Thursday, November 28, 2019

Germanys Military power Essays - Permanent Structured Cooperation

Germany's Military power From World War II to today, Germany as always been part of the rising ranks of evolution, whether it would be the country itself or their military structure. Germany as always been neck and neck with the U.S. when it came to militant warfare or technology in general. The Germans pride themselves on a refined militant structure that creates an organizational path that connects one military foundation with another. Giving statistics, Germany' dexterity is definitely built on their militant background. To begin with, Germany's Military structure, just like the United States, is made up of several branches such as the Army(Heer), The Navy (Deutsche Marine), Air Force(Luftwaffe), Central Medical Service ( Zentraler Sanitaesdienst). Given from www.suite101.com (2009), military conscripts must be 18 years of age and as of 2002, must serve a 9-month tour of compulsory service. Germany's military now as rebuilt themselves into an advanced and respected organization with personnel providing worldwide service and training. From www.suite101.com, statistics have shown that the Bundeswehr or the German Federal Armed Forces have a comprising amount of 250, 831 members within the following branches; Army(102,403), Navy(18,140), Air Force(46,436), Central Medical Service (18,942), Military Bases(55-646), and other forces (9,264). As of 2000, (suite101.com, 2009) Germany's military forces have been deployed to Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ethiopia/ Eritrea, Georgia, Horn of Africa/ Indian Ocean , Kosovo, Lebanon , Mediterranean Sea, Sudan. Not only does Germany have a refurbished military force but the technology is also beginning to supersede. From guns and biological warfare to airborne warfare such as new and improved "The Russian MiG-29", which are fighter jets that were produced by the soviet Union. They also have produce CH-53 helicopters that have been deployed to Afghanistan.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

How to Make an Audiobook Step-by-Step [With Video]

How to Make an Audiobook Step-by-Step [With Video] How to Make an Audiobook Step-by-Step [With Video] Not having an audiobook version of your book might, quite likely, be the death of your success. Which means you must know how to make an audiobook to fix that.We’re in the age of podcasts, radio apps, and audiobooks, and now couldn’t be a better time to convert your eBook into an audiobook. But many writers get scared off by the thought of creating an audiobook.â€Å"Isn’t it expensive?† â€Å"Won’t it take a ton of time?† â€Å"How do I even do it?!?† Thankfully, self-publishing an audiobook now is as easy as self-publishing your book. It has become cost-effective and approachable for self-published authors, and there is a range of options depending on the budget you want to spend on it.Here are the steps for how to make an audiobook:Prep your book for audiobook recordingDecide who will record itHire an audiobook narratorRecord the audiobook yourselfWork with an audiobook producerCreate the audiobook at homeUpload your audiobook to AC XHere are the exact steps you need to follow, and our suggestions for turning your book into the next big audiobook.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

The eNotes Blog Before I Die Communities, Art, Purpose,Reflection

Before I Die Communities, Art, Purpose,Reflection A few years ago, artist Candy Chang lost a good friend. The experience left her thinking a lot about death, what in her life was of value, what she wanted to do while she had time, and with whom she should spend those hours.   While she knew she wanted to define these objectives, Chang says that she struggled to maintain perspective.   She wondered if others felt similarly adrift. Chang noticed that there was an old, abandoned home in her New Orleans neighborhood, a perfect canvas for expression. She, along with a group of friends, painted one side of the home in chalkboard paint and created a Before I die ___________________ stencil: Chang had no idea what to expect. But she and her friends attached little baskets of chalk to the sides and stepped away to wait and see: To Changs great delight and surprise, the very next day,   the wall was bursting with handwritten responses and it kept growing:  Before I die I want to†¦ sing for millions, hold her one more time, eat a salad with an alien, see my daughter graduate,  abandon all insecurities, plant a tree,  straddle the International Date Line,  be completely myself†¦. The project did what Chang had hoped it would do and more. It made her feel connected. It focused her thoughts and attention. Moreover, she came to know her neighbors in unexpected ways which were sometimes comic, sometimes tragic. The project soon had many enthusiastic supporters and requests poured in for more of the Before I Die _______ walls. Chang and her colleagues responded by creating a  toolkit  and the  project site beforeidie.cc  to help people make a wall with their community. You can also download all files for free to remix or create your own stencils. To date, one hundred   Before I Die ___________ walls have been created in over ten languages and in thirty countries.   The Atlantic  calls Before I Die _____________  Ã¢â‚¬Å"One of the most creative community projects ever.†Ã‚   Chang, who has given a popular TED Talk on the project, says:   Each wall is a tribute to living an examined life. Our public spaces are as profound as we allow them to be.  The historian Lewis Mumford once wrote that the origins of society were not just for physical survival but for sacred things that offer â€Å"a more valuable and meaningful kind of life.† At their greatest, our public spaces can nourish our well-being and help us see that we’re not alone as we try to make sense of our lives.  Regularly contemplating death, as Stoics and other philosophers encourage, is a powerful tool to restore perspective and remind us of the things that make our lives meaningful.  Each passerby is another person full of longing, anxiety, fear, and wonder. With more ways to share in public space, the people around us can not only help us make better places, they can help us become our best selves. Here are a few more images from the original New Orleans site. You can visit other walls here.   Follow projects on Facebook or Twitter. What do you want to write?

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Free sample - The influence of mass media on the social life.. translation missing

The influence of mass media on the social life.. The influence of mass media on the social life.1. Nowadays it is very hard to overestimate the influence of mass media on the social life. It provides us with big quantity of information- movies, news, informative and educational TV-programs and for sure there is a lot of commercial information- advertising. In order to pick needed information from the flow of differently-oriented information, it is necessary to outline the general principles of its ‘consumption’ and to understand the principles of its work. According to the Stuart Hall â€Å"Encoding and Decoding†, it is possible to say that people get all needed information, especially commercial on the subliminal level. In other words, advertising and propagandistic films influence human mind indirectly, with the help of specially-developed psychological tools. Stuart Hall outlines the four staged theory of communication, which includes the following steps: production, circulation, use and reproduction. [1] According to the â€Å"Encoding and Decoding†, it is possible to outline three following hypothetical reader/viewer positions: first of all, the sender never determines the meaning of the message; secondly, it is very hard to understand the essence of the message for the audience, because the message is not transparent; and finally, the audience is not a passive recipient of meaning[2] According to the Halls concept, it is possible to say that sender never makes a strict determination of the message, because each viewer would make those conclusions, which are supported by his own moral standards and attitude towards some subject matter. In the Ang’s "Dallas and the Ideology of Mass Culture" we have found the following interpretation of mass culture: it makes its great impact on the social, life, while the mass serials like Dallas are widely watched and discussed by wide auditory; some of people like that serial, others do not, but it is still discussed, watched and it does not lose its popularity. It has become being the part of the social life. People live together with the main characters and they are waiting for watching the new episode in order to get the information, concerning the plot development. There is such an attitude towards mass consumption serials: some people feel comfortable and do not consider their life problems, while watching serial, such people live together with their heroes and do not care about their own and global problems. Mass culture serials development allows stage director (or letter-writer) to outline new ideas in the current culture and to create new mass culture – they include into the plot of the serial those issues and aspects, which would make significant influence on the social life: beginning from the fashions and accomplishing with the behaviour ideas. People would follow their beloved characters of serials and in such manner they would be trying to be alike to the serials’ main heroes.[3] According to the David Morley THE NATIONWIDE AUDIENCE, it is possible to make conclusions about the influence of the mass culture on different aspects of human lives. In such manner it is possible to create public opinion the desired way- to involve public opinion polls in order to ‘outline’ the general attitude towards some event. In such manner those people, who are not involved directly into the problematic, would be influenced by such ‘mass’ opinion. That allows preventing panic and at the same case such mass media tools mislead people, concerning current situation in the country.[4] Finally, Jacqueline Bobo has outlined in her THE COLOR PURPLE the possibility of using mass media tool for paying additional attention on the situation (in Jacquelines’ Bobo case - with the racial discrimination.   To conclude, we would like to stress that getting the message from the author means understanding all ideas, which laid the foundations of the movie or serial or advertising. The quality of such message could be measured by the number of those people, who have made conclusions, alike to the authors’ ones.[5] 2. Currently, is possible to outline one of the most powerful cultural moving today- fun clubs. They were developed and created in order to integrate different people with the same attitudes towards life values, towards some popular persons or towards some works of art. These people are usually very friendly and they are integrated by the common idea about development the mass culture tool- promoting, supporting and admiration with some person or group of people. Different actions, participants meetings and future actions consideration are the main directions of the fan clubs activities. To our opinion, it is possible to consider fan clubs as extension of audiences for some cultural activities. In order to prove the above said, we would like to consider the Star Trek fans, who have tried to achieve the social understanding if the homosexual relations and to prevent wide judgement this movement. They have considered the homosexual relations as a normal social event, which should be understood and supported by their society. They have achieved that level with the help of the following tools: they have proclaimed the slogan 'Out of the closet and into the universe’ – tending to be visual and ordinary and by mass national letter-writing campaign organisation. As a result, both these tolls have attracted mass attention towards that issue and that has made its influence of the situation improvement in the whole country. [6] Talking about the Titanic and DiCaprio funs, we would like to pay additional attention that the majority of its fans are young females (more that 60 percents of the general quantity) and their age does not exceed 25 y.o. in majority of cases. Titanic with DiCaprio is the blockbuster, which is based on the real historical events. It concerns such topics as welfare, love and human relations. Also such philosophical issue as the sense of life is outlined indirectly, because it is up to the audience to decide whether hero has made right decision of it would have been better to act another way to prevent such misfortune. The fun clubs have supported the popularity of this movie   for durable period of time and have significantly increased the revenue from its screening - majority of young ladies have watched it for several times- from 2 to 14 and that has attracted additional interest towards that issue from another female representatives of young age. In order to defend the favourite movie from the different negative journalistic and star discourse its fans have marginalized their desires, the fan club representatives have widely involved press into that process and there they have printed different articled, supported with DiCaprio photos and some desired of personal meetings, love and devotion towards main hero of this movie. In such manner young fans have constantly attracted some interest towards the Titanic and they have saved its popularity and the interest towards this movie for a durable period of time. [7] To conclude, we would like to stress that mass media and fun clubs create the populations’ attitude towards some social events, works of art and persons. It is very important to support such movements and to direct their activities into the positive course. Only in such manner it is possible to achieve the highest results and to combine the fan club legal activity and mass culture creation, support and development. Reference list: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ang, Ien. "Dallas and the Ideology of Mass Culture." The Cultural Studies Reader. Ed. Simon During. New York: Routledge, 1993. 403-420. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bobo, Jacqueline (1988 ) Black women's responses to The Colour Purple. Jump Cut, no. 33, Feb. 1988, pp. 43-51 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hall, S. (1973) Encoding and Decoding in the Television Discourse Birmingham: CCS 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Henry Jenkins (2001) OUT OF THE CLOSET AND INTO THE UNIVERSE' Queers and Star Trek 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   MELANIE NASH AND MARTTI LAHTI (2001) "Utmost Ashamed to Say I am the One of Those Girls " Titanic, Leonardo Dicaprio, and the paradoxes of girls' fandom   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Morley, David (1980) The 'Nationwide' Audience: Structure and Decoding. London: BFI. ISBN 0-85170-097-7   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Procter, James. (2004) Stuart Hall, Routledge critical thinkers.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

International Trade Unions 1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

International Trade Unions 1 - Assignment Example In this scenario ACFTU, the body in charge of trade unions in the country, has no sovereign responsibility. It would continue to be what it is currently: an outside public bureaucracy of the ministry of labor with very little significance in terms of the major issues of export operations in the private economy. Without its own organizational influence, it stays to be subordinate to the Party, disregarded by the employees. Employers are currently in support of powerful ACFTU trade unions because they are opposing the increasing pressure on collective agreements and wages (Merz, 2011). Industrial action in companies is likely to become more intense if the ACFTU trade unions are involved. In terms of resolution of employee grievances, Trade unions in china have continued officially to play the role of representing the interests of the entire working class under the guidance of the Communist Party. Employees in the country are granted the right to freedom of association. However, the rig ht to strike was eliminated from the constitution in 1982. As a result, the international trade union community does not acknowledge Chinese trade unions as ‘genuine’ trade unions, capable of representing members’ interests. ... The handy role of trade unions in the mediation stage is not to represent the employee but to act as a mediator between the employer and the worker and more generally to act as an agent of the employer (Hunter et al., 2008). At the first two stages, judgment is rarely implemented even when the employee wins, and most grievances end up in court. Judicial procedures have become the chief means for the resolution of employee grievances concerning labor issues in china. The axle of the structure is the arbitration process because, while a complainant can evade the mediation stage, one can only proceed with a case to court by appealing against the decision made during the arbitration process. Trade unions oversee the mediation process which occurs within the enterprise; they chair the mediation committee (Eyferth, 2006). The system of mediation as a method of remedying employees’ serious grievances is weak because, while the number of documented cases has risen, there has been a ra pid decline in the number of cases going to mediation (Hunter et al., 2008). Furthermore, the ratio of appeals against mediation decisions has augmented; therefore there has been a fall in the burden of resolution of employees’ grievances on the courts and local arbitration committees. In 1995, ACFTU tried to strengthen the role of trade unions in providing support to workers in legal disputes by issuing a statement on trade unions’ engagement in settlements of employee grievances. This statement stressed that trade unions should offer legal aid to employees and should establish their individual legal outfits to stand for such employees (Eyferth, 2006). The ACFTU put up legal divisions at state,

The Fires in Wieland written by Charles Brockden Brown Essay

The Fires in Wieland written by Charles Brockden Brown - Essay Example Giving an account of her grandparents, she then introduces her father, but focuses on his life before his tragic death at her tender age. According to the author, her father started acting crazy when he started believing that he had a divine calling immediately after completing his apprenticeship. She was then a yo9ung woman to understand much, though she could tell that her father developed some weird habits. The astute belief that he had a calling led him to Philadelphia where he purchased a farm and started cultivation. After fourteen years of cultivation, he married, losing his interest in theology and his beliefs of his calling in his cultivation. However, at one time, he took back to his theological studies, and begun his missionary once more. His plan however did not work as he expected, as he suffered from immense frustration, exhaustion, hunger, and fear. After his return to his family, his state did not change. Instead, he slipped to his state of solitude, frugality, and st rictness. It was at his home that he decided to heed to his calling. Starting his mission, he built up a temple in a cliff overlooking the river. Nothing was fancy about the church, notes the narrator. It had been a small mud hut, with an earthed floor and no door or window did not show any form of fanciness. Routinely, her father visited the temple twice a day to seek the guidance of God on his mission. Even after starting his mission, his state never improved, rather, his sadness deepened. Arguing that his cause of sadness was due to the deviation from his duty, he never gave any explanation what this actually meant. As the author narrates, her father felt that his death was near, which he himself described as sudden and terrible. One day, he left the house, saying that he wanted to take care of a few â€Å"urgent engagements† but never revealing where he was going. When he returned home without talking and acting strange, the narrator’s mother

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Re -submission coursework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Re -submission coursework - Essay Example The courts are always bound by this principle; however, there is a possibility and exemptions when the courts can lift the corporation veil in order to reveal the true identity and character of the company under consideration. The main reason of this approach is that the law will seek to prevent a corporate organization from being misused or even abused (Prentice and Reisberg, 2011). In circumstances when the court is aware that the corporation is abusing its form, then the courts would rip off the corporate veil, and disregard the principles established by the House of Lords in Salomon vs. Salomon. On this basis, the assertions by Lord Denning in the case Little Woods Mail order, against Inland Revenue Commissioner is correct, and the courts have applied the principles established in this case, while lifting the corporate veil of companies whose cases are before the court. This paper critically looks at the concept of incorporation of the company, and its effects. It further on analyzes this concept of separate legal personality, and the principles contained in Salomon vs. Salomon (Prentice and Reisberg, 2011). This paper also relies on the 1985 companies act in supporting some of the facts identified in it. This paper also defines the concept of lifting the corporate veil, and instances when the courts can lift the corporate veil. This paper also has an analysis and evaluation section. This section is an analysis of the various concepts introduced into the paper. In meeting these objectives, this paper will use relevant case laws and authority. The conclusion of this paper is a summary of the various points addressed in it. The concept of incorporation of a company refers to the formation of new companies, that is given a legal benefit, and it is recognized as a personality under the law. The corporation under consideration can either be a business organization, a governmental institution, a sports club, a non-profit making organization, etc. A

Facilitation Guide Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Facilitation Guide - Essay Example e the responsibility of ensuring that they set the agendas to be used in the discussions, monitoring the group’s activities and ensuring that all the set items have been discussed. In undertaking this activity, the facilitators proposed varied ideas and opinions in a bid of ensuring an active participation of all the members present in the meeting (Kremer 2008). Therefore, they have to ensure that they encourage active participation by all the people present in the meeting. This paper presents a facilitation guide for a meeting to be held by Helix Inc. in a meeting with their staff. Setting: Following the fact that most of the staff attending the meeting are located in different location in Europe, the setting for the meeting will be on the Blackboard Collaborate platform. In this case, the participants will be expected to join and follow the proceedings from their different respective locations. Purpose: The main aim of this meeting, which has been called by the company’s CEO, Jane Elliot is aimed at finding an understanding into some emerging developments in the company. For instance, the CEO seeks to have an understanding into how the company’s revenues have been accounted for, following its inability to land various global accounts recently. I take this opportunity t welcome you into this meeting, which is expected to ensure that our company creates and maintains its competitive advantage. I would like to thank all the staff that have made it to this meeting, hoping that the discussion and into recommendations will be actively implemented in ensuring that Helix creates and maintains its position as the best company as far as the production and sale of various technological programs for company operations is concerned. This meeting will be used in setting the expectations for the company’s operations, which will be essential in developing its expected competitive advantages. Finally, I would like to welcome the participation of everyone in this

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Global Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Global Marketing - Essay Example This research aims to evaluate and present globalization that has opened a plethora of opportunities for organizations and communities to trade across national and supranational boundaries. International marketing is the term coined for trade between the different international entities and is set to evolve into global marketing. Global marketing is an evolving concept with some similarities to international marketing in the advantages it provides in terms of marketing strategies, cost reductions, etc. However, it is also considered to be quite unlike international marketing in terms of the need for a holistic approach towards marketing. While international marketing focuses on standardization of marketing practices across the various national and supranational boundaries, global marketing is an evolution of the concept of international marketing that is holistic in its approach to trade and its marketing practices and tends to leverage both standardization and adaptation as the mark eting strategies based on the products and market segment. While international marketing concerns the contextual marketing of products and services, global marketing is the standardization of international marketing. With standardization, there are benefits like cost savings, uniform brand image and improved co-ordination, and with adaptation, organizations benefit from differences in user conditions, regulatory factors, consumer behaviours and customized marketing concepts. (website 1). Global marketing concept implements more or less the same marketing theories that apply to international marketing or even traditional marketing with the difference those organizations have to almost uniformly cater to different markets and customers. Three domains of knowledge: cross-cultural, country-regional and cross-border transactional knowledge is required for organizations to operate globally within a management orientation framework called EPRG (Ethnocentric, Polycentric, Regiocentric and G eocentric) framework as shown in Figure 1 below (Keegan, 2011). Figure 1: EPRG framework for global marketing. Source: (Keegan, 2011). Several determinants or driving forces of global marketing that differentiate it from international marketing are: technology, regional economic agreements, market demand, transportation and communication infrastructure, quality, product development cost, world economic trends, organizational abilities and transnational environments. However, there other factors that restrict global marketing: inability of organizations to create a culture conducive for global marketing and cross-border barriers (Keegan, 2011). Global marketing is a mix of adaptation and customization of international mar

Employment and Staff Essay Example for Free

Employment and Staff Essay Motivating staff is essential to a business, because if the staff are motivated that means they’re happy, and are happy to do the job and are more likely to do a better job than someone who’s unmotivated and unhappy. To motivate staff, business can use one of the motivational theories, researched by theorists such as Taylor, McGregor, McClelland, Vroom, Herzberg, Maslow and Mayo. Mayo’s research found that after a number of experiments testing incentive schemes, rest period, hours of work, and changes in lighting and heating whatever changes were made, output continued to rise. This motivated the staff, and Tesco uses this theory to motivate their staff. All of their staff gets breaks, so when they are tired of the job, they can go to a canteen to get some food, or just sit down and rest. Also nowadays a lot of people smoke, and if a person has been smoking for a while, they tend to get stressed easily, and they need a cigarette to calm themselves down, so Tesco lets people to have cigarette breaks when people get stressed out. Also the conditions of work will help to motivate the staff, for example in summer when it’s really hot all of their stores have air conditioning, so all the staff and their customers are cool, because people tend to work better and are happier when they are cool. Tesco also uses Maslow’s theory, which suggests that the staff needs to be ranked into hierarchy, so for example the bottom of the hierarchy will have basic needs, when the top of the hierarchy will have greater needs. So someone who works in a store stocking shelves, their needs will be to have a break when they’re working, to get a new uniform etc. Where the area manager for example will have greater needs, for example because they have to travel a lot from store to store they will want to get a car for them to be able to travel, also the petrol to be paid for. Also because their role involves a lot of responsibility they will expect to get paid more for doing the job than someone who works in a store and their only responsibility is to make sure that all of the shelves are stocked up. If all of their staff needs are unsatisfied, then it means the staff will be unhappy and unmotivated which will reflect in their performance. Tesco also uses McGregor’s theory, which suggests that all employs should be punished if they did a bad job and rewarded if they did a good job. For example if an employee does a bad job they will be threatened and get a disciplinary, which means if they do it again they might lose their job. If a person does a good job, they will be recognised, and their manager might have a chat with them to reflect on their performance and make sure that they are aware that they did a good job and the person is in a higher position, such as a manager, they will get a bonus.  M3) Performance indicators Business have many ways of measuring their staff performance, for example they can use time periods for measuring, for example ASDA might measure their employees performance by how many customers they’ve served in one hour. This method does not work for all businesses, for example clothes manufacturer might not use this method because they need quality not quantity, and if they push t heir staff to make shirts faster they might make them poor quality or they might not fit. This helps develop their staff because they set themselves a target and this motivates people because people like challenges, and they are clear on what they need to do for the day. Also by achieving their target they might get a reward for it so it motivates them. Goal theory Another method of measuring performance is setting their employees goals. The best goals are when the employee and the employer both agree on what’s important and working together to achieve that goal. Clear and challenging goals can motivate their staff. For example ASDA might use this method on people who are stocking up the store. For example the manager might say that today they need to move couple shelves somewhere else and stock them up and they have 2 hours to do it. This help the staff to develop, because they know what’s their performance, and what they can do to improve it next time. SMART Targets SMART is a technique used to work out how useful a set of objectives are. All the targets needs to be specific, they should have a focus and not be vague. They need to be measurable, so they should include something that can be measured. They also need to be achievable, so if staff do not think they can achieve their targets they will be demotivated. Also it needs to be realistic in relation to both the resources and skills available, and the overall goals of the organisation and it needs to have a time-bound, so it must have an end so that success can be measured. This helps to develop staff because using SMART technique the staff are clear about the objective and they are sure that it is achievable, because if staff thinks that it is unachievable they get demotivated. Benchmarking Benchmarking can be used to measure organisations performance by comparing themselves to other organisations and matching or exceeding their performance. For example ASDA will compare itself to all big supermarkets in UK such as Sainsbury’s, Morrison’s, and Tesco etc. This help to develop staff because they compare themselves to their competitors and it is very clear on how they are doing, and this helps to improve the business, because if other business is doing better then they need to figure out what they are doing wrong and how to change it. Probation Pretty much all businesses will have a probation period for new employees. This means that they will be closely monitored for a certain period of time and their performance will be measured so the business is certain that this person is capable of doing the job and is a right candidate. Business such as Tesco will have a short probation period because the job doesn’t require a high skill and it doesn’t take long to find out if the person is right for the job, but jobs like teachers or doctors will have longer probation periods, because it takes some time to find out if the candidate is capable of doing a job, and their probation period will be around 9 months but can be longer. Also when people are on probation period this gives the right to the employer to fire them for no reason. Probation period helps to develop staff because if they are on a probation period, they are under more pressure and makes them more focussed about understanding the business and doing their job at their best ability. Appraisal Appraisal is another method of measuring performance in a business. This means that at the end of the year the employee and employer will sit down and review the year, the employee will say what he thinks he’s done very well, and the employer will say what they think they’ve done well and what  they need to work on. This is helps to develop staff because the employer tells the staff on how they are performing and what they have been doing very well and what they have been doing not so well, and gives them advice on how to improve or change it. Supporting employees There’s couple ways of how you can support employees. One of them is me ntoring, this means that someone in the workplace will help them that is just above their positions and has been in their position previously, so they can pass on some of their knowledge and explain the job. There’s two types of mentoring; formal and informal. Formal mentoring means that the mentor will have paper work with them and will monitor them and will write everything down. Informal mentoring means that the mentor will only have a chat with them or help them but wouldn’t write anything down. Also another way to support the employees is buddying up. For example in ASDA a new employer will be partnered up with someone that is on the same level as them but has been working for a long period of time and knows their job very well, so the new employer can work with them for couple of days to get to know the job and the other person can help them if they get confused or stuck. This helps to develop staff because people get demotivated and getting support from other staff or the manager helps to improve their performance, because some people get stuck and are not sure how to do a job they’ve been given, and some help from the manager can sort that out, also just having a chat with them might also help because some people just need to know that someone cares about them and how they’re getting on. Occupational Health People are human beings and can get stressed when they are pushed to work hard, so the employers need to think about how to release that stress. For example they could put some plants in the office, because plants produce oxygen which helps people to relax. Also if the office is very warm think about putting an air con to cool it down, because when people are hot they tend to get very stressed out. For example all Tesco stores have air con, so all of their employees are cool and don’t get stressed out as much. This helps to develop staff because for example, if the working conditions in Tesco are very hot the employees might not work very well, and they will get very stressed, but if they install air conditioning and make the store cool, the staff will work a lot better and will be a lot happier, because they are not hot and they’re comfortable. Managing workloads People get very stressed out when they are under pressure and have a lot of things to do, so it is very important for a business to balance it out, and spread workload equally, for example Tesco will divide people into section and give the same amount of shelves to stock up, so it’s fair on everyone. This helps to develop staff because giving them a lot of workload will demotivated them and sometimes even push them into leaving the job because they are stressed and lose motivation, so by reducing workload and sharing the workload equally, this will release the stress and staff will have more motivation. Delegating authority and responsibility By giving more authority and responsibility can motivate employees but it is very important to monitor how it is working, in order to avoid errors and costly mistakes, which can affect employer in terms of money and reputation, also it might lead to dismissing the employee. For example Tesco manager will be responsible for hiring new people and they might hire someone that is not capable of doing the job which might cost Tesco money. This will help to develop staff because they will feel like they are trusted, so they will be more focussed and will try to prove to their employer that they are capable of doing the job. Capacity Capacity relates to the amount of work or products that can be produced or is being produced. Using as much capacity as possible should lead to lower costs for the business, so employers need to ensure that employees are performing well without putting them under so much pressure that they suffer with stress and then become ill. Linking rewards to performance Giving rewards to people for doing a good job or achieving or exceeding a target motivates people to work harder. For example Tesco manager will get a bonus for achieving or exceeding the stores targets. He then might share it with the team, to keep them motivated. This helps to develop the staff, because everyone loves getting a reward if they do a good job, because it shows that their employer cares about them and also gives them a sense of achievement, and makes themselves feel good, because they did a good job.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Green Marketing Differs From Traditional Marketing Marketing Essay

Green Marketing Differs From Traditional Marketing Marketing Essay Green Marketing can be defined as the holistic management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying the needs of customers and society, in a profitable and sustainable way. Therefore, one can say that green marketing is a careful integration of social and environmental requirements with the economic desires of the company. Green marketing is also known as environmental, sustainable and eco marketing. Green Marketing differs from Traditional Marketing Differences between green marketing and traditional marketing can be seen from various aspects. Green marketing expands on the fundamental functions of traditional marketing. Consequently, green marketing can achieve goals that traditional marketing cannot meet. For example, green marketing not only focuses on the direct benefit of a product but also on long term environmental benefits. Traditional marketing involves soliciting new customers by using television advertising, print advertising, direct mail and telemarketing. This is known as outbound marketing where focus is on push strategies. Green marketing by contrast uses inbound marketing where the focus is a pull strategy. According to Cordero (2012); Inbound marketing works by creating content that people actually want to see, encouraging potential clients to seek out the company being marketed, rather than the company seeking out people. Social media is the primary marketing platform for inbound marketing. By linking the companys website with external social media sites such as: YouTube, Facebook and Twitter; along with blogs. All these platforms form an interactive media that fosters interaction with potential customers. Why Green? Green marketing has been growing rapidly since it came into existence; it is not only leading companies to environmental protection, but also creates job opportunities and opens new markets. Green Marketing has emerged as a mainstream marketing tool in business over the last decade. With the mobilisation of socio-environmental groups and the vastly increased sources of information in society it is no longer possible for companies to ignore green. Thus green marketing has evolved enough to become significant for the long term sustainability of companies. Filho, et al. (2008), state; The growing concerns with the environment, increased competition, and customer demands are immediate challenges to green marketing. And according to the Harvard Sustainability Initiative, (2012); Companies are under growing pressure to be accountable not only to shareholders, but also to stakeholders such as employees, consumers, suppliers, local communities, policymakers, and society-at-large. Socio-environmentalism (sustaining the future of our Planet) has become a leading concern for all. They are leading motivations for change and reform. Society needs to pressure environmental reform to safeguard the future of our planet for future generations. Table 1 below lists some of the more pertinent socio-environmental concerns; Global Warming Finite Natural Resources Water Waste Management Deforestation Pollution Synthetic Chemicals Genetically Modified Foods Table Socio-Environmental Concerns Green Drivers Figure 1 below demonstrates the green drivers affecting sustainable marketing. Green drivers are divided into two categories: internal drivers and external drivers. Figure 1 Summary of green drivers Environmental Management Catalysts (Khanna, 2005) cited by (Valentine, 2009) External Drivers External drivers include stakeholder pressures, regulation and competition. Figure 2 below lists the various sources of stakeholder pressures. Figure sources of stakeholder pressures Company strategies are often strongly motivated by competition. Competitive analysis is a key element in the strategic direction of the company. The company must ask itself what are the competition doing and how can we gain use from that information to create a competitive advantage. In many cases green marketing is about reacting to industry movements towards green policies. Government legislation and regulations are often driven by demand from society and environmental concerns have increasingly become key election agendas over the last 20 years. Governments are now compelled to implement new regulations at an accelerated rate. For example the EU has implemented the EU Sustainable Development Strategy  (SDS).The SDS sets out the objective of achieving improvement of the quality of life for present and future generations. Prosperity, environmental protection and social cohesion are to be achieved through sustainable communities which are able to manage resources efficiently and to tap into the ecological and social innovation potential of the economy. The SDS supports the EU in evaluating, monitoring, developing and improving the EUs collective carbon footprint. For a company to be truly green it needs its entire supply chain to be green as well. The Company needs to know all subcontractors, which are providing support to main suppliers, practice have green responsibility at the core of their business. A company is only as green as its least green supplier. Local Communities have become increasingly aware of the environment in their vicinity. While they are always thankful for job creation, local communities are less tolerant of company caused environmental and social negatives. GIY Ireland is a social society that encourages members to grow their own food stocks. GIY would be less necessary if produce was sourced locally and sold at reasonable prices. Green activist groups such as Greenpeace can have a very public and damaging effect on companies. They through societal support have the means of lobbying governments and creating campaigns that reduce profits. By going green companies can reduce the impact of activist groups. Internal Drivers Sustainable marketing has emerged as a vibrant economic source of profits. The overall market for green marketing is said to be worth $ 3.5 trillion by the year 2017 (Global Industry Analysts Inc. 2011). Any company interested in growth and profits should have a desire to share in this growth sector. Odell (2007) explains that graduates are now looking to environmentally friendly companies first when seeking employment. She also states employees working at companies with clear corporate responsibility (CSR) programs, including environmental and social programs, are most satisfied. Savvy companies realise that green increases competitive advantage in recruiting, brand reputation, employee recruitment and retention. Corporate Social Responsibility According to the Harvard sustainability initiative (2012), CSR encompasses not only what companies do with their profits, but also how they make them. It addresses how companies manage their economic, social, and environmental impacts, as well as their relationships in all key spheres of influence: the workplace, the marketplace, the supply chain, the community, and the public policy realm. CSR implies that sustainability starts with the senior management and permeates throughout the company, where the corporate level is active in guiding the company strategy with social and environmental concerns addressed along with profit. Wiley cited by Odell (2012) states, Those organizations that have a clear CSR policy set themselves apart from the competition in terms of employment brand. Partaking in CSR activities not only has positive societal effects, but also increases an organizations competitive advantage. To be effective CSR must be: Voluntary, Transparent, and Credible, Integrated into organisation culture, provide value for organisation, stakeholders and society and work diligently with sustainable strategies. Sustainability Sustainability is about ensuring a greater quality of life for current and future generations. Kolter (2011) states, Companies must address the issue of sustainability. Sustainability raises the question whether this generation can leave future generations with the same or a larger basket of resources than we have now. According to Paul Hawken (2012), The first rule of sustainability is to align with natural forces, or at least not try to defy them. Figure 3 below illustrates how social, economic and environment integration form the sustainability direction of a company. Figure the triple bottom line Sustainability Triumvirate (Greenlaw, 2011) C:UsersLeon BehalAppDataLocalTempNew Picture (1).bmp The idea of sustainability is to reconcile the needs of society, the environment and the companys profits to create long-term shareholder value (Greenlaw, 2011). Sustainability and green marketing are evolving as growing drivers of business in the post-recession world. As part of this agenda savvy consumers are pressuring companies to become transparent with their business practices. No longer is it acceptable to be solely for profit maximisation. Unilever is a recognised advocate of sustainability and CSR, as evidenced by their Sustainable Living Plan (SLP). SLP offers transparency and clarity about Unilevers sustainability targets and progress reports. Greenwashing According to GIA (2012) Greenwashing refers to exaggerated green claims and falsified green claims and is a major challenge for industry, as it leads to consumer scepticism pertaining to such green claims. Despite the risks associated with greenwashing companies continue to practice this. Kock Industries is an US based conglomerate, with interests in multiple environmentally damaging industries such as: mining, oil, and chemicals. Kock Industries actively lobbies the US government against global warming and other green concerns, and has also incurred $400 million in environmental fines and judgements over a four year period in the early 2000s. Despite this Kock Industries website proclaims sustainability and CSR as core elements of its strategic direction. Monsato LLC is a US owned publicly traded company. Like Kock industries Monsato claims sustainability and CSR as key themes in its strategy. Monsato is a global leader in genetically modified foods. There primary focus is on seeds, and they have even obtained patents on these products. Terminator seeds are seeds without reproduction capabilities created by Monsato. The long term effects of terminator seeds on the seed gene pool are unpredictable and should never be commercialised. Green Myopia Companies should strive to avoid Green Myopia, where products are absolutely green and alienate their customer base. The primary reason for being green is to create customer satisfaction through motivating and providing green benefits. It is very difficult to get consumers to switch brands without meeting satisfaction criteria, and absolute green in general will disappoint consumers. Another alienating possibility is overpricing, consumers will select the best alternative is the price differential is too great. Green Consumers NBC Universal the US media conglomerate proposes that consumers conform to one of four green consumer categories. Figure 4 below identifies the four categories as: true brown, potential green, thinking green and behavioural green. Figure Green Consumer Types based on NBC Universal Model True Brown consumers are the hardnosed anti-green types. They are likely to actively seek out non green products and usually apathetic about environmental concerns and are seeking traditional marketing benefits, such as quality, price. They will not go out of their way to source green products. Potential Green (PG) consumers are green aware, but do not actively buy green. PGs need effective encouragement to buy green and their purchases may be coincidental. Think Green (TG) consumers have an interest in favouring green, but it must be convenient. TGs will go non-green when not positively motivated. According to Vernekar and Wadhwa (2011), Consumers with neither strong positive nor strong negative attitudes towards green products are more likely to be persuaded by a non-green benefits message than a green message. Behavioural green (BG) consumers are passionately green. BG consumers are often environmental advocates and only buy eco-friendly or neutral products. BG consumes strongly favour green products, but distrust green advertising. Thus careful consideration needs to be placed on where green marketing is utilised. Green Consumer Segments There are many types of green consumer segments including: resource conservers, health fanatics, animal lovers, and outdoor enthusiasts. It is important to use green strategies effectively when targeting favourable consumer demographics. The 4 Ps of Green Price: Although many consumers state willingness to pay slightly more for green products, the price needs to remain close to alternatives to attract less green consumers. There must be a careful balance between: profits, productivity, environment and people. To justify extra charges green products should offer increased product value through: performance, function, design. Product: Green products need proof of reduction of resource consumption, pollution. Eco-friendly products can state there green as a differentiating factor. Product labelling trends include: energy saving, organic, green chemicals, local sourcing. Companies can label products green simply by using eco-friendly packaging. Place: Companies can reduce their carbon footprint by: managing logistics, such as transport costs, and raw materials sourcing. Companies should carefully consider where and when to sell green products. Many consumers will travel out of their way to buy green, but most want ease of access and will buy non-green when convenient. Promotion: Matching marketing mix to customer green needs by: focusing on relationship between product/ service and environment, promoting green lifestyle benefits. Corporate image is important and CSR demonstrates commitment to green. Social media plays a central role in promoting the activities of green companies. There is even scope for consumer interaction and tastemaker associations from this platform. Green Strategies Industry green norms and potential green market size are key issues for companies looking to gain competitive advantage with green marketing. Companies should consider the likely size of green markets in its industry as well as how can they differ their green products or services from their competitors ones before they take steps on going green. C:UsersLeon BehalAppDataLocalMicrosoftWindowsTemporary Internet FilesContent.WordNew Picture (15).bmp Figure the Four Green Strategy Positions There are four types of green strategies: Lean Green, Defensive Green, Shaded Green and Extreme Green. Figure 5 above illustrates the need for companies to identify their position in regards to substantiality of green market segments and differentiability of greenness in order to choose the right strategy to enter a green market. Promotions tools adopted by this strategy are rather quiet such as public relations versus mass advertising. According to Ginsberg and Bloom (2004), the Shaded Green strategy puts some secondary emphasis on greenness in its more overt promotional efforts and also pursues green product development as well. Finally, they also state, Extreme Green strategy involves heavy use of all four marketing mix elements, including place as distribution systems, massive advertising, retailers etc. Applying the 4Ps of Green Product Price Place Promotion Lean X Defensive X X Shaded X X X Extreme X X X X Table : Applying 4Ps to Green Strategies Differences among these four green strategies can be seen by considering how the 4Ps of the marketing mix are utilised in each strategy. The Lean Green strategy is the one who mainly focuses on product development, design and manufacturing, Ginsberg and Bloom (2004). The Defensive Green strategy also pursues greenness in product section but additionally, it involves the promotional aspect of the marketing mix. Lean Green Companies that choose lean green strategy indicate that they are low at both substantiality of green market segments and differentiability of greenness. Lean greens are interested in reducing costs and improving efficiencies at the same time through pro-environmental activities. Their initial competitive advantage would be a lower-cost advantage instead of green one. Because they are at a very low position in both dimensions, they are not focused on publicizing or marketing their green initiatives, Ginsberg and Bloom (2004). Lean greens are not often motivated to promote their green activities or green product attributes because of the fear of being held up to a higher standard; and they are not always able to live up to it or differentiate themselves from competitors, Ginsberg and Bloom (2004). Coca Cola can be characterised as a lean green company. Most consumers are not aware that the company has invested heavily in various cycling activities and package modifications. Because the wide target market and brand breadth of the company, Coca Cola has chosen not to market its effort even though it is concerned about the environment. Defensive Green Defensive green companies usually see green marketing as a precautionary measure, or as a response to a crisis or a response to a competitors actions. They seek to enhance brand image and mitigate damage, Ginsberg and Bloom (2004). They recognise green marketing is important and profitable but they cannot afford to go green. Their environmental initiatives seem to be sincere, but their efforts to promote these initiatives are rather sporadic and temporary because they are not able to differentiate themselves from their competitors on greenness. Defensive greens do not normally launch an overt and significant green campaign because aggressive promotions could be wasteful and would create expectations that cannot be met. They pursue actions such as small environmentally friendly events and programs. An example would the Gap Inc. Gap has long promoted energy conservation and waste reduction. However Gap was criticised by environmental activists and press due to the involvement with an environmentally unfriendly company that was owned by Gaps CEOs relatives. Luckily, the company managed to weather the attack with a measured, quieter response through public relations. Shaded Green Shaded green companies invest in long-term, system wide, environmentally friendly processes that require a financial and non-financial commitment. According to Ginsberg and Bloom (2004), these companies see green marketing as an opportunity to develop innovative needs-satisfying products and technologies that result in a competitive advantage. Shaded green companies are well able to differentiate themselves from competitors on greenness but they chose to stress other attributes of the product with better financial returns possible. They primarily promote the direct, tangible benefits of the products and environmental benefits are only promoted as a secondary factor. Toyota Prius can be characterised as shaded green. The brand is advertised as an environmentally advanced, fuel efficient hybrid. In fact, upon Launch in the US market the Prius environmental attributes were not stressed; the company focused on advertising fuel efficiency of the car. Extreme Green Extreme green companies use a holistic approach with environmental green values shaping there philosophy. Environmental concerns are fully integrated in the business and product life-cycle processes. Extreme green companies pursue actions such as life-cycle pricing approaches, total-quality environmental management and manufacturing for the environment, Ginsberg and Bloom (2004). Extreme companies often serve niche market and sell their products through boutique stores and specialty channels. Honest Tea is one of the fast growing organic tea companies in the natural foods industry. Social responsibility is embedded in its identity and purpose from manufacturing to marketing its products, Ginsberg and Bloom (2004). Green Energy Unfortunately Green Marketing and sustainability is dependent upon green energy for long term effectiveness. It is only when companies source their energy needs from renewable energy sources that they may be considered truly green advocates. Fossil fuels are a leading cause of global warming, and are a finite resource. Industry needs to prepare for the eventuality of a future without oil. Alternative or green energy resources include water, wave, wind, solar, geothermal, etc. Although alternative energy resources are being developed at a rapid rate however they are still too costly in comparison to hydro carbon based energy. Case Studies Case Study 1: SCFI ® Super Critical Fluids International Water conservation has become a real pressing socio-environmental concern. SCFI is an Irish based and owned water reclaiming company. SCFIs patented AquaCritox ® is a revolutionary technology which can completely destroy organic wastes and generate renewable energy. SCFI is a B2B and B2G provider and is currently considered one of the greenest companies on the planet. With water scarcity becoming a very real possibility in the future, water purification processes are becoming paramount for the sustainability of our planet. SCFI is a leading exponent of water reclamation from waste technology. Their balsamaceous water reclamation process is a vast improvement on previous technologies in their sector; Aquacritox offers 99.98% efficiency rating. Evidence that SCFI is generating positive feedback on its Aquacrotix ® technology can be seen by its coverage by Discovery Channels Green Planet show, and nominations for multiple green energy awards. Case study 2: The Body Shop The very first The Body Shop store opens in 1976 in England and ever since it came into the market, it has been taking steps on protecting the environment. In 1985, the Body Shop sponsored posters for the Green Peace and one year later, the Body Shop launched its very first major window campaign save the whale with the Green Peace. The Body Shop has made a commitment to reduce impact on the environment by reducing energy that it consumes and to generate less waste. Steps are as follows: Reduce CO2 emissions by 50% by reducing consumption of hydro- carbon fuels, through electricity, heating and transport cost reductions. Reduce waste by 50% Reduce domestic water use by 25% The Body Shop has joined the Carbon Reduction Commitment and it is the first global cosmetic company to join the commitment. It also focuses on against animal testing by supporting Cruelty Free International. However the body shop has been acquired by LOreal and its greenness is diluted as a result, because youre only as green as your weakest affiliates. Case study 3 Volkswagen Volkswagen the German owned automobile industry giant has a reputation of being consistently ahead of the competition in regards to green initiatives and green product development. Volkswagen has a long history of providing affordable and economical vehicles. The Volkswagen ThinkBlue Symphony advert (2012), shows a historical timeline of Volkswagens consistent fuel economy policy. ThinkBlue inspired by their 1960s think small United States advertising campaign; designed to popularise the Beetle model car. The advert is designed to demonstrate the journey from think small to ThinkBlue. Table 3.1 below summarises the timeline of events presented in the ThinkBlue advert. TimeLine Product Benefits Progression 1959 Beetle Efficient mobility 1960s Camper Van Efficient mobility people carrier 1974 Golf Era begins Fuel efficiency 1993 Turbo Injection Diesel TDI Fuel economy, remains ranked as one of the most fuel efficient on market 1999 Lupo 3 litres per 100Km first mass production car ever to achieve 2005 Polo BlueMotion CO2 emissions reductions, one of most economic cars on market 2006 TSI Turbo injection petrol engines 2014? XL1 prototype 1 litre fuel per 100km 2014 Golf Blue-e-Motion Electric Vehicles, 150km per charge Table Volkswagen Green Product Evolution Take for example their entry into the USA market with the Beetle; a market that was notoriously favouring larger model vehicles. They have consistently delivered cars that have industry leading fuel consumption rates. Take for example their introduction of the Turbo Diesel Injection (TDI) Golf model, a model that is still considered to be amongst the most efficient in its class. While Hybrid vehicles have become mainstream products in recent years and Volkswagen have the Tourneg in this class; they have decided to enter the riskier fully electric market using their celebrated Golf brand. The automotive industry is still closely associated with environmental damaging industries like oil, and mining. Despite this Volkswagen has made significant strides in the last generation to move towards greener products. The Golf Blue-e-Motion is just the start of a new wave of vehicles becoming available through green innovation and marketing. Insights Recommendations Companies interested in green marketing should carefully analyse which green strategy is best suited to their products, services and processes, and match their strategy to the relevant consumer segments. Companies should be self-organising rather than regulated or morally mandated. Paul Hawken states that by embracing a restorative (rather than destructive) economy, companies can begin to repair the abyss between ecology and business. He also believes that business is the chief cause of the most destructive abuses of the environment, but crucially business is potentially the most persuasive driver of environmentalism, through green marketing and sustainability. Engaging in Greenwashing is a very real and dangerous practice for companies to engage in. Brand image is essential for the growth of any company. If the company becomes associated with greenwashing and or environmental crisis, it could become a fatal error in judgement. Even though it is difficult for certain industries to be seen as environmentally friendly, companies in these industries must endeavour to have green products, processes or services in their portfolio. Green myopia is also a potentially harmful viewpoint, if a company becomes too green it risks alienating its target market, thus reducing demand for its products. A careful balance of social, ecological, technological and financial gain is the desired result of going green. Green products must offer better alternatives to existing products, be accessible, and easy to understand. They should also educate/inform consumers of their benefits, as a lack of knowledge is a significant barrier of green marketing. The perception of green lifestyles is a problem, and this is an area where packaging design and functionality become an issue. Green alternatives should be quality and functionally superior, comparative in price, provide labelling that is believable, and easy to find. It is only when functionality and quality are superior that consumers will be willing to pay a premium price. Companies need to create green supply chains, especially if like Unilever they are presenting green marketing as a key element of its CSR and sustainability policies. With consumers having unlimited access through social media to company information and their green activities, it is no longer possible to simply state a companys green agenda. A critical eye should be focused on the companys own green processes and the commitment of its upper management commitment. Senior executives / management should also cultivate this corporate culture. The organisation and its people should support a truly green strategy in order for it to succeed. In addition, it is important to educate consumers about the products as well. Another key element is credibility. Having a good reputation to start with can go a long way in helping to ease consumers scepticism. Companies with socially responsible values will appear more credible to its target audiences. Greenlaw (2011), states that failure to truly adopt sustainability will become a risk factor in the future, where it will affect customers, employees and potential investors. Conclusion Joel Makower founder and executive editor, GreenBiz.com , states; Green marketing is a potent engine for creating business value through innovation, while fomenting genuine societal change. While Paul Hawken states; Business is the only mechanism on the planet today powerful enough to produce the changes necessary to reverse global environmental and social degradation. Business can save the planet through working with society and the environment in a symbiotic relationship. It is societys responsibility to drive Business to adopt green marketing strategies: while it is organisations responsibility to encourage society to actively use their green products. Sharing responsibility is the future of green. Sustainability is the leading zeitgeist of modern western society. It is no longer acceptable for business to be solely focused on wealth maximisation. Figure Sustainable Planet Appendices

Socrates Essay -- essays research papers

Socrates (470-399 BC)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Socrates was born to a poor Athenian family in 470 BC He spent most of his time teaching others. One of his pupils was Plato. Socrates was a believer in absolute truth rather than relative truth. His main interest was the process by which people learned how to think for themselves.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  He would usually talk to whoever would take the time to listen. He asked many questions and criticized answers. His style of conversation has been given the name Socratic dialogue. Socrates would often ask students questions without giving them answers. When the students did give answers, he opposed them with clear logical arguments. This method forced his students to defend their statements and to clarify their thinking.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Socrates was the wisest philosopher of his time. He was one of three great teachers of ancient Greece. Socrates was short and fat, with a snub nose and wide mouth. Despite his ugly appearance, many said he was a very moral teacher and a pleasant man to be around. Socrates married a lady named Xanthippe. She was notorious for her sharp tongue and quick temper.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Athenian mob and its self-serving leaders did not appreciate Socrates and his teachings. In 399 BC, they accused him of â€Å"corrupting the young† and of â€Å"not worshipping the gods worshipped by the state.† These men took Socrates to trial and brought hi...

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

My First Day of College :: Autobiography Essay, Personal Narrative

â€Å"College is nothing but high school with ashtrays.† My friend Ron left me with this original piece of advice before I left for college on August 30th. In the weeks following, this clichà © would seem prophetic. It would not, however, be accurate today. It was September 1st, and I was officially a college freshman. All my dreams were to be realized. The halls would be paved with intellectuals, and the walls would be plastered with philosophers. State College was my Ellis Island. It would be a far cry from my high school, whose halls were paved with punks and whose walls were plastered with simpletons. The entire student body would be eager to debate and discuss the Bible, politics, philosophy — everything that I love to talk about. â€Å"State College is Plato’s academy reincarnated,† I thought to myself as I kicked and hopped my way into my left pant leg. No one could convince me otherwise. All of these things were true. They had to be: this is colle ge. No nervous stomach, no second thoughts — just an anxious heart. By 10 p.m. on August 31st, I was in bed. â€Å"You are going to be ready on Wednesday,† I said to myself. Granted, my first class did not start until eleven, and I had not gone to sleep earlier than two in the morning all summer. But I felt as if I had to be in bed by ten. Time always seems to be the tortoise when you want it to be the hare. That was one of the many thoughts taking refuge in my mind as the clock ticked past 11:59 p.m. As the first hour began, I lay motionless on my bed of rocks. During this time, I became eerily familiar with my new ceiling. Its flawed construction, rippled paint, and simple off-white hue comforted me. These otherwise unnoticeable imperfections reminded me of home. Earlier that month, I exclaimed to my mother how eager I was to escape from the penitentiary that I called home, and now I was having nostalgic thoughts about it. I laughed at the glaring irony and slowly drifted to sleep. By 10:45 a.m., I joined the procession of pupils on my way to my first college class. Uniformity among the masses seemed like one of the many luxuries that freshmen were not deemed worthy to have. (Kindness from most upper-classmen was one of the others that stood out on that day.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Young Marriage

When I was a child, I used to play Barbie dolls with my sister. We spent hours playing and goofing around without having to think about life's difficulties and how things can be complicated by the time we were adults. At the early age of 17, I got married and it is a fact that â€Å"early marriage is not characterized only by happiness† (Lamanna & Riedmann, 2005, p. 225). I somehow overcame the obstacles and hardships in my life and I consider this as a significant accomplishment. The story of my life started when I left my parent's house when I was only 17. I lived with my boyfriend without the permission of my parents. Naturally, they disapproved of it and arranged for us to get married. It was a difficult decision to make, as I was only a high school sophomore at that time. In the beginning, everything was going as planned and I thought that being married was easy but this changed only after a couple of days. After time, we lost our jobs and had no money enough to pay our bills or even eat. We were not able to ask for support from our parents because when we first got married, they indicated that they would not give financial support. When my husband found a job, he spent his time going to bars after work and came home in the morning drunk. This became something that we argued about. I then decided to drop out of school because of the many problems at home. After six months, I got pregnant but I had a miscarriage during the third month. I believed that this happened probably because of all the problems I was encountering with my husband. By that time we moved in to a new home and our lives were starting to get better, I got pregnant again. My daughter was born premature and weighed only one pound. She had to stay in the hospital for three weeks before we were able to take her home. Overtime, she developed and grew into a very healthy and beautiful child. I decided to finish high school at home last year. At this time, I am interested in pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice. My husband and I have been married for eight years now and everything is going well, as he is also working for one of the largest construction companies in Chicago. We are planning to buy a new house this year. I am also pleased to report that our parents became very proud of us and the things that we have achieved. In summary, early marriage is not an easy thing especially when parents decide to let you be on your own. Couples have to work hard in order to make the marriage last. After all the obstacles that my husband and I went through, I believe that they are all worth it especially when our daughter says that we are the best parents in the whole world.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Human Rights and Social Skills Essay

Chairperson adjudicators, ladies and Gentlemen, welcome. The motion before the house this evening is that the internet does more harm than good, as a social media using teenager, the stereotypical opinion I would have on this matter would be that this statement is false, however ladies and gentleman, I am not a stereotypical teenager and I am of the opinion that the internet does indeed do more harm than good. The year is 2014, and the internet has seemingly taken over the world, the majority of the population of the world would claim that they wouldn’t be able to survive without the internet; in their eyes the internet can do no wrong. Ladies and gentlemen I’m afraid to inform you that they couldn’t be more delusional. In today’s society social skills are cast aside, and the internet is the main priority for most people. In my school for example at break times, the dining hall is as quite as funeral with young people’s heads stuck in iPhone and com puters. The sound of a good conversation is seldom found. Sadly ladies and gentlemen, this is the effect that the internet has had on our generation. I worry for some of my class mates when they decide to go to a job interview, they will stand no chance as the internet has deprived them of essential social skills required to succeed in the workplace, and in life. Secondly, in life we are blessed with certain rights, the right to water and the right to free speech and so on. But there is one right that he internet has clinched away from us, and this is the right of privacy. You don’t have to look back decades to see an incident of personal invasion through the internet. Just this year numerous celebrities computers were hacked and personal pictures and information was stolen. It sickens me to think we live in a world where we can’t have privacy. Internet hackings have sadly become all too common on the news and in the public domain. Banking for example, was once considered a safe and innocent act. Alas, its reputation has been tarnished by internet hackers. I myself have been affect by this as my own personal bank account has been hacked. I have never used the internet in the same way after that incident. It might seem farfetched ladies and gentlemen, and you might feel safe, but I warn you, the internet is not a safe place, and in my opinion it has done more harm than good to the lives of innocent people. Lastly, the internet hasn’t just harmed the lives of my age group; oh no it has negative effects on much more age categories as well. For example the  elderly and the very young. These groups of people are being all too easily led into a false sense of hope by internet scams. Deals on life assurance, fun seemingly ‘free’ online games are just some of the many examples of how the internet exploits these people. Too many countless innocent people have been left out of pocket after falling f or these internet scams. My mind is cast back to last year when a child in Dublin spent 347 euro on in- game purchases on the popular internet game candy crush. Unknowing to the child she consistently purchased in game accessories and bonuses to the total of 347 euros. I’d say her father was none too pleased and wanted to crush something other than candy! This is just one of thousands of examples of how people are exploited on the internet every day, thus proving that it does more harm than good. Alas ladies and gentlemen, I believe there is hope, if better safety sanctions and regulations are used I do believe the internet can become a helpful and beneficial resource for everyone to use. But until that day comes, I am positive that the internet does cause more harm than good . Thank you.

The Role of Culture in International Management

‘One of the most important rules to remember when working within a multi-national organization is that there is not necessarily one right way of doing things,'says Professor Geert Hofstede With developing globalization of business across the world, the ability of employees to work effectively and efficiently has become increasingly important to the entities success. Cross-cultural understanding by individuals and the organization as a whole serves to eliminate misunderstandings that could harm the business and maximize the best attribute each individual has to offer. Effective international managers are those with the wisdom to seek competitive edge through intercultural training, gaining a complete understanding of their global markets so they can plan and execute accordingly. in addition the new, globalized, borderless economy is facing international managers. The premise has changed from unlimited growth to uncertainty and caution, but importantly, the premise of opportunity in global business remains unchanged. The uncertain economy and increasing geopolitical complexity simply levels the playing field for managers around the world. How managers respond, how they manage and turn the increasing threats into opportunities, becomes vital to success in today's environment. Now, more than ever, all students must recognize that they will have the qualifier â€Å"international† in front of whatever their chosen career field. The whole world is now connected electronically and psychologically; it is hard to imagine any business or nonbusiness organization that is not directly affected by globalization. The challenge in the uncertain global economy is to learn and effectively practice international management. Those with the knowledge and skills to apply on international management will be taking a big step toward gaining a competitive advantage in today's uncertain, unprecedented environment.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Ndebele of southern Africa essays

Ndebele of southern Africa essays Who were the Ndebele of southern Africa? How might they have reacted to the growing power of Britain in their region? The Ndebele were a warrior people who had secured their military stronghold over southern Africa by using strict discipline and ingenious warfare tactics. Upon the arrival of Europeans, the native=s superior skills in war proved futile against the mechanised military of the white man. The British, with rifles and machine guns easily subdued the kingdoms of southern Africa. The Ndebele people were forced to yield to the British, ultimately, ending their life of freedom. This essay will examine the history of the Ndebele people, showing how they became who they were. It will also explain to the reader, regardless of the action this kingdom had taken against the British, it would have still succumbed to the same fate. Great political changes occurred in southern Africa in the later part of the eighteenth century. Powerful kingdoms arose from the conglomeration of many smaller chiefdoms. This resulted in an extremely violent period in southern Africa=s history known as Amfecane (unlimited warfare).@ Nguni speaking by heritage, the Ndebele people arose in this time of turmoil as one of the most powerful militaries in southern Africa. They used revolutionary tactics of both guerrilla warfare and highly disciplined units that advanced into battle as one entity. The Ndebele depended upon cattle as the sustenance of their livelihood for milk, meat and clothing. For this reason they required fertile lands to raise and feed their herds. Without healthy property the Ndebele people would not survive. The search for the most arable soil led them to conquer neighbouring kingdoms in times of drought or when they had used up all of their lands= resources. The Ndebele are not credited with living in one specific area for long periods of time. However, geographically, the Ndebele were always located in the borders o...

Level 5 Leadership Essay Example

Level 5 Leadership Essay Example Level 5 Leadership Essay Level 5 Leadership Essay Jim Collins creates a sort of guideline for companies that are mediocre or have had mediocre performances who want to make the leap to becoming a great company. The way Collins came up with these guidelines is by studying 11 great companies that were selected from a list of Forbes 500 companies and deemed great companies using a criteria created by Collins research team. These 11 companies were than each compared to a company in the same industry with similar resources but who did not perform as well as the great companies in the 15 year time span in which the companies were studied. Collins was able to create the flywheel concept out of his studies which is broken down into 6 parts. The one that is the focus of this paper is the level 5 leadership. Through the study of the great companies and through comparison with other companies, one of the major factors of the success of those companies was the type of leadership in place in the company. It takes a leader with two characteristics to lead a truly great company to that success and those are: personal humility and professional will. The way a company can truly be great is by utilizing a level 5 leader who exemplifies the qualities that Jim Collins describes in his book, Good to Great. A leader is at his or her best when they are able to challenge the workers in the company and to inspire them by the way they lead. What is different about the level 5 leader that Collins describes is in the paradox of it all. A leader is quiet, laid back, almost to the point of being considered shy yet at the same time there is this incredible drive to be the best not for the sake of oneself but because that is what is best for the company. The leader is put in that position of the company to shake things up and change the company culture but the leader does not have to be some hot shot from a different company here to save the day. No, this leader is from within the company, he knows everything there is to know about the company and he improves it everyday. No matter what the company always comes first before oneself and long after the leader is gone the company will continue to be great, in fact, a level 5 leader would consider themselves a failure if their successor and the company is not more successful than before. Along with that the leader creates a culture of accountability while at the same time forming a mirror window effect; when things are going great the leader looks out the window to give credit but when things are going bad the same leader looks in the mirror to give himself blame. in essence he is taking the fear away from his employees in order to make them more invested in the company, by doing these simple steps the employee moral is kept high both during the good times and more importantly during the bad times. This quiet yet extremely driven individual is what makes a good company into a great company. This idea that a leader has to be quiet and driven in order to be a part of a great company cannot be true. As a prime example there was Steve Jobs, he was a co founder of Apple, then left and co founded Pixar, all before returning back to Apple to make it one of best companies in the world today. He was charismatic, he was egotistical, he was given credit for the success of Apple and he graciously took it, he was a celebrity. When people think of Apple they think of Steve Jobs, he created Apple and brought it to its greatness. He was not a level 5 leader. He was extremely driven but he was not the quiet type. He would not be the type of leader to just blend in with the crowd, instead hundreds of thousands would watch him during a new product release and hang on his every word. The fact that he was successful as the CEO of multiple big name companies while taking a large amount of the credit, that was well deserved, is one of the best counterexample to Collins level 5 leader. Steve Jobs was extremely devoted to the companies he worked for and he worked tirelessly to make sure they were the best that he could make them but he did all of this by going with his own style that contradicted the teachings of Collins. There is no clear choice between a leader like Steve Jobs and the one that Jim Collins describes, a level 5 leader. There are too many factors in the business world and there are too many different industries to try to create description of the perfect leader. What Collins managed to do was to select 11 companies that he deemed great and he found similarities between the companies, one of those similarities being with the type of leaders those companies had in charge. For those companies and the practices the companies had in place, that type of leader with personal humility and professional will was what was necessary. For Apple and Pixar it was a different type of leader that thrived, and in other companies it will be that same Steve Jobs type of leader that will lead them to greatness. It is not possible to create a prototype leader and companies should not try to do so they should put their efforts on finding the leader that fits their need the best whether that leader comes from within the company or from the outside.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Free Essays on Every Day Use

â€Å"Everyday Use† is a short story in which the use of imagery combined with characterization allows the readers to dive deep into the story, perhaps detecting hints in to what the characters are feeling or thinking. These methods prove successful in portraying how two characters, Maggie and Mama, psychologically confined themselves, thus resulting in submissive attitudes towards their intimidating and educated sister/daughter, Dee. The story takes place in an old run down house where Dee's mother, Mama, and daughter, Maggie, of African American descent. A poor family, they live a simple life and are people of faith. Mama has another daughter, Dee, who was sent away to be educated at an early age. Dee being pretty, superficial, and snobbish likes to belittle her mother and sister who are neither educated nor pleasing to the eye. Maggie is homely and badly scarred from being burned in a fire, which leaves her envious of her beautiful sister. Dee comes back one day to â€Å"visit† and asks her mother for an heirloom quilt that has already been promised to her sister. Maggie, who is used to seeing Dee get her way, is stunned when her mother denies Dee the quilt. Through Mama, the narrator, Walker uses characterization to share Mama’s observations of her daughter Maggie. From this it is easy to see what kind of person Maggie is and how she might perceive herself. Details shared throughout the story tell that Maggie’s self-image is one of negativity, which explains why she is always cowering and hiding herself in shame. Mama observes her poise while in her sister’s presence; â€Å"She will stand hopelessly in corners homely and ashamed of the burn scars down her arms and legs.† One can only imagine the effect of having burn scars and what it can do to one’s self esteem. It is also stated, â€Å"she stood there with her scarred hands hidden in the folds of her skirt.† Maggie’s posture and poise is one of doubt. â€Å"She ha... Free Essays on Every Day Use Free Essays on Every Day Use â€Å"Everyday Use† is a short story in which the use of imagery combined with characterization allows the readers to dive deep into the story, perhaps detecting hints in to what the characters are feeling or thinking. These methods prove successful in portraying how two characters, Maggie and Mama, psychologically confined themselves, thus resulting in submissive attitudes towards their intimidating and educated sister/daughter, Dee. The story takes place in an old run down house where Dee's mother, Mama, and daughter, Maggie, of African American descent. A poor family, they live a simple life and are people of faith. Mama has another daughter, Dee, who was sent away to be educated at an early age. Dee being pretty, superficial, and snobbish likes to belittle her mother and sister who are neither educated nor pleasing to the eye. Maggie is homely and badly scarred from being burned in a fire, which leaves her envious of her beautiful sister. Dee comes back one day to â€Å"visit† and asks her mother for an heirloom quilt that has already been promised to her sister. Maggie, who is used to seeing Dee get her way, is stunned when her mother denies Dee the quilt. Through Mama, the narrator, Walker uses characterization to share Mama’s observations of her daughter Maggie. From this it is easy to see what kind of person Maggie is and how she might perceive herself. Details shared throughout the story tell that Maggie’s self-image is one of negativity, which explains why she is always cowering and hiding herself in shame. Mama observes her poise while in her sister’s presence; â€Å"She will stand hopelessly in corners homely and ashamed of the burn scars down her arms and legs.† One can only imagine the effect of having burn scars and what it can do to one’s self esteem. It is also stated, â€Å"she stood there with her scarred hands hidden in the folds of her skirt.† Maggie’s posture and poise is one of doubt. â€Å"She ha...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Pushing Up Daisies and Other Euphemisms for Death

Pushing Up Daisies and Other Euphemisms for Death Pushing Up Daisies and Other Euphemisms for Death Pushing Up Daisies and Other Euphemisms for Death By Maeve Maddox A new television drama with the title Pushing Daisies put me in mind of all the euphemisms English has for naming the act of dying or the state of being dead. Some are solemn, but many are humorous and not intended for the ears of a newly grieving person. Pushing up daisies conjures up a pleasant picture of green grass and pretty flowers above the dearly departed. This expression gives us the title of the new TV show, and is referenced in the darkly humorous lyrics of Poor Jud Is Dead from the musical Oklahoma: Poor Jud is dead The daisies in the dell Will give out a different smell Because poor Jud is underneath the ground. The television drama Six Feet Under took its title from another common expression for being dead, six feet being the depth to which a grave is dug. Some other common idioms for being dead are: being in Abrahams bosom, sleeping the big sleep, having gone to ones narrow bed, having gone to ones reward, having met ones maker, and having gone to feed the fishes. That last one is for someone who died by drowning. Probably the most common and gentlest euphemism used to announce that someone has died is passed away, or simply passed. Another gentle expression is to breathe ones last. Other euphemisms for the act of dying are more colorful than consoling. to bite the dust often used of cowboys or desperadoes and suggests a violent end. to buy the farm this one may have originated as soldiers slang, the idea being that soldiers dreamed of surviving the war and going home to a peaceful existence, perhaps on a farm. However, there was an earlier expression, fetch the farm, which was prisoner slang for being sent to the infirmary. to cash in ones chips a gambling metaphor: when the chips are exchanged for money, the game is over. Kenny Rogerss The Gambler is an extended metaphor for card game as life and death. to give up the ghost to modern ears this probably suggests a Caspar-type ghost floating up out of a dead body. The original meaning of Old English gast was soul, spirit, life, breath. In some prayers we find the formula Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. to croak probably from the death rattle heard when a person dies. to kick the bucket Ex. When I kick the bucket, you can have the Harley. So, the old coot finally kicked the bucket! Popular etymology links this term to the idea of committing suicide by standing on a bucket and then kicking it away. More likely, the expression originates from the practice of hoisting animals to be slaughtered to a beam or pulley arrangement called a buquet. In English this French word came to be pronounced like bucket. The animals were hoisted by their heels and could therefore be said to be kicking the buquet/bucket as their throats were slashed. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Possessive of Proper Names Ending in SThe Four Sounds of the Spelling OUWriting Styles (with Examples)

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Comparative Federalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Comparative Federalism - Essay Example The distribution of power among the central and the states is derived from the written constitution. Both forms of the government rule directly over the people. It is also sometimes seen as a compromise between the extreme concentration of power and loose confederation of independent states for governing a variety of people living in a large territory. Similarities and Dissimilarities with India and USA’s Federal Form of Government USA being the largest democratic countries in the world became the Federal republic state in the year 1789 by promulgating its constitution and India on the other hand in the year 1950 by launching its constitution. Smaller states by forming a union got affiliated with the strong central government that came to be called as Federal government in USA and central government in India. Both the countries have a written form of constitution. Secondly, USA has got its bill of rights to protect the fundamental rights of the people and India has guaranteed the fundamental rights in the articles 14 to 34 in part iii. Thirdly both the countries have Federal forms of government at the centre. The law enacted by the centre is much more superior to the law passed by the state. Both the countries have three basic divisions of labor and power in the Federal system of government; they are known as executive, legislature and judiciary. The executive governs the country, legislature enacts law, and the judiciary administers justice. Both the countries have bicameral form of legislature. In USA president is the chief executive head whereas in India prime minister is the head. USA has got the House of Senate and the House of Representatives as the upper and lower house of legislature while India has Rajya sabha and Loksabha as the upper and lower houses. A well organized judiciary is present in both the countries as apex and Supreme Court. Lastly, both the countries have a threat to democracies so the divisions of power are somehow or the other c hecked by the other houses of power. Firstly, USA’s constitution is very rigid and has undergone amendment only 27 times but the Indian constitution on the other hand is very voluminous and flexible has been amended 94 times. In USA all the states have their own constitution while in India all the states follow the Indian constitution. Secondly, USA has the presidential form of government but India has the parliamentary form of government. USA follows the bi-party system whereas India has got multi party system. President of USA can hold his office for only two terms whereas in India nothing as such rule is there. In India, Loksabha or the lower house is much more powerful while in USA the upper house i.e., house of senate is more powerful. A senate member is directly elected whereas in India, Rajyasabha members are indirectly elected. Last but not the least, USA has got the advanced judicial system while India is rapidly developing in its judicial system (Lingam) Possible Re forms for the US Government Adopting from India: India has always followed and encouraged in peace keeping operations but on the other hand USA has tried to maintain peace with the help of machinery and men. India has shown real patience to its rival countries by providing timely help to those in need. It had also undergone friendship agreement with its enemy countries like China & Pakistan, timely help to Bangladesh when Pakistan tried to overtook it. These are the policies which the US government may adopt from India (Schaffer, 73; Kesselman, Krieger and Joseph, 286) Possible Reforms for the Indian Government Adopting from the US Technology transfer is what India can learn from US Federal government. It is quite evident from the history

Strategic analysis of the Wal-Mart Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Strategic analysis of the Wal-Mart - Essay Example The intention of this study is Wal-Mart as one of the largest and formidable players in the global retail industry. Since its establishment by Rogers Ark in the year 1962, the company has grown by leaps and bounds with a presence in about 28 nations with about 9759 stores across the globe. The company provides direct and indirect employment to 2.1 million individuals globally. Wal-Mart is also listed on the bourses of the New York stock exchange where its stocks are being actively traded. It has been consistently ranked among the top brands by leading agencies like Fortune and Forbes. The company derives its competitive edge on the basis of its famous EDLP (Every Day Low Price) strategy and has a cost leadership approach towards generating competitive advantage in the market. A successful logistics and supply chain management strategy of the company using ERP is the backbone behind the successful recipe of success of the company. Michael Porter stated three generic strategies that ca n also shape up positioning of a product or a brand in the market. Positioning is defined as the image of a product or service in the minds of the target market audience. The three strategic alternatives given by Porter include focus, differentiation and cost based leadership. Firms undertaking a focus strategy generate competitive advantage on the basis of concentrating on a single product line or a specified customer segment. A differentiation strategy involves competing in the market on the basis of differentiation in products and services that involves providing a product or service that is unique in the industry and deriving competitive advantage from the aspect. ... Background Wal-Mart is one of the largest and formidable players in the global retail industry. Since its establishment by Rogers Ark in the year 1962, the company has grown by leaps and bounds with a presence in about 28 nations with about 9759 stores across the globe. The company provides direct and indirect employment to 2.1 million individuals globally. Wal-Mart is also listed on the bourses of the New York stock exchange where its stocks are being actively traded. It has been consistently ranked among the top brands by leading agencies like Fortune and Forbes. The company derives its competitive edge on the basis of its famous EDLP (Every Day Low Price) strategy and has a cost leadership approach towards generating competitive advantage in the market. A successful logistics and supply chain management strategy of the company using ERP is the backbone behind the successful recipe of success of the company (Wal-Mart, 2011). Strategic Positioning Michael Porter stated three generic strategies that can also shape up positioning of a product or a brand in the market. Positioning is defined as the image of a product or service in the minds of the target market audience. The three strategic alternatives given by Porter include focus, differentiation and cost based leadership. Firms undertaking a focus strategy generate competitive advantage on the basis of concentrating on a single product line or a specified customer segment. A differentiation strategy involves competing in the market on the basis of differentiation in products and services that involves providing a product or service that is unique in the industry and deriving competitive advantage from the aspect. Cost based differentiation includes a strategy under