Establish and adjust the marketing mix

Introduction The retail industry is a battlefield for a wide range of goods essential for daily use. There is stiff competition in the industry as giant retailers and emerging retailers seek to gain competitive advantage over each other (Pesendorfer 34). Companies that wish to survive must make regular but necessary adjustments in the marketing mix to stay ahead of competition.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Establish and adjust the marketing mix specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Wal-Mart products and services market Wal-Mart is an American Corporation existing in approximately thirty nation states. The firm has an average sales record of one hundred and forty US dollars in these countries. The United States-based company provides the enormous retail programs all over the world. However, as the world’s leading retailer Wal-Mart does not have market stores in certain global leading marketplaces. For instan ce, the corporation does not conduct business in India, Russia, South Korea and Germany. The realization and establishment of extra supercenters in India is hampered. The aspiration to operate cannot succeed following the recent breakdown of Indian partnership with the company. The problem of poor conditions of investment culminated in the 9th Oct, 2013 termination of partnership with Bharti Enterprises. The sticking point emerges from the demand by the Indian administration that the overseas traders must resource more than thirty percent from the merchandise they vend from Indian SME’s. The inquiries whether or not Wal-Mart Corporation is probing any violation of laws of anti corruption of the United States is unclear. The head of Wal-Mart Asia in his interview never mentioned if any investigations on the alleged violation of foreign retail investment rules by Wal-Mart were underway. Conversely, the corporation is yet to figure the means of entering the Russian marketplaces. In the fiscal 2010, Wal-Mart closed down the offices in Moscow following an aborted deal with the Kopeyka that was a potential partner. The price discrepancy caused the plan of attainment to subsist. Nevertheless, in the year 2006 Wal-Mart terminated its businesses in South Korea and Germany. The German populace pitied the way the grocery handlers executed their work at the line of check. As such, many consumers chose to purchase from the local bazaars in doubt of the ever-smiling clerks whom they thought were flirting. Wal-Mart failed in South Korea owing to the adherence of US stratagems of marketing of clothing and electronics rather than considering beverage and food as a big market in S. Korea.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Key features and influence of products and significance to the market Wal-Mart offers the customer a wide range of goods and services. The produ cts that the company manufactures in the local and international plants have the company logo. The products that are outsourced to other manufacturers also carry a specific logo. This means that the company consumers can easily identify the brand. Items such as apparel and toys are renown by the consumers worldwide. The company advertises the products as possessing high quality compared to those provided by competitors. This coupled with the lower price attracts many existing and prospective customers. The company products including those produced offshore are of high quality. The company has bargaining power over manufacturers hence has the power to give the manufacturer the standards of products to be produced without increasing the buying price. As such, the retailer is able to influence the market by making competitors produce items of similar or better quality. Pricing policy Wal-Mart’s pricing policy is based on the ‘Everyday low price’. This means that the products must cost less to enable the retailer to sell at lower prices. All the products provided by the company meet the ‘low price’ criteria. Whenever customers feel that any of Wal-Mart’s competitors are providing goods at a lower price, the company gives them the opportunity to report and the company makes the necessary price adjustments based on Wal-Mart Price Match Policy. The customers do not require providing such an advertisement to prove that indeed the competitor is offering lower or matching prices. Significant market outcomes The promotional methods and distribution channels utilized by the company are significant in determining the effectiveness of the marketing mix (Soonhong, Min John Mentzer 14). The company is popular for offering promotions on selected items to its customers. It then ensures that the items on offer are available in all location. Considering the huge customer base, such promotions are effective in augmenting the customer base a lthough the profit margins are significantly lower. Wal-Mart marketing mix The company is the world’s number one retailer according to Fortune 500. Sam Walton founded the company in 1962. The founder employed a marketing strategy that quickly saw the company emerge as the leader in the retail industry despite the existence of larger companies founded years before Wal-Mart. The company used the strategy of selling goods at a lower price compared to competitors. The marketing mix the company employed was so effective that some companies had to withdraw from the retail market or were dissolved. The company rapidly expanded into many areas. This was a marketing strategy to create a huge consumer base. The retailer ensured that customers in remote locations in the United States could easily access its products and services. The variety of products was significantly increased to ensure that every customer got what they desired (Ellickson, Misra Nair 751).Advertising We will w rite a custom report sample on Establish and adjust the marketing mix specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The price was highly competitive compared to other retailers. There was intense effort to advertise the opening of new locations, products and slicing of prices. The retailer intensified its promotion. Customers considered loyal were rewarded with diverse means of promotions. Promotion campaigns intensified particularly with the entry of a competitor where the retailer sought or had established dominance (Lin 55). Product The company has grown for the last five decades to reach the international level and effectively turn into a multinational company. The international market has a huge consumer base. These customers have varied preferences and tastes for products. Every customer can get the item they need for daily use or consumption. This requires the company to stock a wide range of products and a brand that each of the customers can identify with. The products that the company stocks in the US are not necessarily the products consumers in South Africa demand (Matsa 1150). The company has hence made effort to localize the products through glocalization. The products range from grocery to electronics. The company specializes in home appliances and apparel among many others. The company realized the potential in providing outdoor products such as sports gear. It offers funeral services as part of the product offered. Price The company manufactures part of the products through outsourcing. Some of the products manufactured by the company include toys. Other items are bought from suppliers. The ability to manufacture products in bulk facilitates the company to enjoy economies of scale. This enables the company to offer the products at a subsidized price. The state of the economy leaves consumers without a choice but to shop at the cheapest retailer outlet. Consequently, the retailer indirectly benefits from econ omic hardships. The company ensures that it buys goods from suppliers at the lowest price possible. The large number of global suppliers gives the retailer bargaining power. The company determines the price at which it will purchase goods from suppliers. Additionally, it buys the supplies in bulk. The retailer is hence able to give its customers as much as 15 percent discount on items. The company employs diverse pricing strategies to attract the attention of the consumer. The ‘Everyday low price’ strategy creates a buying behavior among the consumers. All the products the retailer stocks are relatively lower in price compared to other retailers. Place Wal-Mart is a global retailer. It has outlets in all continents. The company continuously expands to new markets including emerging markets in Africa such as Uganda, Zambia and Tanzania. There are more than ten thousand outlets globally. The brand is recognized internationally.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More When entering a new market, the company invests sufficiently in advertising to catch the attention of the prospective customer. In markets where the retailer has established, it utilizes both e-commerce and traditional stores. It operates supercenters, discount stores, neighborhood stores and express stores (St-James 166). The supercenters offer all kinds of products under one roof. This ensures that customers do not have to seek other goods outside the supercenter. The three components function together to generate synergy necessary for the creation of competitive advantage for the retailer. The company ensures it has the right product in the right place at the right place. The three must be balanced to ensure that the retailer maintains the competitive edge gained over the years. Failure in any of them means that the company will lose customers to competitors. Environmental factors Wal-Mart is often impacted by environmental factors in operating the international market. There are countries that set the price of products to curtail unfair competition. This means that the company will not have the competitive advantage of lower prices. In other markets, customers do not demand some products. This includes Islam countries where Western products are despised. In India, beef products will not bring the retailer substantial profits. Customer priorities, needs and preferences Customer priorities, needs and preferences are important for any business (Draganska et al. 400). In developing a marketing mix strategy, Wal-Mart must consider the factors for different markets. The products needed in first world countries may be irrelevant in developing markets. This requires the company to develop a marketing mix suitable for specific markets. High priced items will not sell in emerging economies. Variations A variety of factors requires to be noted in developing a suitable marketing mix. The promotional activities and distribution channels are among these factors. Variati ons from what competitors are doing are essential. Although existing strategies may be effective, the increasingly competitive retail market requires that the company make adjustments to ensure it retains the competitive advantage it enjoys. The company require developing new products with better quality than the existing products (Singh 460). It is hence important for the company to invest in research and development. Additionally, improved technology presents the company with the opportunity to employ e-commerce to improve the distribution processes. Wal-Mart strategic and marketing objectives Wal-Mart’s marketing mix fits well into its organizational strategy. The company seeks to diversify its products. By operating in the international market, the company develops and stocks products suitable for each market. By so doing, the company has different brands of products. The failure in one product will not significantly affect profitability (Lin 57). Monitoring performance o f product The market mix that requires focusing is the product. This is due to the diverse market and consequently huge variation in needs and preferences. New entrants are emerging with new, better and quality products at lower prices. Since the company has already created a niche in the retail market, it is imperative to test whether consumers are satisfied with existing products or new products should be introduced. Implication of altering components The alteration of any of the components will be detrimental if consideration of the other components is not considered. By introducing a new product, it may be necessary to adjust the price to reflect the costs incurred. If the new products is produced at a lower cost, then the price can be lowered and vice versa. It will be necessary for promotional activities to be conducted to ensure customers are aware of the existence of the product. The distribution chain must be effective to avail the product in all the outlets in the target m arket. Adjusting components The introduction of a new product will require more investment into research and development. Further, the costs incurred in producing the product will be higher due to the involvement of newer technology. The packaging will be different to give the customers the sense of a new and improved quality product. Subsequently, the price of the product will rise. This will call for entry into new markets to expand the customer base. This will be in line with the company strategic objectives of expansion. The new product will assist in diversification. Conclusion Marketing mix is important for organizational planning and eventual profitability. The proper consideration of the components determines the level of engagement with the consumer. Works Cited Draganska, Michaela, Sanjog Misra, Victor Aguirregabiria, Pat Bajari, Liran Einav Paul Ellickson. â€Å"Discrete Choice Models of Firms: Strategic Decisions.† Marketing Letters 19.3/4 (2008): 399–416. Print. Ellickson, Paul, Sanjog Misra Harikesh Nair. â€Å"Repositioning Dynamics and Pricing Strategy.† Journal of Marketing Research XLIX (2012): 750-772. Print. Lin, Shao-Lung and An-Tien Hsieh. â€Å"International Strategy Implementation: Roles of Subsidiaries, Operational Capabilities, and Procedural Justice.† Journal of Business Research 63.1(2010): 52–59. Print. Matsa, David A. â€Å"Competition and Product Quality in the Supermarket Industry.† Quarterly Journal of Economics 126.3 (2011): 1539–1591. Print. Pesendorfer, Martin. â€Å"Retail Sales: A Study of Pricing Behavior in Supermarkets.† Journal of Business 75.1 (2002): 33–66. Print. Singh, Vishal, Karsten Hansen, and Robert Blattberg. â€Å"Market Entry and Consumer Behavior: An Investigation of a Wal-Mart Supercenter.† Marketing Science 25.5(2006): 457–476. Print. Soonhong, Min John Mentzer. â€Å"The Role of Marketing in Supply Chain Management.† In ternational Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management 1.2 (2000): 1-26. Print. St-James, Yannik. â€Å"Retail Brand Repositioning: A Historical Analysis.† Historical Analysis and Research in Marketing 10.2 (2001): 164–175. Print. This report on Establish and adjust the marketing mix was written and submitted by user William Clements to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Leadership and Mentoring The WritePass Journal

Leadership and Mentoring Introduction Leadership and Mentoring Introduction ‘People make history and not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skilful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better’. Harry S. Truman (1884-1972) What makes a good leader? Can u make a leader or do you just have to be born with the attributes that make you a good leader. Every leader is unique, due to their approaches, qualities and leadership styles. Leaders exist in all aspects of life, from head of the household to the leader of a company. Their roles maybe different but overall purpose is the same, to lead his team. Mentoring can be quite different due to the role, but often overlaps with leadership. Mentors also exist in different contexts. Mentors can exist in an academic environment, work atmosphere as well as informal setting between friends. For the remainder of this assignment we will discuss the definitions of leadership and mentoring in the context of different literature. We will be comparing these topics and contrasting the definitions. We will then be discussing the qualities of good leaders and mentors and highlighting the negative aspects which can surface. We will then apply these qualities to ourselves and analyse how we can make good leaders or mentors depending on the context. Literature Review on Leadership Due to the diverse aspects of leadership there is no set definition on leadership. Leadership is a function of knowing yourself, having a vision that is well communicated, building trust among colleagues, and taking effective action to realize your own leadership potential. (Warren Bennis). According to Max Landsberg in ‘Tools of Leadership’ (2003), leadership can be defined in five areas. Leadership is process of initiating change and then controlling that change. This highlights that leaders need to develop the organisation they are in charge of and evolve it into something bigger and better. Leadership is being creative. This reflects that leadership is about new ideas and innovation. Leadership is about being intrinsic. The ability to be interpersonal within their team, delegating responsibility to other team members and deal with people on a more personal level. Leadership should be effective. What good is a leader if no one listens to what he has to say? Leadership is developed with time. A good leader will make the right decisions at the right time, when they are needed. Fred E. Fiedler and Martin M. Chemers in ‘Improving Leadership Effectiveness’, (1984) gave a different definition. ‘the leadership role or function involves the motivation, direction, supervision, guidance and evaluation of others for the purpose of accomplishing a task.’ Fiedler and Chemers looked at different aspects of leadership. The ability of being motivational is a very important aspect of leading a team. If you can’t stimulate your team to be productive, then the existence of your team would be irrelevant. It mentions the need for direction. This outlines the importance of having a target or aim, which a good leader will have in mind when doing any task. It is only when they can visualise their goals that they can achieve it. Supervision is a very important aspect of leadership. A good leader should know what each member of their team is doing in terms of the task at hand. This can include having certain rules, principles and boundaries, which the leader must observe that their team is abiding by to maintain structure and control. It is not enough to tell your team what to do and expect it done. A leader needs to guide their team, by identifying weaknesses and turning into something positive. This is complimented by evaluating performan ce, which can indicate how a team is doing what a leader should be focussing on. Every individual will have their own interpretation of the definition on leadership, which leads to the different approaches adopted by different leaders. Authoritarian Leadership Authoritarian leaders have the opinion that their team requires direction. This quality can be seen as a positive and a negative. Authoritarian leader will provide guidance and direction when attempting to achieve goals but do not always consider the need to be lenient. According to Northouse (2009), this is a positive quality when individuals in team need supervision due to their irresponsible behaviour or laid back attitude, therefore the leader must be told what to do or not to do either by incentives or disciplinary action. This quality can also be portrayed as a negative when leaders do not give room for creativity or opinion as they are too focussed on doing tasks in their own way. Anderson (2010) indicated that this leadership approach does not give individuals to voice their opinions or ideas especially when trying to find solutions, due to the leader view that their ideas are the best. This can lead strained relationships between leaders and their teams, when individuals are not given the space to express them self, which can lead to lack of motivation. Democratic Leadership This leadership style is concerned with a trusting approach, where the leader will delegate the work and duties and trust his members to complete the task at hand. This approach allows the members to make decisions on their own initiative and encourages them to be creative. The leader has to know and trust that his team are capable and have the ability to perform. Trust is built on good communication and having a good relationship with your subordinates. This approach of leadership is very motivational as it encourages members to voice their opinion and views, whilst knowing that will be considered. This makes individuals feel valued and will increase satisfaction and self worth. However this approach has negative effects as discussed by Northouse (2009), who mentions that due to the trust element of this approach, it would not be always possible for a task to be completed when there is a time restriction, when every individual has their own way of doing things. In times of urgency a n authoritarian approach is more efficient when everyone is told what to do when to do it and how to do it. The democratic approach requires patience from the leader’s point of view to allow the team to do the task in their way. Laissez-Fair Leadership This approach of leadership is about leaders giving full freedom to their team to fully work at their own initiative, without any influence or pressures. According to Anderson (2010) the laissez fair approach is ideal when creativity is a key element of the project. It does not limit individual vision and creativity. For this approach to be effective, it is vital that each member is responsible for motivating themselves to get the job done. This can create a problem when individuals are not motivated and cannot complete the task at hand. Ethical Leadership This approach focuses on ethical aspects of a leader’s characteristics. According to Northouse (2009), characteristics such as honesty, reliability, integrity are vital elements of ethical leadership. This allows others to trust their leader and show a sense of confidence in terms of decision making. If these characteristics did not exist within a leader, their followers would not take the leader very seriously or have the same amount of respect. This could lead to a lack of authority. Ethical leaders need to have a positive impact due to their charisma and reliability. By presenting themselves as reliable, honesty and trustworthy leaders can gain confidence from others, which makes them more credible in terms of their views and decisions. Literature Review on Mentoring ‘Mentoring is a term generally used to describe a relationship between a less experienced individual, called a mentee or protà ©gà ©, and a more experienced individual known as a mentor. Traditionally, mentoring is viewed as a dyadic, face-to-face, long-term relationship between a supervisory adult and a novice student that fosters the mentee’s professional, academic, or personal development’ Donaldson, Ensher, Grant-Vallone, (2000). Mentor is taken from the Greek word for ‘male guide’, which is now used to describe someone who gives guidance. As described above the relation of a mentor and mentee is that of supervision to achieve a sense of personal development. This is also the definition given by Kogler-Hill et al, (1989) who described mentoring when an experienced member of an organisation guides a lesser experienced individual. Mumford (1997) also defined mentoring as an ‘advisory relationship’. This was broadened in the definition by Olian et al. (1988) who defined mentoring as ‘ a senior member of the profession or organisation who shares values, provides emotional support, career counselling, information and advice, professional and organisational sponsorship, facilitates access to key organisations and professional networks’. However Levinson et al (1978) described the mentor relationship to be ‘one of the most complex and developmentally important’. This was due to the fact mentoring was not a formal role so cannot be given a narrow definition but was dependant on the individual relationship and the purpose behind it. Characteristics of Good Leaders As we looked at the different types of leadership styles, they all have different qualities which appear to be vital to their role. A good leader should be competent to complete the task at hand. No matter which leadership style you choose to adopt the leader needs to have the ‘know how’ to do whatever it is they are trying to do. If they are not competent in the task how can they possibly brief their team who are reliant on the leader to guide them? A good leader needs to be confident in what they are doing. It is only when they have self belief that they can motivate their team. In times of difficulty individuals will look to the leader for assurance and guidance. If the leader is hesitant, insecure and doubting them self, how can they boost the self esteem of the people who they are leading? Bass’s Model of transformational leadership (1980’s) highlighted characteristics that a good leader should possess. These characteristics were split into four areas. Idealised Influence (Vision) Inspirational Motivation (Charisma) Intellectual Stimulation Individualised Consideration A leader needs to be influential and motivational if they are to push their team to achieve what they have set out to do. In order to be influential the leader needs to have a vision in mind, which they can then persuade their team to believe. Once the vision is shared there can be a sense of direction. In order to be influential a leader must show charisma and have a personality that shows presence. Charismatic leaders are most effective as they have a positive effect on their subordinates. However some leaders will appear to be very confident, but they will have no substance or depth in what they appear to be capable of. As the famous saying ‘they can talk the talk but can they walk the walk?’ They can give orders; makes themselves look good and take the praise for the hard work that others have put in. This behaviour is known as Pseudo- Charismatic. Good leaders need to intellectually stimulating in terms of their subordinates. They need to know how to deal with and handle different people in different situations, as everyone is different and responds in different ways to different techniques. They need to be encouraging and making people think about things that they would not usually visualise. Encourage people to think outside the box and to go beyond their usual thinking and understanding in order to be creative and solve problems. It is often said that to get respect you have to give it. This is what is highlighted when looking at individualised consideration. Leaders have to genuinely care about their team. They have to be sympathetic to their issues and well being. They have to communicate with them appropriately and effectively, whilst showing respect. Leaders should not be influences by prejudices or treat people differently. Even is individuals are different due to ethnicity, disability or any other element, leaders should turn their diversity into a positive aspect as they bring something different to the table. Be it a different experience, skill or just personality. Diversity should be embraced. Characteristics of Good Mentors In order to be a capable mentor there certain attributes they should adopt. They have to have a genuine passion of developing their mentees, as well as developing themselves. They have to be committed to the development of their mentee and communicate well and create a relationship based on trust. They have to understand their mentee’s needs and requirement, as well as their weaknesses in order to help them grow. They also have to competent in the field their mentee wants to learn about and have the relevant experience behind them in order to guide their mentee effectively. They should clarified goals which need to be targeted in order to get the mentee to exactly where they want to go. There has to be a sense of professionalism, but in good proportion. Too much professionalism can make the mentee feel intimidated so it is good to have a balance. Brockbank and McGill (2006) highlighted some general qualities, which can be seen as the most vital ones of all. Mentors need to be good listeners, if they are to guide their mentee. They should take in what exactly the mentee is trying to achieve and understand their requirements and issues. They should show compassion to their weaknesses and help them to develop them into strengths. They should give feedback in terms of constructive criticism but not so much that their mentee’s esteem is lowered. They should question their views so the mentee can think more critically about them self and challenge their own ideas in order to assist their own development.          Self Reflection There have many times where I have taken the role of a mentor, often in a work atmosphere as well as an academic environment. I work part time as a finance officer and have been in this position for the last three year. My job comes naturally to me and I am left to go about my role without any interference from management or other members of staff. Due to the increase of work load, my manager decided that it was time I employed an assistant, who could assist me with my work and take on my role when I was out of the office. So from last year I have had to train my assistant to do my job. My overall goal was to develop her into a finance officer. My first step was to create a relationship and try to understand what she was like as a person. How I could communicate with her? I arranged informal meetings with her, usually in a coffee shop. We would talk generally, so she would relax around and not feel intimidated. Then I would gradually discuss work matters. Then I would ask her to swit ch roles and explain to me how things needed to be done. She would often get things confused or wrong, but I would wait until she had finished discussing then question why she would do things in that particular way. Often when she thought about it she would realise where she had gone wrong. There were times when my assistant would get overwhelmed especially in times when there were deadlines to meet. I would realise that there was obviously issues that needed to be dealt with. So then I would listen to the issues she was facing, such as there is an issue in accounts that she could not seem to fix, or there was an issue with a client and she did not know how to deal with it. I would assist her and guide her until she would be able to do it herself. Nine months have passed now, and I have been on a three week leave. This time last year I would never be able take leave from the office, but now my assistant can pretty much fill my place when I am out of the office. There are very rarely occasions now when my assistant asks for help. I can brief her on a task and I know she would complete it to a very high standard. I took some time and did the questionnaire based on studies of Marquadt and Loan (2006) titled ‘how ready are you to be a mentor?’ I scored 145 out of a possible 150. This confirmed to me that I am a capable mentor, as I have learnt from experience. I hope that I get the opportunity to mentor other people, as this gives me the chance to develop my people skills whilst developing other peoples. References Northouse, P. (2001). Leadership theory and practice, 2nd edition, London: Sage Publications. Chemers, M.M, Fiedler, F.E (1984) Importance of leadership effectiveness, 2nd edition, New York: John Wiley sons Inc. Gold, J, Thorpe, R, Mumford, A. (2010) Leadership and management development, 5th edition, London: Chartered Institute of personal Development Brockbank, A., McGill, I. (2006) Facilitating Reflective Learning through Mentoring and Coaching.London Pask, R. and Joy B. (2007) mentoring-coaching a guide for education professionals. Maidenhead: Open University Press. Anderson, M. (2010) The Leadership Book. Canada: Pearson Education Bass, B.M. Avolio, B. J. (1996) Postscripts: Recent Developments for improving Organisational Effectiveness, Sage. Bass, B. M., Riggio, R. M. (2006) Transformational Leadership. New Jersey:   Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Meginson, D. (2006) Mentoring in Action: A Practical Guide. London: Kogan Page Ltd. Landsberg, M. (2003), The tools of leadership. London: Profile Books http://ehrweb.aaas.org (accessed 27/04/2011)

Nanotechnology Applications Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nanotechnology Applications - Research Paper Example gy that was little known in the 1990s and originally and for the first time came on the surface in 1986 was little expected to bring about development in the manner it has done so already (Bhushan 2012 p. 138). It is safely being called the technology of future. Subject to the detailed level investigation of elements, the Nano technology finds its applications in the different disciplines such as electronic industry, biological experimentations and nuclear physics and sub atomic particles exploration. The use of Nano technology is so dynamically broad that it even finds its application in the iron rods and the clubs that are used in the game of Golf. Owing to their light weight and other qualities, it is being used by the professional Golf playing sporting players from across the world. In the industries Nano technology finds their application with regard to improving the processes. On relatively visible scale, the plants purification functions are now held under the Nano technology concepts and mechanism. Desalination of water is also one aspect that has seen the attention of Nano technology with regard to the modern usages and implementations. In the field of medicine and healthcare sciences, Nano technology is believed to bring about progress with regard to the cancer patients treatment. Subject to its higher capacity of tracing any damaged cells, it will allow for easier identification and rapid elimination of the cells that cause trouble. Similarly the tumors so formed in the different parts of body are easy to diagnose and remove through the detailed penetration of Nano technology supported devices and technological concepts (Gutià ©rrez 2014 p. 93). Viruses identification and Viruses control in a timely manner is also a possible element and advantage that is made easy by Nano technology. With regard to future and the safer existence of society and environment, the Nano technology concepts give an idea of healthier environment. This is offered in the form

Consumer behavious - B2C and B2B Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Consumer behavious - B2C and B2B - Essay Example This paper therefore, shall be focussed on the identification and evaluation of the various dimensions of consumer behaviour and consumer decision making process based on the differences between the B2B and the B2C buying behaviour. Moreover, the paper shall also aim at providing few real life illustrations to demonstrate the major differences between the consumer behaviour in B2B and B2C markets. The paper shall also look into the buying process in the B2C markets. Differences between the Buyer Characteristics of B2B and B2C Customers According to most of the authors, researchers and marketers, the buying behaviour of consumers differs vastly in terms of B2B and B2C markets. The differences can be identified on the ground of various features related to the overall buying behaviour of the targeted customer group. To be precise, the buying behaviour of B2B and B2C consumers largely differs in terms of market structure, buying unit, kind of purchase, nature of the buying process and co mmunication (Dave, 2008). B2B Consumer B2C Consumer Market Structure: The structure of a market refers to the buying capacity of the targeted customers. ... prefer buying in units Kind of Purchase: This particular attribute of the buying behaviour of the targeted customers refers to the reason of purchase. Business or industrial consumers purchase goods or services in order to satisfy their business needs rather than their personal needs In the case of individual customers the reason to purchase a good or service is to satisfy their personal needs or family needs (Pearsoned, 2006) Nature of the Buying Process: The buying decisions of the customers are also considered to be different in the case of a B2B customer and a B2C customer. The buying process is highly formalised and therefore faces major inconvenience as a result of supply failure The buying process is comparatively less formalised and thus creates a minimal amount of inconvenience in the failure of the supply (Pearsoned, 2006) Communication: Communication is the factor which assists the marketer to create an impulse on the targeted customers. In the case of corporate buyers, th e impulse of personal selling is greater than mass media communication In case of the B2C customers, the influence of mass media tends to be much more effective than personal selling (Pearsoned, 2006) Other than these differences the buying behaviour of B2B and B2C customer also varies from several other influences such as the macro and micro environmental fluctuations. For instance, the buying behaviour of a B2B customer in an FMCG company is highly influenced by the fluctuations of the company’s financial stability or other economic trends. Contradictorily, the buying behaviour of a B2C customer does not directly get influenced by the ups and downs of the micro-environment (Barschel, 2007). The differences in the B2B and the B2C consumer buying behaviour can be again identified in the

Comparing Three Poems Half-Caste Essay Example for Free

Comparing Three Poems Half-Caste Essay Each of these three poems talk about certain problems faced by specific groups of people in todays society. The poems have been written specifically to illustrate to people who have been brought up with derogative ideas about different types of people, that there are people who are different, but are neither superior nor inferior to themselves.  The main themes that run common in all 3 poems are the ideas of individualism, respect, culture and equality. The poem Half-Caste by John Agard talks about the stereo typed judgement about half-caste people in society today. John Agards main argument in the poem is that being a half-caste person does not make you half a human being. He talks about how people make assumptions about half-caste people.  and when Im introduced to yu Im sure youll understand why I offer yu half-a-hand This quote suggests that non half-caste peoples attitudes towards half-caste people is that they are not human, and do not do everyday things the way they would do themselves. Agard exaggerates his ideas in order to make his argument a lot clearer.  ..an when moon begin to glow I half-caste human being cast half-a-shadow It is obvious that half-caste people do not caste shadows different to anyone else, but the emphasis on the ridiculousness of the mere idea of a different type of shadow makes the idea of half-caste people being different just as ridiculous.  He explains quite cleverly how degrading the term half-caste can be by comparing half-caste people like himself to very worldly ideas that you would not title half-caste. Yu mean when light an shadow mix in de sky is a half-caste weather His examples are all of things that people would associate with beauty, such as nature, art and music. His point being that if people call humans of two colours half-caste, then everything else with mixed colours must be aswel. People wouldnt think twice about labeling a human half-caste, but when talking about nature or music and it would again be completely ridiculous to call Tchaikovskys composition a half-caste symphony. The poem itself also relays the message of individualism. It is written in phonetics to demonstrate his own personality with the language being English, but with his own Guyanan dialect. The readers are then forced to read the poem in a certain way, which enforces the message behind the poem.  Tom Leonard also uses this effective technique in his poem from Unrelated Incidents. This poem talks about status and social acceptance. Leonard talks about how people are reluctant to sit secure in the knowledge of a person with an accent, compared to someone who speaks with what is thought of proper, standard English in an English accent. He puts across the idea of how naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve and narrow-minded people can be. if a tokaboot thi trooth lik wanna yoo scruff yi widny thingk it wuz troo  He suggests that people would believe anything from the mouth of a proper speaking person, no matter how insane it may be and totally dismiss what a person with an accent like his, is saying. Even if it was the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so to speak. The way in which he has put this idea across is by using what is very commonly known to be quite English a typical example of where this sort of discrimination occurs. The news, where you will mainly hear the news read from a person who speaks with the right accent. This is thi six a clock news thi man said n thi reason a tok wia BBC accent iz coz yi widny wahnt mi ti talk aboot thi trooth wia voice lik wanna yoo scruff The poem is a parody of a typical British news broadcast, it is ironic the way in which Leonard has used his own dialect and spoken in the style of the commonly known news. It is obvious that Leonard is frustrated and angry at the fact that him and others alike would be looked down upon because of the way they talk. Similarly with John Agard we can see the resentment towards those people who treat half-caste people differently and Tom Leonard with the way society looks upon people with accents that differ from their own. However, Sujata Bhatts Search For My Tongue discusses society and culture from a different perspective. The problem she finds herself faced with is trying to make a correct balance with her own culture and heritage and the culture in which she lives in. She explains her fear of losing her mother tongue and never being able to be totally accepted by the foreign tongue. Her concern with the mother tongue being lost is very explicit in the poem: And if you lived in a place where toy had to speak a foreign tongue, you mother tongue would rot, rot and die in your mouth until you had to spit it out She explains how hard it is to keep your mother tongue healthy in a place where there is no use for it, and eventually it would become useless and you would eventually forget it about it. She talks not just about language but her whole culture and how she was brought up, what she was brought up to believe and live by and how society and different cultures sometimes make you forget. However she gets across to the reader that somehow, sub-consciously while she dreams, she dreams in her own language and reminds herself of her language and that she is still who she has always been and always will be.  modhama pakay chay it blossoms out of my mouth. The tongue is described to blossom out her mouth jus as she thinks she has forgotten it. This imagery of blossoming is beautiful and emphasises how important it is to be who you are because it is beautiful from whatever background and culture you belong to.

Salem Witch :: essays research papers

Paranoia   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Paranoia is the underlying factor of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Samuel Parris had a great terror of Satan arming his foes to destroy both him and his church. He was obsessed with any sinfulness that he saw.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although it was not just Reverend Parris that had these beliefs. It was the paranoid society, which he was a member of. The Puritans were paranoid of being different. Conformity was a large part of their life because they were all driven into the same religion. Originality is a natural human characteristic that was stripped of their being. They believed that if they didn't do what society said was the right thing to do that they would be punished in the afterlife. Because of their geographical location, they could not choose what society they belonged to, whether they liked it or not. If they did try to leave, chances are they would die in the harsh New England wilderness. They also feared the natives of the area. This caused many people to grit their teeth and bear the Puritan ways. Also this was the only way of life these people knew. They had never been in an atmosphere that flourished in new ideas. Therefore, they never had beliefs of their own. They were limi ted in the choices they made. If it weren’t for the underlying fears of being different than the Witch Trails of Salem would have never occurred.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ironically the Puritans were victims of the very society that they traveled across the Atlantic to escape. The roots of evil were still implanted in them. The church was all that had changed, and it had changed for the worse. Bertrand Russell once said, â€Å"It doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you don’t believe it completly.† Since the Puritans beliefs were absolute, it devestated their society. There was no room for new ideas. New ideas would directly contradict their religion. That is why anybody that was different was considered a witch and consequently killed. They died because of mass paranoia. This paranoia is what drove the young girls into their hysterical state of mind.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Their society revolved around fear, a fear of god. They feared very much what god would do with them once their time one earth was at an end. They justified the entire unknown with their beliefs of god. If they had bad luck or encounters with natural disasters, they thought god was punishing them.

Philosophy 103

According to Sartre, a philosopher from the World War II and Cold War eras, people will create the world around them, thus manipulating their lives. By doing this, they create certain limitations, while also creating more possibilities. Sartre created his philosophical theory at a time in history when more people were able to afford more amenities and luxuries for themselves. More and more industries, companies, and manufacturers were popping up around the world. This created a global human interest in possessing more amenities, especially in a democratic society.People were now able to not only afford the items they needed in order to sustain a normal lifestyle, but they could own things that could entertain them and bring them happiness. This is a lifestyle that has continued on through today. Many people argue that the habit of buying unnecessary items as opposed to buying those that are vital has become worse over time. Many of us wonder why this is the case. Sartre states that p eople â€Å"may not become what they wish to be† because they are too busy focusing on their material possessions instead of focusing on improving their moral selves.It is the responsibility of the person to decide what is really important in their lives. Sartre also makes a few more important notations towards his theory. First, many people think that they will only be defined by the items in which they possess. People think they will only be accepted socially if they possess items that are considered to be attractive to others. People also think they are only defined by what they have, not by who they are as people. However, Sartre also says, in reality, the world in which we live in is not composed of all the material possessions.But we tend to feel complete when we do possess these. It is our way of â€Å"escaping responsibility†. A free market constantly manipulates us, and it is easy for us to fall into its trap. When choosing whether or not to splurge on luxury items, we tend to evaluate our lifestyles and consider what are values truly are. When we evaluate our lifestyles, we fulfill ourselves in which we think will improve our overall lifestyle. Our values become our material possessions, therefore forgetting what is morally significant in our lives.It is all up to the way in which we evaluate things and our ability in attempting to resist our negative and insignificant assumptions of ourselves and the lifestyles we choose to maintain. When doing this, we usually create standards for ourselves to abide by. We only will invest in the most expensive items because we believe it will make us appear more superior to everyone else. By doing this, we forget about what is important: our consciousness of our spending habits with our money.For example, when it comes to buying a car, we forget about the role a car is meant to play in our lives. As opposed to focusing on its ability to get us from place to place, we only focus on the way it looks, h ow fast it can go, how good the sound system is, how high we can have it lifted, etc. By doing this, people lose sight of what is morally important like shelter, food, and one’s own livelihood. We see this a lot in our everyday lives. You see this on billboards, over the radio, in magazines, in movies, and especially on television. According to dictionary. om, a â€Å"Marketer† is defined as â€Å"A person whose duties include the identification of the goods and services desired by a set of consumers, as well as the marketing of those goods and services on behalf of a company. † This means that the job of the marketer is to convince the average consumer that they need their product, and this is where more often then not people confuse Luxuries versus needs. First lets start by defining â€Å"need. † In the strictest sense of the word, a â€Å"need† is something that you have to have to get by in this world – a necessity.You need food, shelte r, clothing, medical care, which are all examples of the basics. You will probably experience physical suffering of some sort if you don't have your needs met. On the other hand, a â€Å"Luxury† is something that you desire — something you would like to have. But by no means will you suffer in any way except perhaps mental anguish, if you don't get the thing you want. â€Å"Wants† quite often fall into the category of Luxuries, nice to have, but the world won't end without them. The hard part comes when you live in a prosperous capitalistic society, like ours.The â€Å"western† standard of living is so high that even many of our poor tend to live above the level of basic needs. In 1998, 97% of â€Å"poor† Americans (as defined by the Census Bureau) owned a television — something that could definitely be considered a luxury. In many third-world countries, less than 30% of the population even has access to electricity, which most westerners wo uld consider an absolute necessity. My intention is not to make anyone feel guilty — it's simply to point out that the distinction between want and need is often relative.It depends on the area in which you live, the company you keep, the lifestyle you choose, and the expectations of the society around you. We are influenced, every day, by the popular culture around us. Television, magazines, movies, and advertising have all done a splendid job of programming us to think that we need a lot of excess consumable goods. Pretend that you are watching TV or flipping through your favorite magazine and see an ad for something awesome. Suddenly, your heart speeds up, and you get a tingly feeling in your gut. It's perfect, how had you ever lived without it before?You rush right to the store, what?! You don't have any left in stock?! Your heart sinks and you feel a rush of disappointment. You spend the rest of the day moping because you couldn't find it anywhere. Now, this might be a b it of an exaggeration, but it's not far off the mark for some people. How often have you learned of a new product and were certain that you absolutely had to have it? What if you had never seen the ad? Would your life be any worse off? It's as if the knowledge that something exists causes the need for it. Thus brings up the age-old saying of keeping up with the Joneses.With the advent of the â€Å"global society,† the Joneses are not just the people next door anymore. They include movie stars and billionaires and imaginary people on TV that don't even really exist. But we hold these folks up as the standard against which we should measure our own lives. Just because Bill Gates has a multi-million dollar house, we think ours is too small. Certainly, no one is suggesting that one gives away everything they own and become a monk, but it is important that one strikes a balance between those things that they have to have and the things that they would like to have.It is also impor tant that people be able to prioritize their spending. The goal is to focus on those things that will really improve one’s quality of life, rather than just look flashy. Here's a perfect example of prioritizing between two â€Å"wants. † Wouldn't it be nice to retire early? Not have to work, spend your time doing what you want? And let's say that while you are thinking about retiring early, you are also looking to buy a house. You could choose the $500,000 home with 10 bedrooms, or you could choose the smaller, less-expensive house that meets all of your basic needs.If you choose the expensive home, you can probably kiss retiring early goodbye. But, if you decide that retiring early would improve your quality of life more than having a huge flashy house, the choice is simple. This coincides with Sartre’s theory of self-responsibility. He defines it as â€Å"individuals are responsible for their choice, i. e. , they are the incontestable author of their act. â⠂¬  This means that whatever decision a person makes, whether it be good or bad, is their own personal responsibility.For example, when a professional athlete is caught cheating by using steroids, throwing a fight, or betting on themselves, etc. they are personally responsible for the actions that take place thereafter. This also applies to Sartre’s theory on responsibility for others. He states that, â€Å"in choosing for one's self, one is thus also choosing for others and is to that extent responsible for the others. † So by having the professional athlete cheat, he or she is also affecting others, such as fans, the team’s image, and their teammates, with their actions.Sartre’s teachings on existentialism are a perfect example for the topic of Luxuries versus necessities. His idea of personal responsibility and the responsibility of others shows that in Sartre’s eye’s every consumer is responsible for themselves and if their actions caus e a negative reaction on the rest of society they person responsible for this change be held accountable. When choosing between necessities and luxuries its up to one’s own moral judgment to decide what is considered a necessity or what is a luxury. So next time your out buying something think to yourself what kind of effect could this it have on society?