Georges Marvellous Medicine Essay

Roald Dahl is an imaginative writer and does create vivid images in the readers mind. i do agree with this statement. Roald Dahl has used many narrative techniques such as imagery, vocabulary and humours illustrations. Georges Marvellous Medicine should be read by all students, because of all the techniques and key features used. Georges Marvellous Medicine is a story about a young boy who’s tempted to do â€Å"something† about his so called â€Å"grandmother†, and by something he means searching around the house collecting all kinds of horrible ingredients that will make grandma disappear, but instead, of disappearing she gets bigger !.The story affects on themes such as groth, family, good people, bad people, understanding people jealousy and greed. An important theme is good people because, being evil / bad, doesn’t pay out later, what goes around comes around an example would be grandma to George. Roald Dahl was the best storyteller in the 20thcentury. He used fantastic plots that matched by the extraordinary events in his life. He played with the vocabulary, and invented his own words. Roald Dahl stories have brought delight to millions of people.He was born in Llandaff, Wales on September 13th 1916. His parents were Norwegian and he was the only son of a second marriage. His father Harald and his elder sister Astri died when Roald was only three. He remembered his mother as â€Å"a rock, a real rock, always on your side whatever you’d done. Roald Dahl died on the 23rd of November 1990. An interesting narrative technique Roald Dahl used to make his stories entertaining and creative were his own words / vocabulary. An example of them would be: Squigglers, jacky jumpers, heigh – nonny- no and spissing.These words present imagery which makes all Roald Dahl’s stories imaginative and entertaining. Italics is also another narrative technique style Roald Dahl used to emphasise a word. An example of an italic would be: No wonder, good. He slants these words, to make their voices have expression, for example, sarcasm. No wonder : Obviously he had left something out of the medicine. The illustrations by Quentin Blake are another narrative technique, used by Roald Dahl in his novel, Georges Marvellous Medicine. The illustrations help the reader to picture the key events and storyline.These illustrations are quick sketches, in black ink which support the fast rate in the storyline. An example would be, when Grandma hops out of her chair once George hands her the medicine. This book cover Georges Marvellous Medicine created and designed by Quentin Blake is effective as a visual text as it illustrates the key ideas in the novel. This book cover aims to target at children promoting a light and comical storyline and themes. For example, the childish font in the cream coloured box has forms of abstract and vector lines which would attract children’s attention.The large saucepan is a salience im age because of the size of the pan. It makes you wonder the many ingredients put into it and the power of this potion. The ladle on which George is holding, guides the viewers eyes around the book cover. This is a form of vector lines. In conclusion, Roald Dahl is an imaginative writer and does create vivid images in the readers mind. Roald Dahl’s novel Georges Marvellous Medicine is an entertaining and imaginative novel with its made up vocabulary and humorous illustrations.Quentin Blake, the creative illustrator of this novel. is one of the finest illustrators in children’s literature. His illustrations are original and easy to follow. Once again, Georges Marvellous Medicine, by Roald Dahl is an entertaining novel and should be read by all students because of all the key features used. The moral / coda of the book Georges Marvellous Medicine, is that grandma had learnt her lesson for being so cruel and wicked to George, as they say, what goes around comes around.

Rich vs Poor Essay

The American Dream, the idea that every citizen can be successful if they work hard, is believable to the degree that every student going to school has the same opportunity to learn the skills needed to succeed in society. But if the opportunity for students to attain a sufficient education is imbalanced, then the likelihood of success becomes very slim for some students. Today, inequality has become a serious problem among poor students and their wealthy peers across the country, and the dream of becoming a successful icon is moving farther out of reach for them. In order to succeed in life, one depends on his or her adolescent years and years in college that desperately lean on the socioeconomic status of the parents and not only the quality of education. The achievement gap between the rich and the poor is constantly growing wider, and if nothing is done to aid poor student population the gap will continue to increase resulting in economic consequences and possibly crime among low -income adolescences who can’t cope with school life because they need to support for their family. The problem America faces is the relationship of an underprivileged socioeconomic background linked to poor child development and education. For the longest time, education has been the major lane to success in the United States. One’s life depends a lot on the skills attained from school and from family background, and the lack of opportunities influences the development of children and their future endeavors. Contrary to the middle-class and upper class children, many underprivileged children are deprived of these equal opportunities. In fact, children from low-income families get very little chances to have a normal education at all, and higher education like college and private schooling is essentially an unattainable dream that they can imagine but it never actually comes true. Due to the lack of resources and finances the initial opportunities of people from low-income families are consistently worse than opportunities of the rest of American children. Reading Richard D. Kahlenburg’s â€Å"5 Myths About Who Gets Into College,† he states that a 2004 Century Foundation study found that at the most selective universities and colleges, â€Å"74 percent of students come from the richest quarter of the population, while just 3 percent come from the bottom corner† (495). Correspondingly, SAT scores play an important role in being admitted to a good university. Students who come from areas with high poverty rates and come from low-income families usually score, on average, â€Å"784 points lower than the more privileged and fortunate student body† (Kahlenburg, 495). Even when students from low-income families score high on standardized testing and receive admittance to a university, their families have trouble supporting their children’s education financially. Consequently, these children are basically forced to work to earn enough money to keep his/her family alive, so ultimately college is a very diffic ult education level to attain. Naturally, most people are equally as intelligent, but in society today it matters what environment one lives in and what quality opportunities are presented depending on social status. For most people summer is a time to relax, but if you want to keep up with your classmates maybe its time to pick up a book! During summer break there is a common decline in learning that students experience, and this is called the summer slide. Three researchers from Johns Hopkins University named Karl Alexander, Doris Entwisle, and Linda Olson, researched this issue thoroughly by performing longitudinal studies on Baltimore students from 1st grade through age 22. During the academic year, lower-class children achieved the same reading levels as their middle and upper class peers, but children from lower-class families diminished in reading skills once summer started. Children from more affluent families have more opportunities such as summer school, tutoring, and other programs that low-income children cannot afford. It is concluded: â€Å"two-thirds of the ninth grade reading achievement gap can be explained by unequal access to summer learning opportunities during elementary school† (Karl Alexander, Doris Entwisle, Linda Olson). Another recent study resulted in similar conclusions to the one completed by the researchers of Johns Hopkins University. In an essay written by McCombs, J. S., Augustine, C.H., and Schwar tz, H.L, they acknowledge that during the summer students in elementary school lose about a month of knowledge and skill, and even worse off, lower-income students can lose up to two or three  months. And so low-income students fall disproportionally behind in reading while their middle and upper income peers may even gain skills in reading because of the summer activities available for them. The worst part of it all is that summer learning loss is cumulative and as time progresses, low-income and higher-income students’ performance starts to segregate, thus contributing significantly to a wider achievement gap. If you notice, in Karl Alexander, Doris Entwisle, and Linda Olson study, they talk about lower-class children achieving the same reading levels as their middle and upper class peers in a given academic year. This goes to prove that it is not so much the school and poor teaching that causes such an increase in the achievement gap between the rich and the poor over the last few decades, but the way people make use of their summers and time spent away from school regarding socioeconomic status. Not only does this apply to summers and time from school, but also a child’s success in life greatly depends on his or her family background the years before school even starts. Children have the ability to effortlessly learn a new language or a subject in school because of their cognitive skills that work much better than in later years. So it is apparent that they receive the best environment and treatment from their parents in order to start kindergarten on the right track. What can we do about the problems lower-class children in early years face in relation to poor societal status and low-income? One effective way to narrow the achievement gap between the rich and the poor would be to make sure all students have admittance to a committed, cognitively motivating environment in the comfort of their own home and in preschool locations, so no matter where the children are they can feel safe and secure in these child- friendly areas. In order to do this, we need an economy that can provide poor families with sufficient incomes/wages. More jobs, more affordable health care, and child-care programs are also necessary to increase the average income of lower-class individuals and boost the socioeconomic status so many suffer under. Another good idea to enhance the lives of young children preparing for the educational world, are programs like the Nurse-Family Partnership where nurses help low-income, first-time mothers raise their children and learn skills need ed to become a good parent and give their children the best start in life possible. Getting a good start in life and being ready for Kindergarten years is a very crucial among peers  because, currently, the preparation gap for school considering middle and upper class students is much greater than lower-class students who do not have the resources necessary to catch up to their affluent pupils. Consequently, another solution that may tighten the gap between low-income students and high-income students, regarding preparation for early years of school, would be to start public education at an earlier age. At first the cost may appear to be quite expensive because of the extra years of schooling needing funding, but the social benefits of a decreased inequality gap could outweigh the costs of the extra years in the long run. In fact, it would not only reduce the inequality gap, but it would also upsurge the amount of women remaining at work after pregnancy, resulting in an increase in GDP as well. The best manner in reducing educational inequality is to guarantee that all children begin school on an even note. Schools do not have the power and the determination alone to fix the gap so it the state, federal government, and American citizens to put these issues on top of the list of economic duties. Without a proper education, students living in lower-class areas don’t ha ve the necessary tools that will help them escape the life they would otherwise resort to, crime, if school were not to work out. The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood by David Simon and Edward Burns is a good example of why improvements in education opportunities and achievement for low-income cities need to be made. Through the eyes of the protagonist DeAndre McCullough, we are introduced to the brutal, threatening conditions of inner city life, which many low-income students suffer from due to a number of socioeconomic problems they face. As a result of being a victim of these conditions, DeAndre has lost all motivation to think about his future, â€Å"Maybe he’d think more about his future if it were clear he had one.†(David Simon). He has accepted the fact that his life could end at any moment, ultimately resulting in a loss of purpose. This acceptance is reflected in others with similar situations, they turn to the streets because â€Å"In this place only, they know what they are, why they are, and what it is that they are supposed to do. Here, they almost matter†(David Simon). Children who are not born with the privileges rich peers have acquired, have a choice between joining the street life to get by or follow an educational route; but unfortunately in society today, the first choice is more promising. However, with proper motivation and  better learning facilities, young teenagers like DeAndre don’t have to make these assumptions. The achievement gap between the poor and rich is continuously widening due to the fact that low-income children can’t break out of their parents’ social status very easily while wealthy children have all the resources necessary to be prosperous. According to Stanford professor Sean Reardon, the difference in average academic skills of children in low-income and high-income families is â€Å"roughly 30 to 40 percent larger among children born in 2001 than among those born twenty-five years earlier† (Reardon). Low-income students usually end up just keeping their parents socioeconomic status because they cannot afford to attend nice schools and acquire all the outside resources and extra help necessary; vise versa, families with high income have a greater chance to send their children to sufficient schools and tend to have saf er learning environments than low-income individuals. It is the poor staying relatively still throughout the twenty-five years regarding increased income, while the middle/upper class group accumulates a lot of money, which, in turn, increases the income gap between the two groups. The increase in the income gap between poor and rich parents means that there is an increase in the achievement gap between poor and rich students. In recent years, a lot of focus has been put on preparing young children for next level education like Kindergarten and elementary school, because ensuring readiness is very important for a proper learning experience. However, let’s take into account all the negative aspects that normally play into the socioeconomic background of students in low-income families: 1) Low-income level of parents, 2) parents unemployed or have minimum wage jobs, 3) either parents never went to college or never even finished high school, 4) single mother/ father in prison (Willis, 2007). Low-income students from these kinds of families have a small chance of social mobility and will likely just follow in the footprints their parents left behind. Adolescences don’t have the motivation to try in school because they know where their life is going to be headed regardless. Many poor families would love to get off of welfare, live on the beach, achieve a better socioeconomic status, etc. but segregation between low-income families and middle/high income families forces the two groups to live in areas  corresponding to their income level. So even if poor students want to gain a sufficient education, they will have a lot of trouble getting it because poverty follows them wherever they go. As we already know, education opportunities of children from low-income families are consistently worse than those of the middle and upper class. Such a situation is very dangerous for the future of children because, currently, education is one of the major conditions that lead individuals to progress and a successful career. In fact, without good education, these children will not have good job opportunities and, therefore, the competitiveness in the labor market will be extremely low. And not only does poverty link to poor education, it also strongly correlates with meager health benefits. Poor health is affecting the low-income population due to low paying jobs having bad health insurance and not giving individuals enough money to get better insurance. Middle-class and upper-class societies are given better health benefits than the poor, less fortunate because they have more opportunities in attaining jobs with good health benefits. As a result, the lack of educational opportunities deprives them of future job opportunities and health benefits, and children from low-income families are stuck in a kind of vicious circle, from which only few can find the way out. The opportunities presented to the middle-class and upper-class population are a lot more abundant and superior quality. The Federal government and the state governments need to find a balance between the two economic groups and offer better schooling to the less fortunate so they can catch up to the standards of the better educated collection of individuals and families. This inequality of achievement between the social classes is leaving the poor in the dust as the middle and upper class individuals take advantage of all the necessities of a good education. Work Cited: Alexander, K. L, Entwisle, D., & Olson, L. (2007). Lasting consequences of the summer learning gap. American Sociological Review, 72, 167-180. Hernandez, D.J. (2011) Double jeopardy: Highways creation linked to the economy. Baltimore: Annie E. Casey Foundation. Kahlenburg, Richard D. â€Å"5 Myths About Who Gets Into College.† Read, Reason, Write An Argument Text and Reader. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2012. McCombs, J. S., Augustine, C. H., Schwartz, H. L, Bodilly, S. J., McInnis, B., Lichter, D. S, & Cross, A. B. (2011). Making summer count: How summer programs can boost students’ learning. Santa Monica, CA: RAND. Reardon, S.F. (2012). The widening academic achievement gap between the rich and the poor. Community Investments: Summer 2012, 24(2), 19-39.

Applications Of Chemical Equilibrium In Industrial Processes Environmental Sciences Essay

Applications Of Chemical Equilibrium In Industrial Processes Environmental Sciences Essay From the simple processes of dissolution and crystallization in a saturated sugar solution to a complicated industrial process of oxidation and reduction in industry chemical equilibrium plays a major role. Chemical equilibrium is the balance in the rate of two opposing reversible reactions with no change applied to the system with applied constant pressure and temperature. In a system where carbon monoxide is reacting with oxygen gas to form carbon dioxide there will be quantity of carbon monoxide left in the solution for as long as the reaction is placed. This is due to this reaction being a reversible reaction, although carbon monoxide and oxygen gas are synthesizing to form carbon dioxide, a contradicting reversible reaction is taking place, the decomposition of carbon dioxide to form carbon monoxide and oxygen gas. Figure 1: Chemical EquilibriumAs shown in Figure 1, in a reversible process, the rate of reaction for products turning into reactants [forward reaction] slows down a s more reactants are changed into products simultaneously the rate of reaction of products changing into reactants [backwards reaction] speeds up. At a certain time for a specific temperature and pressure, the rate of reaction for both would be equal with no further change in the system.reaction-rate-time-graph.gif Still, when the system is under influence of a change in temperature or pressure the reversible reaction would be affected. Le Chatelier’s principle generalizes this in â€Å"if a system in equilibrium is subjected to a stress the equilibrium will shift in the direction which tends to relive the stress†. (Le Chatelier’s Principle) If the system is under the influence of a temperature altering the system will oppose this change. If an increase in temperature causes the increase in the rate of an endothermic reaction then the system will oppose this reaction by lowering the temperature thus favoring the endothermic reaction. Similarly, if the decrease i n temperature increases the rate of the endothermic reaction, then the system opposes this stress by favoring the exothermic reaction. Pressure, is another variable contributing in affecting the state of equilibrium that affects gaseous reaction only. If an increase in pressure is applied, then the system opposes this change by aiming to lower the pressure favoring the side with less gas molecules. Likewise, if a decrease in pressure is applied then the system opposes this change by increasing the pressure favoring the side with more gaseous molecules. Several process in industry depend on Le Chatelier’s principle, the Haber-Posch process, the contact process, and the Ostwald process. In the Haber process nitrogen gas from air reacts with hydrogen gas from natural gas [mainly methane] in order to provide ammonia gas. Since ammonia is a crucial substance in agriculture for the manufacturing of fertilizers it is vital to produce as much as possible in the lowest time possible. N2(g) + 3 H2(g) is in equilibrium with 2 NH3(g) ΆH=-92KJ mol-1 The previous equation shows the chemical equation for the formation of ammonia. In order to obtain the highest amount of ammonia the reaction needs to be stimulated forward.

Ethical Article Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethical Article Analysis - Essay Example The banks will have expectations that loans are returned in full without default. The owners of the firm will expect that some black money is not being invested in their firm; they expect of the employees that their output or productivity matches their emoluments. They may have concerns as to there should not be wastage of resources and maximum production is being ensured at minimum cost. The consumers expect that they are charged reasonable prices for goods and services and firms are not seeking exorbitant profits. Moreover, consumers’ interests are not infringed by firms’ cartels or by price discrimination. General public will expect from firms that their operations are not detrimental for their health or not generating environmental pollution. The environmentalists concerns are that firms operations are not leading to ozone-layer depletion or loss of biodiversity. Government expectations are that corporate laws are not violated and firms pay taxes without evasion. Th e employees concerns are that they are paid fully for the services they render and there is no discrimination in salaries and promotions on the basis of sex differences or on any other ground. When so many different things from different quarters enter into the scene the financial decision will naturally be affected. In the business organization referred to in the article under consideration ethical concerns are categorized on the basis of the various publics with which the financial manager has to deal; these publics include the board of directors, the medical staff, vendors, regulatory agencies, employees, and consumers. A board of directors’ member interests may be in conflict with that of the organization due to his multiple roles; the board member may also represent an organization that is in competition with the institution for certain goods or services. Ethical concerns may also come up as a result

Do We Need Passion to Start a Business Venture Research Paper

Do We Need Passion to Start a Business Venture - Research Paper Example A passionate entrepreneur associates their businesses with their lives and in the process, they develop a strong feeling of attachment towards it. Passion connects the entrepreneur with the power that makes him or her excel in the business activity. It provides enthusiasm, commitment, and hope that encourage the entrepreneur to press on with his or her business idea even when the circumstances are not conducive. A passionate entrepreneur has an intense feeling of love towards his or her business idea and always does things or activities that promote its growth, development, and sustainability. Passion leads to the development of purpose in a person. Entrepreneurs must have passion because starting and running a business is not an easy task. The idea of starting and running a successful business is overwhelming. There are so many questions to answer, hurdles to jump, losses to make, wars to fight and successes to celebrate at the course of business operations. All the above activities that occur during the startup and operation of any business requires a passionate heart. However, to be truly a successful entrepreneur, a person must possess other entrepreneurship qualities apart from passion. Passion forms an integral part and does not operate in isolation. Apart from being passionate, successful entrepreneurs are moderate risk takers, opportunists, visionaries, hardworking, innovative, creative, feedback-seeking, concern for excellence, positive thinkers as well as good negotiators. A person who possess all or almost all the above characteristics posses entrepreneurial tendencies and are more likely to create a thriving business in any field. Entrepreneurs who plan to achieve or realize their dreams must identify what they like most and develop a framework that guides them exploit the opportunities that accompany those activities they are passionate about.  

Academic Reading-Text Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Academic Reading-Text Analysis - Assignment Example In addition to giving a snapshot of the various ethical concerns embedded in architecture, this report goes further to put into perspective how architects may incorporate ethics in their practice with different stakeholders. Architecture is one of those sensitive professional fields that poses serious negative impacts to the stakeholders involved whenever ethical standards are ignored. Essentially, architectural ethics define the moral responsibility to do the right thing or make the right and best decision on variety of situations as mentioned in the introduction. Architectural work involves the consideration of a rich blend of cultural diversities. This necessitates the need for anyone in this profession to think about the cultural perspectives that may come up at any time in the working environment. This is yet another pointer as to why ethics may be necessary in the architectural profession. Professional ethics will demand that individuals be able to deliver high standards of service in their professional jurisdiction without compromise on grounds of cultural diversities. Architecture, in itself, has an ethical nature. As put clearly, it is one of the processes that are involved in the beautification of man’s natural habitat, to become a better place (Wasserman, Barry, Gregory, and Patrick 13). This provides an avenue for man to find satisfaction, both in the spiritual and emotional context. As such, the architectural professionals are obliged to come to the realization that their profession is not just about following a set of instructions, or doing things for the sake of it. Rather, they need to come to a conscious knowledge that they are actively involved in the process of bringing about fulfilment in human life. They are also a central part of the emotional and spiritual aspects that make life worth living. Ethics, being an integral part of the architectural profession, will, therefore, dictate all the decisions made by anyone in that field.

Employee Privacy Rights in the Workforce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Employee Privacy Rights in the Workforce - Essay Example Many companies do not have policies and procedures regarding this topic and employees are not trained in what should be kept confidential, what is an invasion of privacy, what roles and rights the employers and employees have, etc. This article pertains to the COM 120 topic of â€Å"Employee Privacy Rights in the Workplace† because it is regarding an employee’s rights to privacy and an employer’s need to know what may be the most private information of a person—his or her genetic information. This article is about scientists’ ability to look at overlapping fragments, which include 97% of the human genome, in order to provide genetic information as never before. A gala held at the White House for President Clinton and other top officials celebrated the ability for employers to gain and use this information to determine a person’s future job performance and effects in the workplace. The debate is whether or not this helpful and worthwhile or more damaging and invasion of employee privacy rights. I choose the fourth thesis statement as the one that my writing will be based on. The thesis statement for my writing shall be: The law is not clear on whether companies are invading employees’ privacy rights regarding information technology so policies must be set and employees must be informed on what is considered to be an invasion of company confidentiality or employee privacy rights. The kinds of supporting paragraphs for this thesis statement shall be persuasive sentences (which will make up the paragraphs). They will include facts and evidence that will convince the audience, or readers, that the law is not clear on whether companies are invading employee’s privacy rights regarding online transactions, emails, and information technology. The paragraphs will also support that companies are not clear on what entails an invasion of privacy and what is legal conduct of business and

Role of Engineers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Role of Engineers - Essay Example The report also outlines the ethical issues and practices that civil engineers are faced with and how they can deal with these issues. Their problem solving capabilities as well as their capacity to maintain ethical standards are significant in determining their success in the industry. The Role of Engineers With the emergence of industrialization, construction work requires collaboration of engineers from various fields. Each activity in the designing process requires a professional engineer contributing to a working team that develops a drawing to be used by a construction company. The role of mechanical engineers in the construction industry is significant in the establishment of up to standard buildings (Rojter 2010). They play a role in designing, building as well as installation of mechanical systems. They also coordinate development of plans for the mechanical systems, preparation of specifications for air conditioning and aeration in buildings as well as installation of hot w ater systems (Evans & West 2007). The mechanical engineers’ work in the construction industry typically involves bargaining and establishing project contracts and signing agreements with clients after floating tenders. They commission, organize and appraise the work of contractors. Their also work with comprehensive maps and drawings that they develop using computer aided design software. Management and estimation of costs for the mechanical systems in buildings is an important task for the mechanical engineers since it ensures that the project is accomplished within the budget (Mills et al. 2008). They describe specifications for operation and maintenance of mechanical systems in buildings. Mechanical engineers also have a task of decision making regarding expiry of mechanical systems and advising on the necessary replacements. They are required to ensure compliance of the systems with health and safety regulations. In the contemporary construction industry, clients are cons cious of energy and environmental conservation. Mechanical engineers offer advice regarding reduction of green house emissions as well as economical use of energy (Evans & West 2007). The following section outlines what engineers need to practice their profession. Requirements for Engineers to Practice their Profession It is necessary for engineers to possess knowledge, skills and attributes that enhance accomplishment of their roles and tasks. Callister (2006) observes that knowledge in the development, review and analysis of engineering plans and specifications of equipments is necessary for mechanical engineers in the construction industry. They need to be in a capacity to identify errors in drawings or digression from the standard codes. Moreover, knowledge in computer applications is necessary to enhance their capacity to develop drawings and maintain records of their work. Mechanical engineers require wide knowledge regarding the health and safety standards and practices as re gards handling of mechanical equipment. This is necessary because apart from protecting the non professionals handling the equipment, engineers are also safe from harm (Rojter 2010). Moreover, they are in a position to avoid unnecessary legal conflicts that may be costly for contractors and clients. Failure to observe these standards may lead to revocation of practicing license

Crisis Within an Organization Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Crisis Within an Organization - Research Paper Example The facts of the crisis shall first be set forth and laid out, including the facts which gave rise to the crisis and the facts relating to individuals in the organization and their response to the crisis. It shall discuss the extent to which the organization had a code of conduct or set of principles, statement of values, or policies in place in order to respond to the crisis. Finally, this paper shall assess whether the individual decision-makers within the organization acted in a morally responsible manner. In 2000, Toyota launched its ‘Construction of Cost Competitiveness for the 21st Century’ program which was meant to cut the costs of 180 key car parts by 30 percent, with the aim of saving about $10 billion by the year 2005 (Kim & Bailey â€Å"Article†). In February of 2004, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) initiated a review of complaints on electronic throttle control malfunction on the Lexus ES300; the investigation was resolved without a finding of defect in the vehicle (Kim & Bailey â€Å"Article†). At about the same time, Private Insurer State Farm informed the NHTSA of some incidents on unintended acceleration in 2002 and 2003 Lexus ES300 and the Toyota Camrys (Kim & Bailey â€Å"Article†). By the end of the year, similar complaints added up to 20% of all unintended acceleration incidents in 2004. Another investigation by the NHTSA was conducted on August 2005 on the 2002-2005 models of the Camry, Solara, and Lexus E S300; and still no defect findings were found by the NHTSA (Kim & Bailey, â€Å"Article†). When global recalls on Toyota cars increased in 2006, Toyota head Katsuaki Watanabe issued an apology, citing quality glitches on some of its cars. Consequently, Toyota models were delayed for about a year (Kim & Bailey, â€Å"Article†). In March of 2007, another investigation by the NHTSA was initiated, this time on pedal entrapment concerns on the

Marketing Paper Final Exam Essay Example for Free

Marketing Paper Final Exam Essay Final Paper Marketing encompasses the complex cycle of every stage of a product, from conception to the final sale and everything in between. Marketers are challenged with identifying the consumers needs/wants and managing the process to meet those needs. Every product a marketer develops goes through four stages in its life, The Product Life Cycle. Each stage of the product life cycle (Introduction, Growth, Maturity, and Decline) have unique characteristics that a marketer faces as they create utility and try to maintain or grow their market share. Through each stage advertising is critical and marketers try to inform, persuade and remind consumers about their product. The difference is the approach and focus of the advertising. Every product that comes to market enters into the Introduction Stage. This is the stage where consumers are first introduced to the product. â€Å"During the introductory stage of the product life cycle, a firm works to stimulate demand for the new market entry. † (Boone Kurtz, 2006, p. 371) A marketer must connect with consumers to create a market for the new product. Every year hundreds of new products enter the introductory stage. Currently a product that is just beginning to take hold is high-definition televisions (HDTVs). HDTVs broadcast pictures with increased clarity and give the viewer (consumer) options on camera angles and additional information. Currently, â€Å"Yankee Group estimates that 15 percent of American households now own (a HDTV), with Forrester estimating 10 percent at most. † (Crawford, 2005) During the introductory stage, marketers are trying to introduce the product to consumers. One of the ways marketers succeed is in offering promotions or discounts to distributors to get the product in the marketplace. Most of the advertising focuses on informing the public about the new product. While information is key, advertisers also try to persuade consumers to purchase the product and often times remind consumers where they can find the product. The Introductory stage is where all products start. It is in this early stage that products are refined based on consumer and distribution feedback. Often times the numbers of marketers are minimal in the introductory stage as the market is being developed. As a product finds its market and begins to gain acceptance, it moves into the Growth Stage of the product life cycle. The growth stage is where a product sees its sales volumes increase dramatically. At this stage in the product’s life, â€Å"new customers make initial purchases and early buyers repurchase. † (Boone Kurtz, 2006, p. 372) Early marketers find increased competition as their competitors enter the product space to share in the profits. Satellite television has entered into the growth market with the advent of the small dish. Early satellite television was mainly limited to rural areas that were inaccessible to cable television. The dishes were large and unattractive. As the technology has advances and the satellite dish has shrunk to less then twenty-four inches, consumers have rushed to the alternative to cable television. Satellite television marketers are continuing to refine their product in this growth stage. Recently, the top two providers of satellite television signed deals to provide affordable high-speed internet service. â€Å"For satellite-TV providers, the service is another way to offer a full line of products. † (AP, 2006) The growth stage is where marketers move from a heavy focus on information in advertising to a more persuasive approach. The persuasive approach allows the marketers to differentiate from competitors and encourage individuals to not be left behind. If the product space attracts multiple marketers, pricing, features and other differentiators are used in the advertising to help marketers gain or maintain market share. The Growth Stage of the product life cycle is complex and changing. Marketers rely on word-of-mouth, mass advertising and falling prices to sustain the momentum and interest in the product. The goal of the growth stage is to get reluctant buyers to buy and current customers to repurchase. As a product matures and growth stabilizes, the product moves in the Maturity Stage. Sales start to plateau and supply exceeds demand for the first time in the products life cycle. Competing marketers have flooded the field and profits begin to become depressed. All of these factors create pressure on marketers to continue their brands sustainability. Carbonated soft drinks are a very mature product. According to the American Beverage Association (ABA) the beginnings of the modern soda started in the 1830’s. (ABA, 2006) The ABA estimates that there are over 450 brands in the product space. The number of brands creates fierce competition for American’s 65 billion in annual purchases. Adverting in the mature stage of a product’s life is all about increasing purchases, differentiating your brand and finding new uses or markets for the product. In the soft drink space marketers try celebrity endorsements and product differentiation. 7-UP is â€Å"the un-cola†, trying to draw its distinction among more popular cola brands. Whatever approach the marketer takes in advertising, the goal is to extend the maturity stage and maintain profits for as long as possible. A product in the mature stage of the product life cycle does not indicate imminent demise. As illustrated above, soft drinks continue to command consumer’s dollars. Marketers will often look to new markets and changes in the product to extend the life of the product. One of the largest struggles for mature products is maintaining profits as competition drives down prices. As the product leaves maturity it enters the Decline Stage in the Product life cycle. A products decline is most often linked to new technologies. Marketers focus on reminding the remaining customers in the market that they are there for the consumer’s needs. Sales decline, profits decline and the product space eventually looses money. VCRs are a product on the decline in the United States. With the advance of DVDs and the reduction in price of DVRs, VCRs are loosing shelf space and market share. Marketers often times search for new markets as products decline in their existing markets. So while the United States and Europe may transition to a new technology, emerging economies may embrace the â€Å"older† and cheaper technology, thus extending the products life. Advertising a product in the stage of decline focuses on reminding the remaining consumer base the product still exists.

Inditexs Zara: An Analysis

Inditexs Zara: An Analysis The overall focus of this dissertation will be the Spanish organization Inditex, in particular its clothing brand Zara. More specifically it will concentrate on Inditexs past and current performance and its unique business model. In order to effectively write this dissertation it will be split into five sections. In the second section a brief overview of the company, operational and financial performance will be described as it is vital to establish an understanding of Inditexs background before commencing on further analysis. The third section will provide an industry analysis in relation the organisations business environment which will include a PEST analysis and Porters Five Forces model analysis. This will allows for an understanding of Inditexs external business environment which can then be used to analyze the marketing strategy (PEST) and an understanding of the industry in which Inditex is located (Porter). The next section involves an evalutation of Inditexs business strate gy through all stages of business process; design, manufacturing, distribution and marketing stages. The fifth section consists of the business model analysis and a SWOT analysis of Inditex. The business analysis explains why Inditex use a vertical integration model and the SWOT analysis allows for clear evaluation of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the organization. The final section offers a series of recommendations that I will put forward based on my research and analysis carried out in the preceding sections. The company overview 2.1 The company profile Inditex ( Industria de Diseno Textil) is a global fashion retailer and has expanded rapidly to become one of the largest fashion retailers in the whole world. The company designed, manufactured and retail apparel, footwear and accessories for women, men and children through its seven apparel retail chains: Zara, Bershka, Stradivarius, Massimo Dutti, Oysho, Pull and Bear, Skhuaban. Each of these brands targets varied market segments in terms of age and disposable income. The group owns more than a hundred companies involved in different textile, manufacturer, infrastructure and distribution businesses. At the end of the 2009, the group operated 4607 stores around the world. At the beginning, Inditexs operations were mainly focused on its domestic market in Spain with the first Zara shop was opened in 1975. Following on the company has expanded internationally quite quickly within clothing sector. History of Inditex In 1963, Amancio Ortega Gaona, Inditexs founder, founded confecciones Goa to manufacture products such as housecoats. As the demand increased, the company integrated forward into retailing, then the first Zara store was opened in 1975. Zara stores expanded quickly within Spain market. In 1985, Inditex was founded as the holding company of the group of businesses operating at the time. In 1988, Zara opened its first store outside of Spain and began to expand internationally. In 1991 , Pull Bear was founded, and Inditex bought 65% of the Massimo Dutti Group in 1991. Shortly afterwards, Inditex acquired 100% of Massimo Dutti Group and launched its first shop in 1995. Inditex launched the Bershka chain and then acquired Stradivarius respectively in 1998 and 1999. Soon after, the group launched Oysho chain in 2001 and Zara home in 2003. Zara home was introduced as Inditexs first online store in 2007. Exhibit 1 Timeline of Inditex Picture 1.png 2.3 Products Mix Over past few decades, Inditex has built its own multi-brand portfolio, which has allowed Inditex to target various market segments more effectively. The group uses a multi-brand name strategy to diversify their seven endorsed brands and one extended brand. Zara is the flagship brand of Inditex . Although Pull and Bear and Massimo Dutti are both fashion brands for women and men, their target market is different. The former brand targets a younger group with more leisure and sports based design, while the latter one targets men and women from 24 to 45 providing a higher quality. Bersha and Stradivarius provide elegant and latest fashion for only young woman. Exhibit 2 Inditexs brand portfolio 2.4 Financial Performance and comparison Exhibit 4 Total revenue Exhibit 5 Net profit margin Operating profit margin and return on capital employed  ¼Ã‹â€ ROCE ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ° are two indicators used to evaluate profitability of the firm. The comparison of net profit margins between Inditex and its main competitors over the same period is another indicator to show how effective a company is at cost control and profitability. Net profit margins are calculated from the Net profit divided by net revenues. The net profit margin is a good measure to compare companies in the same industry due to similar business environment all companies confronted. The higher the net profit margin is, the more profitable the company is. To put it in another way, the more effective the company is at converting sales into profit . According to exhibit 4, we can see that HM have strong capacity to consistently convert around 22% of its total revenue into profit; Inditexs net profit margin is similar. However, when compared with Inditex and HM, GAP has lowest net profit margin. Exhibit 6 Return on capital employed Exhibit 6, above, demonstrates return on capital employed (ROCE) demonstrating how much profit a company can earn from the investments of its shareholders have made in their company. It basically is used to show how much a company is gaining from its capital. In figure 6, GAP underperforms in this measure, not just due to low profit levels, but also because of huge amount of capital in order to generate profit. However, GAPs return on capital employed ratio is increasing gradually. On the other hand, Inditex requires higher capital per unit of profit than HM. there has been a decline in its ROCE ratio since 2007. HM vastly outperforms all other firms. Inditex invests more than HM in fixed assets dues to its vertical integration. Inditex has 5371 million euro in assets, plants and equipment ¼Ã‹â€ Inditex Annual Report, 2009 ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °, while HM only has 661 million euro. This is the main reason that HM has much more higher ROCE ratio than Inditex. Inditexs business model focuses mai nly on vertical integration and in-house production. While at the same time outsourcing is becoming a popular trend in clothing industry. Inditexs closest comparable competitors had narrower vertical scope than Inditex but outsourced all productions. In todays competitive business environment, more and more companies choose to send out non-core operations or their manufacturing sections to a supplier in order to reduce the cost by specializing and making the firm focus purely on its core operation. This is due to the low labor cost in some developing countries such as China and Vietnam. On the other hand, there are some companies that constantly try to gain control over as many sections as possible within entire value chain, usually by in-house production. 3. Industry Analysis The culture of fashion has been changed from haute couture and ready-to-wear to fast fashion. Generally, fast fashion retailers do not heavily invest in the creation of fashion trend and designs, but instead are inspired by the most attractive and promising trends spotted at fashion shows and by cues taken from mainstream consumers (Agins, 1999; Reinach,2005). They are able to keep up with these new fashion trends and add them into their products that can be provided on the market almost immediately with relatively lower price. Fast fashion is dominating the industry on the premise of several conditions. Firstly, short lead times and life cycles are two of key precondition of fast fashion. Secondly, considerable number of retail stores can reach potential customers. In addition, a very fast supply chain is required to connect customers demand with upstream operations from design, manufacture to distribution. Nowadays, more and more fashion retailers across the world engaged in this kind of fast fashion race. They make every effort to minimize the time in which they respond to fashion trends and the speed of their supply chains. For examples, Spanish Inditex (Zara), US GAP, Swedish company Hennes Mauritz (HM). British Topshop and Next, all focus on a fast fashion model. This fast fashion retail can be divided into two categories: some with factories to produce its products represented by Zara (Inditex); some without manufacturing competencies of their own such as HM and Gap, which therefore means they outsource production to labor intensive countries. 3.1 PESTEL Analysis Political factors Since 2005 the global system of quota has phased out, textile and apparel industry entered the global free market. In the meanwhile, the textiles and apparel market has become more competitive than before and has also become more intense for the small and marginal players due to such intense competition. It seems that large fashion companies such as Inditex, HM, can dominate the fashion industries due to economy of scale, which gives big companies lower cost per unit resulting from increased production. Also, the remove of all import quotas in clothing industry gives Indiex access to a larger market to operate with greater geographical reach and then generates more sales. Economic factors The world is facing global economic recession. Consequently, the business environment is difficult to operate within, which in turn has a huge influence on textile industry and fashion industry. This due to rising unemployment, the so-called credit crunch and reduced disposable income forcing changes in consumers spending habits. Many consumers have become more price-sensitive and cautious. Consumers are more likely to cut budgets on apparel and fashion accessories. Such a change allows Inditex to attract more consumers shopping at its chain stores. Social factors Strong brands play a significant role in sales, because consumers prefer branded products as oppose to generic products. Most consumers value highly good branded products or services. Even though many companies went to bankruptcy in economic recession, most Brand fashion retail still managed to remain profitable. In the international fashion retail market, strong brand identity is very important. This is not only a precondition to attract customers, but also is a foundation of global expansion. Inditex not only provides fast fashion with relative lower price, but focus on brands building as well. Technological factors Technology is not only limited to companies within the software and computer industry such as Microsoft and Intel. Currently, technology plays a very important role on the fashion industry. With the increased competition, companies are taking advantage of IT to improve its Supply Chain Management (SCM) and using it to ensure a competitive advantage is gained. Many fashion companies are relying on the technological capabilities to add value to their products. More and more companies have adopted an online shopping platform to enhance their service and increase sales. Legal factors The fashion industry has been calling for stronger worldwide copyright protection and intellectual property protection for fashion designs because they fear major losses to their competitors. Fridolin Fischer pointed out that a dynamic interaction between innovation and imitation can be seen as a competition. Indeed, new innovation creates superior products; imitation makes these products more available to a greater number of consumers. Therefore, a lively imitation process is crucial for dynamic competition. It is true in reality, but it is not fair to the designer. At present, more developed countries expand their copyright Law to include fashion designs, fashion design owners would be granted the exclusive right to place their design on the marketplace. These copyright Act will limit the development of some fast fashion retailer, such as Zara. Environmental factors The environmental impact of the textile and apparel industry stems from its consumption of energy and toxic chemicals. The apparel industry contributes to climate change indirectly through the burning of fossil fuels to create electricity which is used to produce chemical materials which are then used as raw material to take place of cotton. Other major energy consumed involves using fuel for agricultural machinery and for distribution. Toxic chemicals are used widely in cotton planting and in many manufacturing stages such as pre-treatment, dyeing and printing. The volume waste from the fashion industry has become higher because of the advent of fast fashion. It is undeniable as regard to the current situation that the Fast fashion is causing a pollution issue due to shorted clothing life cycle, which has more negative impacts on environment. 3.2 Five Force Analysis Fashion apparel is a highly competitive business industry that is completely internationalized and posses no boundaries to its operations. The fashion retail industry is a large, mature and highly competitive industry. The annual growth rate of the market was about ** in the past decade. In 2009, total apparel sales were 362 billion. However, high fragmentation gives rise to intensive competition and price pressure in this market. Porters Five-Forces Model will be used to illustrate business environment of apparel industry. Threat of entry The apparel industry has very low entry barriers. Entry does not require huge amount of capital, workshops can be set up with workers with relative low skills. However, the economy of scale in production has significant impact on the entrant. It forces the entrants either to accept cost disadvantage or produce in a large scale. On the other hand brand identification and production differentiation plays the significant role, because brand identification creates a barrier to entry. Threat of substitutes The threat of substitution in this market is very high. The threat comes from other apparel retailers, designer retailers and tailor houses. On the other hand, Generic substitution is more likely to present a threat by offering products at lower prices. Power of buyers Todays buyers have more purchasing power than ever before. Customers demand high quality, a large variety and more frequent changes in the choice available to them. They want the exact garment they require when they want it and accessories in their preferred color and size in same store. This is the reason that retailers differentiate its product in order to satisfy the consumers needs. This is done by ensuring there are alternative sources of supply available for consumer and the cost of switching is almost zero. Inditex exactly meets the these customer demand by offer most fashionable clothes to cover various target markets at inexpensive price. Power of suppliers Power of suppliers in apparel market is low because most of fashion retailers outsourced the production section to developing countries, switching costs are low, buyes brands is powerful enough to get strong bargain power. There existing fashion retail brands command strong enough bargaining power to attain low costs. Therefore, the possibility of forward integration and suppliers customers are not fragmented. One the other hand, Inditex has more bargain power due to its vertical integration business model. Competitive rivalry The apparel industry, due to its low barriers of entry and declined obstacles to trade among nations, is one of the most highly competitive industries in the world. Hennues and Mauritz (HM) and Gap are Inditexs major competitors in terms of size and sales. Hennes and Mauritz ( HM) Hennes and Mauritz, was founded in Sweden in 1947, is another high performing fashion retailor. Today HM has expanded to 2000 stores acorss the world with more than 76,000 employees(HM Annual report,2009). HM offers similar product mix with Inditex in the same market, such as clothes, accessorise, nightwear and underwear to women, men and children. While HM is considered as the closest rival to Inditex, there are many key differences. First of all, HM outsourced all its production section. Moreover, HM tends to offer prodcuts at a slightly lower price than Zara by outsourcing it production. Beyond store-based retailing, HM also ventured into online shopping and Internet retailing. Inditex has been relatively slow to develop its online selling. However, HM has relied almost exclusively on only one brand. Inditex has broader brand portfolio, which is made up of eight brands in order to reduce risk and refine the companys targeting of specific consumer groups Gap The second biggest clothing retailor, Gap, is American fashion retailer founded in 1969. The company has five brands: GAP, Old Navy,Banana Republic, Piperlime and Athleta. At the beginning, Gaps merchandise consisted of other brands such as Levis and LPs. After Gap continuing to expand rapidly across the United States, Gap started to sell its private label products in its stores. Gap is a famous fashion retailer with a distinct marketing campaign consisting of mainly primetime television adverts which target the fashion conscious 15 to 35 age old women and men. The company operates over 4000 stores all over the world. Gap was well known for extensive collections of T-shirts and jeans which is simple but stylish. However, since 2001 the pace of development became slow due to lack of a clear fashion positioning and failing to meet consumers fast fashion demand. More than 90% of its products are outsourced, which has meant the supply chain is too long and they have therefore a slow resp onse to fashion. Also, Gaps core customer base has aged. Gap needs a reposition for its brand and design, but the chain has struggled to attract a younger generation to its stores. The company lacks an effective approach to deal with it. Gap is suffering from a plummet in sales and its competitors such as Zara and HM have consequently profited from Gaps downfall. In 2008, Inditexs fashion chain Zara overtook Gap to become the worlds largest clothing retailer. Inditexs Business Strategies 4.1 Design-Fashion follower, industry leader The process of Inditexs product development design programme is constantly working in order to adapt to new fashion trends . Designers and managers attend high-fashion fairs and exhibitions to obtain fashion information and then convert the latest fashion trends of the season into their designs. Other sources of design inspiration come from TV, Internet, film content or trend spotters. product development teams focus on venues such as university campuses and clubs around the world to capture fashion trends and customer preferences. Zaras product development teams have frequent dialogue via their internal IT system. Inditex gave significant autonomy to each store manager in deciding the quantity of product needed by each store. Moreover, the store manager is able to decide which product to display in their stores and which product is to be sold at a reduced price. The managers responsibility is to make these decision based on market research and sales trends. Moreover, by employing yo ung and fashionable member of staff ensures that employees also contribute by helping to report the sales analysis, the product life cycles, and the store trends to the designers. There are specialized teams in headquarters to analyze feedbacks and information from each store, then design and produce their products. These sales analyses allow the designers to develop the right products to meet consumer Demand. Design team issues up to approximately 12,000 new design styles per year. Such a design concept obviously depends on the regular creation of new design. For example, Zaras designer team came up with approximately 40,000 new designs per year, from which only slightly more than one-quarter of them for production. Zara often follows the fashion trends of the high-fashion houses and offers similar products at much lower prices by using less expensive fabric. It also attempts to offer more colors and larger range of sizes to meet the need of consumers. After a prototype of new design was selected, a computer-aided design system is used to refine colors and textures. Limited number of new items were produced and presented in certain stores for a trial period and large volumes of the product are produced only if customers reaction is positive. As a consequence, failure rates on new products is only 1% which is less than the average rate of 10% of other fashion retailers. 4.2 Manufacture process Inditex has been able to obtain excellent financial record due to its vertical integration and fast fashion business strategies which provide Inditex with a competitive advantage over traditional fashion retailers in the industry. Generally speaking, apparel retailers always try to keep slower costs by outsourcing production to developing countries where the lowest labor could reduce its manufacture cost. On the other hand, Inditexs subsidiary retailing chain adopted a successful diverse method of doing business by working through the whole value chain. Highly capital intensity and vertical integration is a distinctive feature of Inditexs business model. From the upstream value chain, a subsidiary of Inditex company, Comdietel, funnels fabric and other input supplied by external suppliers. More than half of the fabric was undyed which provide maximum flexibility to produce in-season clothes. Comdietel is able to dye and process gray fabric into certain pattern within only one week to meet the requirement of downstream value chain. Inditex has 20 fully owned manufacture factories across the Europe. These factories use capital intensive production processes and provide cut garment and semi-manufactured products to approximately 500 in-house workshops. The relevant cutting machines and other systems produce semi-manufactured items and cut garments which will be transited directly into workshops. The progress looks rigmarole, but it is quite efficient because bar codes track the cut pieces through the every production steps. Workshops are located in labor-intensive areas across Europe such as Spain and northern Portugal. These workshops manufacture clothes in small scale to offer specialization in product type. The sewn clothes were sent back from these workshops to various product line under different brands. The center will inspect, iron and fold before sending finished garment to distribution center. The secret of Inditexs success is that vertical integration leads to short turnaround times and great flexibility. By implementing in-house production, inditex has obtained high level of variety, quantity and frequency of new styled clothes. Inditex adopts market orientation by reducing lead-times and increasing flexibility. Zara is able to upgrade products in its stores within 10 to 15 days from design to stores. Vertical integration decreased Inditexs stock to a minimum level and reduced fashion risk. In the mean time, providing small amount of products in a great variety of styles rendered Inditex shorter lead times and high level flexibility. As a consequence of offering fewer amount of product more often, Indite obtains larger percentages of the full price due to in-season sell and thus achieve higher net margins on sales. By focusing on shorter response times to fashion trends and keeping up with fashion. Inditex made efforts to make sure that its stores are able to offer latest fashion items that consumers desired at a given time. Inditex can move from coming up a design to having clothes in its stores within 2 weeks. Short lead times is Inditex one of the most important competitive advantages over its competitors. When Inditexs retail stores provide consumer with latest fashion items and gain huge amount of sales, its competitors have still struggled to catch up. In comparison, HMs lead time is more than 20 days. Traditional retailers use 4-6 months . 4.3 Distribution A more systematic approach to inventory distribution is another feature of Inditex. Each retail chain has its own centralized distribution system. Distribution center is located in Arteixo and small satellite centers across the world. In order to keep its stores refreshed with new merchandise every two weeks, the warehouses of Inditex is simply a place to transfer merchandise rather than store them. Under Indetexs distribution system, most of merchandise stayed at the distribution centers for only few hours. Products are inspected and shipped immediately in distribution center. Store managers can check lists of items available to be shipped to their stores. Based on their store inventories, they can request quantities and type of products. However, Inditexs international expansion required constant adjustment on distribution. Zara schedules the shipment by time zone to make sure distribute effectively. Inditex uses this method to gain a competitive advantage by minimizing the lead ti mes. 4.4 Marketing mix Placement Inditexs marketing strategy is very effective because its marketing policy involves zero advertising. Inditex invest in selecting locations for its subsidiary retail chains and the presentation of those stores. For example, products in Zara are relative inexpensive, but shopping in Zara shores does not feel cheap. Zara stores are centrally located with spacious and nice interior. The clothes were presented very tide and upscale. There is a big difference between Zara stores and the store of some upper scale stores. Product Inditex constantly changes its products. Therefore, customers are never sure what is going to be on Zaras shelves the following week. Zara designs apparel to meet consumer demand, attempting to pull customers in by producing small amount to create a fear that if customers do not buy immediately, the product will soon be out of stock. There is not any other company that can produce high fashion clothes faster than Zara, which positions itself as high fashion at cheap prices. Although Zara has been accused of copying the design of other upscale fashion retailers, the prime difference is the price, which allows high fashion to be affordable for average consumer. Price The pricing strategy chosen can affect revenue. The price of a product is very vital for a company to get back all its effort. The other three elements of marketing mix are costs. Thus, no matter how good the garment is. How efficient the supply chain and how creative the promotion, unless the price covers cost, the company will not make profits. Clothes might suffer from prices that are too low among competition. Pricing is very important since it often send quality cues to customers  ¼Ã‹â€ Jobber, 2007 ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °Inditex does not compete on price because they know their customers are more sensitive to fashion instead of the price. Inditexs subsidiary brands follow a market-based pricing strategy. Inditex sets price in line with its marketing strategy with reference to other marketing decisions such as position, strategic objective, promotion and value to customers. Therefore, Inditex sets price differently on different brands. Zaras prices are very reasonable. Its objective is to set price as cheap as possible to allow people to have fast fashion clothes. Inditex will adjust its price for certain product to keep low inventories if the company overestimated the demand. Promotion The fact that there is no advertising promotion strategy is another effective cost cutting approach for Inditex. Other fashion retailers spend 3.5% of their revenue on advertising, while inditex only spends 0.3% on promotion. Advertisement is carry out only at a new store opening. But that does not means Inditex make less efforts on promotion. Zara does not engage in large advertising campaigns on television and magazines. It just adopts a different approach to promote its products. It invests its money on location, Zaras stores are situated at commercial center. The company believes that their shop windows presentations are all the advertising it needs and its sores only opened in the most fashionable district. 4.5 International Expansion Inditex has become possibly the most internationalized fashion retail chain. Zara operates 2707 stores in countries outside its home market Spain. By 2010, its has 1900 stores in rest of Europe, more than 150 stores in Asia, 366 in America, 485 elsewhere in the rest of world. Inditex generates 68 percent of its total revenue from oversea markets. Zara contributes most of international sales and revenue to Inditex. Zaras international expansion started in 1988 with the opening of store in Portugal, when Inditex found that the company has dominated domestic market and abroad market was very profitable. Since then, Zara entered into one country per year until it opened stores in 7 European countries. After that, the pace of Zara expansion has speed up more rapidly. Zara has successfully entered 74 countries. On the same period, HM expanded its retail network to 36 countries, and Gap entered into 30 countries worldwide. .( Indetex Annual Report, 2009 ) SALES 2008 2009 Spain 3.730.099 3.708.967 Rest of Europe 4.809.263 5.221.491 America 1.038.065 1.096.709 Asia and rest of the world 829.333 1.056.347 Total 10.406.960 11.083.514 5. Business model Analysis This section will further analyze the reasons why Inditex, who are competing in the same business field and under the same conditions as rivals such as HM, next, Gap and Mango, choose different business models. It describes exact competitive advantages that have derived from Inditexs business model and the negative sides of business models. According to Inditexs financial ratios and business models, we can conclude that Inditexs higher income result from its business model of vertical integration which keeps costs and operating expenses much lower than Gap and HM. In-house production allows Inditex have little transaction costs. In light of the transaction cost theory, Madhok said that manage business activities inside the company is direct way to diminish the transaction costs. The costs of managing upstream or downstream of business activities within an institution will be much lower than through the market. Meanwhile, vertical integration gives a firm more control and flexibilities to operate directly. Forward integration can provide product differentiation advantages that are difficult to imitate as well as superior design intelligence. Potential advantage from integration is the degree of value added at the throughout all stages of the business. The group has authority to operate directly through designing, manufacturing and distribution. Due to vertical integration, the group gains a better po sition in the purchasing of raw materials, controlling the manufacturing process and obtaining better lead time to market. Decreased Cost does not only derive from lower transaction cost but also comes from waste reducing. This happens by designing and cutting its fabric in-house and it acquires fabrics in grey to keep costs low. Zara dyeing and printing fabric until close to manufacture to acquire more flexibilities in order to meet various design requirements, thereby minimize raw material waste and rendered Zara great flexibilit

van gogh :: essays research papers

His move to Paris in 1886 brought van Gogh into contact with Paul Gauguin, Camille Pissarro, Georges Seurat and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Paris saw the first evolution in his paintings; his palette became lighter and he started to use pure colours. In 1888 he moved to Arles, where his artistic liberation was accelerated and completed. He also had his first attack of insanity there; he used to paint every day and produced an astonishing amount of marvelous work, such as the Sunflower series. During a visit by his friend Gauguin van Gogh cut off one of his own ears. Austrian expressionist artist Egon Leo Adolf Schiele, b. June 12, 1890, d. Oct. 31, 1918, was at odds with art critics and society for most of his brief life. Even more than Gustav Klimt, Schiele made eroticism one of his major themes and was briefly imprisoned for obscenity in 1912. His treatment of the nude figure suggests a lonely, tormented spirit haunted rather than fulfilled by sexuality. At first strongly influenced by Klimt, whom he met in 1907, Schiele soon achieved an independent anticlassical style wherein his jagged lines arose more from psychological and spiritual feeling than from aesthetic considerations. He painted a number of outstanding portraits, such as that of his father-in-law, Johann Harms (1916; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York City), and a series of unflinching and disquieting self-portraits. Late works such as The Family (1918; Oesterreichische Galerie, Vienna) reveal a newfound sense of security. 1902 - Ansel Easton Adams born on February 20, at 114 Maple Street, San Francisco, the only child of Olive and Charles 1915 - Despises the regimentation of a regular education, and is taken out of school. For that year, his father buys him a season pass to the Panama-Pacific Exposition, which he visits nearly every day. Private tutors provide further instruction. 1916: Family Trip to Yoesmite, Californina. 1925: Decides to become a pianist.

Rights for Homosexuals Essays -- Gay Marriages Homosexuality Equality

Rights for Homosexuals Gay marriage is a hotly debated issue in today's society. Andrew Sullivan and William Bennett offer opposing views in the June 3, 1996 edition of Newsweek. Sullivan's article, â€Å"Let Gays Marry,† offers several arguments supporting the issues of same sex marriage. Bennett counters in his article, â€Å"Leave Marriage Alone,† that same sex marriages would be damaging to the sanctity of marriage. Each author presents several reasons for the positions they defend and bring up valid points to defend their opinions. William Bennett and Andrew Sullivan share a mutual respect for the values and sacredness of the bond of marriage. Their disagreements stem from who they believe should be allowed to marry. Bennett’s article states that there are two key issues that divide people on the idea of same sex marriages; the basic understanding of marriage itself and whether or not same sex unions would strengthen or weaken the institution (29).His concern is that by allowing same sex unions, the rules which govern behavior in the conventional definition of marriage would be shattered (29). He fears that broadening the definition of marriage any further could stretch it beyond recognition (29). The well known promiscuity among homosexual males, Bennett feels, would conflict with the values of marriage. He believes that â€Å"marriage is not an arbitrary construct which can be redefined simply by those who lay claim to it† (30). Bennett sees marriage as a ...

The News: International “Objective” Informant :: Essays Papers

The News: International â€Å"Objective† Informant War is rarely an event looked forward to by many people. It involves death, abandonment, guilt, money, deceit, and an ultimate loss of too many elements to list them all. However there is rarely a time when there is not a war going on in some part of the country. For wars to happen there has to be people willing to fight in them. With so much at stake and so mush to lose it is often a wonder how governments, which are seldom trusted anyway, convince their citizens to support their various war efforts. With closer speculation it becomes quite clear how this is accomplished: the media. Whether print, radio, or television the media gives the public a sense of getting the real story. With this in mind it is much easier to persuade citizens that wars are necessary. Medias role in the politics of war is an often debated topic by those who believe the role is minimal and those who believe that media plays the utmost importance. Although there is no universal opinion, looking at differen t theories proposed and the wars of the past it is difficult to question how influential media is when dealing with any type of governmental action especially war. Although under constant scrutiny, the media plays a very significant role in the politics of warfare. Many believe that â€Å"governments seek cooperation, if not outright support, from the media to legitimize military action† (Thussu and Freedman 128). Media of Conflict argues that the media serves several purposes in the continuance of conflict. First it claims, â€Å"national media coverage has had the effect of exacerbating conflict as a result of conscious political strategies by political activists†(Allen 3). This has often been the case when politicians have the support of journalists, and they work in conjunction to present a certain image full of sensationalism and less insight. The second claim is that â€Å"wars are what the media makes of them†(Allen 3). This does apply to the shaping of military strategies but more importantly deals with representation of violence. The media has the ability to make certain forms of killing acceptable while making ot hers appear inhumane and unnecessary. Media of Conflict’s most important point about the purpose of media is found in the declaration that â€Å"how wars are made, how participants strategize their interests, how and if

Bmw Case

What was BMW’s motivation behind the idea of producing the films? BMW’s motivation behind the idea of producing the films was one to simply communicate, and focus on â€Å"what makes a BMW a BMW†. In fact, there was no product launch to advertise and BMW was able to use this time to shift its strategy from ‘push’ to ‘pull’. The goal of this advertisement was to â€Å"produce the most exciting, fun thing people had ever seen come out of their computer†. In terms of numbers, this campaign was used to maintain growth and sales, which had been growing excessively since 1992: from 60 000 units sold to 180 000 units (exhibit 1). In terms of target, BMW wanted to attract younger generations while still keeping its current target audience. This would enable the brand to increase the already high brand loyalty (44. 7%, Exhibit 8a), by getting customers from a younger age, and therefore following them throughout their lives. In terms of image, the goals of this campaign were to strengthen the company’s brand image in luxury segment, and differentiate it from other competitors. Who was the target market for the BMW Films campaign? With its campaign, BMW was hoping to reach customers between the ages of 25 to 44 who were new to the luxury car market, without affecting their current customer base, being 46 year old male, married with no children with a median income of about $150 000. This target audience was therefore well educated, two thirds were very active males engaged in sports and other activities. BMW wanted to target people who wanted a perfect product, stylish and which offered great driving experience. Last but not least, the target was highly attracted to technology, as the â€Å"Internet was used by 85% of customers before buying a BMW†; the films on the Internet therefore targeted perfectly these people. How successful has the campaign been? Why or why not? There are two ways of defining a successful campaign: the effectiveness and efficiency. In terms of effectiveness, it is important to compare the results according to the initial goals. Overall, the campaign was really successful: BMW sales increase by 12. 5% compared to 2000. Concerning viewers, films were viewed 11 million times in the first four months, and were seen by 1 981 049 people in total. The short films were recommended by 94% of the people who registered on the website, showing how incredible and successful the buzz was. Last but not least, two million people registered on the site after viewing the films and 60% signed up to receive newsletters and other information. In terms of numbers, this campaign was therefore obviously very effective: it was a tremendous buzz and gave the brand a â€Å"cooler† and younger image. Concerning target audience, in comparison with the overall goals, BMW was very successful here again. In fact, the median age of the people who registered on the website was 31, exactly in the target market goal. Moreover, the higher segments of viewers were in the range of 25 to 34 years old (35%) and between 35 to 44 years old (22%). These segments include both young people targeted by BMW and its current target market. 63% of viewers were educated and 68% of profile visitors owned non luxury makes, and were therefore new to the luxury segment. Here we can clearly see that all target objectives were reached by BMW. In terms of strategic goals, the company was also successful: it perfectly produced â€Å"the most exciting, fun thing people had ever seen†, and focused their message on what makes a BMW a BMW. Here is what a viewer said: â€Å"BMW lets the directors do whatever they want and they’re not constantly shoving the BMW logo in your face or anything†. Here again, BMW reached its entire strategic goal. Overall, the campaign was extremely effective in terms of achieving goals and communication to customers. Although effective, it is important to calculate the efficiency of this campaign. In order to do so, it is necessary to calculate the Cost per Thousand (CPM), and compare it to an ad airing during the super bowl. The calculations are detailed in Appendix 1. I have focused my analysis on the movies which aired on the internet, their costs of production and number of viewers, to compare it to the super bowl commercials. Overall, even without considering the costs of publicity (trailers on TV, print advertising) which reached $14 million, the CPM is way higher than for super bowl commercials ($ 7571 against $ 31. 25 respectively). Therefore, the efficiency of the BMW film series was low, as costs were way higher compared to the audience reached. In conclusion, this BMW campaign was very effective but not efficient. BMW should now focus on an â€Å"encore†. I believe that the company should create a DVD to give to dealerships in order to reach potential customers and already existing customers who didn’t view the movies. In addition to that, BMW should produce three to four new films with Clive Owen. This would enable BMW to answer the demands and desires of their customers, without disappointing them. When using A Brand New World, I believe that BMW was really able to create brand strength and not only brand awareness. This campaign really enabled the company to create an emotional attachment with both its customers and potential customers. Appendices Appendix 1: Cost per Thousands comparison |BMW FILMS ON WEBSITE |AD DURING SUPERBOWL | |Cost of production/ ad |$ 15 000 000 |$ 2 500 000 | |Circulation |1 981 049 |80 000 000 | |Cost Per Thousand (CPM) |$ 7571 |$ 31. 25 | Appendix 2: Target effectiveness, Example of non BMW owners reached [pic]

Everyone’s Favorite Food: A History of Burritos Essay

Joy, happiness, satisfaction, these are all words that come to mind when people think of burritos. Burritos are large tacos filled with any filling you may want, wrapped in a delicately made flour tortilla shell. Burritos have a very interesting history, beginning with when it was first made and ending with where it is today. According to Linda Watts, The History of The Burrito, Helium, last accessed December 5, 2010, Juan Mendez created the first burrito. He owned a taco stand in Ciudad Juarez in Northern Mexico. He wanted to be able to keep his tacos warm so he wrapped them in a flour tortilla shell. He did not know it at the time, but this new way of maintaining the heat of tacos, was going to be a huge hit. It did not take long for people to catch on to the idea. There are many different ways to make a burrito. The History of the Burrito, which I mentioned before, states that an authentic Mexican burrito is usually made with one or two fillings, while our form of the burrito is made with many fillings. Some of their fillings include meat, beans, chili rajas, potatoes, or asadero cheese. We fill our burritos with some of these ingredients. Our burrito also includes sour cream, salsa, many different cheeses, guacamole, or many other things. A New Mexican burrito includes one ingredient with or without cheese. There are also different forms of the burrito. A young girl named Tia Sophia invented the breakfast burrito in 1975. Her form of the burrito included potatoes and bacon and it was served wet with chili and cheese. In 1980, McDonald’s used Tia’s idea to make its own form of the breakfast burrito. Theirs includes eggs, cheese, peppers, sausage, and hot or mild sauce if you choose. Taco Bell created another different version of this burrito in the 1990s. One of the most famous burritos in the U.C. is the San Francisco burrito. It is made with many different things according to what the person wants. Some people have even chosen to make theirs veggie. There were many disputes over who created this type of burrito. There were also disputes over who created the flavorful burrito bowl and the chimichanga. The burrito bowl was created in 200. It is a burrito fajita without the tortilla. The chimichanga is created by putting a burrito in hot water. So, as you can see, the burrito has branched off into tons of different delicious treats that we all love and enjoy. Many people love burritos. According to United States Burrito Machine Patent, from Google Scholar, last accessed December 1, 2010, a great burrito lover created a mechanism called the burrito machine. He had a hard time folding his burritos perfectly. Well, this device fixed all that. The burrito machine perfectly folds burritos to where the filling will not fall out. While the tortilla shell is in the machine it is created and filled with whatever fillings you wish to stock it with. As you can tell this man, like millions of others, love burritos. Many people wrongly assume burritos and tacos are the same. But, the burrito is actually quite different then the taco. A burrito contains beans, unlike the taco. Burritos are much larger than ordinary tacos. Burritos are made to be wrapped up, keeping your fillings inside. This is not the case for the taco though. The taco was not originally made to be wrapped in a tortilla shell. When you bite into a burrito, and then a taco, you can tell the difference immediately. Very few people think there is not a difference. But, there are some very distinct differences. When the burrito was first made, according to Burritos from Mahalo.com Incorporated, last accessed December 5th, it was originally called the food of the burrito, but it was later shortened to burrito. The well known burrito was made popular by Northern Mexico and then the American gold miners. The word burrito means little donkey in Spanish. Courtesy of The History of the Burrito that I mentioned before, in Northern Mexico the burritos are called burritas. In Southern Mexico they are called tacos de harina which means wheat flower tacos, because they are made with special wheat flower tortilla shells. In conclusion, the burrito is a great invention that millions are very grateful for. Although many give credit to the taco for this great flavor, they are extremely wrong. The taco is not the same as the burrito. In fact, the taco was created long before the burrito was, so they should not make this mistake. Burritos were discovered by Juan Mendez. It is originally made with only one ingredient. But, it has changed over the years and is now made tons of different ways. Some people have even been inspired by this revolutionary food to create very handy and useful devices, such as the burrito machine. There are many different places that you see all around the world that sell burritos, places like Taco Bell, El Meson, El Rodeo, On the Border, and many more. The burrito has come a long way since it was created. It traveled from Mexico throughout the entire world. Millions of people love this cherished and delicious treat. I am sure it has many more years of adornment.

Communications: The Mechanistic Perspective Essay

‘Communication — – the process of transmitting and receiving ideas, information, and messages. The rapid transmission of information over long distances and ready access to information have become conspicuous and important features of human society, especially in the past 150 years.’ The encyclopedia definition of communication encompasses the ideas of exchanging a variety of messages with others. This is important to remember when looking at communications within an organization. The whole process of communications within organizations is very complex and is certainly one of the major factors in determining whether an organization will succeed or not. The following paper deals with the different types, influences and improvements within the realm of communications in organizations. Ways of conceptualizing communications It is necessary to look at the problem from many viewpoints to understand how communications are performed within an organization. These include psychological, systems-interaction, interpretive-symbolic, and mechanistic. All of these areas are very important to understand the ‘whole picture,’ but the focus of this paper will be in the mechanistic perspective. Mechanistic Perspective Information within an organization determines their ability to make informed decisions and the effectiveness of those decisions is based on the way they communicate. This mechanistic perspective on communications deals entirely with the message, the medium and factors that aid or detract from the process. In this model, communication is initiated by the sender through to the receiver. Each process is then broken down into bits of data that can be analyzed. The areas of importance are the ways in which the sender and receiver utilize perceptive processes to encode and decode the messages and  the fact that noise is in the system. Any message from a sender to a receiver would convey exactly what the meaning is intended in a perfect world. It is very important that the sender says exactly what they are trying to say and the receiver knows exactly what the sender is saying. The following example illustrates this point: Clear and concise is what is desired within a ship building contract. If the contract does not describe ‘exactly’ what is required, the contractor can get extra money for including those ‘extras’ during the building stages. The Irving led Saint John Shipbuilding organization has made much more than their original contract for building the Canadian Patrol Frigates due to these ‘arisings.’ It was even suggested that this was part of their contract plan from the beginning. In analyzing this situation, it was very difficult for the Canadian Department of National Defense (DND) to ask for everything because of the complexity of the contract, the number of personnel on the contract writing team, and the fact that many iterations were required for DND and parliament prior to letting the contract. In fact, the writing was started ten years prior to the contract being let, so technology had changed many of the basic assumptions about the type of work to be done. Verbal and Non-Verbal Communications Inherent to transmission of messages are the verbal and non-verbal cues which aid in helping to decode a message. Verbal cues are dependent on language. Nuances intrinsic to a language can make the decoding difficult if not impossible even by someone who uses the same language. This may be a local dialect or cross-country differences. Examples of cross-country differences would be English from England, Canada, and the United States. Each is the same language, but each has separate nuances that can make it very difficult to decipher by someone from another country speaking the same language. A personal example is asking for a washroom in Southampton, England, at a train station and being told that they did not have one. The word that I should have used was ‘toilet.’  Dialects within a country can make it impossible to understand the original message. Another personal example is attempting to decipher someone from northwestern Newfoundland; their dialect made it virtually impossible to understand. The point is to utilize the best transmission method in order to minimize the decoding difficulty for the receiver. Non-verbal cues are ‘those expressions of emotions and attitudes toward another person and in regulating the interaction between people.’ The text organizes the cues into seven categories and includes good examples, including: environment, proximity, posture, gestures, facial expressions, eye behavior and vocalics. One area missing within communications chapter was what the person is wearing, but was included in chapter 6, perception and performance evaluations. Many books advocate ‘dressing for success.’ Some examples include shopping, salesperson and the office. If you are going to shop at flea markets, dressing ‘down’ is a good way to start the bargaining process. A car salesperson should dress to show that he is successful, but not ostentatious. In my profession, I dress towards the client based on whether ‘suit and tie’ or ‘casual’ are the choice for the client’s organization. This non-verbal cue can aid in preparing the initial psychological base for the remainder of the conversation and ensure that it does not detract from the conversation while it is ongoing. Influences on Communication Physical and personal factors influence communications. Organizational design influences physical factors, which deals with layout of the office, networks for communications, and the media selected for the message. Personal factors include the differences between individual styles, men and women, and cultures. Organizational Design The design of the organization must be based on what the organization is attempting to accomplish. Technology can enable these designs to take on new meanings as methods become available to communicate as never before. The first place to look at is the design of the office. The typical office has space allocated based on position of the employee. A worker may be in a ‘bull pen’ type of environment whereas the president will have a large office to show their particular status. Two personal examples include the Ship Repair Unit and Deloitte and Touche Consulting Group. Each has a typical office layout; the workers are in offices with partitioned walls; managers have outer offices, some with windows; and the general manager has the largest, most pretentious office space. The communications tend to have very structured down and up paths. Methods of communications include computer email, voice mail, and written memos. ‘Most critically, however, the intelligent office building must clearly improve the quality of the workplace for the individual, representing a major philosophical change in the office design. After all, what is the electronically enhanced office intended to facilitate, if not the effectiveness, productivity, and well-being of the worker, and the ultimate effectiveness of the organization.’ Traditional organizational design ideas are being challenged with the concepts of tele-commuting and virtual companies and offices. Technology has enabled us to plug into the office place anywhere in the world utilizing advanced telecommunications and computer advances. Many offices now have flexible office areas for their workers where they can sit down, plug in a laptop and have a phone, desk, and general office requirements available. When they are at their other office locations, they simply plug in to that particular location. All of this is transparent to the sender or receiver of information from that individual. An example is an advertising agency where a friend of mine works for in Toronto which has other offices in New York and Chicago. When he commutes to  these offices, he has all of the these resources available to him. This is transparent to his clients, who just thinks he does a wonderful job from his home office in Toronto. The types of communications are similar, with more emphasis based on digital transmissions (email and voicemail). I utilize voice mail effectively when on a client site by having a location for clients to call in for me and I can vet and prioritize my calls. ‘Employment in the Information Age is undergoing a transformation which may cause as much dislocation as the move from farm to factories did in the 19th century. Studies predict that the ranks of those with alternative office arrangements will grow by 10 percent or more every year during the remainder of the decade.’ The virtual company challenges communications within an organization even greater than present designs. This entity has allowed small organizations to work as effectively through the use of advanced communications and allows larger companies to change the way they do business. Some of the requirements for a company to be effective in virtual space include: robust infrastructure for individual employees, including cellular phone, portable computer with communications; remote managing – how do you know the person is doing their work?; employees must have the correct attributes to make it all work. When it does work, it works very well. The employee is either on a client site or at home and is more effective A personal example is a company in which I was a co-owner. This virtual company was a computer consulting firm specializing in Microsoft Office Integration. We had a management team from within Nova Scotia (5 people), programmers from around North America, and clients from around the world. This organization was difficult to run from the perspective of handing off information and brain-storming, but was very good at allowing each employee to work in their space of choice to increase productivity. The majority of the clients were local; a firm handshake and the ability to look someone in the eye is still stronger than the pen and keyboard. The international clients tended to be software firms who were looking for someone to subcontract a small portion of a project. The reason the business ran  effectively was that the employees were suited to the environment. If the business was not as high tech orientated, I would be reluctant to state that it would work as effectively. The type of design of the organization must be orientated to their mission. As the communication network characteristics shows , the different types of networks are good at some things and poor at others. The tradeoffs are usually flexibility and satisfaction against errors with simple tasks. Risk to human life or catastrophic failure was a point missing in network design. The text makes a number of good points about network design, but did not have an organization with strong lateral dissemination of information. This is important in more and more organizations as downsizing is taking out layers of middle managers, the overall manager cannot control or handle all of the information volume, but the job must still be done. The new managers require a horizontal flow of communications to get their job done. Personal Factors The personal factors within communications are more difficult to define. Consequently, they are also more difficult to improve upon. The text outlines very briefly some of those topic areas, including individual difference, culture differences, and male and female differences. Listening and Responding Noise is another area that inhibits or distorts the transmission of a message. The text deals with ways to be more effective in listening and responding to messages. A way to further analyze the effects of noise and barriers to communications within organizations is to study communications systems utilizing radio frequency (RF) transmissions; they have well documented aspects of noise  which can be analogous to other mediums. Modulation is the technique of employing information (the message) on a carrier signal and sending that signal to the receiver who then decodes it and gets the original transmission. Noise is what distorts that transmission. Different types of modulation techniques are utilized to cut down on the noise inherent to the medium utilized. Analog and digital communications employ all of the different types of modulation. The easiest modulation type (within the electronics) is amplitude modulation (AM) but which has the highest degree of susceptibility to noise. This is based on noise thresholds and the fact that background noise can be so loud that the original message is lost. This is analogous to trying to tell somebody an important message in a busy, noisy room. The background ‘din’ can make the message almost impossible to hear and understand properly. The second technique is frequency modulation (FM) which is more difficult to encode and decode, but is less susceptible to noise. This is because the natural noises the stratosphere produces are not over broad frequency ranges. Phase based modulation employs similar techniques, but uses phase differences to encode the information. This is analogous to listening to FM radio, which is close to what the original sounds like, but still seems weak in comparison to the ‘real thing.’ Digital communications employ the same modulation techniques as analog communications, but have distinct advantages in conveying messages over analog systems. Analog transmissions have no discrete data; it is all based on ramps of information. This would be analogous to the difference between an analog speedometer and a digital one. The analog would give you a continuous representation, but has no distinct breaks; the digital speedometer can only show you discrete amount of speed indications. In a digital system, the discrete data is only ‘on’ or ‘off’. This makes it much easier to distinguish the actual data from the noise because the threshold between the two can be much greater (the terminology used is decibels – the difference between the receiving message and the noise). This discrete data can be manipulated to ensure that the message is correct; this is referred to as error correction. A communications system analogous to this would be downloading information off the Internet and it error-checking at the receiver’s end to ensure the file is correct. The situation analogous to this entire noise discussion is that we would normally write something down if it was critical in order to ensure the information is transmitted correctly (digital systems). If we are not worried about errors in transmission, we will convey our message through speech (analog systems). The other points, including fatigue, time pressure, selective listening, status, value judgments, and source credibility are very good observations on the barriers to messages. An example of using listening and responding within communications was the idea that I based my first company on; producing multimedia applications. What possessed me to orient myself in that direction in 1991 was a statistic from the MIT media lab: 10% of people remember what they hear, 20% remember what they read and 65% remember what they interact with. One area that was missing in the text discussion was that you can get people to remember by interacting with the message. This could be in the form of CD-ROM computer based training, seminar, or one-on-one where the person is forced to think about the information being presented. Application of Communications A good example of multiple types of communications within an organization is within a warship. A personal example is H.M.C.S. Nipigon; a Canadian destroyer based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The primary purpose for a destroyer is for a weapons platform in which the Government of Canada can utilize to direct their policy. The organization must be robust enough to handle multiple contingencies, including loss of life, loss of systems, and loss of communications. There is redundancy within departments (supply, engineering, operations) in order  to minimize losing one critical person. Therefore, network design facilitated this by placing the key personnel at different areas in the ship during war time situations.. There are multiple ways to power systems via primary and backup power supplies. Again, to keep communications open within the systems in order to keep the vessel floating and fighting. There are also multiple ways for external and internal communications to occur. The communications control room (CCR) can patch a multitude of apparently dissimilar systems, including telephones, radios, and digital computers. To minimize errors, the organization has a strict hierarchy with instructions as to the types of information to be handled by each person with the organization and how it will be distribu ted. This is related to the network design and the media types for information. The crew will train repeatedly in order to minimize errors. This is related to how to minimize the noise within the system. In this case, the noise would be the amount of information available and the filter would be the voice procedures that personnel must utilize to talk both internally and externally. This is of vital importance if there are situations happening internally, including fires and floods, and externally, including incoming missiles, planes, ships and submarines. The communication does not stop within the ship. Depending on the scenario, it could be a contingency of Canadian warships, NATO warships, or another conglomeration where various platforms. Inputs could be coming from satellites, helicopters, intelligence, other ships, and planes. There are strict communications protocols and transmission types for this exchange of information employing cryptography and error correction in order to minimize the chance for error. Multiple forms of communications are at work in this scenario, but the reason it all works is due to the design of the organization. Critique This chapter on communications dealt primarily with the mechanistic perspective. The other areas are needed to balance this sole focus on linear communications. Within the mechanistic approach, there were some areas which were missing which I deemed vital. These included the network flow of the large horizontal organization, importance of reducing errors in mission  critical processes, and the application of technology. Communications in organizations having large horizontal movement of information is critical to its success. As previously stated, the reduction of errors can be critical to human life and also to the success of an organization. Technology enablers have evolved so quickly that the types of hardware and software the authors talk about have changed. Concurrent engineering is a term used to describe 24 hour production of engineering problems by handing over the problems to destinations throughout the world. Bell Northern Research utilizes this technique to dramatically improve their time to market for products. Not enough research was placed into the way new companies (virtual companies) can communicate more effectively. The world is getting smaller as communications become more effective and this text should reflect more of that type of communication.