International marketing Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

International marketing - Dissertation Example The main focus of an interpretive approach is on processes which help in surfacing up the meanings and negotiating them (Schwandt, 1999). Interpretive approach focuses on the individual and uses one of among several qualitative data collection techniques and analysis processes. This approach further branch out into several other approaches, having different views (Alvesson and Skoldberg, 2000; Lindlof, 1995). The one used in this research is Hermeneutic; which according to Martin and Sugarman (2001) is an approach which â€Å"moves beyond both scientism and social constructionist, accepting the self-interpreting nature of humans within their social-cultural context, but not reducing them completely to these origins†. Hermeneutics can be considered as an approach which enables the researcher to further explore the meaning of the desired topic so as to get an in-depth understanding of it (Alvesson & Skoldberg, 2000). This approach is subjective and uses more personal qualitative techniques. It focuses more on comprehending the situation involved and analysis of qualitative data (Gummesson, 2000). According to Patton (2002), the qualitative data can be collected by means of interviews; structured or semi structured; documents and observations. For this research, data was collected by conducting semi structured interviews. This technique was employed owing to the fact that the research so far done in this area has data and results that have certainly become outdated. Thus to emanate more latest information from within the concerned industries so that it could be useful for further study and exploration, interviews were done which would yield rather up to date and more interesting facts. These interviews have helped the... From this research it is clear that every country has its own communication pattern. For the success of an international business there is a strong need of focusing on relationship development that is â€Å"an integrated effort to identify, build up and maintain a network of relationships with employees, inter-organizational partners and customers for mutual benefit† which significantly require a well thought integrated communication strategy. Thus success of Mc Donald’s working in over 115 countries simultaneously can be taken as an example of it modification of selling and communication techniques to effectively communicate with its various stakeholders. Owing to the importance of relationship building among various stakeholders with varied cultural background, comprehending the role of communication is essential for any company with international business. The intercultural barriers can be effectively removed by imporved and adapted and selling process accordingly be cause if not it leads to the widening of gap between the two culturally different parties thus affecting the rapport of the company, personal bonding and log term compatibility which in turn can badly impact the marketing efforts of the company thus it becomes essentially significant for any company to first analyze the communication pattern of the country it wants to work in and then build the relationship by appropriate communication channel and thus communication. According to the second respondent, they have well established guidelines for conducting marketing in varied countries, however, owing to the fact that culture varies these guidelines are modified accordingly.

Current State Of Ethics In Business Commerce Essay

Current State Of Ethics In Business Commerce Essay The pace, scale and complexity of modern business has forced a change in how business is done. While it is accepted that it is foolish to do business with someone who is not trustworthy, the question arises whether you can trust those who are not ethical in all of their behaviour. Short timelines, tight supply chains and narrowing margins mean that chances cannot be taken that suppliers or customers will not honour their contracts as expected. Suppliers and customers are now becoming partners and stakeholders in business, and relationships with them are becoming more and more underpinned by trust. Trust is built on expectations of truth in words and consistency in behaviour. It is impossible to do profitable business with someone who says one thing one day and does something different the next. Ethical leadership is vital in business today. It is the backbone to any long lasting successful company in todays business market. It is important for companies to clearly layout their stance on ethical leadership to employees and the public, to have members of the company lead by example, and to reinforce the ethical leadership concept through out the year. By following these steps, the company will sustain or acquire ethical leadership in their companys culture. Although business accepted ethics slightly change through out the years, everyone should know if an action is ethical or unethical before they take an action. The importance of companies clearly defining their stance on ethical behavior will let individuals know how making an unethical decision will impact them, their fellow workers, and the company as a whole. On the other hand members of the company will also know how making an ethical decision will have a positive impact. Once a clear ethical leadership stance is taken, rewarding or punishing ethical or unethical actions should strictly uphold the rules. There should be an unbiased group to facilitate this activity, for example a Human Resources Department. Every employee, from the CEO to the mailroom clerk, should practice ethical leadership. Every member and every group can and should exhibit ethical leadership. This concept should not just be thought of as a manager to his report. Ethical leadership can happen in unexpected situations, for example where a CFO of a company asks the mailroom clerk to do an unethical act and the mailroom clerk refuses the CFOs request. The clerk refused based on the companys stance on ethical behavior. In this example, the clerk presented ethical leadership, but was in no way in a leadership role. The clerk would also feel safe taking this stance because he believes in his companies set rules on ethical leadership. He will not be negatively impacted due to the fact that he can contact his unbiased Human Resources department with issues of this nature, on top of the fact that he maybe rewarded for taking this ethical stance. Reinforcing the ethical leadership concept through out the year is also important for businesses. Not only reinforcing, but also reinforcing with meaning and showing the value of ethical leadership. Making positive examples of employees through rewards, have mandatory yearly training (make it fun), send positive ethical leadership examples out as part of company newsletter, ensure that unethical behavior is dealt with in an ethical way, restate companys stance during large meetings, make ethical leadership apart of each employees personal evaluation each year (make them give examples) and have ethical workshops. All of these examples will ensure that every employee knows the companys stance on ethical leadership through reinforcement. The over all concept of ethical leadership is that it is as important as making a profit in the business world. Profit and ethical leadership should be top priorities for any company that plans to have a long lasting existence. Ethics in itself can become a very pliable term with many grey areas, so focusing on specific ethics may prove futile. However, focusing on doing the right thing along with the reinforcement of ethical leadership may be the answer. Baking ethical leadership into a companys culture is key. Ethical leadership holds a positive outlook with great potential in the current business environment is the improvement that we have seen in ethical issues over the relatively recent years. As we all know accepted ethical behaviors have slightly changed over the years and will continue to do so. Ethical leadership along with the help from laws has driven the implementation of the halt or reduction of racial discrimination, sexual harassment, and sexual discrimination. It is believe that accepted ethics have made great leaps and ethical leadership is one of the driving tools to solidify these concepts. Recent huge companies like Enron and World Com have made great examples of the importance of ethical leadership. It is said that the CEO of Enron, who was just sentenced to many years in prison, had the saying that nothing else matters besides profit. This is apparently not the best way to lead a long-term successful company. The fall of companies that disregard ethical leadership cost all Americans, the companys employees, and share holders billions of dollars. Based on this fact, the health of economies depends on companies to lead with strong ethics. One positive aspect that these unethical companies did do for America is to drive home the absolute importance of ethical leadership in business. Due to the unethical acts of these huge companies, everyone has taken notice. Many colleges are driving ethics harder then they ever have, the media attention has been enormous, and US companies are really sticking to ethical leadership programs better now than in the past. Recent changes in the business environment have deeply affected businesses and ethics consultancies that are concerned that the word ethics, in a business context, has lost its original meaning. They consider ethics to be unregulated behavior as well as regulated and talk about what is ought to be done as well as what we is compelled to be done. Not only would an ethical person not break the law or flout a regulation, but he/she also would think hard about doing something perfectly legal that gave the person ethical concerns. The ethics industry, now called the ethics and compliance industry, dwells almost entirely on issues of law and regulation. It is thought that ethics, as an important business tool, has been sidelined. The ethics industry emerged in the 1970s with defense scandals that resulted in the Defense Industry Initiative, a self-regulatory body of defense contractors. It really launched in 1991 with the Federal Sentencing Guidelines for Organizations, which helped judges to determine consequences for corporate misbehavior and, critically, identified seven steps that businesses could take to mitigate those consequences. The suggested steps included a code of ethics or conduct, training in the code, and a high-ranking person to oversee the program Many of the early providers were academics and nonprofits, like IGE, who believed that it was possible to guide corporate behavior through improved corporate decision-making. The waves of scandal that culminated in the 2008 financial tsunami have all but erased our formal ethics beginnings in business. A backwash of regulation, prompted by an outraged public, followed each wave. Companies, ethical and otherwise, are drowning in rules, expensive rules and regulations that make global competition difficult. Good companies are still doing the right things, but the focus has shifted from thinking ethically to complying with myriad regulations. In other cases, a whole new workaround ethic focuses on ways to skirt the rules. Following the recession, companies are demanding that people make their numbers while still following the rules, which even ethics professionals see as difficult. Professionals who used to direct their employers ethics programs are disappearing, replaced by legal professionals with specific expertise in bribery and corruption, export controls, insider trading, money laundering, and other topics of special interest. Were unhappy with the retrogressive sea change, but our respondents found some treasure silver lining, perhaps washed up on the beach. Anticorruption has a surprising ally, social networking, which has become a global phenomenon. Although the United States has a new portfolio of laws governing business (especially financial business) called the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which encourages whistle-blowers with offers of cash bounties and protection, social networking already has leapt far beyond. It is almost impossible to escape the reach of texting, tweeting, YouTube, and Facebook. Employees, customers and suppliers stay connected and theres really no place to hide when people take pictures and movies with their smart phones and make their observations public on the Internet. Although staff departments responsible for ethics have experienced cutbacks in funding, they are now working more closely with other departments that help to manage their companys risk. Its common to find close cooperation among ethics and compliance, internal audit, security, health, safety and environment, legal, and human resources. The benefit is that companies are likely to spot and avert misbehavior more quickly. Additionally, ethics and corporate social responsibility (CSR) now work more closely because their intentions are similar making the corporation a responsible citizen through attention to environmental and human rights issues. There is also exposure to legal penalties. Companies involved in international trade have to represent their products to potential or current clients based on their expected inputs by the suppliers. Â  A company that is involved in illegal activities, or that knowingly falsifies information on inputs supplied can create serious problems for its business partners. Â  A company with a good reputation and solid brands has much to lose, and should not take chances with its brand value. Another issue challenging the practice of good business ethics is the values, which employees bring to the work environment. Much has been said over the years about the deterioration of employees work ethics. The impact of poor work ethics results in low productivity owed to high levels of absenteeism, tardiness, theft and acceptance of bribe taking. A company that wishes to be efficient and competitive in the future cannot accept this state of affairs. There is a strong business case for the introduction of structured programs to support ethical behaviour in companies, size notwithstanding. These programs should be more than a mere encouragement to be honest, and should be based on clearly articulated values that are linked to the overall vision and mission of the company. The Manual of Business Ethics for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises prepared by the Inter-American Investment Corporation (IIC) and the US Department of Commerce describes the following benefits among others: Enhanced Reputation and Goodwill: A reputation for integrity is important for securing the loyalty of customers, for recruiting and training the best staff, for winning community acceptance and accessing bank and supplier credit. Risk reduction: The process of developing a business ethics program involves the company in identifying and assessing the factors that could pose risks to reputation and financial performance, and developing and implementing the business processes that reduce those risks. Reduced costs: Providing employees with clear guidelines of how to conduct day to day business such as where and when to obtain quotations; how to carry out tenders; how to conclude contracts and how to avoid conflicts of interest can reduce transaction costs and improve the supply chain function. Protection from Unethical Employees: A program would include clear guidance in respect of the misappropriation and unauthorised use of company resources, and the consequences that could flow from violations, information that employees with undeveloped values may not fully appreciate. Recommendations for efforts that build ethical cultures without increasing expenses are as follows: Improve communication practices. Ethics programs are usually well constructed, but poorly disseminated. Require middle managers to train their direct reports and keep the message alive with ethics meetings. Employees often dont know or recognize the CEO and merely tolerate E-learning, but they actually pay attention to their managers. Encourage government to recognize and reward the value of ethics and compliance programs. Focus on corporate culture. Perhaps more emphasis on culture will galvanize corporate intentions and resources toward long-term corporate health in addition to dealing with the emergency of the moment. Operating according to values, accentuating the positives, telling the stories, and removing the negatives would empower good employees and managers and boost productivity. People actually like to work when the culture is right. Ever hopeful, we expect corporate ethics to rebound with serious attention paid to aligning individuals within positive values-driven cultures. It wont happen until the recession fades and businesses start spending the cash theyve hoarded for the last several years to acquire the human and intellectual resources needed to make it happen.

Female Genital Mutilation Essay -- essays research papers fc

Female Genital Mutilation: Barbaric Custom or Cultural Rite â€Å"I was shaking out of my skin with fear. I sat at Netsent’s head so she couldn’t cry out. The circumciser began to cut with a razor blade. She cut everything: the clitoris, the inner and outer labia. There was so much blood!† This is an excerpt from an article that appeared in Marie Claire in April 2003. The speaker is a girl by the name of Genet Girma, an Ethiopian, describing the conditions under which her sister Netsent was forced to have her genitalia removed. Each year, two million girls undergo the devastating and disfiguring practice of genital cutting (Goodwin 157). Genital cutting, widely known as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), is the practice of cutting away parts of the external female genitalia. Although many people may see FGM as barbaric and dangerous, most of those who practice it see FGM as a religious rite and as a deeply rooted cultural practice. The three broad categories of FGM are clitoridectomy, excision and infibulation. The mildest form of FGM, clitoridectomy, is the removal of all or part of the clitoris. Excision includes the removal of the clitoris and the cutting of the labia minora. The most extreme form of FGM is infibulation, the removal of the clitoris, labia minora, and the stitching together of the labia majora. Infibulation leaves just a small opening in the vagina for the passage of urine and menstrual fluid, and requires binding together of the legs until stitches adhere. Often the removal of the stitches is part of a wedding night ritual (Taylor 31). If the terrifying nature of the procedure were not enough, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reports that FGM is â€Å"normally performed by traditional practitioners with crude instruments, such as knives, razor blades and broken glass, usually without anesthetics.† The invasive characteristics of FGM and the unsanitary conditions under which it is usually performed can have serious consequences. Pediatric Nursing writes â€Å"FGM may cause numerous physical complications, including hemorrhage and severe pain, which can cause shock, even death.† It also writes â€Å"FGM may create long-term complications resulting from scarring and interference with the drainage of urine and menstrual blood, such as chronic pelvic infections, which may cause pelvic and back pain, dysmenorrhea, infertility, chronic urinary tract infe... ...ce (Ahmad). As WHO has stated, â€Å"We have to realize that female genital mutilation is a deeply-rooted traditional practice. As such, it can only be abolished completely when attitudes have been changed† (Taylor 31). As this statement suggests, there has to be a line drawn in the sand when discussing the practice of FGM. On one side, there are Western idealists who believe that FGM is barbaric and should be abolished, with their own hands if necessary. On the other side, there are the people who believe FGM is a tradition and a cultural rite, one that should be continued for centuries to come. And somewhere in the middle there are those that believe that change must come, but must come only when the countries involved are ready. Change cannot be put upon them. Works Cited Ahmad, Imad-ad-Dean. â€Å"Female Genital Mutilation: An Islamic Perspective.† Minaret. 1 May 2003 . English, Veronica. â€Å"Female Genital Mutilation.† Journal of Medical Ethics 27.3 (2001): 203-205. Goodwin, Jan. â€Å"I Said No to Female Genital Mutilation.† Marie Claire 10.4 (2003): 157-159. Taylor, Vivienne. â€Å"Female Genital Mutilation: Cultural Practice or Child Abuse?† Pediatric Nursing 15.1 (2003): 31-34.

Autism: Identification and Characteristics

â€Å"Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and autism are both general terms for a group of complex disorders of brain development† (Unknown, 2013). However, there are multiple definitions of Autism spectrum disorder and autism. The two most accepted definitions are those outlined in IDEA and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, The IDEA definition of ASD and Autism has these disorders characterized by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and academic performance, that can be observed prior to the child turning three years of age. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, these disorders are grouped under Pervasive Developmental Disorder. These disorders include, but are not limited to, autistic disorder, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and Asperger syndrome (APA, 2000). Characteristics of Autism or ASD include difficulties in language development, ranging from no verbal communication to complex communication, delayed language development, and echolalia. Echolalia is the uncontrollable and immediate repetition of words spoken by another person or sounds in the surrounding environment. It also includes difficulties in Social Development. These difficulties include delays in social interactions and social skills such as, impaired use of nonverbal behavior, lack of peer relationships, failure to spontaneously share enjoyment, interests, and achievements, as well as a Lack of reciprocity. Autism and ASDs are also characterized by repetitive behavior such as obsessions, tics, and perseverations. Those diagnosed with Autism or ASD are also said to display problem behavior such as self-injurious behavior or aggression, a need for environmental predictability, symptoms of sensory and movement disorders, as well as, symptoms of Savant Syndrome. Savant Syndrome is a rare condition in which persons with various developmental disorders, including autistic disorder, have astonishing islands of ability, brilliance or talent in areas such as the fine arts. Many savants are also very good with remembering facts such as phone numbers or birthdays, after only seeing them a few imes. Causes and Prevalence The causes of autism range from different aspects. Some people's perspective about it comes from history which is where the phrase â€Å"refrigerator mothers† comes from. Refrigerator mothers were women who were emotionally frigid to towards their children, showing their children little to no affection whatsoever. However, in the 1970s, researchers had established that autism is c aused by brain or biochemical dysfunction that occurs before, during, or after birth. Today, parents are not seen as the cause of their child's autism, but as partners with educators when helping solve their child's problems. The biomedical causes show that a child that has a sibling is 10 times more likely to develop autism than a child that does not have any siblings. There also seems to be a connection between environmental factors and genes. Parents also report that they see regression in their child directly following an immunization. But with this being said, parents also see a regression in their unvaccinated children. If a pair of identical twins share the same gene, and one has autism, then 9 out of 10 times, the other twin has autism as well. Researchers believe that the biggest causes of autism are vaccinations, environmental exposures, pesticide exposure, parental age, pharmaceuticals, freeway proximity, and limited prenatal vitamin intake. The prevalence of autism suggests a range from 10 to 60 per 10,000 children. Principles of Effective Instruction and Assessment of Progress There are different kinds of effective instructions in order to help out the child that is diagnosed with Autism. Some of the strategies include keyword, pegword, and letter. Keyword strategies â€Å"teach students to link a keyword to a new word or concept to help them remember the new material† (Turnbull, Turnbull, Wehmeyer, ; Shogren, 2013). This allows the Autistic children understand and learn the material a lot easier. Pegword strategy â€Å"helps students remember numbered or ordered information by linking words and numbers that rhyme† (Turnbull, Turnbull, Wehmeyer, ; Shogren, 2013). This strategy is great for students to visual the objects being represented. The last strategy is the letter strategy â€Å"employs acronyms or a string of letters to help students remember a list of words or concepts. Recalling the acronym helps them recall the list or sequence. † (Turnbull, Turnbull, Wehmeyer, ; Shogren, 2013). â€Å"The Autism Screening Instrument for Educational Planning (ASIEP-2) has five components or subtests that enable educators to evaluate a student’s capacity across communication, social interactions, behavior, academic content, and other domains. (Turnbull, Turnbull, Wehmeyer, ; Shogren, 2013). The behavior checklist is used as a screening tool to identify the need for further assessment to determine whether the student has autism. (Turnbull, Turnbull, Wehmeyer, ; Shogren, 2013). These assessments can be used at home and during school hours. These methods are very effective for an Autism child. The technology and methods continue to grow and change for this disability. This particular disability has become more prominent within the United States each and every year. Researchers are becoming more and more familiar with Autism allowing those that have it able to have more help. The progress of this disability has rapidly increased as well as the technology for Autism. Family Issues Autism does not only affect the child, but autism also affects the parents of the child as well. Parents or guardians of children with ASD must place their child’s needs as their primary focus. When parents with autistic children put their full attention in being a caregiver to these children sometimes this adds stress on their marriage, other children, finances, and personal relationships and responsibilities. Also when having a child with ASD with siblings there may be some lack of attention for the other children in the family. In saying this, it is the parent’s job to best respond to the need of the family as a whole in able to show an equal amount of love to each child. Transition into Adulthood Children with autism are just like children without autism. They grow up wanting to make something of their lives, wanting to attend college, to get married, have a family, ect. Having autism makes dreams and goals harder, but not impossible. Young adults on the autistic spectrum may qualify academically for college, but may not be able to handle other aspects of college life. Also when it comes to employment also depending on the severity of his or her symptoms many organizations hire extra help for adults with autism and other disabilities for pay in order to help them grow as a person and help to work everyday tasks. Just little things like going to college with the help of an assistant or having a small job helps to better them and help to make their transition into adulthood smoother and simpler. References American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-IV-TR. Washington, DC. American Psychiatric Association. Pelt, J. (2008, September/October). Autism Into Adulthood-Making the Transition. Retrieved from Social Work Today: http://www.socialworktoday.com/archive/090208p12.shtml Turnbull, A., Turnbull, R., Wehmeyer, M. L., ; Shogren, K. A. (2013). Exceptional Lives Special Education in Today's Schools. Boston. Unknown. (2013). Family Issues. Retrieved from Autism Society: Improving the Lives of All Affected by Autism: http://www.autism-society.org/living-with-autism/family-issues/ Unknown. (2013). What is Autism? Retrieved from Autism Speaks: http://www.autismspeaks.org

Frostbite Chapter 10

Ten THE SKI TRIP COULDN'T HAVE come a moment too soon. It was impossible to get the Dimitri and Tasha thing out of my head, but at least packing and getting ready made sure I didn't devote 100 percent of my brain power to him. More like 95 percent. I had other things to distract me, too. The Academy might- rightfully- be overprotective when it came to us, but sometimes that translated into pretty cool stuff. Example: The Academy had access to a couple of private jets. This meant no Strigoi could attack us at an airport, and it also meant we got to travel in style. Each jet was smaller than a commercial plane, but the seats were cushy and had lots of leg room. They extended far enough back that you could practically lie down to sleep. On long flights, we had little consoles in the seats that gave us TV movie options. Sometimes they'd even break out fancy meals. I was betting this flight, however, would be too short for any movies or substantial food. We left late on the twenty-sixth. When I boarded the jet, I looked around for Lissa, wanting to talk to her. We hadn't really spoken after the Christmas brunch. I wasn't surprised to see her sitting with Christian, and they didn't look like they wanted to be interrupted. I couldn't hear their conversation, but he'd put his arm around her and had that relaxed, flirty expression that only she could bring out. I remained fully convinced that he could never do as good a job as me of taking care of her, but he clearly made her happy. I put on a smile and nodded at them as I passed down the aisle toward where Mason was waving at me. As I did, I also walked by Dimitri and Tasha sitting together. I pointedly ignored them. â€Å"Hey,† I said sliding into the seat beside Mason. He smiled at me. â€Å"Hey. You ready for the ski challenge?† â€Å"As ready as I'll ever be.† â€Å"Don't worry,† he said. â€Å"I'll go easy on you.† I scoffed and leaned my head back against the seat. â€Å"You're so delusional.† â€Å"Sane guys are boring.† To my surprise, he slid his hand over mine. His skin was warm, and I felt my own skin tingle where he touched me. It startled me. I'd convinced myself Dimitri was the only one I'd ever respond to again. It's time to move on, I thought. Dimitri obviously has. You should have done it a long time ago. I laced my fingers with Mason's, catching him off guard. â€Å"I do. This is going to be fun.† And it was. I tried to keep reminding myself that we were here because of a tragedy, that there were Strigoi and humans out there who might strike again. No one else seemed to remember that, though, and I admit, I was having a difficult time myself. The resort was gorgeous. It was built to sort of look like a log cabin, but no pioneer cabin could have held hundreds of people or had such luxury accommodations. Three stories of gleaming, golden-colored wood sat among lofty pine trees. The windows were tall and gracefully arched, tinted for Moroi convenience. Crystal lanterns- electric, but shaped to look like torches- hung around all the entrances, giving the entire building a glittering, almost bejeweled look. Mountains- which my enhanced eyes could just barely make out in the night- surrounded us, and I bet the view would have been breathtaking when it was light out. One side of the grounds led off to the skiing area, complete with steep hills and moguls, as well as lifts and tow ropes. Another side of the lodge had an ice rink, which delighted me since I'd missed out that one day by the cabin. Near that, smooth hills were reserved for sledding. And that was just the outside. Inside, all sorts of arrangements had been made to cater to Moroi needs. Feeders stayed on hand, ready to serve twenty-four hours a day. The slopes ran on a nocturnal schedule. Wards and guardians circled the entire place. Everything a living vampire could want. The main lobby had a cathedral ceiling and an enormous chandelier hanging over it. Its floor was intricately tiled marble, and the front desk stayed open around the clock, ready to indulge our every need. The rest of the lodge, hallways and lounges, had a red, black, and gold color scheme. The deep shade of red dominated over the other hues, and I wondered if its resemblance to blood was a coincidence. Mirrors and art adorned the walls, and little ornamental tables had been placed here and there. They held vases of pale green, purple-spotted orchids that filled the air with a spicy scent. The room I shared with Lissa was bigger than our dorm rooms put together and had the same rich colors as the rest of the lodge. The carpet was so plush and deep that I immediately shed my shoes at the door and walked in barefoot, luxuriating in the way my feet sank into that softness. We had king-size beds, covered in feather duvets and set with so many pillows that I swore a person could get lost in them all and never be seen again. French doors opened on to a spacious balcony, which, considering we were on the top floor, would have been cool if not for the fact it was freezing outside. I suspected the two-person hot tub on the far end would go a long way to make up for the cold. Drowning in so much luxury, I reached an overload point where the rest of the accommodations started swimming together. The jetted marble bathtub. The plasma-screen TV. The basket of chocolate and other snacks. When we finally decided to go skiing, I had to practically drag myself from the room. I could probably have spent the rest of my vacation lounging in there and been perfectly content. But we finally ventured outside, and once I managed to push Dimitri and my mother out of my head, I started to enjoy myself. It helped that the lodge was so enormous; there was little chance of running into them. For the first time in weeks, I was able to finally focus on Mason and realize just how much fun he was. I also got to hang out with Lissa more than I had in a while, which put me in an even better mood. With Lissa, Christian, Mason, and me, we were able to get kind of a double-date thing going. The four of us spent almost all of the first day skiing, though the two Moroi had a bit of trouble keeping up. Considering what Mason and I went through in our classes, he and I weren't afraid to try daring stunts. Our competitive natures made us eager to go out of our way to outdo each other. â€Å"You guys are suicidal,† remarked Christian at one point. It was dark outside, and tall light posts illuminated his bemused face. He and Lissa had been waiting at the bottom of the mogul hill, watching Mason and me come down. We'd been moving at insane speeds. The part of me that had been trying to learn control and wisdom from Dimitri knew it was dangerous, but the rest of me liked embracing that recklessness. That dark streak of rebelliousness still hadn't let me go. Mason grinned as we skidded to a halt, sending up a spray of snow. â€Å"Nah, this is just a warm-up. I mean, Rose has been able to keep up with me the whole time. Kid stuff.† Lissa shook her head. â€Å"Aren't you guys taking this too far?† Mason and I looked at each other. â€Å"No.† She shook her head. â€Å"Well, we're going inside. Try not to kill yourselves.† She and Christian left, arm and arm. I watched them go, then turned back to Mason. â€Å"I'm good for a while longer. You?† â€Å"Absolutely.† We took a lift back up to the top of the hill. When we were just about to head down, Mason pointed. â€Å"Okay, how about this? Hit those moguls there, then jump over that ridge, swing back with a hairpin turn, dodge those trees, and land there.† I followed his finger as he pointed out a jagged path down one of the biggest slopes. I frowned. â€Å"That one really is insane, Mase.† â€Å"Ah,† he said triumphantly. â€Å"She finally cracks.† I glowered. â€Å"She does not.† After another survey of his crazy route, I conceded. â€Å"Okay. Let's do it.† He gestured. â€Å"You first.† I took a deep breath and leapt off. My skis slid smoothly over the snow, and piercing wind blasted into my face. I made the first jump neatly and precisely, but as the next part of the course sped forward, I realized just how dangerous it really was. In that split second, I had a decision to make. If I didn't do it, I'd never hear the end of it from Mason- and I really wanted to show him up. If I did manage it, I could feel pretty secure about my awesomeness. But if I tried and messed up †¦ I could break my neck. Somewhere in my head, a voice that sounded suspiciously like Dimitri's started talking about wise choices and learning when to show restraint. I decided to ignore that voice and went for it. This course was as hard as I'd feared, but I pulled it off flawlessly, one insane move after another. Snow flew up around me as I made each sharp, dangerous turn. When I safely reached bottom, I looked up and saw Mason gesturing wildly. I couldn't make out his expression or words, but I could imagine his cheers. I waved back and waited for him to follow suit. But he didn't. Because when Mason got halfway down, he wasn't able to pull off one of the jumps. His skis caught, and his legs twisted. Down he went. I reached him at about the same time some of the resort staff did. To everyone's relief, Mason hadn't broken his neck or anything else. His ankle did appear to have a nasty sprain, however, which was probably going to limit his skiing for the rest of the trip. One of the instructors monitoring the slopes ran forward, fury all over her face. â€Å"What were you kids thinking?† she exclaimed. She turned on me. â€Å"I couldn't believe it when you did those stupid stunts!† Her glare fixed on Mason next. â€Å"And then you had to go ahead and copy her!† I wanted to argue that it had all been his idea, but blame didn't matter at this point. I was just glad he was all right. But as we all went inside, guilt began to gnaw at me. I had acted irresponsibly. What if he'd been seriously injured? Horrible visions danced through my mind. Mason with a broken leg †¦ a broken neck†¦ What had I been thinking? No one had made me do that course. Mason had suggested it†¦ but I hadn't fought back. Goodness knew I probably could have. I might have had to endure some mockery, but Mason was crazy enough about me that feminine wiles probably would have stopped this madness. I'd gotten caught up in the excitement and the risk- much as I had in kissing Dimitri- not giving enough thought to the consequences because secretly, inside of me, that impulsive desire to be wild still lurked. Mason had it too, and his called to me. That mental Dimitri voice chastised me once more. After Mason was safely returned to the lodge and had ice on his ankle, I carried our equipment back outside toward the storage buildings. When I went back inside, I went through a different doorway than I normally used. This entrance was set behind a huge, open porch with an ornate wooden railing. The porch was built into the side of the mountain and had a breathtaking view of the other peaks and valleys around us- if you felt like standing around long enough in freezing temperatures to admire it. Which most people didn't. I walked up the steps to the porch, stomping snow off my boots as I did. A thick scent, both spicy and sweet, hung in the air. Something about it felt familiar, but before I could identify it, a voice suddenly spoke to me out of the shadows. â€Å"Hey, little dhampir.† Startled, I realized someone was indeed standing on the porch. A guy- a Moroi- leaned against the wall not far from the door. He brought a cigarette up to his mouth, took a long drag, and then dropped it to the floor. He stamped the butt out and crooked me a smile. That was the scent, I realized. Clove cigarettes. Warily, I stopped and crossed my arms as I took him in. He was a little shorter than Dimitri but wasn't as lanky as some Moroi guys ended up looking. A long, charcoal coat- probably made out of some insanely expensive cashmere-wool blend- fit his body exceptionally well, and the leather dress shoes he wore indicated more money still. He had brown hair that looked like it had been purposely styled to appear a little unkempt, and his eyes were either blue or green- I didn't have quite enough light to know for sure. His face was cute, I supposed, and I pegged him to be a couple years older than me. He looked like he'd just come from a dinner party. â€Å"Yeah?† I asked. His eyes swept over my body. I was used to attention from Moroi guys. It just usually wasn't so obvious. And I usually wasn't bundled up in winter clothing and sporting a black eye. He shrugged. â€Å"Just saying hi, that's all.† I waited for more, but all he did was stuff his hands into the coat's pockets. With a shrug of my own, I took a couple steps forward. â€Å"You smell good, you know,† he suddenly said. I stopped walking again and gave him a puzzled look, which only made his sly smile grow a little bigger. â€Å"I†¦ um, what?† â€Å"You smell good,† he repeated. â€Å"Are you joking? I've been sweating all day. I'm disgusting.† I wanted to walk away, but there was something eerily compelling about this guy. Like a train wreck. I didn't find him attractive per se; I was just suddenly interested in talking to him. â€Å"Sweat isn't a bad thing,† he said, leaning his head against the wall and looking upward thoughtfully. â€Å"Some of the best things in life happen while sweating. Yeah, if you get too much of it and it gets old and stale, it turns pretty gross. But on a beautiful woman? Intoxicating. If you could smell things like a vampire does, you'd know what I'm talking about. Most people mess it all up and drown themselves in perfume. Perfume can be good†¦especially if you get one that goes with your chemistry. But you only need a hint. Mix about 20 percent of that with 80 percent of your own perspiration†¦mmm.† He tilted his head to the side and looked at me. â€Å"Dead sexy.† I suddenly remembered Dimitri and his aftershave. Yeah. That had been dead sexy, but I certainly wasn't going to tell this guy about it. â€Å"Well, thanks for the hygiene lesson,† I said. â€Å"But I don't own any perfume, and I'm going to go shower all this hot sweaty action off me. Sorry.† He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and offered it to me. He moved only a step closer, but it was enough for me to smell something else on him. Alcohol. I shook my head at the cigarettes, and he tapped one out for himself. â€Å"Bad habit,† I said, watching him light it. â€Å"One of many,† he replied. He inhaled deeply. â€Å"You here with St. Vlad's?† â€Å"Yup.† â€Å"So you're going to be a guardian when you grow up.† â€Å"Obviously.† He exhaled smoke, and I watched it drift away into the night. Heightened vampire senses or no, it was a wonder he could smell anything around those cloves. â€Å"How long until you grow up?† he asked. â€Å"I might need a guardian.† â€Å"I graduate in the spring. But I'm already spoken for. Sorry.† Surprise flickered in his eyes. â€Å"Yeah? Who is he?† â€Å"She's Vasilisa Dragomir.† â€Å"Ah.† His face split into a huge grin. â€Å"I knew you were trouble as soon as I saw you. You're Janine Hathaway's daughter.† â€Å"I'm Rose Hathaway,† I corrected, not wanting to be defined by my mother. â€Å"Nice to meet you, Rose Hathaway.† He extended a gloved hand to me that I hesitantly took. â€Å"Adrian Ivashkov.† â€Å"And you think I'm trouble,† I muttered. The Ivashkovs were a royal family, one of the wealthiest and most powerful. They were the kind of people who thought they could get anything they wanted and walked over those in their way. No wonder he was so arrogant. He laughed. He had a nice laugh, rich and almost melodious. It made me think of warm caramel, dripping from a spoon. â€Å"Handy, huh? Each of our reputations precedes us.† I shook my head. â€Å"You don't know anything about me. And I only know of your family. I don't know anything about you.† â€Å"Want to?† he asked tauntingly. â€Å"Sorry. I'm not into older guys.† â€Å"I'm twenty-one. Not that much older.† â€Å"I have a boyfriend.† It was a small lie. Mason certainly wasn't my boyfriend yet, but I hoped Adrian would leave me alone if he thought I was taken. â€Å"Funny you didn't mention that right away,† Adrian mused. â€Å"He didn't give you that black eye, did he?† I felt myself blushing, even in the cold. I'd been hoping he wouldn't notice the eye, which was stupid. With his vampire eyes, he'd probably noticed as soon as I stepped onto the porch. â€Å"He wouldn't be alive if he did. I got it during †¦ practice. I mean, I'm training to be a guardian. Our classes are always rough.† â€Å"That's pretty hot,† he said. He dropped this second cigarette to the ground and put it out with his foot. â€Å"Punching me in the eye?† â€Å"Well, no. Of course not. I meant that the idea of getting rough with you is hot. I'm a big fan of full-contact sports.† â€Å"I'm sure you are,† I said dryly. He was arrogant and presumptuous, yet I still couldn't quite force myself to leave. The sound of footsteps behind me made me turn. Mia came around the path and walked up the steps. When she saw us, she stopped suddenly. â€Å"Hey, Mia.† She glanced between the two of us. â€Å"Another guy?† she asked. From her tone, you would have thought I had my own harem of men. Adrian gave me a questioning, amused look. I gritted my teeth and decided not to dignify that with a response. I opted for uncharacteristic politeness. â€Å"Mia, this is Adrian Ivashkov.† Adrian turned on the same charm he'd used on me. He shook her hand. â€Å"Always a pleasure to meet a friend of Rose's, especially a pretty one.† He spoke like he and I had known each other since childhood. â€Å"We aren't friends,† I said. So much for politeness. â€Å"Rose only hangs out with guys and psychopaths,† said Mia. Her voice carried the usual scorn she harbored for me, but there was a look on her face that showed Adrian had clearly caught her interest. â€Å"Well,† he said cheerfully, â€Å"since I'm both a psychopath and a guy, that would explain why we're such good friends.† â€Å"You and I aren't friends either,† I told him. He laughed. â€Å"Always playing hard to get, huh?† â€Å"She's not that hard to get,† said Mia, clearly upset that Adrian was paying more attention to me. â€Å"Just ask half the guys at our school.† â€Å"Yeah,† I retorted, â€Å"and you can ask the other half about Mia. If you can do a favor for her, she'll do lots of favors for you.† When she'd declared war on Lissa and me, Mia had managed to get a couple of guys to tell everyone at school that I'd done some pretty awful things with them. The ironic thing was that she'd gotten them to lie for her by sleeping with them herself. A flicker of embarrassment passed over her face, but she held her ground. â€Å"Well,† she said, â€Å"at least I don't do them for free.† Adrian made some cat noises. â€Å"Are you done?† I asked. â€Å"It's past your bedtime, and the grown-ups would like to talk now.† Mia's youthful looks were a sore point with her, one I frequently enjoyed exploiting. â€Å"Sure,† she said crisply. Her cheeks turned pink, intensifying her porcelain-doll appearance. â€Å"I have better things to do anyway.† She turned toward the door, then paused with her hand resting on it. She glanced toward Adrian. â€Å"Her mom gave her that black eye, you know.† She went inside. The fancy glass doors swung shut behind her. Adrian and I stood there in silence. Finally, he took out the cigarettes again and lit another. â€Å"Your mom?† â€Å"Shut up.† â€Å"You're one of those people who either has soul mates or mortal enemies, aren't you? No in-between. You and Vasilisa are probably like sisters, huh?† â€Å"I guess.† â€Å"How is she?† â€Å"Huh? What do you mean?† He shrugged, and if I didn't know better, I'd have said he was overdoing casualness. â€Å"I don't know. I mean, I know you guys ran away†¦and there was that stuff with her family and Victor Dashkov†¦.† I stiffened at the reference to Victor. â€Å"So?† â€Å"Dunno. Just figured it might be a lot for her to, you know, handle.† I studied him carefully, wondering what he was getting at. There had been a brief leak about Lissa's fragile mental health, but it had been well-contained. Most people had forgotten about it or assumed it was a lie. â€Å"I've got to go.† I decided avoidance was the best tactic just now. â€Å"Are you sure?† He sounded only mildly disappointed. Mostly he seemed as cocky and amused as before. Something about him still intrigued me, but whatever it was, it wasn't enough to combat everything else I was feeling, or to risk discussing Lissa. â€Å"I thought it was time for the grown-ups to talk. Lots of grown-up things I'd like to talk about.† â€Å"It's late, I'm tired, and your cigarettes are giving me a headache,† I growled. â€Å"I suppose that's fair.† He drew in on the cigarette and let out the smoke. â€Å"Some women think they make me look sexy.† â€Å"I think you smoke them so you have something to do while thinking up your next witty line.† He choked on the smoke, caught between inhaling and laughing. â€Å"Rose Hathaway, I can't wait to see you again. If you're this charming while tired and annoyed and this gorgeous while bruised and in ski clothes, you must be devastating at your peak.† â€Å"If by ‘devastating' you mean that you should fear for your life, then yeah. You're right.† I jerked open the door. â€Å"Good night, Adrian.† â€Å"I'll see you soon.† â€Å"Not likely. I told you, I'm not into older guys.† I walked into the lodge. As the door closed, I just barely heard him call behind me, â€Å"Sure, you aren't.†

The Vikings essays

The Vikings essays Vikings, the term is given to a race of Scandinavian people who raided and settled in large areas of eastern and Western Europe during a period of Scandinavian expansion from about 800 to 1100. The term came from an old English word wic, which is a derivation from a Latin word meaning trading-place but for the people of the medieval age the term was used as synonym for barbarian paganism. The Vikings were an amazing race of people who immigrated and fought to survive. They originated from Norway, Sweden and Denmark. These three main groups of Vikings expanded through out Europe, but the ones this topic are interested in are the Danish and Norwegian Vikings who settled in Northern and Eastern Europe. These Scandinavians moved to find new lands, mainly because of overpopulation and scarcity. The Danish Vikings had an enormous impact on Britain and most of Charlemagnes empire, which was mainly France. They practically changed the culture with their art and craftsmanship; they influenced the language and government, with an idea of justice. They improved the European warfare with their famous boats. Vikings have influenced Europe in so many ways that it is hard to believe that the 18th Century idea that they were bloodthirsty warmongers was true. The idea of the fierce warrior was brought up when a group of Norsemen attacked a monastery on the island of Lindesfarne. A surviving monk wrote and account of the raid afterwards. "The same year the heathens arrived from the north to Brittany with a fleet of ships. They were like stinging wasps, and they spread in all directions like horrible wolves, wrecking, robbing, shattering and killing not only animals but also priests, monks and nuns. They came to the church of Lindesfarne, slayed everything alive, dug up the altars and took all the treasures of the holy church". The Norsemen probably picked churches and monasteries probably because they ha...

Circadian Rhythm essay Essays

Circadian Rhythm essay Essays Circadian Rhythm essay Paper Circadian Rhythm essay Paper Circadian Rhythm   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The article, Circadian clock-protein expression in cyanobacteria: rhythms and phase setting, is an interesting scientific breakdown of a phenomenon that connects a certain type of bacteria to the timekeeping ways of other organisms. The article begins with a basic explanation of the biological evidence that they have gathered, but later goes on to expand its explanation to include lots of data to support the conclusion. In this article, charts, graphs, and unlimited data are presented in an effort to shed a comprehensive light on the circadian rhythms that are present.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The basic premise behind the theory presented in this article is that cyanobacteria have a time keeping system that help them run more efficiently than other forms of bacteria. The explanation centers on three different genes, aptly named kaiA, kaiB, and kaiC. These three genes are the primary reasons why the circadian clock system exists within the eukaryotic bacteria. Research within this article indicates that while only a few mutations of these genes exist, any deletion of the entire segment will cause widespread circadian characteristics.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are many different variables that affect this rhythmic method in bacteria. One of those things was light, as the article is quick to point out. The variances between the different genes are relevant in the data that is presented, especially the two charts that show how the genes reacted to being put in the presence of constant sunlight. In addition, the later part of the article addresses how different variables like different proteins can stop the induction of the gene, KaiC. The article finally came to the conclusion that the KaiC genes were much more rhythmic when not in the presence of constant light. In fact, darkness actually helped promote the clock-protein expression.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The article closes by stating some conclusions which are up for discussions. The basic premise presented in the conclusion has to do with the conditions under which oscillation is possible. For the three different genes, different constant conditions are necessary, and the article shows that KaiA is different than KaiB and KaiC genes.

Relative Error Definition (Science)

Relative Error Definition (Science) Relative error is a measure of the uncertainty of measurement compared to the size of the measurement. Its used to put error into perspective. For example, an error of 1 cm would be a lot if the total length is 15 cm, but insignificant if the length was 5 km. Relative error is also known as relative uncertainty or approximation error. Reasons for Relative Error Relative error compares a measurement to an exact value. The two reasons for this error are: Using an approximation instead of real data (e.g., 22/7 or 3.14 instead of pi or rounding 2/3 to 0.67)Imprecise measurement due to instrumentation (e.g., a ruler measuring to the nearest millimeter) Relative Error Versus Absolute Error Absolute error is another measure of uncertainty. The formulas for absolute and relative error are: EA | V - Vapprox | ER | 1 - (Vapprox / V) | Percent error is then: EP | (V - Vapprox) / V | x 100% Relative Error Example Three weights are measured at 5.05 g, 5.00 g, and 4.95 g. The absolute error is  ± 0.05 g.The relative error is 0.05 g/5.00 g 0.01 or 1%. Sources Golub, Gene; Charles F. Van Loan (1996). Matrix Computations – Third Edition. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 53. ISBN 0-8018-5413-X.Helfrick, Albert D. (2005) Modern Electronic Instrumentation and Measurement Techniques. p. 16. ISBN 81-297-0731-4

English-Only Rule at the Workplace Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

English-Only Rule at the Workplace - Assignment Example This paper will begin with the statement that Title VII provides guidelines on the possible application of English-only rules at the workplace. The application of such rules can be done non-discriminatorily under various circumstances at the workplace. It is very important for employers to understand the guidelines of Title VII on the use of English-only rule policies at the workplace since it is very easy to face litigation from non-English speaking employees of the company.  The application of English-only rules at the workplace is justified by ‘business necessity’ in the event that it is a requirement for an employer to work efficiently and safely (Bennett & Hartman, 2009). For Morales, it important to note various circumstances, which may justify the adoption of English-only rules. Morales as the employer and majority of the workers speak only English. In these circumstances, it complies with Title VII to apply English-only rules as an important requirement for com munication with clients, coworkers, or supervisors who speak English only. This is applicable at the Morales’ warehouse where the majority of the workers and the supervisor (Morales) speaks only English.  Another important exception to the English-only rule is safety requirements at the workplace (Vettori, 2007). Some high-risk jobs require employees to have a uniform language in case of emergencies. At the warehouse, Morales may justify the application of such a rule citing safety issues, which may be valid in this kind of business. Title VII allows for the adoption of English only rules where there is evidence of safety justifications for such a rule. Further, this rule may be justified for efficiency purposes in cooperative assignments where the majority of people speak only English and hence citing the importance of speaking a language understood by all (Wheeler, Klaas & Mahony, 2004).

Case study #2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

#2 - Case Study Example With the intention to solve these issues, the CEO started his activities firstly from visiting the workplace of one of its rigs, named ‘Voyager 7’. The rig was quite small comprising 150 employees with a blend of skilled, unskilled and immigrant labours. Soon he began to depict that there was clear discrimination practiced in the workplace with regard to the living conditions and the working conditions of the lower level employees and the upper level employees. The upper level employees, who were also the immigrants, were provided with far better treatment in comparison to that of the local African employees. The local authorities of the government, despite being aware of the situation were never involved in taking any potential action to resolve the racial discrimination practiced within the organisation. After analysing the situation from the view point of the CEO, inferences have been drawn through the SWOTT analysis. Weaknesses: The situation has major drawbacks with the workplace environment being full of discrimination. Employees are treated differently on the basis of their nationality, race and designations, raising Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) related concerns, which might diminish stakeholders’ confidence on the company. Threats: The discrimination prevailing in the workplace is a threat to the integrity of the workplace. Owing to the absence of communication between the lower level employees and upper level employees, the expectation of effective performance of this rig is highly unrealistic. Trends: If the situation continues in this trend, chances of conflicts between the upper level and lower level employees are highly uncertain. Moreover, legal authorities might also halt the operations of the entire business owing to the illegal practices of discrimination in the workplace. The alternatives will need to be evaluated considering the objectives of the company regarding CSR, ensuring equality

Influence of Religion on Developing Societies Research Paper - 1

Influence of Religion on Developing Societies - Research Paper Example Research has shown that one of the most significant contributions that any religion makes to societal development is by playing its role as a means of enforcing morality to society members. In societies where there is a prevalent belief in God and a substantial number of the members of society are religious, the moral value of integrity is also prevalent. As such, the resources in such societies are more likely to be fairly distributed to all members of society; this is because those who are in charge of the distribution of resources work with integrity. In a society that is prevalently religious, members of such societies are less likely to be distrustful of firms/companies’ ethics since such companies also have ‘religious’ employees who share similar moral values. While this may be a quite naà ¯ve outlook, such trust may also create a suitable business environment, which enhances development in a society.In his book ‘The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism’, Max Weber advances the idea that the work ethics that were instilled to European societies during and after the Protestant Reformation in the church played a major role in the development of capitalist ideals, which led to the rapid economic development in Europe and America. According to Weber, the Reformation emphasized moral values, such as hard work, austerity, frugality, and loyalty to interests of the group. These values, according to Weber, were the cornerstone of capitalism, which led to intensified economic development.

Global Business Context Outline Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Global Business Context - Outline Example The main purpose of this document is to develop a set of parameters by which an ideal country can be chosen for locating the business. The rate of economic growth in southeast Asia is quite low in comparison to other countries. Therefore, its GDP per capita had been falling to a certain extent behind that of Indonesia, Brazil and China. It has been stated by OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development) that those countries possessing more than $ 8,000 of per capita income are classified as high income countries. Therefore, the product of global venture is likely to succeed if the country has more than $8,000 of per capita income. The development of the product along with the sales and marketing of the product requires high skilled employees especially for the purpose of designing and engineering services. Therefore, the staff must possess good communication services. It is the ubiquity of the mobile phones that causes changes in the cultural norms. Although the chips will add new features to the mobile phones, most of its features may not be accepted universally. Therefore, there is socio-cultural impact of the chip on the buyers. Yes, the demand for the product is sensitive to recession because during the times of recession, the buyers may undo the purchase of cell phones and therefore have an impact on the mobile chip as well. The product requires high level of financing in order to get off the ground. It has been noted that most of the mobile chip companies, such as Nokia are investing huge amount of money to expand its operations. The companies compete in terms of both price and non price competition. They try to reduce the overall cost of operation and therefore lower the price of their product. In addition to this, the companies try to make the product attractive by adding new features to it on a regular basis. Based on your research summarised above, in this box you must now

Sand mandala by tibetan buddhist Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sand mandala by tibetan buddhist - Essay Example tive energy in the environment, the sand gathered from a mandala ceremony can be used in person or animals that are dying or stick a portion of the sand on the crown – top of the head (You Tube b). Ceremonies using different musical instruments to make a monotone sound and chanting are necessary as it enables the participants to experience peace of mind and deep concentration before and after the creation of sand mandala. The monotone sound also enables the monks and other participants to meditate in silence together (You Tube b). On the other hand, the process of pouring the sand into a creek is being done in order to allow the sand to flow with the water. This process symbolizes the spreading blessings, love and compassion to all human beings. Having read and observed how sand mandala is being performed is a very good experienced. Based on my personal observation and experiences about sand mandala, I have learned that the eight different parts of the center of the mandala symbolizes the eight noble paths of Tibetan Buddhism which includes: (1) right understanding; (2) right thought; (3) right speech; (4) right action; (5) right livelihood; (6) right effort; (7) right mindfulness; and (8) right concentration regardless of the art design of the mandala (Rahula, p. 45). These eight highlighted characteristics are actually the key factors that can bring us inner happiness, contentment in life, and freedom from anger. With the use of right speech, right action, and right livelihood, we can easily avoid actions that can cause harm to other people. For example: Being careful with the words we use when we speak to other people combined with choosing a morally acceptable occupation can lessen the chance that we can cause emotional pain to another person (Bodhi, p. 41). Therefore, there is a higher chance that we will receive good karma in our next life. Likewise, having the opportunity to personally experience how sand mandala is being conducted also made me able to

Marriage Bachelor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Marriage Bachelor - Essay Example However, at the same time, the Bible teaches to forgive and give a second chance to the person who has done a mistake but repents. The concept of marriage is based on mutual understanding and respect, love and sexual relations, and adultery destroys the ties between two married people. Therefore, what exactly does Bible say about adultery in marriage At the times of Old Testament, the rule of not committing adultery has applied only to men who had sex with somebody's wife. The married man could have sexual relations with the single woman, while married women were considered the property of their husbands. Girls married at the age of 14, died at the age of 30 and marriage as the social unit has been important in terms of childbirth. Because women were considered the property, adultery was like the violation of the men's property rights. Adultery has been a sin for women, while polygamy when could have many wives were acceptable. For example, Solomon has 1000 wives and God rebuked him not for polygamy but for the fact that many of his wives were not Hebrew. Similar to Solomon, David had 24 wives but has been accused in adultery for having sex with the married woman. The teachings of New Testament are different - the man is supposed to have one wife. As Apostle Paul has taught Timothy, the men have to be husbands of one wife (1 Tim. 3:2; Tit. 1:6). According to Biblical writings, when the man has sex with the woman who is not his wife, he has sinned. The sinfulness of female adultery is not as easy to trace in Bible. For example, if the married woman had sexual intercourse with the man who was not her husband, she has sinned against her husband. If the single woman committed the adultery, she has sinned against her father. The punishment for adultery was very severe - the woman caught in adultery was stoned to death. What is adultery From Christian perspective, adultery is the willful and harmful violation of the honesty of the marriage. The Emperor Constantine who lived in 300 AD and was one of the most important converts to Christianity has introduced the concept of sinful sex. He believed and taught others that sex was sinful even within the marriage unless the purpose was a conception. This rule can be explained in terms of high infancy mortality rate and the need for more children. If the person has sinned he had to come to the Church for repentance and make a donation as the demonstration of his faith. A lot has changed since those times but adultery has remained a sin. It is not an easy task to advise what should be done if the spouse has committed an adultery. The family can be preserved; however, the spiritual unity will be lost. Probably, the divorce is the most appropriate solution if the adultery has been committed. Human sexuality is considered the natural gift from God. The sex becomes the sin if the parties involved are not functioning within Christian love and marriage guidelines. This is what Jesus has told about adultery in Matthew 5:27-30: "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I

Sand mandala by tibetan buddhist Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sand mandala by tibetan buddhist - Essay Example tive energy in the environment, the sand gathered from a mandala ceremony can be used in person or animals that are dying or stick a portion of the sand on the crown – top of the head (You Tube b). Ceremonies using different musical instruments to make a monotone sound and chanting are necessary as it enables the participants to experience peace of mind and deep concentration before and after the creation of sand mandala. The monotone sound also enables the monks and other participants to meditate in silence together (You Tube b). On the other hand, the process of pouring the sand into a creek is being done in order to allow the sand to flow with the water. This process symbolizes the spreading blessings, love and compassion to all human beings. Having read and observed how sand mandala is being performed is a very good experienced. Based on my personal observation and experiences about sand mandala, I have learned that the eight different parts of the center of the mandala symbolizes the eight noble paths of Tibetan Buddhism which includes: (1) right understanding; (2) right thought; (3) right speech; (4) right action; (5) right livelihood; (6) right effort; (7) right mindfulness; and (8) right concentration regardless of the art design of the mandala (Rahula, p. 45). These eight highlighted characteristics are actually the key factors that can bring us inner happiness, contentment in life, and freedom from anger. With the use of right speech, right action, and right livelihood, we can easily avoid actions that can cause harm to other people. For example: Being careful with the words we use when we speak to other people combined with choosing a morally acceptable occupation can lessen the chance that we can cause emotional pain to another person (Bodhi, p. 41). Therefore, there is a higher chance that we will receive good karma in our next life. Likewise, having the opportunity to personally experience how sand mandala is being conducted also made me able to

Book Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Book Review - Essay Example Humanity is not only made with the capacity of free will, but also have a soul that brings humanity closer to attaining the perfection and intellectual design. This is not a new approach, but adds further scientific backing for the belief in God, but also introduces the notion of faith being driven by the science and genetics of mankind: â€Å"The power of myth lies beneath its literal interpretations, in the ability of its universal symbols and themes to connect us with the most essential parts of ourselves in ways that logic and reason alone cannot" This argument is that the reality of God is driven from human emotions and the biological make-up of the brain. However this does not mean that religion and God is in the mind of the believer; rather this view of religion is the extension of these subjective human emotions, i.e. they point to the reality of God in the individual’s mind but do not come from God. â€Å"Any idea might trigger a myth if it can unify logic and intuition, and lead to a state of left-brain / right-brain agreement. In this state of whole-brain harmony, neurological uncertainties are powerfully alleviated as existential opposites are reconciled and the problem of cause is resolved†. This scientific approach of Newberg gives a rational explanation of the long traditional of mystical thought, which has been scorned for its subjectivity. Rumi is an Islamic example of a mystic who supports the mystical union of the believer and God. This mystic approach was in response to the over rationalizing of mainstream Islamic thinker’s on the nature of God and enforcing rules on human’s (Rumi, 1996). Rumi’s approach is a personal approach to God and as Von Schlegell argues is â€Å"to correct the view of Sufism as "counter." [to legalistic] "culture." At the same time, as the work under review shows, efforts to de-mystify Sufism, and to portray it at work as but one among many social forces in Islamic history would be going too far in

Marketing Managers Marketing Mix Marketing Essay

Marketing Managers Marketing Mix Marketing Essay The Marketing Mix, a basic tool of Marketing managers, the particular mixture of marketing techniques, for example, pricing, packaging, and advertising, used to promote the sale of a product. Marketing managers bring the elements of the Four Ps together, combining them to achieve a greater result from their combination then each of the individual effects of the Four Ps. In brief this assignment is concerned about marketing management .It covers in details about the concept of marketing mix with the aid of PepsiCo Inc., Which I have taken as a case study in exploring the way this organization has applied the marketing mix. CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY INTRODUCTION BACKGROUN OF THE COMPANY LITERATURE SURVEY IN MARKETING MIX MARKETING MIX IN PEPSICO INC CONCLUSION REFERENCES APPENDIX INTRODUCTION Marketing is about identifying human and social needs, in shortest form may be meeting the needs profitably. In other words marketing can be defined as an organizational function and set of processes for creating, communicating and delivering value to customers and managing customer relationships in ways thats benefit the organization and its stakeholders (marketing management, Philip Kotler Kevin lane Keller 13th Edition 2006). Mainly marketing was not being done only with the marketing department of the organization. It needs to interact with the aspects of the customers experience marketers must properly manage all possible points to satisfy the customer. Satisfying the customers was not an easy task for a marketer to market his product, a proper marketing plan definitely needed for the success of the product for this, marketing mix was a very important tool for the proper marketing plan in success. Thats why now a days marketing mix as become a very vital role in the organization products. The proper marketing mix definitely gives a positive growth and enabling the organization to increase the market share in the particular target market. MARKETING MIX The term marketing mix refers to the four major areas of decision making in the marketing process that are blended the results desired by the organization. The four elements of the marketing mix are sometimes referred to the four Ps of marketing. The marketing mix shapes the role of marketing with in all types of organization, both profit and non-profit. Marketing managers make numerous decision based on the various sub elements of the marketing mix, all in an attempt to satisfy the needs and wants of customers. In recent times, we have seen the explosion of new media (Internet, viral marketing, event marketing, product placement, etc.) decreased television viewership, the advent of TiVo and similar technology where viewers can be skip through commercials, and increased cost-cutting pressures. All of this has combined to increase demands for marketing departments to maximize the return on their marketing investments that is to optimize the combination of marketing and advertising investments in order to generate the greatest sales growth and or maximize profits. Marketing mix modelling measures the potential value of all marketing inputs and identifies marketing investments that are most likely to produce long-term revenue growth. As a marketing manager of PepsiCo Inc., is a world leader in convenient snacks, foods and beverages with revenues of more than $39 billion and over 185,000 employees. Here i am going to discuss about my organization, organization marketing strategy and mainly the marketing mix implemented by PepsiCo. BACKGROUND OF THE COMPANY NAME : PEPSI CO COUNTRY OF ORGIN : UNITED STATES INDUSTRY : Food Snacks Non-alcoholic Beverages CEO : Indra Krishnamurthy Nooyi PRODUCTS : Pepsi : Mountain Dew : Sierra Mist : Starbucks Frappucino : Lipton Iced Tea : Tropicana products, Etc., HISTORY The Pepsi Cola Company began in 1898 by a Pharmacist and Industrialist Caleb Bradham, but it only became known as PepsiCo when it merged with Frito Lay in 1965. Until 1997, it also owned KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell, but these fast-food restaurants were spun off into Tricon Global Restaurants, now Yum! Brands, Inc. PepsiCo purchased Tropicana in 1998 and Quaker Oats in 2001. In December 2005, PepsiCo surpassed Coca-Cola Company in market value for the first time in 112 years since both companies began to compete.PepsiCo, Incorporated (Short for Pepsi Company) (NYSE:  PEP) is a large multinational with interests in manufacturing, marketing and selling a wide variety of carbonated and non-carbonated beverages, as well as salty, sweet and grain-based snacks, and other foods. Besides the Pepsi-Cola brands. PepsiCo is a world leader in convenient snacks, foods and beverages with revenues of more than $39 billion and over 185,000 employees. In India PepsiCo gained entry to India in 1988, by creating ventures with Punjab government-owned Punjab Agro Industrial Corporation (PAIC) and Voltas India Limited. This joint venture marketed and sold Lehar Pepsi until 1991, when the use of foreign brands was allowed; PepsiCo bought out its partners and ended the joint venture in 1994. In 2003, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a non-governmental organization in New Delhi, said aerated waters produced by soft drinks manufacturers in India, including multinational giants PepsiCo and The Coca-Cola Company, contained toxins, including lindane, DDT, malathion and chlorpyrifos pesticides that can contribute to cancer, a breakdown of the immune system and cause birth defects. Tested products included Coke, Pepsi, 7 Up, Mirinda, Fanta, Thumps Up, Limca, and Sprite. CSE found that the Indian-produced Pepsis soft drink products had 36 times the level of pesticide residues permitted under European Union regulations; Coca Colas 30 times.C SE said it had tested the same products in the US and found no such residues. However, this was the European standard for water, not for other drinks. No law bans the presence of pesticides in drinks in India. In 2006, the CSE again found that soda drinks, including both Pepsi and Coca-Cola, had high levels of pesticides in their drinks. Both PepsiCo and The Coca-Cola Company maintain that their drinks are safe for consumption and have published newspaper advertisements that say pesticide levels in their products are less than those in other foods such as tea, fruit and dairy products. In the Indian state of Kerala, sale and production of Pepsi-Cola, along with other soft drinks, was banned by the state government in 2006, but this was reversed by the Kerala High Court merely a month later. Five other Indian states have announced partial bans on the drinks in schools, colleges and hospitals. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PepsiCo#PepsiCo_in_India) LITERATURE SURVEY MARKETING Marketing is a social and managerial process where by individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating and exchanging products and value with others (kotler and Armstrong principles of marketing) MARKETING MIX Marketing mix is the set of controllable tactical marketing tools that the form blends to produce the response it wants in the target market. marketing mix is consist of every thing the firm can do to influence the demand for its products the many possibilities can be collected in to four groups of variables 4pproduct, price, place, and promotion (kotler Armstrong ).The marketing mix principle are controllable variable which have to be carefully manage and must need the target customers. All elements of the marketing mix are linked and support each other. PRODUCT The first element in the marketing mix is the product .The term product refers to the tangible physical products as well it includes services. Product means the goods and services combination the company offers to the target market. (Kotler Armstrong) .An object or a service that is mass produced or manufactured on a large scale with a specific volume of units. A typical example of a mass produced service is the hotel industry. A less obvious but ubiquitous mass produced service is a computer operating system. Product is divided in to three basic levels: Core products Actual products Augmented products Core Products The perceived or real core benefit or service to be gained from a product. Actual Product A composite of the features and capabilities offered quality and durability, design and product styling, packaging and brand name. Augmented Products Support for the product, including customer service, warranty, delivery and credit, personnel, installation and after-sales support. PRICE The second element in marketing mix is price. The price of the product covers all the expenses incurred in manufacturing and selling. Price is the amount of money customers have to pay to obtain the product.(kotler armstrong) .It is determined by a number of factors including market share, competition, material costs, product identity and the customers perceived value of the product. The business may increase or decrease the price of product if other stores have the same product. For example: When pricing a new product, businesses can use either market penetration pricing or a skimming strategy. Types of Pricing PENETARTION PRICING: Penetration pricing is the pricing technique of setting a relatively low initial entry price, a price that is often lower than the eventual market price. The expectation is that the initial low price will secure market acceptance by breaking down existing brand loyalties. Penetration pricing is most commonly associated with a marketing objective of increasing market share or sales volume, rather than short term profit maximization. SKIMMING PRICING: Skimming pricing is the strategy of establishing a high initial price for a product with a view to skimming the cream off the market at the upper end of the demand curve. It is accompanied by heavy expenditure on promotion. A skimming strategy may be recommended when the nature of demand is uncertain, when a company has expended large sums of money on research and development for a new product, when the competition is expected to develop and market a similar product in the near future, or when the product is so innovative that the market is expected to mature very slowly. Pricing objectives usually four forms: Profitability Volume Meeting the Competition Prestige Profitability Profitability means that the firm focuses mainly on maximizing its profit. Under profitability, a company increases its prices so that additional equals the increase in product production cost. Volume Volume pricing objectives a company aims maximize sales volume with in a given specific profit margin. The focus of volume pricing is increasing sales rather than on an immediate increase in profits. Meeting the Competition Meeting the price level competitors is another pricing strategy. It is focusing in less on price and more on non-price competition items such as location and services. Prestige Prestige pricing refers to the practice of setting a high price for an product, throughout its entire life cycle as opposed to the short term opportunistic high price of price skimming. This is done in order to evoke perceptions of quality and prestige with the product or service. PROMOTION Promotion is the third element in the marketing mix.Promotion means that the activities communicate the merits of the product and persuade the target customers to buy their product. (kotler) Promotion represents all of the communications that a marketer may use in the marketplace. Promotion has four distinct elements advertising, public relations, word of mouth and point of sale. A certain amount of crossover occurs when promotion uses the four principle elements together, which is common in film promotion. Advertising covers any communication that is paid for, from television and cinema commercials, radio and Internet adverts through print media and billboards. One of the most notable means of promotion today is the Promotional Product, as in useful items distributed to targeted audiences with no obligation attached. This category has grown each year for the past decade while most other forms have suffered. It is the only form of advertising that targets all five senses and has the recipient thanking the giver. Public relations are where the communication is not directly paid for and includes press releases, sponsorship deals, exhibitions, conferences, seminars or trad e fairs and events. Word of mouth is any apparently informal communication about the product by ordinary individuals, satisfied customers or people specifically engaged to create word of mouth momentum. Sales staff often plays an important role in word of mouth and Public Relations. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marketing_mix) For example a consumer is likely to want only one variant of your product and expect to purchase it immediately. A retailer is likely to want limited stock of a number of variants and not expect to pay for 60 days. A distributor is looking at large volumes of product in all its variants at greatly discounted rates. Your distribution policy needs to take account of these variables. If it does not, then you will find yourself in a very embarrassing position with a customer sooner or later which would result in the loss of a sale. The elements of the communication process are: Sender Decoding Message / Media Decoding Receiver Feedback Noise There are four promotion tools. Each promotion tools has its own unique characteristics and function. Advertising Sales promotion Public relations Personal selling (Term explanations are in Appendix) PLACE The fourth element of the marketing mix is place .Place includes company activities that makes the product available to target customers (kotler) Place represents the location where a product can be purchased. It is often referred to as the distribution channel. It can include any physical store as well as virtual stores on the Internet. Place refers to having the right product, in the right location, at the right time to be purchased by consumers. This proper placement of product is done through middle people called the channel of distribution. The channel of distribution is comprised of interdependent manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers. Each participant in the channel of distribution is concerned with three basic utilities: time, place, and possession. Time utility refers to having a product available at the time that will satisfy the needs of consumers. Place utility occurs when a firm provides satisfaction by locating products where they can be easily acquired by consumers . The last utility is possession utility, which means that wholesalers and retailers in the channel of distribution provide services to consumers with as few obstacles as possible. MARKETING MIX IN PEPSI PRODUCT As per kotler said product means any thing that can be offered to a market for attention, acquisition, use or consumption and might satisfy a want or need .mostly products are fall into two segments .consumer products and industrial products The Pepsi drink contains basic ingredients found in most other similar drinks including carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, sugar colourings, phosphoric acid, citric acid and natural flavours. The caffeine free Pepsi cola contains the same ingredients but no caffeine. Quality Pepsi follows one quality standard across the globe. Pepsi has a long-standing commitment to protecting the consumers whose trust and confidence in its products is the bedrock of its success. In order to ensure that consumers stay informed about the global quality of all Pepsi products sold in world .Pepsi products carry a quality assurance seal on them. The core benefit is drink for refreshment without alcohol and the feature is black colour with contain Aspartame (Nutra Sweet), Sucralose (splenda), Acesulfame Potassium (Sunnett). Augmented Product: Good customer support (i.e. Accessible, fast) Differentiation Pepsi has attempted to differentiate its products from cokes, but with little success. In an attempt to differentiate its products from cokes, Pepsi shifted its focus to the growing American teenage market in the 1990s, while coke continued to target baby boomers. Pepsi focused on varietal differentiation since 1999 by introducing a string of niche products although product innovation has been quickly copied by Coke. Since product extensions generate considerable uncertainty with modest results and high cost, both firms could jointly de-escalate the introduction of new products in favour of focusing on core brands, with some emphasis on product innovation. Pepsi could signal this intent by announcing its strategy publicly, hopefully encouraging Coke to follow suit. Brand Extension in Pepsi PRICING Pricing is the only mix which generate the turn over for the organization the remaining are the variable cost for the organization. Price must support all elements of marketing mix, pricing is very difficult and must reflect and supply demand relationship. Types of pricing Strategy. Penetration pricing Penetration Pricing is a market-based approach to pricing wherein the price is set to a sufficiently low level (below the prices of competing products) to make the product attractive to the mass market. The aim is to achieve a large market share by high initial sales. It is introducing the product at a low price intended to capture the mass market for the product or service. Skimming pricing A product pricing strategy by which a firm charges the highest initial price that customer will pay. As the demand of the first customers is satisfied, the firm lowers the price to attract another, more price-sensitive segment. Therefore, the skimming strategy gets its name from skimming successive layers of cream, or customer segments, as prices are lowered over time. Competition pricing Method in which a seller uses prices of competing products as a benchmark instead of considering owns costs or the customer demand. Product Line pricing Product lining is the marketing strategy of offering for sale several related products. Unlike product bundling, where several products are combined into one, lining involves offering several related products individually. A line can comprise related products of various sizes, types, colours, qualities, or prices. Line depth refers to the number of product variants in a line. Line consistency refers to how closely relate the products that make up the line are. Line vulnerability refers to the percentage of sales or profits that are derived from only a few products in the line. Bundle Pricing Another pricing adjustment designed to increase sales is to offer discounted pricing when customers purchase several different products at the same time.   Termed bundle pricing, the technique is often used to sell products that are complementary to a main product.   For buyers, the overall cost of the purchase shows a savings compared to purchasing each product individually. Psychological Pricing Psychological pricing or price ending is a marketing practice based on the theory that certain prices have a psychological impact. The retail prices are often expressed as odd prices: a little less than a round number. The ASIA CSD market is mature. The industry sales growth is largely driven by population growth as well as the amount of advertising and product innovation taking in the industry. Given the mature nature of the market, both PepsiCo and coca-cola have resorted to pricing discrimination strategies to maximise the value of the consumer demand. Direct Pricing Discrimination The simplest form of extracting customer surplus is charging customers with different prices based on their location and purchasing power. This is evident in the international operations of both Pepsi and Coca cola. Cola prices in Mexico, Brazil and Eastern Europe are lower than prices in Asia. Restaurant fountain drinks, single drinks at gas stations and take-home packs at supermarkets have all different prices on a per-unit basis even though their costs adjusted for packaging and distribution would not warrant such a discrepancy. Obviously, such segmentation helps situational-based pricing differences. In-Direct Pricing Discrimination Quantity discounts along with price coupons used in supermarkets are obvious indirect price discrimination tools Pepsi can use. However, the most effective indirect price discrimination tool Pepsi has is in fact its brand name. The Pepsi brand equity actually allows the company to maintain its pricing power. Retailers use this product category to induce store traffic and create additional sales, which in turn reduces their power relative to Pepsi. Given the 80% margin on concentrate, it is easy to see why Wal-Mart and other discount retailers can undercut Pepsis pricing with private labels, but still they will be ineffective in stealing Pepsi customers as long as Pepsis brand (and Cokes for that sake) maintains high customer loyalty. PROMOTION The successful products are service means nothing and less the benefits of such service can be communicated clearly in to the target market. Normally the promotional mix consists of: Advertising Public relations sales promotion Personal selling Direct mail internet, e-commerce Normally Pepsi spending more on advertising rather than any other promotion mix. The main promotional strategy for Pepsi is advertising on media and taking part in social corporate events and sometimes Pepsi also offering sales promotions during the non-peak periods to retain the sales partly, now Pepsi advertising in internet also. As a marketing manager of Pepsi should go with Virgos advertising strategy to overcome the competitor and also Pepsi should contribute public relation also that will definitely give positive and rapid sales increase. PLACE The distribution and logistics operations of the PepsiCo, one of the worlds leading beverages and snack foods companies. The distribution system of the company clearly explaining the significance of various distribution channels used including supermarkets/retail stores, fountain/restaurant, convenience stores, vending machines and others for distributing beverages and snack foods. It also describes the logistics operations of PepsiCos bottler (Pepsi Americas) and elaborates on how by employing the latest wireless technology solutions it enhanced the efficiency of its distribution and logistics operations significantly. CONCLUSION Pepsi Inc., as built reputation around the world as a major player in the soft drink market as well as the leader in the snack food industry. This has been done by creating a wholesome environment for their customers all the while maintaining its integrity. This can be seen in the marketing mix which is the successful mix such as product, price, promotion and distribution. But in PepsiCo distribution must understand the importance of an efficient distribution and logistics management system in reducing costs and creating value for customers. An effective marketing program brings together all of the elements of the marketing mix to achieve the organisations marketing objectives by delivering to customers what they want and need. Thus, the most successful companies will be those that can meet these needs most effectively. REFERENCES Marketing a Service for Profit: A Practical Guide to Key Service Marketing Concepts By Ian Ruskin-Brown, Greg Clark, Published by Kogan Page Publishers, 2007 Marketing By Richard Sandhusen Published by Barrons Educational Series, 2008 The Marketing Mix Published by Primedia Corporate University, 1998 Marketing management By Philip Kotler and Armstrong Web References http://www.pepsi.com/ http://www.pepsico.com/ http://www.sirpepsi.com/pepsi11.htm

The Twenties and Thirties :: American America History

The Twenties and Thirties The twenties and the thirties were very unusual time periods in American History. In some ways they are alike, but in most ways they are very different. The twenties were a time of fun and partying. This is probably the reason it is called the Roaring Twenties. All of the thirties were known as The Great Depression. It was probably called that because of the stock market collapse and the millions of people without jobs. In the twenties, industry took a very big step. The automotive industry was the largest industry there was. The assembly line made mass production possible, and the industry boomed. Henry Ford's assembly line, located in Detroit, Michigan, was the largest one in the country and possibly in the world. When Ford first started making cars, the only car he made was a black Model-T. Almost everybody in the United States had a car. Three-out-of-four families owned one or more cars. With the assembly line they made a lot more cars in one day than they did before. Instead of paying for the cars with cash, people could now use credit to purchase items. Since most families didn't have the money, they would buy the car with credit and pay off the debt later. The thirties was a bad time for the automotive industry. By now Ford had made a Model-A and had three new colors: tan, purple and black. All of the companies were making more cars than they could sell. Nobody had enough money to buy a car because of all of the banks going under. Millions of people lost whole fortunes. Since no one had the money for a car, the cars were not being sold. This caused a big problem. The dealers were very optimistic. They continued to make cars hoping that sales would go up. The new credit law was a wonderful idea. It allowed people to purchase items like a television or radio. The invention of the radio united the nation. The news that was heard on the radio was heard by everyone that had a radio. It was the best form of entertainment of its time. Soon thereafter, the television was invented. Once again people took advantage of the credit and purchased televisions. The television still did not take place of the radio. The radio was still used for listening to music. Many people were spending more money than they had.