technology, we are willingly and openly allowing ourselves to be directed and manipulated in a way that removes individual opportunity for growth and understanding where technology is concerned; our development in this arena is left to creators of technology to decide. Intellectual lack and lesser intelligence regarding these tools of technology does not appear to be the consensus opinion among our fellow citizens but rather there is the general thought that we are all part of a growing technological wave that makes us all smarter and more advanced.However, in all actuality, it is more that cognitively people are running the risk of intellectual deficienc y and passivity as Turkle expresses. Turkle states that soon after she joined the faculty at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the late 70’s, which was coincidentally the end of an era of the slide rule and the beginning of the era of personal computers, she witnessed several senior professors in engineering complaining that the transitions from slide rule (a mechanical analog computer used primarily for multiplication and division) to calculators had affected their students ability to deal with issues of scale (564). The Professors were arguing that when students used slide rules, they had to insert decimal points themselves. They insisted that inserting the points themselves required students to maintain a mental sense of scale, whereas those who relied on calculators made frequent errors in orders of magnitude. Because of this, the students with calculators had lost their ability to do â€Å"back of the envelope† calculations, and with that, an intuitive feel for the material† (564).It is possible that because society accepts at face value the technology that we have come to depend on, that the level of passivity is leading to a reduced intelligence as a whole. Personal experience has led me to witness many people more interested in the brand, make and model of their personal technological items than as to how these items send, receive, record and process information. The general core mechanics of each individual piece of technology should be made common public knowledge.It is not so much that people need to understand the inner workings of every motherboard out there; as it is that we receive a general understanding of how personal technologies work. How does a touchscreen actually operate? How can picture messages float through the air and land inside another phone or make their way to someone’s email inbox? What do we know really about the implication of radiation, if any regarding consistently placing technology aga inst the sides of our heads?I cannot answer these questions and many others because that information is not something readily available to or sought after by the general public. Society accepts openly that these technological items do what they are marketed and sold to do. Through blind acceptance we become susceptible to a possible deprivation of necessary knowledge. It is important to comprehend the effects and/or implications of daily use, in order to facilitate continued intellectual growth that parallels the technological boom.Charles McGrath, writer and editor for the New York Times, touches on epistemic opacity in his essay The Pleasures of the text. McGrath is referring to text-messaging when he states â€Å"text-messaging is â€Å"lateral† rather than â€Å"penetrative,† and the medium encourages blandness and even mindlessness† (474). McGrath suggests that as Americans we use text-messaging with no real consideration or thought. He is referencing a com mon practice among individuals who use text-messaging to convey quick, mindless jargon in an efficient and non-personal way (474).This line of thought connects to opacity in that it shows how text-messaging is just one example of many how society has become so relaxed and comfortable in the use of technology that not only do we not consider how technology works, we have taken it even further and we don’t even truly consider what we put out into the world with our technological devices. Society has become lazy where this is concerned. Turkle supports this idea in her aforementioned essay when she expresses her personal witness to the psychological effects of computational objects in everyday life.She states that passivity regarding technology is becoming more and more apparent in that the â€Å"people who built or bought the first generation of personal computers understood them completely. The next generation of operating systems were more complex, but they still invited tha t old-time reductive understanding†. Turkle states that contemporary information technology encourages different habits of mind. She goes on to say â€Å"today’s college students are already used to taking things at (inter)face value† (568). I witness this daily in my own life every time I see my children access all different types of technology.When I ask them to explain the deeper operation of the technology they are currently using, they cannot do it. They explain it is not important to be able to use the current chosen technology. This attitude causes me concern because I worry that they are becoming a culture that does not ask the deeper questions. They just accept at (inter)face value as Turkle expressed. To grow along with the technological boom and to understand the deeper reasoning behind the operation of said technology will keep minds active and aware.It is important that resignation to acceptance of our technological world does not continue to grow an d expand. We can accomplish this by thinking for ourselves, preparing for our children and teaching future generations they must not blindly accept what is given to them. If they do, opacity and passivity will prevail to the point that we are all walking around filled with intellectual knowledge that has been directly controlled, removing individuality of thought and expression.Technology today is an amazing and powerful thing, at times it might even be considered beautiful. I personally look forward to technological advances and the wonderful happenings that will accompany these events; however, it must not be at the cost of our own personal intellectual development. Opacity and passivity are not conducive to society maintaining an upward intellectual growth regarding technology. Let us grow with and because of, technology.

Exporting Toys from Belgium to the People’s Republic of China

[pic] ________________ KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN Faculty of business and economics International Marketing Toys: Exporting toys from Belgium to the People’s Republic of China [pic] Julie Mertens 1 Master TEW Prof. Pierre FrancoisAcademic year 2008-2009 1. Table of contents2 2. Introduction3 3. Consumption culture in the People’s Republic of China 4 1. China and its economic growth 1. Export5 2. Open economy 3. Middle class people’s consumption culture 2. Culture 1. One child policy 2. Filiarchy6 3. Six pocket syndrome 4. Parental education 5. Children’s personal expenditures . Mian zi7 7. Mien-tsu & Lien 8. Guanxi 9. Fake products 10. Cheaper before better8 11. Religion 12. Astrology & superstition 13. Language 14. Emotions9 15. Business culture 16. Research studies 17. Hofstede10 4. Proposed Marketing adaptations 11 1. Segmentation 2. Targeting 3. Positioning 4. Price adaptations 12 5. Product adaptations 1. Product specifications 2. Assortment chang e13 3. Brand name 4. Image 5. Packaging 6. Service level 6. Distribution Strategy14 7. Communication15 1. Media and the message 2. Advertisement and promotion 5. General conclusion16 6. References17 7. Apendices18 . Introduction Nowadays, in this time of economic depression, some people believe the era of globalization is over. Others consider globalization as a necessity in these times of integration into one worldculture. In this paper, I will try to indicate if and to which extent the marketing-mix should be adapted when exporting Belgian toys to the People’s Republic of China. First, a little company introduction is given. Secondly, some relevant facts and numbers about the People’s Republic of China are discussed. Then, some cultural differences between Belgium and PRC are considered. Finally, the proposed marketing adaptations will be under consideration. Lilliputiens: a company introduction Lilliputiens is a Belgian company that specialises in the production of fabric-based toys. What sets them apart is the extremely high product quality. Their aim is to ensure that all of their toys combine their three core values: provide quality toys at reasonable prices, which are fun to play with, great to look at and have an educational value. [pic][pic] In order to properly stimulate their little customers, namely boys and girls in the zero to five age range, they have created gentle toys made of soft fabric. Their senses are stimulated thanks to the use of a diverse range of textures, sounds, shapes and colours. The toys are designed with the knowledge that toys enable children to imagine, touch, create and think. Those provide a key role in children’s development. Another special feature of the toys is that they evolve in a way that accompanies the baby throughout his or her passage into early infancy. As the child grows, the new play elements are revealed, making new activities and games possible. As a consequence, these toys no longer need to be put back in the box after just three months! Not only dolls but also a play mat, a food pyramid, a table set and a ruler are amongst the Lilliputiens’ product line. [pic] [pic] [pic] 3. Consumption culture in the People’s Republic of China China and its economic growth China is the greatest and most challenging new frontier that international marketers are facing today. China is the most populated country in the world. With one fifth of the world population and the largest population of children in the world, it is an enormous potential market. China’s economic growth has risen 11% during 2007 and keeps developing. There is new money to spend by the 200 million acquisitive people in the middle class. But numbers are not everything; you have to win people’s hearths to be and stay in business. Let that be the issue of this paper. [pic] Figure 1: China’s estimated per capita income per province in 2003 As shown in figure 2 and 3, China’s economic growth passes unequally. Eastern regions have known a faster growth that has given rise to an enormous gap between Eastern and Western China. Eastern China has become more occidental with different needs as a result. In this paper, only China’s Eastern, urban regions will be discussed since China’s ten largest cities, which contain only four percent of China’s population, account for approximately 22 percent of its earning power and 19 percent of its spending power. The urban children’s market contains around 100 million children. Figure 2Figure 3 Export The Chinese market is a paradise for both internal and foreign investors. In 2006, Belgium has exported for almost 3 billion euro to China. This makes China Belgium’s thirteenth trading partner with 1. 1% of our GDP. However compared to India, Belgium’s eighth business partner, the export ratio is lower. To further improve export, good connections will be needed. Open economy According to Eugene Wang, China is relatively open to foreign investments. China has the largest supply of foreign direct investments. Compared to India, China’s tariff protection is more modest and keeps declining. This has resulted in a rapid increase in the volume of imports. In 2003, China’s imports rated 30% of its gross domestic product, which is twice the import ratio of the U. S. Foreign firms with facilities within China account for 25% of all manufactured goods. These goods can be exported or could serve China’s internal market. Middle class people’s consumption culture The present middle class or â€Å"new rich† have made money and acquired standing in only one generation. China has an ambiguous relationship towards foreign culture; Chinese both worship and avert it. Imported goods represent purchasing power, status and good taste. Chinese start to adore Western culture and lifestyle. Although the Western consumption culture conflicts with their traditional consumption culture of thrift and spending in proportion to income, the middle class have become a part of the consumerism culture, especially in the fashion consumption. Albeit their norms and values tend to incline towards the Western culture, imitation is gradually transferring into their own consumption culture. â€Å"I consume so I exist† is the new attitude. The new rich surpass actual needs and as a result become more qualified for merchandising and advertisement. They spend a lot of money on consumer goods, like toys. A potential market is definitely there! Culture Cultures are learned by parenting as well as social interactions and therefore they can change. Despite the impact of current globalization, cultural differences will stay. One-child policy The biggest cultural difference between the rest of the world and China is the â€Å"one-child policy†. Since 1979, due to China’s history and more specifically the population control, law states a maximum of one child per household. Observational data shows that there are 18% more boys than girls. Compared to the world average, this percentage lays 15% higher! In China, men stand for responsibility for the family and are raised to become the head of the household. Therefore, people prefer to have a baby boy rather than a baby girl. However, in the urban regions this is gradually changing. More and more parents cherish the same ambitions for their girl. In fact, in the big cities girls are preferred because parents will not have to worry about being able to provide enough hope chest. [pic] Figure 4: Advertisement to promote the one child policy: carry out family planning – implement the basis national policy Filiarchy Whether a child is born as a boy or a girl, it is born with much more responsibility on his shoulders than in the rest of the world. When it comes to education, health or money, parents will do whatever it takes to contribute to the success of live of their children. For that reason, the one child determines the household. According to Mc Neal and Yeh, Chinese children influence the consumption pattern in such a significant way, namely by 68%, that outsiders look upon him or her as a â€Å"spoiled brat† or â€Å"little emperor†. In the case of toys, the influence on the parents’ purchases mounts up to 93% for children in the zero to five age range. On an annual basis, Chinese children exert a direct influence on play item purchases of three billion dollar per year. It can be said that China has shifted from a patriarchy to a filiarchy; kids have become the centre of the universe! Six pocket syndrome Chinese parents spend much more time, money and effort on their only child’s development. Chinese children are not only raised by their parents but by the whole family. This second source of money, the grandparents, lives in the same household due to other standards of living. This results in six adults indulging one child. This effect is better known as the â€Å"4-2-1 indulgence† or the â€Å"six pocket syndrome†. Parental education In China, society is much more collective than in Belgium. This is reflected in the Chinese family and kinship system. It is not unusual that grandparents live under the same roof. Not surprisingly, family has a tremendous impact on a child education. From birth, Chinese children are learned to respect and obey their elders. Unlike in Belgium, Chinese adults keep seeking for parental approval. Children’s personal expenditures In the first place, children learn about new products from other children, followed by advertisement and store visits. Research has shown that there is a difference in requests between boys and girls. Beyond expectations, girls ask significantly more for toys than boys! But who pays for their expenditures? For children under the age of four, it are the parents and other relatives who buy and pay for the toys. Unexpected but true, according to Chan children start to spend their own money on their own wants and needs from the age of four, mostly toys and food! Mian zi Chinese children do not spend all of their money. A four year old saves around 75% of his pocket money. Their regular income can be spent but special incomes given on birthdays or Chinese New Year are expected to be saved. Learn how to manage money is a second but just as important reason why Chinese parents give their children money. China derives from a socialist economy and has a culture that emphasizes on saving money because they believe this contributes to the development of one’s prestige, which is called â€Å"mian zi†. Mien-tsu & Lien Mien-tsu stands for a reputation through drive, ostentation and success –often expressed by personal wealth-. The more mien-tsu a person has, the higher his social status is and the more influence a person has on others and important decisions. A person’s mien-tsu is dynamic; it can change over time by someone’s success or failure. Lien represents the confidence of society in a person’s sincerity and can only be lost by misconduct. Together, they determine the importance of a person in his interpersonal relations among Chinese. In China, this is extremely important when doing business, because contracts are defined by trust and connections. Guanxi If a Chinese wants to be successful in business, he needs more than just brains. Guanxi is a personal network of influence and social relationships that is used to obtain a service or favor for ‘reasonable purposes’. Guanxi can be compared to social capital and so it is not an act of bribery. The line between guanxi and corruption is rather thin. Chinese have a different view on corruption and crime. Corruption is very big issue in China, even within the Chinese government, which censors certain information. As a result, statistics should always be used with cautiousness. Fake products In China, counterfeiting is a national sport. 40% of all counterfeit toys have China as its country of origin. Although China has signed international agreements on patents and production rights, there are two reasons why they do not hold on to them. First, it is a result of historical factors. Most Chinese do not consider copying someone else’s work as a crime. Secondly, Chinese believe the Western companies are already rich enough, so counterfeiting does not harm the genuine producers. This way, China stays the epicentre of the fake industry. [pic] [pic] Cheaper before better The question: â€Å"Are Chinese genuine and counterfeit products are worse than Western products† has no unilateral answer. On the one hand, China stands for â€Å"cheaper -and therefore often dangerous- instead of better†. Think of the Mattel incident, where Chinese toys had to be taken back because the paint had too much lead in it. The â€Å"Made in China† is rather a warning than a quality label. On the other hand, a difference between â€Å"made in China† and â€Å"Made by China† has to be made. European companies who produce in China generally correspond to the Western criteria, so â€Å"Made in China† does not always indicate risks. According to Holslag, a researcher at the Brussels Institute for Contemporary China Studies, China will catch up to the Western norms concerning quality within the foreseeable future. Also a shift from knickknacks to high-tech products is taking place. Religion China is a country full of traditions. One of them is Confucianism, which was the state doctrine until 1912. Confucianism is not really a religion but more a philosophy or guideline for everyday life and determines what to eat, how to behave, what to wear, ect. According to Confucius, laws are not a good basis of the State. He believes imbueing people with rituals is more effective to reach State stability. Confucius’ society is very hierarchic; everyone knows his position and should act like it. Though society is not static. His idea was that talented people should be able to move up in society, which has had a great impact on the Chinese vision of life. Later, Buddhism, Christian and mainly Taoism influences mingled with Confucianism into neo-Confucianism. So, it is not strange to find a Chinese who is a Confucian, Buddhist as well as a Taoist. [pic] Nature & Astrology & superstition Chinese culture stands in function of nature. Chinese consider themselves part of nature and try to live in harmony with it. In Chinese astrology, the zodiac of twelve animal signs represents twelve different types of personality. The zodiac traditionally begins with the sign of the rat, followed by the ox, the tiger, the rabbit, ect. This year, Chinese New Year falls on 26th of January and stands in the sign of the ox. Superstition plays an important role in Chinese culture. Although fortune-telling is forbidden, people go to fortune-tellers to ask whether their child will be a boy or a girl. Language Mandarin is the most spoken language in China. If you speak Mandarin, you have 915 million native speaking conversation partners! Next to the official language, there are numerous dialects. Besides the different spoken languages, there are also two written languages. [pic] Emotions You will not often see a Chinese crying! Chinese often get blame for not saying what they really think or feel. Westerners find that Chinese behave in a cold manner. A possible explanation is the fact that people were hanged in the past for taking a different view on certain matters. Another explanation is that defending one’s opinion is a Western way of dealing with a situation when there are opposing thoughts. Chinese are learnt at school to accept what is told. Business culture A difference between Belgian and Chinese culture is that Chinese do not work by a model as much as Belgians do. In Belgium, people set up a plan and execute it. In China, people are much more flexible. They anticipate and react on the situation. A possible explanation can be found in their education. Chinese children come in contact with much more opinions during their family education. Laws, contracts and rules are less significant. Chinese have a different calendar, namely the Moon calendar. Fortunately, for business they also use the Gregorian calendar. Research studies Culture is defined by what we buy and why we buy it. National culture determines consumer behaviour, not income. (De Mooij) At first sight, culture does not seem relevant when it comes to toys. Toys are used for children’s entertainment. However, there certainly is a difference in usage between Belgium and China. As mentioned before, Chinese parents find it extremely important that their child stands out from the mass. Therefore, Chinese parents buy toys to stimulate their children to learn as soon as possible rather than for entertainment. So, marketing, branding and advertising strategies should be adapted when exporting toys to China. Hofstede But how different are the Belgian and Chinese culture? According to Hofstede, one can define cultural difference on the basis of five dimensions on a 0 to 100-range scale. The degree of power distance, individualism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance and long-term orientation determines a national culture. The higher the score, the more dimension determines the culture. Belgium belongs to the more developed Latin countries cluster and China falls under the less developed Asian countries. [pic] Figure 5: Cultural difference between China and Belgium Power distance More than Belgian culture, the Chinese culture knows a larger power distance. In China, the acceptance of hierarchy and authority is higher. Since all people are treated fairly, they do not resist and respect higher ranked and elder people because these stand for wisdom. As mentioned before, Chinese rely much more on human relationships (guanxi) than on contracts. Individualism Esomar research shows that China is a collectivist culture, in which loyalty and social network (Mien-stu, Lien & Guanxi) are important. In China, the group where you belong to defines your identity. In Belgium, people and society are more individualistic, which has enabled capitalism. Masculinity Concerning the masculinity/femininity, there is not much distinction between Belgium and China. Both countries have some features of both characteristics. Uncertainty avoidance In Belgium, people believe they have faith in their own hands. In China, people depend much more on fate and believe their destiny is determined for them. In this fatalistic country, failure is unevitable. Belgians are more threatened by risk and uncertainty than the Chinese. As a result, the Chinese are much more open to change. This confirms the Confucianism influence on China. Long-term orientation Like other Southeast Asian countries, China is long term oriented. This has the similar effect as the Confucian values, which are acceptance of change, perseverance, thrift and pursuit of peace of mind. Belgium, on the other hand, strives for immediate results like other Western countries. According to Hofstede, these cultural differences will remain over time, how much globilization even takes place. Now that the Chinese culture has no mysteries anymore, let’s take a look at which adaptations are to be made. 4. Proposed Marketing adaptations Cross-cultural awareness – the understanding that what is normal in one culture can be offending in another one – starts to gain credit. People start to recognize that to be successful in foreign business, the company should adapt the marketing mix to the country’s values and culture. However, adaptation is very costly and time-consuming. Although China is becoming more Occidental, the marketing mix should be adapted only until the profits do not make up for the costs anymore. Segmentation There is no such thing as an average consumer! Therefore, there is no use -or value- in making an average product. First, the company has to distinguish the different market segments based on similar product needs for consumers. For the Chinese toy market, a distinction between the urban and rural households can be made. The question â€Å"whether a market segment is specific enough to make it a segment on its own† depends on four P’s. The first P stands for product. Children in urban China play with different and more qualitative toys than children in rural China. The second P stands for price. Since urban China is much wealthier, they are less price sensitive than rural China. Also the service level, the third P, differs. The more cultivated East demands a higher servicelevel. The final P, promotion, varies from TV advertisement and word of mouth in urban China to only word of mouth in rural China. | |Size |Product |Price |Service |Promotion | |Urban |36 % |High quality |High |High |TV + word of mouth | |Rural |64 % |Different toys |Low |Low |Word of mouth | Table 1: Segmentation: the four P’s Targeting In a next phase, the company has to make a strategic choice. This hard-to-reverse decision, namely the decision which specific market segment will be targeted, depends on the value that can be offered to customers. Although the final consumers are children between zero and five years old, most of the time it will be the parents who will buy the toys. Since the most profitable segment is China’s urban household segment, this market segment will be targeted. For the reason that this target group lives highly concentrated in the cities, they are easy to reach customers. Positioning Brand positioning is the process by which marketers try to create an image or identity in the minds of their target market for a certain product. The question is whether a brand should be global or not. In this case, a global image of the brand is not important. It would be better to distinguish the positioning since in China the focus would be on learning during playing compared to recreation and entertainment in Belgium. Although it is costly, the company will benefit from this investment because of the positive effect on buying behaviour. Two company images will not confuse customers since there is a language and character barrier between both countries. Price adaptations A price can be determined on the basis of costs, by looking at competitors’ prices or in proportion to the value created towards the end-consumer. I would suggest the company to go for the third option. Although the company’s first goal should be market penetration – resulting in low prices –, still a skimming pricing strategy seems best. The dolls are of a superior quality and luxury products demand a high price. I believe 50 euro or 465 Chinese Yuan would be an appropriate price for a 25 by 15 centimetre doll. This high price can be justified because the toy cannot only be used for entertainment but also for educational purposes. Since the income of the middle class is only rising, according to my market research (see apendix) at this price there will be enough potential buyers. Another reason that justifies a high price is the high level of pre and after sales service Chinese demand, which will be discussed further. Product adaptations †¢ Product specifications Nowadays, toy manufacturers do not adapt the features of the dolls! But research has shown that it hurts the childern’s self-esteem. Therefore, the company should customize the skin colour, hair, eyes, height, ect. as shown in figure 6. [pic] Figure 6: A Chinese Lilliputien doll with yellow skin, dark hair and dark slit-eyed eyes. One of Lilliputiens’ toys is the food pyramid by which children can learn how to put together well-balanced meals. Since people in China eat other vegetables, other meat and noodles and rice instead of potatoes, this pyramid should be adapted. Another Lilliputien toy, the table set also should be modified since Chinese eat with chopsticks instead of fork and knife. [pic] [pic] Figure 7: Food pyramidFigure 8: Table set †¢ Assortment change Children like choice; therefore the product line should be expanded. The current themes like the circus, the Indians, the Pirates, the nativity of Jesus Christ could be supplemented with the twelve zodiac animals of the Chinese astrology. A doll of the child’s animal sign can be given as a gift at the child’s birth. A less perfect acquisition for the assortment would be a Buddhist doll, Chinese would find it inappropriate and rude. †¢ Brand name Due to a different language and moreover a different alphabet, it is crucial to change the company name and product names. â€Å"Lilliputiens† would be unpronounceable. My suggestion would be to render the company’s name by transliteration, so that is sounds the closest to its original name. Pu-Tien means â€Å"all over the world†, which fits with the company philosophy, to give all children over the world the chance to play. †¢ Image The new rich people love to show off their wealth. A good idea would be to create a good recognizable logo to put on each doll so that others can recognize the brand and they can brag about expensive purchase. The advertisement campaigns should be identifiable by showing rich and fortunate people. †¢ Packaging Since the packaging has to sell the product, it is essential to make it as colourful and vibrant as possible. The company certainly has to use the colour red on the packaging, since in China, red has a positive connotation and stands for success, honour, fertility, happiness and love. Qualitative information, about the fact that this toy is educational as well as entertaining, must be provided to the Chinese parents. A good idea could be to use a combination of Chinese and English language in the toys manual. Due to internalization, the Chinese middle and upper class have become familiar with English. Toys are often given as a gift. The packaging has to look nice, because gifts are used to build up and strengthen relationships. The dolls are very soft and have different textures, therefore the company could use an open packaging so potential customers can feel and see the product before purchasing. Service level When a child has a need, it wants the need to be gratified as soon as possible. Since fast delivery is thus very important, there has to be enough inventory at any time. Because the Pu-Tien toys are more than just toys, this educational plaything stimulates senses and development of a child, there is need for pre sales service. Although China pays a lot of attention to pre-sales service as well as post sales service, they do not expect a guarantee on toys. Given that the dolls are made for children between zero and five years old, avoiding small parts and implementing warnings can prevent danger to children. Safety regulations are less strict in China. Nevertheless, the company should keep their high level of quality. Since the dolls are made in Belgium, the company should exploit their country of origin effect and explicitly mention â€Å"Made in Belgium†. Distribution strategy †¢ Business culture In China, paper means nothing. So if contracts do not work, what will? You need to band with local people and win their trust. This is where the Guanxi comes in. To obtain a certain service or favour, a personal network of influence and social relationships are a must. According to Li Qinfu, contact with the Chinese government also plays a very important role. When Westerners want to do business they contact their lawyers, when Chinese do business they contact government officials. †¢ Parallel import I would not set a lower price in the Chinese market than in the home market because due to relative low trade barriers, the risk and impact of grey export from China to Belgium would be too big. †¢ Mode of entry At first instance, due to low costs and a high control level, I would recommend the company to set up a website. But on further consideration, children want their needs to be gratified as soon as possible. In addition, if the toys are reachable (merchandising), they will also nag more, which helps children to get what they want if they have shut-up parents. Shipment costs for a prior delivery would be too large in proportion to the retail price. Another reason why a website would not be a good mode of entry is the level of pre and after sales service a Chinese consumer demands. The target segment, namely middle and upper class people with high requirements, searches for qualitative, pedagogical responsible and save toys. Therefore, these luxury toys should be sold in fancy local retail stores, not in ordinary supermarkets. The trade-off of using retail stores goes between the fact that the products are reachable, ready for delivery, a high service level and less control, more risk and higher investments. Since toy dealers are not motivated to deliver good sales support, a good way to check the service is ghost shopping. This market research technique of sending fake customers will tell if sales men give the right information and service to potential buyers and customers. Since feedback from distributors does not come easily because they are independent, a good idea is to improve relationships with local parties by means of guanxi. Communication A good strategy is nothing if it is not well executed. Advertisement is the most culturally sensitive element of the marketing mix. Therefore, it is wise to decide well how to say what you want to say. †¢ Media and the message When announcing the product launch to the potential customers by the media, the message strategy is of crucial importance. According to Hofstede, the communication style depends on the five dimensions of local culture. China is a developing, high context and collectivistic country. The best communication style is a less informative and more persuasive and emotional approach. When advertising on TV, a good idea would be to use the least words as possible. Optimally, only utilize non-verbal language. Not only because collectivistic cultures are more visually orientated (De Mooij), but also because children between zero and five cannot read and have a very small vocabulary. Toddlers have very well developed visual capabilities and are sensitive to emotions. For that reason, a visual advertisement would do better. In combination with a lot of colour, children’s attention will be monopolized. Although Hofstede suggests a less informative approach, I believe that the message towards the (grand)parents should be informative (information on age, warnings†¦) and focus on the educational value of the product. Pu-Tien toys provide a key role in a child’s development: its senses are stimulated thanks to the use of a diverse range of textures, sounds, shapes and colours. As slogan I would recommend: â€Å"Pu-tien tested, child & educational approved! † As mentioned before, Chinese culture has shifted from a patriarchy to a filiarchy. As a result, advertisement will focus on children and their needs. †¢ Advertisement and promotion Not only the message, also the medium by which potential consumers are informed matters. In a first phase of promoting the product, children need to get to know the product. To gain product awareness, the company should adopt sampling. By offering certain pre-school kindergartens and day nursery centres some free samples, children will come in contact with the Pu-Tien product range. This is a win-win situation. Schools will be thankful to receive teaching aids nd our company will benefit from other children’s word of mouth, which is the best marketing tool. If our product line appeals to the children, children will nag to their parents to get the product. Sampling has as advantage that it is the most effective promotion strategy but unfortunately it is extremely expensive. Advertising on TV will be a second step of the company’s promotion strategy. Due to hypersegmenta tion, there are almost 3000 TV stations in China. With the given marketing budget, it would be too expensive to advertise on all of them. I would suggest advertising on one children’s channel as well as on one adult channel. Although the company’s target group is children between zero and five years old and their personal expenditures start from the age of four, mostly adults will buy the product for them. Since grandparents live in the same household, also raise their grandchildren and are happy to spend their money on their grandchildren’s formation, the commercial should consist of not only the child’s parents but of the whole family. Also some traditional symbols or Chinese icons should be put in because it will help to make the connection between the Western and their own consumption culture. As marketing manager, I think it is best not to invest money in global advertisement. I have computed the extent of standardization and found that toys are a cultural product. Therefore, the message and medium should change. It is not necessary to have one corporate brand image because the children in Belgium and China will not come in contact with each other, so it will not be confusing. Conclusion SWOT-analysis Strengths The major strength of the company’s product is the educational value that comes with the product. Chinese find education extremely important. Weaknesses A relative high price is chosen due to the risk and impact of parallel import. But a small segment with a high price can be more profitable than large volumes of low profit margin products. Opportunities Learning more about China, its culture, rules and laws and setting up a social network, with the government as well, will be extremely important. This will take some time, effort and money but it will enlarge the company’s chance to succeed tremendously. Threats I believe the biggest challenge will be the fierce competition from less qualitative and counterfeit dolls that are much cheaper. To conclude, as a marketing manager, I must say China stays a black box. When you have done all research that is possible; business in China still is risky. At least with the suggested adaptations the risk will be minimized and the success is multiplied. 6. References Interview Interview with my neighbour Yan Lu, a Chinese middle class woman living in Belgium since then years Books Kotler, P. et all (2005). Principles of Marketing. Prentice Hall Harlow. pp XVIII, 788. Chan, K. & McNeal, J. (2004). Advertising to children in China. The Chinese University Press of Hong Kong. pp. I, 1-21, II, 23-42. Latham, K. & Thompson, S. & Klein, J. (2006). Consuming China. Routledge. Yau, O. H. M. (1994). Consumer behaviour in China. Routledge. pp III, 63-83. Usunier, J. -C. (2000). Marketing across cultures. Prentice Hall Harlow. pp V Articles Mooij, M. (2005). Mapping cultural values for global marketing and advertising. Dobbelaere, B. & Reynebeau, M. (2008). Bijlage China: de rode boekjes: middelpunt van de wereld, 1,3 miljard sporters, een exploderende economie, paradijs voor investeerders, kleine vrouwen, een wereldmacht, de nieuwe rijken, een milieuramp, de diaspora, traditionele cultuur, culinair. De Standaard Reportage Marketing to children. Een, Koppen, 23/12/2008 Internet pages http://www. lilliputiens. be/EN/philosophy_nobel. htm 28/10/2008 http://www. allcountries. org/china_statistics/4_4_basic_statistics_on_national_population. html 25/11/2008 http://www. namingnewsletter. com/article. asp? id=42 25/11/2008 http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m2294/is_9-10_53/ai_n16084036 23/12/2008 http://benmuse. typepad. com/ben_muse/china/index. html 25/11/2008 http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Positioning_(marketing) 23/12/2008 http://simonworld. mu. nu/archives/105889. hp 24/12/2008 http://smallswordsmagazine. com/articles/life/chinesesarcasm. html 3/01/2009 http://www. wing-international. com/ 03/01/2009 7. Apendices [pic] Market research: Questionnaire: What is an appropriate price for the Pu-Tien doll? 1) Are you a male/female? 2) How old are you? 3) What is your highest level of education you have achieved? 4) What is your marital status? 5) How much do you earn each month? 6) Do you live in one of China’s big cities? 7) What is your housing type? 8) Do you have (grand)children? 9) How many (grand)children do you have? 0) Is it a boy or a girl? 11) Do you believe your (grand)child’s development is important? 12) Do you like to spend money on your (grand)childrens (birthday)presents? 13) How much would you normally spend on your (grand)child’s birthday? 14) Have you ever bought a Pu-Tien doll for your (grand)child? 15) Where you pleased with your purchase? 16) What was the occasion you bought the doll for? 17) How much did it cost you? 18) Did you found it a reasonable price? 19) What would have been the highest/lowest price at which you would buy a Pu-Tien doll?