Japanese product Essay Example for Free

Japanese product Essay Historically, it would one impossible to conduct a discussion on the issue of American interest in the culture and society of Japan without mentioning World War Two. The conflict between the two nations during the 1940s forever linked each other as the landscape of the culture of modern Japan and the modern United States were shaped from the outcome of World War Two. In that regard, the histories of the two nations are forever interlocked. While one would assume that such an interlocking fusion would yield a negative, the reality is that the two countries eventually opened each others minds in terms of accepting each other. Granted, there are still obstacles present to understanding each other, but the acceptance and understanding between the two culture have been advanced do to eventual infusion of Japanese pop culture entertainment into the American conscious. Unfortunately, not all presentations of Japanese culture are presented with a clear understanding of the basics of Japanese societal structure. Any attempt to understand the Japanese must begin with their version of what it means to take ones proper station. Their reliance upon order and hierarchy and our faith in freedom and equality are poles apart and it is hard for us to give hierarchy its just due as a possible social mechanism. Japans confidence in hierarchy is basic in her whole notion of mans relation to his fellow man and of mans relation to the State and it is only by describing some of their national institutions like the family, the State, religious and economic life that it is possible for us to understand their view of life. (Benedict) A significant reason that Japanese culture has been embraced by those in the west centers on the fact that many people are exposed to Japanese pop culture when they are very young. The operative point here is that what people are exposed to are the more pop driven forms of Japanese entertainment. It is not the classics of Japanese cinema that helps to define a consciousness in the eyes of the public. Most people are not familiar with classic films such as YOJIMBO or GATE OF HELL of KWAIDAN. What people become familiar with are the various anime films, manga periodicals, etc. This is not because the public looks for lowbrow entertainment as much anime and manga output from Japan is very sophisticated in the storytelling techniques that are explored. Much of the reason that these forms of Japanese entertainment are so popular is that they utilize genres that â€Å"travel† well. In other words, regardless of which culture produces a horror comic, an action-adventure film, a sci-fi fantasy, very little is changed in terms of the way those types of genres are constructed. A comedy, however, centers far too much on a specific culture understanding of a particular humor to be effective. Since much of the output from Japan that reaches the United States borrows from genres that â€Å"travel† well, the ability for the American public to accept the Japanese product is maximized. (Actually, it is further maximized in light of the quality level of the writing that helps hook audiences) This does not mean, however, that there is a cohesion of understanding of the Japanese culture by the American audiences mainly because much of the homegrown American entertainment that uses Japan as a backdrop generally offers a very stereotyped image of Japanese society designed to be ‘swallowed’ by an American audience that has very limited knowledge of the actual culture. This can be viewed in such films as LOST IN TRANSLATION and the landmark film (in terms of providing a skewed insight into Japanese culture) BLACK RAIN. This is not to say that the purpose of BLACK RAIN was to present an inaccurate depiction of Japanese people. What the purpose of BLACK RAIN was, on a deeper level, was to provide a complicated scenario for the Michael Douglas character to overcome the obstacles in his way in order to achieve his goal of capturing the villain. The obstacles in BLACK RAIN, however, are fairly insurmountable: he is a stranger in a strange land who has difficulty functioning on his own and is forced to put his stubbornness and his prejudices aside so that he can bond with a Japanese police officer in order to achieve his objective. The character that Michael Douglas plays, however, is a complicated corrupt loner who is his own worst enemy. He is distrustful and keeps people at arms length. By being forced to accept help from these people who he has nothing in common with, he is able to ultimately grow as a person. Like the character Michael Douglas plays, Japanese culture is ripe with complexity. The culture is different and the way people interact with each other in Japan is far different that the way people interact with each other in the United States. While BLACK RAIN does shows these differences, it does not go beyond the surface value of the differences to provide a more complex side of the Japanese. As such, the Japanese characters often appear one dimensional and border on stereotypes.

Nestle Australia Is Food And Drink Products Supplier Marketing Essay

Nestle Australia Is Food And Drink Products Supplier Marketing Essay 1- Introduction Launched in 1867, Nestle Australia Ltd is a supplier of food and drink products. It also provides a wide range of dairy milk products, noodles in many flavors, chocolate, frozen meals and coffees. Besides, it provides a variety of cold and hot drinks, light ice-creams and a variety of confectionery and bakery items. Nowadays, Nestle Australia offers catering services to cafes, restaurants, hotels and clubs. Other products that we will put a spot-on in this report are yogurts, fruit yogurts, and flavored milk and yogurts. Nestlà ©s brands include Kit Kat, Nescafe, Nestea, Ortega and Crunch. Nestle provides also pets foods such as Purina. The company launched a joint venture with General Mills in more than 80 countries. (One Source, 2009) History At the beginning Henri Nestle has developed milk for babies who are unable to drink and to feed from their mothers, after five years this product was sold around the world as a food for babies and old people. In 1906, Australian market became the second largest market for Nestle and was served by many of retailers and sales agents. The best achievement in Australian market was in 1934 by the invention of new product MILO. (Nestle, 2009) Nowadays, this product is sold in more than 30 countries with sales of more than half Billion Australian dollar. In 1999, Nestlà ©s head office in Sydney became the headquarter for Oceania region which includes Australia, New Zealand and Pacific islands. Principles and Values In the whole life of Nestle (135 years), Nestlà ©s basic approach to business was the foundation and the maintenance of long term values for consumers, shareholders, employees, society and community as a whole. Nestlà ©s major principal is to maintain a long term business improvement and development. (Nestle, 2009). Nestles major values are the following: Long term development Long term relationships Integration and reacting with different cultures The identification that customers earn information about the company besides the product that they bought Ethical values are basic requirements for our employees and senior line managers These values and principles have been translated into more than forty languages around the world, and it is must that all Nestles mangers should recognize and apply these values in their career lives, and these values are given by training to the new employees. Nestle Australia Nestle also is participating in the Oceanias community which is identified by its mixture and diversity of economic conditions, cultures, believes and tastes. We became a vital part in the community in which we activate as an employer and as a supplier to the local area. Besides, we were the leaders in many issues such as people health and environmental protection. As the largest food and beverage company in the world, we believe that we have a responsibility to customers and we are taking this responsibility seriously. We believe that people should live in a healthy style by doing sports, we are sponsoring many sports events and we are always encouraging people to get active. In addition, through our agreement with the Australian Institute of Sport, we are improving children to get their knowledge and to understand nutrition. Mission Statement When you read Nestles mission statement the following words jump to your mind: Research, good food, health and wellness. Our products bring to consumers the best tastes and pleasures. Research is the masterpiece of Nestles heritage and an important element for our companys future. We still know that there is some mysterious information about health and wellness had not been discovered yet, that is the reason that we are still searching for answers to bring Good Food for Good life. (Research. Nestle, 2009). Nestle Worldwide Today, with more than 480 factories and 265,000 employees in 87 countries in all over the world: Americas, Africa, Middle East, Europe and Australasia, Nestle is considered as the largest food and Beverage Company all over the world. Nestle Oceania in Australia, New Zealand and the pacific island is hiring more than 5,500 employees, with more than 20 factories and four distribution centers owned and managed by the company. Due to Nestlà ©s multinational reputation, and despite the tough market conditions not only in Australia but worldwide, and due to Nestlà ©s convenient place in Sydney and due to the high qualified employees and the brilliant companys strategy, Nestle dad been ranked number one among all food suppliers in Australian market in 2008 (Nielsen Report, 2008). In 2008, for Ice-cream, yoghurt and coffees categories, Nestlà ©s sales volume was more than AU$200m for each category. 5% Employees Turnover Rate More than 6,000 Brands and 10,000 Products More than 480 Factories in 87 Countries Over than 265,000 Employees Annual Sales more than 103 A$ billion World Leading Food and Beverage Company Nestle Figure1, Nestle Worldwide. Source: Nestle, Australia, 2009. 2- Situation Analysis 2.1- Internal Analysis Nestle Australia is considering the market leader in food and beverage sector in Australian market with overall sales more than , involved in more than 20 industries such as: Chocolates, yoghurts, ice cream, milk, dairy deserts coffee , confectionery and frozen meals. Nestle Australia has launched more than one hundred brands; Coffee Mate, Nescafe, Uncle Tobys, Nesquik, Maggi, Drumstick, Quality Street and Peters are only examples of Nestlà ©s brands in Australian market. Referring to Nielsons 2008 report, Nestle was ranking high among its competitors in ice cream, milk and yogurt fields which could be a very good indicator for launching our new product that we will discuss later in our marketing plan. Referring to the Retail Australias 2009 grocery magazine we will find the following: For Chilled Diary category, Nestle value share was about 14.2% in 2008 comparing by 16.8% for the previous year. For Dairy Desserts Category, Nestle value share was 25.2% comparing by 25.3% for the previous year For Chilled Diary category, Nestle value share was about 14.2% in 2008 comparing by 16.8% for the previous year. For Yoghurt category, Nestle value share was 11.8% in 2008 comparing by 15.8% for the year above. For Drinking Yoghurt, Nestle is not involved in this market yet, only the following companies are in this market : Yakult, Jalna , Bulla and some other small companies. As an overall trend, we could realize some declination for Nestlà ©s volume trend in some industries and categories. This decrease was a natural impact of the huge affect of the global financial crisis as we will describe in the next chapter .Due to this crisis, customers might buy some products instead of Nestlà ©s ones or they might even reducing their purchases for some items. 2.2- Macro Environmental Analysis (PEST Analysis) Economic After several years of flourish and high economic growth, The Australian economy suffered a lot in 2008, due to the huge effects of the economic global financial crisis. Australians GDP is declined; a reduction in job vacancies and a high rate of inflation, all these indicators could lead to an increasing in food and beverages prices See figures 2 3 for Australias GDP and Unemployment Rate in 2007, 2008 and Jun 2009. (GDP growth reached 2.7% in Jun 2008 comparing by 4.3% in Jun 2007) Figure2 Australias Unemployment Rate- Source: ABS, 2009 Figure3: Australias GDP Growth rate- Source: ABS, 2009 Social Despite the lack of confidence for Australian consumers, Australia becomes one of the most optimistic countries, as in 2008, Australia was ranking as one of the most confident countries all over the world with an index score 104, 20 points higher than the world average.. (Nielsen, 2008). Generally Retail growth in 2008, 2009 stays slow, and consumers became more carefully with their money, they spend more money for dining at- home like buying foods and drinks from supermarkets and they spend less money for out of home activities like cafes, restaurant and take-away shops. Despite the fact that supermarkets gained a good share with this new customers philosophy, total grocery sales have been declined in 2008. (Nielsen, 2008). The total retail sales growth reached 5.9% in august 2008 comparing by 7.5% for the same month in 2007. Comparing by 2007, the businesses such as cafes restaurants and takeaway Foods, had recorded the largest drop in turnover of 6.4%. One expectation of these supermarkets is Aldi. Customers preferred to go to Aldi due to the good prices in addition to the good quality there. Aldi, with share reaching more than 22% , had took many dollars away from huge chain supermarkets. Politics This part indicates legal and political situation in Australia. It includes: Taxation for raw materials bought overseas, employment laws, environmental regulations, political stability and competition regulations. . In my opinion, no other politics issues would affect the launching of our new product due to the currently stable politic situation that Australia is facing now, i.e. there is no war, no revolution or even no elections are affecting Australia at this moment Technological Besides the innovation and application of new technology such as the RFID (The Radio Frequency Identification) , the increase in price of raw materials and other supply chain costs could affect the launching of our new product. 2.3 Micro Analysis The Market If we take an overall view on grocery market last year. Referring to the 2008 Nielsen report we will realize these important following items: -An overall declining trend in grocery market, with sales growth 5.9% comparing by 7.5% as we mentioned before, which is a normal consequences due to the new situation; consumers tightening their belts -.Drinks and confectionery are only the two sectors that have achieved an increase in growth for 2008, with 3.3% and 7.5% respectively. -The largest growth achieved was in dairy sector by increasing more than 7.6%. The most important sector in this report is the Chilled Diary , since our new product( which we will discuss it in this chapter) is a sub category for the Chilled Diary part. In 2008, and despite the financial crisis, this sector achieved an AU$996.5m grocery value with an increase of 3.5% comparing by 2007. This indicator could be a high motivation for Nestle to increase its market share in this category (See Figure 4 5) Figures 4 5 : Australias Chilled Diary Market Corporate % Shares for 2008 2007 . Source: Australias grocery magazine, 2009. Referring to the above data, we could recognize that there is a large advantage for Nestle to increase the profit by investing in confectionery or drinks sectors, especially in dairies products. The Product Our new product would be categorized under the Drinking Yoghurts category. (We will discuss the product briefly in the next two chapters). The Drinking Yoghurts value market in 2008 reached a A$52.3m with an increase of 5.5% comparing by 2007. This market contains only 3 major companies; Yakult with 67.7% value share (The market leader in this category) Jalna with 10.6% value share Bulla with 4% value share And Private Label with 16.8% value share. Figure 7, Australias Drinking Yoghurt Market Corporate % Shares 2008 Source: Australias grocery magazine, 2009 After all the above reasons, we could conclude that there is a big opportunity for Nestle to enter this market and it would obtain a very competitive position among the other competitors. Target Market and Market Size In this market plan we will focus on: children, youths and adults which are the majority of Australian population. We will concentrate on both genders male and female and our market will be in the whole Australia and not in a specific city. Australias population at the beginning of 2009 was 21,644,000 persons. The children aged population (0-14 years) was about 19.8% of the total population and the working age population was about 67.4% (15-64 years) of the total population. (OECD Fact book, 2008). However, in our market plan, we will exclude the: 0-4 and 40-65 years population which means that we will try to attract from 50-60% of Australias population. Undoubtedly, some of the 40-65 years population would use our product. However, they will not be potential customers as the mentioned ones. 2.4. S.W.O.T. Analysis -Strengths Market Leader in the industry Good quality image and high brand awareness A high growth rate in the desired market A huge product lines Parent Support An international team working behind the plans achievement A very-well trained employees in all companys department A supply chain management to serve the whole country Weakness New market forNestle Unstable economic conditions: Decline in GDP growth rate and high inflation and unemployment rate. Customers are tightening their belts Exciting competitors Opportunities A huge market size An identified target market No large multinational size competitors Increase in sales and profits Increase in total Australias market share Increase in product line An opportunity to export the product to many countries around the world Threats Segments are shared by competitors Uncertain circumstances could affect our sales Misunderstanding of the product Poor advertising campaign due to the market conditions An unexpected drop in the confectionery and drinks markets. 3-Product Launch The product launch is the most important part of this market plan. As we discussed in the previous chapter, we are going to launch a drinking yoghurt product. So why did we choose this product specifically? If we take a quick view on Nestle share value in yoghurt and chilled diary industry we would realize the following: In Chilled Diary category, Nestle value share was about 14.2% in 2008 comparing by 16.8% for the previous year. In Yoghurt category, Nestle value share was 11.8% in 2008 comparing by 15.8% for the year above. It is very easy to recognize that Nestle is facing a problem in these above sectors for the last year. We all know that all companies now are facing financial problems and markets are unstable and nowadays many customers are tightening their belts. However, these two markets had an increase in their value rate for the last year with 3.5% value increase for Chilled Diaries and 5.9% increase for yoghurt products comparing by 2007. (Australias Grocery Magazine, 2009) Also, referring to the Australias Grocery Magazine, some of Nestlà ©s competitors such as Diary framers had achieved an increase in value share According to the above, Nestle is facing a small problem in this market, so how to solve this problem? The answer is including many possibilities. We could reduce our prices, we could increase our market share by an increase in production, and we could modify our advertising and promotion activities. In addition, there is another plan. We could enlarge our share in Chilled Diary category by launching a new product in a subcategory which is the Drinking Yoghurts. If we achieve this plan we could gain a higher market share, increase our sales and profits, enter a new market segment and finally we will gain new customers. The Drinking Yoghurt market is facing a good condition these days; by an increasing 5.5% in value share in 2008 with a grocery value reached more than AU$50m , which means that this market is gaining new customers day by day and despite the unstable market situation, the drinking yoghurt market is in a developing trend. Nestle is already producing chilled diaries, yoghurts and fruit yoghurts so many product lines are ready for the launching of the new product. Also, Nestle is already gaining a high-ranking in the grocery market, therefore all shipping, transportation, supply chain, deliver products to supermarkets could be handled easily. Yoogo would be the brand name of our new product. We will launch the product at the beginning with three flavors; Yoogo Mango, Yoogo Strawberry and Yoogo Apricot. After three years of market and sales observation, we will launch a new Light Yoogo, which will be Fat Free drinking yoghurt for people who care more about their health and lifestyle. Yoogos ingredients could contain the following: Milk, Skim Milk, Fruit Preparation; mango or strawberry or apricot, and approved flavors and colors. Undoubtedly, Yoogo would face a high competition when it enters the market. ( We will discuss this later in the next two chapters). However , the main competitive brands would be yakult with 67.7% and Jalna with only 10.6% value shares in 2008. (Australias Grocery magazine, 2008). However, Nestle could produce the product and gain a high position among these brands. (We will discuss this later in the next two chapters). 4-Market Strategy Market Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning To gain a desirable position among all competitors in customers minds, we will segment our market on two bases: -Demographic Segmentation Geographic Segmentation Demographic Segmentation We are targeting customers depending on their ages. As we mentioned before, we will focus on: children, youths and adults which are the majority of Australian population, we will exclude the: 0-4 and 40-65 years population which means that we will try to attract from 50-60% of Australias population. This is a very huge segment as we are focusing on more than half of the countrys population. Furthermore, we believe that any of these segmented people, with any sex, income, occupation would use our product as it is not a luxury product using by specific customers. Undoubtedly, we will vary our advertising campaign for each generation, i.e. the advertising campaign for children will be different than the youths one. Otherwise, we will make a small bottle for children (150 ml) and a large one for adults (300ml). Geographic Segmentation We will divide Australia as geographically basis to zones and each distributor would be responsible for each zone. E.g. We will divide Australia to five zones: Vic, NSW, WA, SA and Queensland Each company when launching a new product desires a high profit margin, large sales volume, high growth rate. However, we will concentrate more in achieving a long-run high profit and sales instead of the short-run ones. We believe that there are some requirements for effective segmentation: Measurability, Accessibility, Substantiality and Actionability. (Kotler et al, 2007) Our team will work hard to meet all of these requirements We consider that we will face a huge competition and we will face also the threat of substitute products. However, we will do our best to cover our market targeting by maximum three years and to be the market leader for this category in maximum five years. Our plan is to gain more than 55% of supermarket shelves in five years. We realize that this is a very hard mission, but we will try to achieve it by three main steps: Understanding our marketing segments- Maintaining an advertising and promotion plans- -Launching Yoogo with a reasonable price according to the company and according to our consumers.(we will discuss the price part later in Marketing Mix Strategy) Also, we will try to gain a competitive position in customers minds based on the following two concepts: Nestle Family Brand The Nestle family brand is showing care and safety to consumers and this is a very good reason to attract the customer. Communication Due to Nestlà ©s brand name, it is very easy to be in touch.with our customers 5-Marketing Mix strategy: Product Our product is a Fruit drinking Yoghurt with three flavors; Mango, Strawberry and Apricot. We will make two sizes, 150 and 300 ml. The gradients would be described as following: Milk, Skim Milk, Fruit Preparation; mango or strawberry or apricot, and approved flavors and colors (We had discussed the product more briefly in chapter 3) Price In launching this product we could use one of these two pricing methods: Cost- based pricing: Calculating the price by adding a mark-up to the cost of the product. (Kotler et al, 2007) Going-rate pricing: Calculating the price basis on competitors prices, with less attention to our cost or to the market demand. (Kotler et al, 2007) Value-based pricing: Calculating the price basis on buyers perception of value, with less attention to the sellers cost. (Kotler et al, 2007). In Nestle, we use the cost-based pricing method: Unit cost = variable cost + (unit fixed cost à · unit sales) Unit price= unit cost à · (1- desired return on sales) We determine our prices basis of the following objectives: Profit: For any company the most important issue is the profit earning, however, as we are launching a new product, we do believe that we will not gain a high profit margin at least for the first three years Consumer Satisfaction: The most essential factor when determining the price is our customers satisfaction towards our products and prices. Place We will divide Australia to 5 zones; Victoria, NSW, SA, WA, and Queensland. However, we will try to promote Yoogo everywhere, in every small and large city in Australia. Customers will find Yoogo in hypermarkets such as Coles, Woolworths and Aldi, in medium size supermarkets such as IGA and even in small supermarkets such as Seven Eleven. Customers would find Yoogo in cafes, restaurants, hotels cinemas and beaches. In addition, Yoogo is a healthy fruity drink, so you can find it also at hospitals. This plan is a little bit hard to be achieved. However, with the well-established supply chain management in Nestle and with the very good relationships with suppliers, retailers and resellers, we could achieve this plan within maximum three years. Promotion Promotion is the activities that represent the value of the product and encourage customers to buy it. In our marketing campaign and promotion we will tray to reach every body every where. We will do advertising campaigns in newspapers, radio, streets and television. Seeing that the survey research is the most widely method for collecting primary data, before launching the product we will perform a marketing survey research; we will go to clubs, streets and schools. Also, we will implement an online marketing research to collect primary data through online focus groups, using the integration of animation such as; audio, video and virtual environment would help us to overcome any limitations. We will try to select a sample of the population that has been selected, ask those questions about the product and the company and depending on the results of this research, we will implement our advertising campaign. We will support our promotion campaign basis on these four methods: A-Individual Selling: In this campaign, we will implement a direct selling activity especially during the summer months of November, December, January and February. Our team will go to club and beaches to meet our target segments there, they will wear t-shirts and caps with Nestle and Yoogos logos, and they will sell our Yoogos 150 ml bottle. By applying this innovative idea, we hope that our brand will get a great vision in terms of image, sales and brand awareness. B-Sales Promotion: Besides personnel selling, we will implement some sales promotion plans. At the beginning of the product launching, we will go to streets and malls, we will offer free 150ml trial bottles to customers, we will encourage them to try our product and to give us their feedback by email or even by phone. In addition, we will offer a 150ml bottle free with the purchasing of three 300ml bottles. Adding to this trade promotion, we will give the retailer an addition discount 5% during our sales promotion. Our marketing team will implement a major healthy and education campaign about the importance of the product, our team will focus on the concept that our product is a healthy one. Invitations would be sent to parents of school children to attend these seminars. This could help us to improve our brands image in consumers minds. C-Public Relations: Public relation is one of the most important factors in all multinational companies promotions. Every year, Nestle is launching its annual report containing information for shareholders and stockholders. In addition, a large amount of information regarding our product and our promotion would be found in newsletters and magazines issued by Nestle Australia. This promotion would obviously lend a hand in formation of the awareness of our brand.

Characteristics Of A Successful Entrepreneur

Characteristics Of A Successful Entrepreneur Entrepreneurs use innovation to exploit or create change and opportunity for the purpose of making profit. They do this by shifting resources from an area of lower productivity into an area of higher productivity and greater yield, accepting a high degree of risk and uncertainty in doing so (reference Patricias lecture notes) An entrepreneur is a leader, a manager, a risk taker. However it is plausible to say that not all managers are entrepreneurs. Robinson, (1999) proposed key differences between a leader and a manager to back up the assertions that not all managers are leaders. LEADER MANAGER Innovates Develops Focus on people Inspires trust Has an eye on the horizon-long range Does the right thing Administer Maintains Focus on systems and structures Relies on control Keep an eye on bottom line-short range Does things right Source: Robinson (1999) McClelland, (1961) as cited by David D. et al, (2003) in their book; Entrepreneurship and small firms, propose three key competencies of successful Entrepreneurs namely; Proactively: initiative and assertiveness. Achievement orientation: ability to see and act on opportunities. Commitments to others. At a deeper level, Sue B. et al, (2000) refined this competencies, examining them in six critical dimensions of business practice: Strategic orientation: These stress the ability of an Entrepreneur to be driven only by the perception of the opportunities that exist in his environments and not constrained by the resources at his disposal. Commitment to opportunity: the ability of an Entrepreneur to pursue opportunity quickly as soon as it appears. Commitment of resources: The characteristics of a good Entrepreneur are a multi-staged commitment of resources, putting in minimum commitment at each stage or decision point. Control of resources: the ability of Entrepreneur to know and decide what resources are needed over time both human and material. Management structure: They contend that Entrepreneur is stereotyped as egocentric and idiosyncratic thus unable to manage. To be a successful Entrepreneur it is essential to have managerial skills. Reward philosophy: A good Entrepreneur is focused on creating and harvesting values. Theories/Approaches to Entrepreneurship Theories as define by Business dictionary, are set of assumptions, prepositions, or accepted facts that attempt to provide a plausible or rational explanation of cause and effect relationship among a group of observed phenomenon. Previous work and researches (McClelland, 1961; Komives, 1972; McClelland and Winter, 1969) help in developing three approaches to entrepreneurship, which is illustrated by Sue B. et al (2000) as; Personality approach; other writers called it the Trait approach (Summer, 1989) Social-behavioural approach The economic approach Entrepreneurship Economic writers and theorists: the economic approach The psychological characteristics school: personality approach Social-behavioural approach Source: David D. et al, 2003 Personality approach to Entrepreneurship, as argued by David D. et al, (2003) is identifying certain personality and traits in individuals that appear to be possessed by successful Entrepreneurs. Furthermore, they explain that the approach is concern with testing and applying some perceived characteristics in individuals. This approach assumes that Entrepreneurship as well as leadership consists of certain inherited characteristics or personality traits that make them more effective. These traits include; Self confidence/control Innovative Creativity Need for autonomy Vision Flexibility Calculated risk-taker Social-behavioural approach to Entrepreneurship assumes that an Entrepreneurs behaviours affects and is affected by the environment (group of followers). Behavioural approach views the creation of an Entrepreneur as a contextual event, the outcome of many influences (Summer, 1989). This approach believes that the skills of an Entrepreneur can be learnt developed and perfected. Economic approach to Entrepreneurship views an Entrepreneur as person who coordinates all the different factor of production (David D. et al, 2003). This approach implies that an Entrepreneur indentifies and fills market gab combining lands, labour and capital in profitable ways. The above theories and approach also applies to leadership as it can be seen that most leaders are Entrepreneurs. SELF ASSESSMENT Self assessment is extremely valuable as it propels me to evaluate myself in order to form judgements about my strengths and weaknesses. Self-assessment is the process of looking at the self in order to weigh up aspects that one may find important to their identity (Sedikides, 1993). After doing the Belbin team role test and taking the profiling for success assessment on the University of Bedfordshire career website couple with my personal skill awareness, I discovered the following; Strength: Leadership: I have a natural attitude to lead, I am always happy to take the lead when action is required. I am able to assert myself to get other people involve if necessary. The result on type dynamics indicator proves this to be true, a quote from the summary reads; You have indicated a preference for the Executive style. This style tends to be direct and focuses on end-results. Executives generally have a vision of the future and will work hard in order to gain the necessary influence required to have impact on the world around them (refer to the appendix). Team work: I am able to contribute effectively to the work and development of a team. I am able to carry out different roles within a team including those that require a practical task focussed approach. I showed these skills in my various group works in the course of my studies. I also proved to be a good team player whilst working for A.C.S technologies, a Nigerian based company, leading a team of five network engineers to install a virtual private network for a government organisation. Furthermore, the Belbin team role assessment I took in my first year shows the following result; A supportive, sociable, flexible, adaptable, perceptive, listener, calming influence, mediator in team work. Other team role the test defined is that I am a completer-finisher, it reveals that I have attention to details, am accurate, having a high standard, I am quality oriented and I deliver to schedule and specification. (Refer to the appendix). Communication: I communicate with clarity and purpose. Whilst working for A.C.S technologies Nigeria, I developed good communication skills which enable me to advice; problems solve and communicate effectively with a wide range of people from different organisations whilst troubleshooting their computer networks. I have also in the process, developed excellent listening and speaking skills. Organisation time management: I can create short-term goals to complete class work and to explore personal interests. Computing/IT: I am a proficient IT user, I am Competent with Word, Excel and PowerPoint and I can also design, build and maintain a computer network. I am a CISCO certified networking engineer. Adaptability/Flexibility: I have shown in all my academic pursuit and work experience that I can be flexible and can also adapt to new and challenging environment. This is because I studied accounting on a diploma level, and I had two years practice, and then switched to study computer networking. I even got certified as a CISCO networking engineer. My coming to the UK to study also demonstrates how flexible and adaptable I can be. Motivation: My passions are my motivation. I have a passion to develop and grow as a person and to succeed in life. I have a passion for integrity and legacy, these are my driving force which am convince will be useful in any career path I may take. This can be seen in the result on value base indicator of motivation (refer to appendix). Weaknesses Negative personal characters: I found out that in some cases I can be shy and indecisive when it comes to presenting my opinion to people I meet for the first time or those am not comfortable with. Sometimes I find myself to be so nervous when I really need courage to apply logic very fast. I can sometimes be easily distracted. Using the swot analysis I will elaborate on my strengths and weaknesses as well as demonstrating my understanding of their use in the pursuit of career. Swot analysis: This is a planning method use to evaluate the strength, weaknesses, opportunities and treat to an individual or a business. It involves specifying personal goal at the same time identifying the internal and external elements that can affect me both positive and negative in the race to attain my stated objectives. In order for a swot analysis to be useful, desire goal or objectives must be first stated. STRENGTH Leadership Work experience Education Flexibility motivation Personal traits (self-discipline, ability to work under pressure, optimism and creativity) Team work Organisation time management Computing/IT WEAKNESS Weak job hunting skills Negative personal traits (shyness, indecisiveness, slow application of logic) OPPORTUNITIES Lots of career option to choose Opportunity for advancement in my field of study Opportunity to start and run a business with the skills I have acquired THREATS Competition from fellow graduates on job opportunities High number of graduates with less jobs offers With this analysis, my best strategy in reaching my goals would be by exploiting my strength and opportunities available to me, while finding ways to neutralize the threats and working to improve on my weaknesses.

The Development of Childhood Throughout History Essay -- Sociology

Throughout the history of childhood development poor social and economic conditions contributed to the many hardships and poor treatment of children. During the early Middle Ages the "paternalist" family concept evolved and the father had authority and control over family matters including the welfare and safety of his wife and children. Discipline was severe, young children both poor and wealthy were subjected to strict rules and regulations and often beaten if disobedient. Children took on the responsibilities of adults at an early age, sharing in the work of siblings and parents. Girls from affluent families were educated at home and married in their teens. Some males were educated at a monastery and others became apprentices to experienced knights. Children who were considered retarded or suffering from disease were abandoned to churches or orphanages. Relationships between parent and child were distant, and younger male and female siblings were considered "economic and social l iabilities." (Siegel 10). Custom and practices such as primogeniture and dower subjected many children to endure suffering and cruel treatment. These customs and practices often caused family rivalry, sometimes led to tragedy and had a significant impact on the role of women and children. Under primogeniture the oldest surviving male inherited family lands and titles. Younger siblings who were not fortunate to receive lands were forced to enter religious orders, become soldiers or seek wealthy patrons. Under the Dower system, a woman's family gave money, land or other wealth in exchange for a potential husband. This system "forced women into the role of second class citizens dependent on their fathers and brothers." Wet nurses took care of newb... ...rs (mandatory sentences) and target hardening techniques (steering locks, unbreakable glass on storefronts). This approach is not consistent with the viewpoint guiding the juvenile court because this type of deterrence punishment interferes with "parens patriae" philosophy. Juveniles are treated more leniently than adults, which limit the power of the law to deter juvenile crime. (Siegel 96). REFERENCES Siegel, Larry J., Brandon C. Welsh and Joseph J. Senna. 2003. Juvenile Delinquency: Theory, Practice, and Law. California: Thomson Wadsworth. Hyperdictionary, (http://www.hyperdictionary.com/search.aspx?define=status+offenders) Flowers, R. Barri. 2002. Kids Who Commit Adult Crimes Serious Criminality by Juvenile Offenders. New York: The Haworth Press.

Passage To Manhood - Comparing :: essays research papers

By reading a certain print texts, readers are manipulated into accepting or rejecting additional texts. The short story â€Å"The Altar of the Family† written by Michael Welding shares many comparisons with the feature article â€Å"Boys to Men† written by Stephen Scourfield, and by reading one the reader can make clear understanding of the other. Symbolism, genre and certain values and attitudes are present in both the texts and will be further examined in the following essay to show that a readers understanding of particular print texts is shaped by the reading of previous texts. By reading â€Å"The Altar of the Family† the reader understands that to become a man a boy has to pass certain â€Å"tests or ordeals† in order to gain â€Å"rights of passage† to manhood. This process is clearly shown in the print text â€Å"The Altar of the Family†. David, the boy in â€Å"The Altar of the Family† is under constant pressure from his father to become â€Å"more manly†. His father constantly demoralises him and on one occasion brands him a â€Å"lily-livered poofter†. The symbolism of using such words is evident in this text as lilies are something that David admires yet are extremely â€Å"girlish† in the eyes of his father, a man. In an effort to please his father David took it upon himself to kill a possum that had become a menace to his father, this would make him a man, this would grant him his â€Å"rite of passage†. The possum eventually appeared and was described as David would describe his much- loved lilies, â€Å"soft, beautiful, white in the moonlight†. The symbolism of using the same words to describe the possum like the much loved lilies shows the reader that it is against David’s morals to kill the animal of such beauty but if such a task has to be completed to gain manhood then so be it. Much to his dismay he shot the possum and in his own mind was a murderer but in the eyes of his father he would be a man. When looking for the dead possum the next morning his father greets him by saying, â€Å"What’ve you lost old man?† and this shows the reader that David has now become a man in his fathers eyes. By reading â€Å"The Altar of the Family† the reader is led to believe that certain tasks have to be completed in order to gain manhood.

Wal-Mart Resources

Unit 2 Assignment 1 Introduction Wal-Mart uses a tremendous amount of information resources to build their marketing decision support systems and customer relationship management environment. Wal-Mar’s main objective is to provide their customers with the best value they can find anywhere while providing friendly and efficient customer service. Its strategies are based on reducing costs to quality products so they are able to achieve â€Å"everyday low prices† (Walmart. om, 2013). Wal-Mart has to be able to monitor and analyze all the processes and information possible in order for them to attain a competitive price advantage, lure in new customers, and retain faithful and loyal current customers. Information technology is essential today in helping companies to achieve these goals and Wal-Mart utilizes a great deal of the available information through systems and operations that the retail business encompasses (Walmart. om, 2013). Listed in this paper are the many ways Wal-Mart enlists its information from customers and how it is used by marketing managers to help make marketing decisions and enrich its customer relationship management environment. Information Collected Collected By Wal-Mart Wal-Mart collects information from its customers in a number of ways through the customer’s interaction, whether by in-store activity or website activity.Wal-Mart discloses that it gathers information on customers whenever they create an account on one of their websites, make an online or in-store purchase, use a gift registry, create a mobile shopping list, or submit personal information to Wal-Mart along with any related content of the communication. In addition, they also collect information whenever the customer conducts a transaction where Wal-Mart collects information as required by law.This could include hunting and fishing licenses, request customer service, contact Wal-Mart, submit a Wal-Mart related testimonial, review, story, rating, or any other user-generated content that may be generated on the website, or participate in a contest, sweepstake, promotion, or survey (Wal-Mart. com, 2013). Collected By Other Sources Wal-Mart may receive personal information from other entities that can help the correct or supplement their records, improve the quality or personalization of their services, and help prevent or defer fraud.They may also collect information from consumer reporting agencies or other service providers if you attain certain other financial products (Wal-Mart. com, 2013). Automated Information Collection Wal-Mart also gathers technical information such as the customer’s internet protocol address, device operating system and browser type, the address of a referring website, and the path the customer takes through the Wal-Mart website.Wal-Mart uses â€Å"cookies† to recognize you as you use or return to their website. Wal-Mart also uses web beacons that allows them to know if a certain page was visi ted, an email was opened, or if ad banners on their website and other websites were effective (Wal-Mart. com, 2013). Marketing Information Used Wal-Mart uses information for different purposes but for this paper we will discuss how they use information for marketing purposes. Fill requests for products and services and communicate with the customer about those requests * Administer surveys, sweepstakes, contests, and promotions * Provide customer service * Help improve and customize their service offerings, websites, and advertising * Send information about products, services, and promotions Information Systems Point of Service/Sale System Wal-Mart uses SUSE @ Linux Enterprise Point of Service/Sale system that is supplied by the Novell group vendor (Information, 2007).This system is made up of three primary components: Administration Server, Branch Server, and Point of Service Client Images. The SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Service Administration runs Wal-Mart’s main office in Bentonville, Arkansas. It records sales from all the stores but also contains a database of goods sold through other sales outlets such as Wal-Mart online shopping. This data also comprises of information like the number of items bought by a user and similar products purchased along with other online statistics.The Branch Server boots the Point of Service clients from the local network, registers new client devices at the website, distributes operating system updates to the client devices, and also stores the sales information as a backup in real time simultaneously as the Administration Server. The Point of Service Client is the indirect interaction between customers when they make any purchases at Wal-Mart. These devices process and record purchases and allows real time coverage of sales and inventory information for all sales.Having this type of information gives marketing managers the tools necessary to make informed decisions about what promotions to run and on what product s in real time. Retail Link Retail Link was developed in 1992 by Wal-Mart’s very own Information Technology Department (Hays, 2004). Using this software Wal-Mart can look at the take up rate for sale items, changes in the number of customer purchases, and the amount the average customer spends during a promotion. Marketing managers will know what products were being bought and what items that the customer may have added on during that purchase.Having that information may give the marketing department the idea to do a promotion with those two items paired up together. Retail Link software can also display to vendors various key information such as the repurchase cycle time of the product, purchase quantity per basket, and provide information such as sales history and sales performance. This allows vendors and Wal-Mart’s marketing managers the ability to simulate what-if situations that can help them make more informed marketing decisions (Hays, 2004).The information gat hered in these systems give marketing managers the intelligence needed to figure out which marketing initiatives have worked in the past, are currently working, or may work in the future in order to prevent wastage of money from ineffective promotions. Wal-Mart uses these systems in order to provide customer satisfaction, everyday low pricing, and to enhance the shopper’s experience (Walmart. com, 2013). Conclusion Wal-Mart collects information on its customers numerous ways. Some sources are transactions, customer service operations, surveys, and website registrations just to name a few.They could, however, come from other sources such as outside companies that help Wal-Mart update its records. Wal-Mart wants to communicate to its customers for feedback through email newsletters, special offers, and new product announcements. Wal-Mart also participates in interest-based advertising, which means the customer may see advertising on its website tailored to how the customer brow ses or shops. This type of information is essential today in accomplishing the goals Wal-Mart has of everyday low pricing and its customer first approach. References Hays, C. L. (2004, November 14). What Wal-Mart Knows About Customers' Habits.Retrieved from NY Times: http://www. nytimes. com/2004/11/14/business/yourmoney/14wal. html? oref=login;oref=login Information, W. (2007, January 24). Wal-Mart Taps Microsoft, Novell For Linux Deployment. Retrieved from Information Week: http://business. highbeam. com/137376/article-1G1-158268344/walmart-taps-microsoft-novell-linux-deployment-walmart Walmart. com. (2013). Annual Reports. Retrieved February 11, 2013, from Walmart. com: http://stock. walmart. com/annual-reports Wal-Mart. com. (2013, March 3). Privacy Policy. Retrieved March 3, 2013, from Wal-Mart. com: http://corporate. walmart. com/privacy-security/walmart-privacy-policy

There are many difference between Leaders and Managers

Q #1 : There are many difference between Leaders and Managers. Explain 5 Major differences with relevant examples. On a close look it can be seen that many managers are not leaders, though successful in their field. Leaders lead from the front and managers believe in directing controlling and planning and improving the efficiency of the organization. A manager makes the subordinates to work, a leader work with the people. Management philosophers and thinkers have been interested in identifying the difference between a manager and a leader. Some leaders show management skills and some mangers show leadership skills. It is now well established that there is difference between a manager and a leader. A leader leads from the front. His language will be like come let us do the work. On the other hand a manager believes in planning and coordinating the work. He uses management techniques to manage others. Followers voluntarily follow the leader. This may not be the case with managers. Subordinates is been asked to obey the instruction of the manager by virtue of his position. The subordinates may be obeying the manager on his leadership skills or may be just as it is part of their duty. It is also common the subordinates dislike the manager and still follows his action to save his or her job. A leader has his interest common to the followers. When the common interest is being identified, people voluntarily follow him. Rather than asking the people to work, a leader prefers to call them for work and they just follow the instructions of a leader. This important quality makes a big difference between the style of functioning of a manger and a leader. #1 Difference in working style There is a big difference in the working style of a manager. A leader attracts the people with the charisma he is having. He used to have an upper hand in technological knowledge than the workers. Leadership may not have any relevance with the functioning of the organization. On the other hand the management is different in its way of functioning. A manager keeps the organizational priority at his best. He has to do certain tasks as per the guidelines set by the organization. He then plans to achieve this by his people. Here the manager uses the modern management tools. He is interested in directing, planning and organizing. To make this effective he also uses modern management tools. A leader innovates and the manager administers. Leadership is setting up vision and Direction and management is implementation of this. A leader set his vision and the followers follow his vision almost voluntarily. He seldom needs force to attract towards him in execution of his direction and vision. On the other hand the manager executes the vision of the organization. On his journey towards this he will also be using leadership skills to effectively manage his people. A manger with leadership skills can effectively manage the organization. There should be a force attracting the followers or a subordinate to the person directs them. In case of leadership it is often the quality of the leader or his charisma that attracts the people to him. On the other hand the manager and the leader should be the two sides of the coin. Latest management trends show an inclination towards improving the leadership qualities of a manager. It is accepted that a manager should improve the output of the organization but it should be on the cost of the people working in the organization. #2 Directing Function The directing function of the manager is making people ready to perform certain task or assigning certain task to the people. This functional area of the manger has more to do with leadership. Once a task is to be performed, the concerned manager has to detail people or direct people to accomplish the task. This is mostly done in different ways by a manager and a leader. However both leader and a manager use the function of directing. Followers voluntarily work as per the direction where as manager needs to have something else for motivating the people to work. This may be different to different organization and also as per the management style it differs. Organizations have special structure and policies to motivate the people to work and managers are part of it. In the field of emergency medical services the directing function of the manager has a lot to do with routine jobs. Things are to be done at high pace and many times immediate decisions are to be taken. The chances of going these decisions wrong are high. In this scenario subordinates should be motivated and encouraged to take decisions at time of emergency. Also the manager should be able to provide directions without any delay. His competence as a leader is very important. A leader comes forward to take the responsibility of the actions of his followers. The followers also recognize this fact and there are more people willing to work under a leader under emergencies. This is what actually needed in an emergency service. At the same time the leader should be conversant with the procedures adopted in an emergency. A manager is a technical person and he is likely to be thorough in procedures and policies. Union of managerial qualities and leadership skills will be a good formula for emergency medical services. #3 Emotional Intelligence Leaders are emotionally more intelligent than ordinary managers. A manager wants to be successful should have high emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and control one’s emotions and to understand the emotions of others. People having high emotional intelligence tend to be leaders. According to Terry, â€Å"a leader shows the way by his example. He is not a pusher; he pulls rather than pushes (Terry R G, 1988). A typical manager does not follow this style. He plans and direct people to get the work done. There is set of duties and responsibilities for each person in the organization. A manager ensures this is been done. He uses his control function to see things are going as per the schedule. A manger often uses his control powers. In contrast a leader expects his subordinates to perform the way it is desired. For example if a staff is coming late to his duty. The typical manager may think of taking corrective action, where as a leader may be thinking to find out the reasons behind the late coming of the staff and may be willing to support that person. Similar actions make the follower emotionally attached to the leader and they keep the individual interest only next to the common goals In emergency medical service, emotional intelligence is a highly required quality of the person heading the operation. A leader who is empathetic and understands the emotions of others can do a lot in getting people involved in the service. A leader should avoid knee jerk reactions. It is already said emotional intelligence makes the difference in actions of a manager and a leader. A manager who is low in emotional intelligence may follow only the rule book and this kind of attitude may lead to poor quality service especially in emergency medical service. It is good to be knowledgeable but at the same time the managers should understand the need of being empathetic to the subordinates and the customers. 4 Functions of management Functions of management are Directing, Organizing, Planning, controlling and staffing. Professional managers are trained to perform these functions. Some people are on the view that Directing is the most important function of a manager. Many managers believe decision making is an important function of the manager. In the Emergency Medical Service Industry manager should be go od at decision making. He will have to make decisions in seconds. A manger is trained to have these qualities. In management schools Case studies are used to impart the skills of decision making. A leader has the quality of decision making and directing, a leader’s method of directing and decision making differ from that of a manager. Leaders decision are derived from that of his team members where as the managers decisions are learned decision and the decision the manger thinks to be good for the company. In respect to other function like controlling and planning a manger uses modern management tools. An ordinary leader may not know these tools for planning and controlling. Hence in these function a manger may have an upper hand in delivering the duties. But if the manager has leadership skills then he can really outperform an ordinary manager. All leading management institutes have special curriculum to sharpen the leadership skills of the managers. It is also said it is important to become a leader then become a manager by learning management tools. Management is ‘managing men’ and a leader is expected to do this function well. Leadership involves in common interest and goal. By this common interest and goal a leader can motivate people to attain common goals. Managers seek scientific methods to perform their task. Leaders are not interested in going for such tools and management techniques. They are good motivators. #5 Managers and Leaders Successful managers are efficient leaders. Bill Gate is a successful leader as well as a good manager. There are other examples too. Most successful managers are not MBA holders rather they are good leaders. On a close view it can be understood that it is important to become a leader first than becoming a manager. Story of successful managers in all fields underlines this factor. There are other differences in the styles of managers and leaders. A manager makes his decision and then sells his decision to his followers. Manger compares alternatives before making decisions. He asks his subordinates to question if they have any doubt. In case of a leader his decisions are more acceptable to the mass and that is the reason they follow the leader. Conclusion There is a difference between leadership and management. Managers are more concerned about planning, controlling, staffing and organizing. Leaders are more concerned about directing and organizing people. They act more as a representative of the followers. People follow leaders voluntarily than by virtue of their position. Leaders should have high emotional intelligence. In Emergency Medical Service leadership qualities are more sought after than mere management skills. Managers with good leadership skills can produce best result. Successful business people are good leaders as well as good manager. To be successful in the long run a manager should have leadership skills.