Marketing Strategy Essay Online For Free - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 9 Words: 2571 Downloads: 6 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Marketing Essay Type Case study Level High school Did you like this example? This essay will discuss the current social media strategy of EE (Everything Everywhere) and provide recommendations for how their strategy can be improved. EE is a British mobile network provider that was established in 2010 as part of a joint venture between T-Mobile and Orange (EE, 2015a). The company was the first digital communications provider to offer 4G services in the U.K., as well as the countrys first provider of contactless mobile payments (EE, 2015a). Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Marketing Strategy Essay Online For Free" essay for you Create order As of 2015, EE provides access to its network to over 29 mobile operators which services a total of 5.7 million customers (EE, 2015b). In addition to offering mobile services, the company operates over 700 retail outlets across the county. Within its retail operations EE sells mobile handsets, tablets and branded broadband which brought its revenue to over ÂÂ £6 billion in 2014 (EE, 2015b). Due to EEs operational size they are able to competitively offer services that their competition do not have. In 2013 EE developed an exclusive partnership with BT to offer customers free access to BT Wi-Fi hotspots nationwide (Thomas, 2015). In 2015, EE plan to grow their strategy in mobile communications by being the first provider to offer 5G coverage (Thomas, 2015). Part of EEs current success is their strong focus on social media marketing as part of their marketing mix. The head of EEs social marketing states that, digital is at the heart of (EEs) ethos (Green, 2013) and with this they focus on using social media in new ways to communicate with customers. Saravanakumar et al (2012) argue that the role of traditional marketing is disappearing and new media marketing like social media enables a brand to communicate to a wider audience. Due to this trend EE has invested heavily in social media communications. As of 2015 EE has over 800 000 likes on their Facebook page and over 100 000 followers through Twitter (TalkWalker, 2015). Saravanakumar et al (2012) write about social media playing a hybrid role in the promotions mix. While it allows for companies to talk to their customer base, at the same time, it allows for customers to talk about the brand. Due to the power of word-of-mouth, EE have focused on shaping customers discussions to ensure they are aligned with the organisations goals. Part of this strategy was to launch a social media campaign in 2014 with the brand ambassador, Kevin Bacon (Ridley, 2014). To tie in with the World Cup Kevin Bacon was par t of a humorous social media campaign demonstrating the power of EEs 4G network. To enable a dialogue the public were encouraged to share the advert through social media for exclusive World Cup merchandise. In 2015 in an effort increase brand presence EE invested heavily in online sponsorship. Part of this strategy was the sponsorship of the British Bafta awards, which allowed them to launch the social media hashtag #EEBaftas (EE, 2015c). From the live event over 16 000 tweets used the hashtag allowing the public to associate the awards with the brand and to further spread awareness of the brand through online word-of-mouth (Deering, 2015). With customers no longer just being passive recipients, it is up to companies to engage and learn from customers (Hanna et al, 2011). Garretson (2008) argues that customers are now taking an active role in co-creating the promotional message and provide opinions on the role a company plays branding wise. As stated earlier, EE have social me dia as one of their current promotional strategies, which has ended up being a key competitive strength for them. With their business being in mobile communications, social media has allowed for active engagement from the initial purchase of the product (i.e. mobile phone) to the day-to-day usage. EE focuses on continual active engagement via a blend of traditional and social media to create experiences that involve the customers. Hanna et al (2011) argues that companies must focus their social media approach as an integrated strategy to bring the customer experience to the forefront. These strengths are highlighted in EEs current social media campaign of the EE Wembley Cup. Launched in 2015, the EE Wembley Cup is a ten week media campaign focusing on offering EE customers the opportunity to play in the iconic Wembley Stadium (EE, 2015d). Using all social media platforms EE is focused on creating daily communication with followers to create engagement and encourage feedback. The first strength with this is the active involvement with the public, by using the Wembley stadium as the key focal point to the campaign EE are able to target audiences with a recognisable brand. Initially, traditional media drove reach to create hype behind the campaign, while social media created intimacy as EE are actively using YouTube and Facebook to provide daily updates (EE, 2015d). Karpinski (2005) argues that for a social media strategy to work, it must empower customers. Customers are more trusting of their own opinions and opinions of their peers (Hanna et al. 2011). EE have recognised this and have focused on only using their social media accounts to post the media content, relying on customers to spread the communications virally (EE, 2015d). To further develop intimacy, the campaign focuses on customers using their mobile phones to record their footballing skills and sending it to friends via the hashtag #EEWembleyCup. EE are enabling passive bystanders to be part of the campaign as active hunters who seek out and take part with the internet-based campaign (Hanna et al, 2011). With customers actively influencing the brand message, EE are also using the strength of the campaign to seek customers opinions on their phone services. To encourage fans to participate, EE are offering a free 4G service when using their newly launched Wembley smartphone app (EE, 2015d). Once downloaded, the app allows for EE to measure customer participation with the campaign and see who the social media influencers are. Schultz (2007) states that companies can use the social media ecosystem to view online chatter which serves as a crystal ball that helps companies determine future product of service strategies. While EE are successful at creating a social media strategy that focuses on creating engagement with customers. Their current strategy primarily revolves around controlled events and branding opportunities. Neti (2011) argues that social media strategy ca n engage with customers on helping to promote a brand or product, however it can also help increase customer loyalty through customer support services. EE have demonstrated the ability to attract new customers, however their social media strategy is failing to help retain current customers. As of 2015 EE has a one star rating with Trust Pilot, an online customer watchdog service, who rate the company poorly on their ability to solve customer issues and complaints (Trust Pilot, 2015). Due to poor communications via social media platforms, EE were accused of ignoring customer complaints and not providing accurate or adequate information. All of which accumulated in Ofcom issuing EE a ÂÂ £1million fine over its handling of customer complaints (Paton, 2015). Neti (2011), states that a company must have a social media strategy that is flexible to deal with ever changing issues that can emerge from its viral nature. For EE, the fallout from the Ofcom fine led to a massive campaign over social media from unhappy customers who voiced their complaints. Rather than issue a statement addressing complaints, the social media strategy was to remain silent which led to angry opinion leaders creating viral groups openly criticizing the EE brand (EE Complaints and I Hate EE Facebook Groups received over 5000 followers). Due to the backlash the EE head office finally issued a statement directly through Facebook apologising to customers. Berthon et al (2012) highlight that a company must have a social media strategy that monitors local news and situations across all social media platforms that concerns a companys brand. What may start as a minor issue can spread through word-of-mouth via opinion leaders and must be addressed quickly to avoid a catastrophe for the brands media image (Berthon et al, 2012). Assaad and Gomez (2011) also highlight another potential challenge with social media as a strategy is the issue of privacy and personal security. Within the social me dia sphere there is a niche element who are overly concerned with how their data is used. For EE a key component of their social media strategy is the interactions with customers via social media campaigns. However in 2015 EE was listed as the most-complained about provider to Ofcom due to the breach of data. Customers who had interacted with EEs social media campaigns discovered that their data was being accessed by other advertisers to target them with further promotions (BBC, 2015). Gotta and OKelly (2006) argue that a social media strategy must be open to all audiences to avoid privacy concerns and potential bad publicity. From analysing EEs current social media strategy there is a pattern emerging on how EE use social media to communicate with customers. Currently EEs social media strategy is still driven by old fashioned marketing ideas and focuses too heavily on short-term effects in sales. This incentive-induced behaviour relies on the use of recognisable brand ambassador s and controlled marketing events to drive sales rather than retention (Pradiptarini, 2011). The recommendation of this essay is for EE to address the way they deal with customer complaints via social media. As demonstrated through their current issues with angry customers, EE need a viable solution in making sure that complaints do not spread virally. Firstly EE need to create an audience strategy (Evans, 2010) and discover who are the opinion leaders discussing the brand. Assaad and Gomez (2011) highlight, that using these highly opinionated customers can provide a benefit. If addressed correctly, their opinion can actually spread a positive message about the brand and EE could turn a negative into a positive. Other telecoms providers like Virgin Media use social media to search key compliant words and directly communicate with customers to solve issues before they spread into the public sphere (Brown, 2010). Pradiptarini (2011) suggests that for a social media strategy to w ork, a company must communicate humbly and honestly with its audience. For EE, having a focus on dramatic campaigns helps to capture new audiences attention. However, they also must continue to satisfy current customers needs for information (Pradiptarini, 2011). It is a further recommendation for EE to set up a social media strategy focused solely on current customers; which targets the need to provide information and solutions to current customer issues. A successful example of this was Ford Motor Company who split their Twitter account into @Ford who focused on brand promotion and @FordService who directly address customer queries (Ratcliff, 2014). In conclusion EE are one of the primary examples of how to carry out a strong social media marketing strategy. EEs operational size means that they have the resources to create marketing campaigns that use a mix of traditional and new media to interact with new audiences. Through brand ambassadors, sponsorship and viral-based events , EE have created a strong brand through word-of-mouth. However this focus on creating new customers through social media is also their weakness in their current strategy. As of 2015, EE have no viable way of addressing a complaint or question via their social media networks. Instead, when complaints or issues emerge, their social media accounts either ignore or hide any issues with the brand. This closed dialogue has led to opinion leaders turning on the brand and spreading negative messages via the same social media platforms that EE use to promote the company. From studying examples of Virgin Media and Ford, it is the recommendation of this essay for EE to directly target these opinion leaders through a specialised social media strategy and focus on rebuilding trust and creating long-term relationships. As academics have demonstrated, trust is one of the key factors in social media strategy if the target audience is going to change buying behaviour, influence peers and remain loyal to a brand. It is vital for EE to recognise the characteristics of their entire target market and ensure that all groups are addressed via their social media strategy to ensure success. References Assaad, W., Gomez, J.M. (2011) Social Networking in marketing (Social Media Marketing), International Journal of Managing Public Sector Information and Communication Technologies. 2 (1), pp 1-10. [Online] Available at: https://airccse.org/journal/mpict/papers/0911ijmpict02.pdf Berthon, P.R., Pitt, L.F., Plangger, K., Shapiro, D. (2012) Marketing meets Web 2.0, social media, and creative consumers: Implications for international marketing strategy, Journal of Business Horizons. 55 (1), pp. 261-271. [Online] Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0007681312000080 Brown, A. (2010). Virgin Media and Social Media: How were using it for customer service. SlideShare.net. [Online] Available at: https://www.slideshare.net/AlexBrownVM/2010-0915-virgin-media-and-social-media-conference-deck BBC (2015) EE tops consumer landline and broadband complaints, BBC.co.uk. [Online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-32704573 Deering, S. (2015) Ho w BAFTA uses social media. Linkhumans.com. [Online] Available at: https://linkhumans.com/case-study/bafta EE. (2015a) About EE. Ee.co.uk. [Online] Available from: https://ee.co.uk/our-company/about-ee EE. (2015b) EE Results for the year ended 31 December 2014. Ee.co.uk. [Online] Available from: https://ee.co.uk/our-company/financials/2015/02/05/ee-results-for-the-year-ended-31-december-2014 EE. (2015c) EE British Academy Film Awards. Ee.co.uk. [Online] Available at: https://ee.co.uk/ee-and-me/entertainment-sport/ee-baftas EE. (2015d) EE launches the Wembley Cup: an exclusive online series starring football-loving YouTube talent #EEWembleyCup. Ee.co.uk. [Online] Available at: https://ee.co.uk/our-company/newsroom/2015/07/15/EE-launches-the-Wembley-Cup-an-exclusive-online-series-starring-football-loving-YouTube-talent-WembleyCup Evans, L. (2010) Social Media Marketing: Strategies for Engaging in Facebook, Twitter Other Social Media. U.S.A: Que Publishing Garretson, R. (2008) Future tense: The global CMO Report. Economist Intelligence Unit. [Online] Available at: https://graphics.eiu.com/upload/Google%20Text.pdf Gotta, M., OKelly, P. (2006) Trends in Social Software. Journal of Collaboration and Content Strategies. 1, pp 1-44. [Online] Available at: https://qbx6.ltu.edu/vitrc/CoolTools/Trends%20in%20Social%20Software.pdf Green, C. (2013) Inside EEs social media command centre. Information Age [Online] Available from: https://www.information-age.com/it-management/strategy-and-innovation/123457200/inside-ees-social-media-command-centre Hanna, R., Rohm, A., Crittenden, V.L. (2011) Were all connected: The power of the social media ecosystem, Business Horizons. 54 (3), pp. 265-273. [Online] Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0007681311000243 Karpinski, R. (2005) The next phase: Bottom-up marketing. Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing, 90 (5), pp. 38. [Online] Available at: https://connection.ebscoho st.com/c/articles/17013683/next-phase-bottom-up-marketing Neti, S. (2011) Social Media and its role in marketing. International Journal of Enterprise Computing and Business Systems, 1 (2), pp. 1-16. [Online} Available at: https://www.ijecbs.com/July2011/13.pdf Pradiptarini, C. (2011) Social Media Marketing: Measuring Its Effectiveness and Identifying the Target Market, Journal of Undergraduate Research, 1, pp 1-11. [Online] Available at: https://www.uwlax.edu/urc/JUR-online/PDF/2011/pradiptarini.MKT.pdf Ratcliff, C. (2014) Why is Fords social media strategy so good? Econsultancy.com. [Online] Available at: https://econsultancy.com/blog/64701-why-is-ford-s-social-media-strategy-so-good/ Ridley, L. (2014) Kevin Bacon rides UKs biggest rollercoaster in EE spot. Campaignlive.co.uk. [Online] Available at: https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/1294856/kevin-bacon-rides-uks-biggest-rollercoaster-ee-spot#ozH8R4gga8zMKeHf.99 Saravankumar, M., and Sganthalakshmi, T. (2012) Soc ial Media Marketing. Life Science Journal, 9 (4), pp. 4444-4451. [Online] Available at: https://dipeco.economia.unimib.it/corsi/817/esercitazioni/social_media_mktg.pdf Schultz, D. (2007) Snackbyte: A View of the ecosystem. Deborahschultz.com. [Online] Available at: https://www.deborahschultz.com/deblog/2007/11/snackbyte-a-vie.html TalkWalker. (2015). Social Media Analytics for EE Report. Talkwalker.com. [Online] Available at: https://www.talkwalker.com/uk/academy/industries/telecoms/social-media-analytics-for-ee/ Thomas, S. (2015) EE 4G hits 90% population coverage and 600 towns. 4G.co.uk. [Online] Available at: https://www.4g.co.uk/4g-news/operators/ee-4g-hits-90-population-coverage-and-600-towns_300113487.html Trust Pilot. (2015) EE Review 2015. Trustpilot.com. [Online] Available at: https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/ee.co.uk

Beijing, People s Republic Of China Essay - 1670 Words

Taoism in china Omar Rmaili University of Business and Economics 2016 Beijing, People’s Republic of China Introduction Taoism is a very broad movement, it isnt a doctrine as such, nor a belief system, but is more like a personal experience. It is a way of living and understanding the world, away from the systematization and dogmas, which caused numerous trends. It was the historian Sima Tan (or Sima Qian) in the -I century who brought together all these trends under the name of Taoist school in his Historical Memoirs. From its beginnings we can distinguish a philosophical Taoism from a shamanistic or mystic Taoism, later and very different from these, a religious and ritual Taoism. The origins of mystical Taoism are not known exactly, the tradition goes back to the mythical Yellow Emperor (Huang di), this is the reason it was known as Huang-Lao school. 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Music empowerment Essay Example For Students

Music empowerment Essay Campbell readings brings to light the benefits of this holistic tool. Among other things, it gives us detailed instructions for toning (singing of prolong sounds, usually simple vowels on a single note) which anyone can perform, taking us very deeply into the mystery that is our voice. The main goal of these exercises is to alleviate the ailments, moods and clearing the mind from clutter. These exercises can also lessen certain minor physical problems such as headaches and perhaps even a few major ones. I was extremely interested in the basic concepts f achieving these goals. I personally tried some of the breathing exercises and even though I knew I would not master the technique, it was very insightful and educational. When I look at the impact the power of sounds, music, and toning have had in my personal life one conclusion is certain, it had brought balance to my mind, emotions, and the release of stress. Having been raised in a community where music, sounds and vibrations were and still are part of our lives have enabled me to use these methods for refinancing energies in my body causing it to re-center ending peace from within. This is what gospel music does for me. It reaches deep inside my soul, transforming my spirit and healing my sadness in times of need. It truly makes me feel closer to my creator. Never had I realize how powerful this concept really is until I found myself in situations where even unconsciously, humming, singing or listening to all of these sounds created a state of trust, hope and vision towards the future. In Campbell and Gardner readings, I was able to appreciate the explanation and benefits making sounds can have and how good it makes you feel. Furthermore, I was able to learn that sound is not Just sound, it helps put us back in touch with ourselves bringing absolutely important knowledge that could greatly influence and benefit anyone. These readings takes the reader in a Journey into toning and self-discovery, guiding us to self-expression, self- exploration and healing. In conclusion, sounds has the capacity to affect us on all levels-physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. This work ties together a number of traditions. Also this readings stimulate specific areas of the body, mind and soul. In order to relate to people in a harmonious way, tone of voice is all important, for it is the tone which conveys feelings. Both readings also relates to spiritual strength, it suggests feeling the tones and sounds as they interact with and affect in a positive way your inner being, opening us to experience a rejuvenation. Music empowerment 3rd session By Claudia have enable me to release stress, frustration, and worries to the point I no longer feel overwhelmed. Reading Don G Campbell Healing Power of Breath, Tone and Music and Kay Gardner Sounding the Inner Landscaped Describes the power found in many forms of music and its healing powers through its structure. Embarking on a quest into self-discover and the keys to unlock healing power through of sounds. Different sounds creates perception a power so strong that moves everything around it. The drone is the basis of healing music in that each tone that is sounded for a long period of time will touch the physical body in a specific area. This types of tones can be utilized to break down blockages in certain areas of the body. Sound bath

Top ten reasons why large companies fail to keep their best talent

Table of Contents Brief Article Overview List in order of Priority How to know if these things are happening Action Plan to prevent the 10 Things Measuring Success Conclusion References Brief Article Overview The article â€Å"Top ten reasons why large companies fail to keep their best talent† by Jackson Eric sets out to highlight the reasons why major companies find it hard retaining staff. The article begins by stating that while large organizations have vast resources that they can use to retain their best staff, they still fail to keep their most talented staff from leaving.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Top ten reasons why large companies fail to keep their best talent specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Loss of talented staff negatively affects the organization’s performance and for this reason, it is important to know the reasons why employees leave. Jackson (2011) therefore goes on to pro vide a list of ten reasons for this failure in staff retention by large companies. The reasons articulated range from those that are as a result of the company being large to personal reasons by both the managers and the staff. The article concludes by noting that with a scarcity of talent being expected, organizations need to overcome this issues that cause talented staff to leave. List in order of Priority Big Company Bureaucracy Who’s the Boss? The Missing Vision Thing Poor Annual Performance Reviews No Discussion around Career Development Failing to Find a Project for the Talent that Ignites Their Passion Lack of Accountability and/or telling them how to do their Jobs Shifting Whims/Strategic Priorities Lack of Open-Mindedness Top Talent likes other Top Talent How to know if these things are happening Being able to know if these things which cause top talent to leave are happening is of great significance. If the activities mentioned below are taking place, then you wil l know that these things are happening in your company. The organization has inflexible procedures and demands that a rigid hierarch and chain of command be followed at all times and decision making is entrusted only to the top company employees. In addition to this, the company’s vision and strategy is come up with by the top management and then imposed on the rest of the employees who have no say in the company’s vision. The company’s managers are overwhelmed with work and therefore do not have any time to engage in conversations with the employees to find out their passions or even provide feedback on their performance reviews. The company lacks clear goals and objectives and it keeps on moving the top talent to work on the latest project without giving them time to complete previous projects they may be interested in. The organization also lacks any well defined career development plan for its employees and the talented staff cannot see any clearly set out c areer path for them. Promotions and advances are also given in a haphazard manner and at the discretion of top management.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The company avoids hiring top talent since they demand more competitive payment packages and as a result of this, the company is filled with average employees and a few talented staff who end up feeling frustrated. When hiring managers, the company does not deeply review the competence of the new manager in dealing with high talent. The company also does not providing executive coaching for the new manager and he/she is expected to be adept at working with his staff. Action Plan to prevent the 10 Things An action plan is needed to ensure that the reasons for talented employees leaving are mitigated or eliminated altogether. Decision making should be more decentralized with employees being given an opportunity to voice th eir suggestions. This will demonstrate that the organization values the input of its staff and appreciates them as valued players in the organization. In addition to this, the organization should inform of even consult employees when changes that affect them are about to take place. While money is a major motivation for employees, they are also concerned about their professional growth (Donaldson-Feilder, et al. 2011). This is in line with Herzberg’s two-factor theory which states that in addition to monetary rewards, work conditions also act as incentives for workers to be more productive. The organization should therefore come up with schedules for career advancement and managers should take on mentoring roles to the employees and encourage growth. The organization should also carry out regular evaluations of the performance of their employees and the evaluations should be focused on improving the productivity of individual employees. Moss and Sanchez (2004) assert that fee dback on the evaluations is therefore crucial since without feedback, employees will not be able to improve on their shortcomings. Selection of managers should not depend entirely on skill-based analysis. A competency analysis should also be engaged in to ensure that the candidate has solid authoritative personality and prior managerial experience. The managers in the organizations will be encouraged to adopt leadership styles that do not alienate them with the employees. For example, transformational leadership which looks for â€Å"potential motives in followers, seeks to satisfy higher needs, and engages the full person of the follower† will be most appropriate (Harris Nelson 2007, p.356). Such a leadership style will raise job satisfaction and increase employee performance and productivity. Managers will also be required to take time to foster relationships with the employees. Research by Kellerman (2007) demonstrated that when managers showed concern for their staff, th e staff reciprocated by increased productivity.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Top ten reasons why large companies fail to keep their best talent specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Measuring Success There have to be specific and measurable goals and objectives in order to tell the effectiveness of the staff retention action plan. The first measure of success will be in the evident behavioral change in the company staff. There will be reduced rates of turnover and the company will be able to attract more talented staff who will express interest in working for the company due to the favorable work conditions. An even more important measure of success will be in the increase in organization’s productivity as the talented staff gets even more involved in the affairs of the organization. The company’s quarterly financial statements will attest to significant improvements which may be caused by the innova tions by the talented staff. The company will become a market leader in innovation as its key talent come up with novel products for the organization. Conclusion In this paper, I have carried out an analyses of the article â€Å"Top ten reasons why large companies fail to keep their best talent† by Jackson Eric. From It, I have learnt the major reasons why top talents leave major organization. Remedies to these problems have been proposed so as to help organization’s maintain their talented staff and hence increase their competitiveness. Some of the major lessons that I have learnt from this case study is that making employees feel valued is of great importance in not only increasing their performance but maintaining them in the organizational workforce. References Donaldson-Feilder, E., Lewis, R. Yarker, J. (2011). Preventing stress in organizations: how to develop positive managers. Boston: John Wiley Sons. Kellerman, B. (2007) ‘What Every Leader needs to kno w About Followers.’ Harvard Business Review 85, (12) 84-91. Harris, T.E. Nelson, M. (2007). Applied organizational communication: theory and practice in a global environment. London: Taylor Francis.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Jackson, E. (2011). Top Ten Reasons Why Large Companies Fail To Keep Their Best Talent. Web. Moss, S.E. Sanchez, J.I. (2004). Are your employees avoiding you? Managerial strategies for closing the feedback gap. Academy of Management Executive, 18 (1), 34-54. This essay on Top ten reasons why large companies fail to keep their best talent was written and submitted by user D0m1n0 to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The view that pupil subcultures are the key to understanding educational under achievement Essays

The view that pupil subcultures are the key to understanding educational under achievement Essays The view that pupil subcultures are the key to understanding educational under achievement Essay The view that pupil subcultures are the key to understanding educational under achievement Essay Essay Topic: Education Race generally refers to the differences in appearance and facial characteristics in particular It promotes the sense of certain characteristics being fixed and unchanging, and serves to justify the differential treatment of various identified races because the supposed differences between them are presented as natural. Race is linked to moral, cultural and intellectual achievements thus ideological justification for stratification, differentiation and oppression. Race tells us very little it terms of sociological understanding. Therefore we tend to use ethnicity as a much more useful benchmark. Ethnicity is another way of categorising groups of people which is primarily concerned with culture. It is a divide between ethnic groups based on cultural differences such as common origin and distinct customs and beliefs. Duncan Mitchell describes ethnicity as a membership of a distinct group of people possessing their own customary ways or culture. Ethnicity is more flexible and sensitive than race-based categories; for example, in black/ white classification, many people of Chinese or Indian origin do not see themselves as black; able to include groups such as Jews and Irish; sub-division of south Asian into Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Indian reflecting differing countries of origin, religion and culture To answer this question it will be necessary to discuss a variety of different areas. Firstly, discrimination and the ways the school system treat ethnic groups. Secondly, material deprivation will be discussed. It will then be necessary to look at the Swann report, the IQ debate, cultural misunderstanding and beliefs. Some ethnic minority groups, especially East African Asian and Indian, perform better than white British, while others, Afro-Caribbean and Bangladeshi, perform worse. In recent years, the groups with lower attainments seem to have been closing the gap, though it still remains. All ethnic minority groups are more likely to continue into post-16 education and among Afro-Caribbeans, the attainment of girls is far superior to than of boys. There are numerous explanations to this. Discrimination can be used to explain the under-achievement of ethnic groups in schools. Marxists would support this. They believe that the education system exists to maintain the status quo and provide capitalism with a compliant labour force. Discrimination may come from the teachers through labelling. Because a pupil is black a teacher may think that they are less intelligent or are deliberately opposing them. Indian African Asian minorities may be using educational qualifications to overcome disadvantage caused by racism by making socio-economic progress, while Afro-Caribbean male may react by rejecting all white institutions including education. This leads to some ethnic groups, particularly afro-Caribbean males, getting involved in anti school sub-cultures were they actively oppose the system and will do worse in exams. This is not discrimination. However, one could argue that this was caused by it. Another reason could be cultural misunderstanding. It is a huge disadvantage for anybody who has come from another country and is unable to speak the English language properly. Also our social norms and values are very different from places such as the middle-east. Jenson, a new right theorist, used the bell curve which is a graphic representation of race and intelligence. He showed that blacks are at the bottom of the social class structure and have high amounts of material deprivation because they have a lower intelligence and are less able so they tend to gravitate to the bottom of society. But because some ethnic groups are more successful he said that certain racial groups have more intelligence than others. Jensen found that blacks scored 10 points less on intelligence tests that whites and claimed that they were genetically inferior. But some say that IQ tests are not culturally fair. Others have argued that it is because of environmental factors because blacks in this country are more likely to suffer from poverty and those black children who have been adopted by white parents and live financially secure and do just as well as white children in exams. Also, the beliefs of the different ethnic groups have an effect on how well they respond to the education system. Chinese and other Asians are the highest performing group. This is because it is their culture to value education and Indian, African and Asian families may traditionally have higher expectations of educational attainment, are more likely to speak English as a first language and be more willing to educate girls than other south Asian groups. Also they have a higher social class position and are financially better off because of their long-lasting stay in this country. In addition, many of Indian and African Asian origin come from professional or business backgrounds, where a Bangladeshi background is more likely to be unskilled working class, and Afro- Caribbean skilled working class. The large number of matrifocal, single parent families among Afro-Caribbeans may partly explain lower attainment overall. A further explanation is material factors. How much money one has plays a vital role in educational achievement. If a family is considerably poor they will not be able to afford effects that richer families have which gives them a major disadvantage after all it is the rich that can buy a privileged Education. We know this to be true has research has shown that ethnic groups such as the Chinese do well at school compared with other groups such as afro-Caribbeans. This is because that Chinese and Pakistani families have been in England for a much longer time a have been able to establish themselves further. Ethnic minorities have diverse patterns of housing tenure but quality tends to be low: terraced rather than semi-detached; overcrowded; concentrated in inner-city areas. This is often referred to as the ghetto. Immigrants initially are dependent on the privately-rented sector, because of waiting lists and other qualifications for public housing; they have a weak economic position so there is usually a low chance of owner-occupation. Afro-Caribbean and Bangladeshi, with time, will get more qualification for public housing. They are more likely than white British in fact. African Asian, Indian and Pakistani more likely to be owner-occupiers than white British this is probably due to rising standard of living and the decline in public housing in the 1980s. There are also problems in terms of work. Afro-Caribbean Bangladeshi/Pakistani ethnic groups more likely to be in manual employment than white British, whereas Indian are less likely (though professional rather than managerial). Non-white workers receive lower wages, do more shift work and are less likely to have supervisory posts and have higher qualifications for posts held. Non-whites are more likely to be unemployed especially young Bangladeshi/Pak. and Afro-Caribbean males. However, Afro-Caribbean women have higher earnings and qualifications than their white equivalents. There are explanations for differences in work. Problems of ethnic adjustment (Liberal) suggests that factors such as language, educational and cultural differences in the first and second generations of immigrants explains much disadvantage, which will be reduced as ethnic minorities become assimilated into the host community. The Swann report was carried out during conservative administration which had strong views on race. The Swann report was to see attainment in individual terms and reject things like social class and social groups. Many of the problems of Swanns report still exist today. Many of these problems could have been addressed if Swanns report had been implemented. In closing, discrimination is undoubtedly a large factor in educational under achievement because of diversity within and between ethnic groups but material deprivation is much bigger. Without the proper resources or appropriate home working conditions children cannot be expected to do as well whatever their race or culture. Class is far more important than ethnicity.

Red Flag Laws Definition

Red Flag Laws Definition Red flag laws are gun violence prevention laws that allow courts to order the temporary confiscation of firearms from persons deemed to pose a risk to others or themselves. Key Takeaways: Red Flag Laws Red flag laws are state gun violence prevention laws which allow police to confiscate firearms from persons deemed by a court to pose a risk to others or themselves.As of August 2019, 17 states and the District of Columbia had enacted red flag laws.After deadly mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, President Trump and a bipartisan group of Congress members have indicated their support for red flag laws. Along with gun control proposals, such as universal gun-buyer background checks, raised in the aftermath of shootings like those in Sandy Hook, Parkland, El Paso, and Dayton, demands to enact â€Å"red flag† laws have become common. As of August 2019, 17 states and the District of Columbia had enacted red flag laws. Red Flag Law Definition and Mechanics Red flag laws permit police or family members to ask a state court to order the temporary removal of all firearms from persons believed to present a danger to others or themselves. In deciding to issue such orders, known variously as Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs) or Gun Violence Restraining Orders (GVROs), the courts consider the past actions and statements- including those posted on social media outlets- made by the gun owner in question. If the court decides to issue the order, the gun owner must surrender all firearms to the police for a specified period of time. In addition, the person named in the order is banned from buying or selling guns during that period. Refusing to fully comply with a red flag protective order is a criminal offense. Guns seized under the order are returned to the owner after a set period of time unless that period is extended by the court. Examples of evidence required by the courts to justify granting gun confiscation orders include: A recent act or threat of violence (involving a firearm or not)Evidence of serious mental illnessHistory of domestic violenceReckless use of a firearmEvidence of substance abuse or alcoholismSworn testimony by witnesses The specific legal provisions of red flag laws and how they are enforced vary from state to state. Are Red Flag Laws Effective? Connecticut was one of the first states to enact a red flag law in 1999. According to a 2016 study published in the journal of Law and Contemporary Problems, the 762 gun removals under Connecticuts â€Å"risk warrant† law from October 1999 through June 2013 resulted in one suicide prevented for every ten to eleven gun seizures executed. The study concluded that â€Å"enacting and implementing laws like Connecticut’s civil risk warrant statute in other states could significantly mitigate the risk posed by that small proportion of legal gun owners who, at times, may pose a significant danger to themselves or others.† Are Red Flag Laws Constitutional? Many gun-rights advocates say that red flag laws infringe on gun owners’ Second Amendment right to â€Å"keep and bear arms,† as well as their right to due process of law as provided by the U.S. Constitution. Guns, they argue, are personal property, and both the Fifth and 14th Amendments specifically provide that the government- including the courts and police- may not deprive citizens of property without due process of law. The argument is based on the fact that the court hearings held to decide if an individual poses a threat are held ex parte, meaning that the person whose guns might be temporarily confiscated is not present at the hearing. This, critics say, violates the Sixth Amendment’s guarantee of the right of accused persons to a face-to-face confrontation with witnesses against them.   However, hearings on all types of restraining and protective orders are typically held ex parte out of concern for the safety of the complainant and witnesses.   Red Flag Law Debate A Washington Post-ABC News poll conducted in April 2018 found that 85% of registered voters nationwide support laws that would â€Å"allow the police to take guns away from people who have been found by a judge to be a danger to themselves or others.† States with red flag laws have reported similar levels of public support for the legislation. In March 2018, the National Rifle Association (NRA), which had helped defeat red flag legislation in Utah and Maryland, suggested it might be open to such laws under a strict set of conditions, including a court finding by â€Å"clear and convincing evidence that the person in question poses a significant risk of danger. Despite this statement, the NRA went on to help block red flag legislation in Arizona in 2019. In Congress, virtually all Democrats and a few Republicans are receptive to red flag laws. The day after the mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, killed 31 people, President Donald Trump urged states to implement red flag laws to remove guns from â€Å"those judged to pose a grave risk to public safety.† In televised remarks from the White House on August 5, 2019, Trump stated, â€Å"We must make sure that those judged to pose a grave risk to public safety do not have access to firearms and that if they do, those firearms can be taken through rapid due process.† States With Red Flag Laws As of August 2019, red flag laws had been enacted in 17 states and the District of Columbia. Twelve states enacted red flag laws after the shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on February 14, 2018, left 17 dead. The states of California, Connecticut, Indiana, Oregon, and Washington, had enacted red flag laws prior to 2018. The 17 states and District of Columbia (in red) that had enacted red flag gun violence prevention laws as of August 2019. Creative Commons With only slight variations, all current red flag laws allow family members and law enforcement to petition a state judge to issue ERPOs directing the confiscation of all guns from the individual they believe poses a threat to their safety. In all cases, the petitioner must present evidence of why the gun owner poses a threat to others, as well as to himself or herself. If the ERPO is granted, the named individual’s guns are confiscated and held by police for a set minimum period, after which the gun owner must prove to the court that he or she no longer poses a risk in order to get their firearms back. Here is a list of who is allowed to request the issuance of an ERPO gun removal order in each state: California: Family, household members, and law enforcementColorado: Family, household members, and law enforcementConnecticut: One state attorney or any two police officersDelaware: Family, household members, and law enforcementDistrict of Columbia: Family, household members, mental health professionals, and law enforcementFlorida: Law enforcement onlyHawaii: Family, household members, teachers, medical professionals, coworkers, and law enforcementIllinois: Family, household members, and law enforcementIndiana: Law enforcement onlyMaryland: Family, household members, certain health professionals, and law enforcementMassachusetts: Family, household members, and law enforcementNevada: Family, household members, and law enforcementNew Jersey: Family, household members, and law enforcementNew York: Family, household members, school administrators, and law enforcementOregon: Family, household members, and law enforcementRhode Island: Law enforcement onlyVermont: State attorneys or the off ice of the state attorney general only Washington: Family, household members, and law enforcement As of August 2019, the state legislatures of Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina were considering red flag legislation. Federal Red Flag Gun Control Legislation In February 2019, Senator Dianne Feinstein, Democrat of California, introduced the Extreme Risk Protection Order Act (S. 506), which would offer grants to assist states in developing red flag laws and make possessing a firearm in violation of a state red flag law a felony violation of federal firearms law. On August 5, 2019- the day after the El Paso and Dayton shootings- conservative Republican Senator Lindsey Graham stated that he would propose bipartisan legislation to encourage more states to adopt red flag laws. Sources and Further Reference Williams, Timothy (August 6, 2019). What Are Red Flag Gun Laws, and How Do They Work? New York Times.Parker, George F. (2015). Circumstances and Outcomes of a Firearm Seizure Law: Marion County, Indiana, 2006-2013. Behavioral Sciences the LawLaGrone, Katie. (July 30, 2018). More than 450 people in Florida ordered to surrender guns months after gun law took effect. WFTS Tampa Bay.Dezenski, Lauren. Trump backs red flag gun laws. What do they actually do? CNN. (August 5, 2019).Lindsey Graham pushes red flag bill to curb gun violence. Politico. (August 5, 2019).

Forging Ideas and Opinions about Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Forging Ideas and Opinions about Music - Essay Example Music continues to shape the world in diverse ways. Its history is as old as time itself. It carries aspects of culture, history, traditions and values, having social, economic and political impact on the society. Music is from various genres that continue to advance with the changing times. American music has drawn a lot from the British and Jewish backgrounds among others and the culture in these have been influential in determining the ideas expressed and the way opinions are shaped. Discriminations on basis of cultural affiliation have been a trending issue in the music industry. In his topic of discussion ‘Highbrow, Lowbrow, Voodoo Aesthetics’, Robert Walser brings up the controversies behind music and races. He notes that the opinions and mindsets among several people in the population have been biased in regards to the racial and cultural affiliations, the whites usually being placed highly, demonstrating what he calls ‘highbrows’. The music does not only affect the musicians by the acceptance they get but also the listeners are given regard based on the music they listen to (Walser 235-237). Classical music continue to have popularity, interviewing heavy metal music lovers Walser found that they viewed metal music as the most important in their lives but were swift to recognize the wisdom and superiority of classical music. However, cultural hierarchy in music does not influence all individuals; some have beaten odds and drawn from other cultures. For example, rock guitarists of have been able to draw from the techniques and procedures in classical music. Eddie Van Halen not only facilitated technological techniques that saw the making of the Baroque models but also showed how to play speedy arpeggios on the guitar. He spearheaded a revolution that also saw a revolution in the rock guitar (Walser 242-3). This has seen as a deviation from the convectional culture of the music. In the 1980s, Randy Rhoads and Yngwie Malmsteen brought a new revolution that saw the development of metal neoclassicism an aspect that attracted other musicians who were haste to copy the advancement. Rhoads was very influential in classical materials of music and was good at teaching and an inspiration to many musicians. The concepts of cultural differences and regard of one over the other among the heavy metal musicians is a demonstration that social strata have been shape in music and are maintained (Walser 244). Opinions on music ca n also be shaped according to the origin of the musicians. America is one of the countries in the world that enjoys huge cultural and historical diversity, aspects that have influenced its music. In view of the Jewish songwriters they were seen to embrace a southern strategy after the first world war, but they still upheld some of the traditions attached to their community (Whitfield 9). The south was influential in attracting the songsmiths to their countries who became dominant in the Tin Pam Alley, but no inspiration was forthcoming resulting to their adoption of the southern culture that they owned and propagated in their works. These Jews were the pioneer shapers of American music, the Tin Pan Alley as coined by Rosenfeld in 1909 in description of a music district that had emerged. In the early days of the 20th Century, the Jewish dominance was evident with the creation of songs such as â€Å"The Girl I Loved in Old Virginia†, a piece that dated way back in 1899 by Max D reyfus among others (Whitfield 13). It was seen that songwriters that were Americans of Jewish origin engaged in writing songs on the traditions of the outsiders especially the people of the south without any major experience about some of these areas. These songwriters started to shape music in taking a global perspective. The initial impression created about the south by Tin Pan Alley painted a lasting image about them, in the songs such as ‘Cotton is King’ that was released in 1855 exposes various issues about cotton in the south

Comparing the Cosby Show and Married with Children Essay

Comparing the Cosby Show and Married with Children - Essay Example Moreover the Cosby Show was an effort to promote better social and cultural values while Married with Children took up non-standard topics for its time. Both shows provided enhanced ratings for their host channels and helped to create new trends in entertainment programming on television. The central theme of both shows provides a startling comparison to the way that social existence is viewed in groups with differing cultural backgrounds within the same society. The Cosby Show was centered on the Huxtable family’s life which was portrayed as a well to do African American household living in brownstone (brown collared apartment building in New York) located in Brooklyn Heights. The father was Heathcliff â€Å"Cliff† Huxtable who was shown as an obstetrician as well as the son of a famous jazz trombonist and was played by Bill Cosby. The mother of the household was Clair Huxtable nee Hanks and was shown as an attorney. The family was shown as affluent in order to garner the thought that well to do African American families existed too in prime time television. Before this it was common to portray African American families as blue collar only. Another aspect of the show that made it different was its ability to handle serious topics as well. For example the Cosby Show dealt with the themes of Theo’s (son of the family) struggle in dealing with dyslexia and was inspired by Bill Cosby’s son Ennis who was suffering with the same problem. Another such issue dealt with was teenage pregnancy when Denise’s (daughter of the family) friend gets pregnant. Although these problems were wrapped up in a comedic overtone, however, discussion on these themes showed that the show was in part educational too. It is attributed that Bill Cosby retained a high level of control over the show’s creative direction and imbued educational concepts in it which reflected his background as an educationist. Moreover the entire show was taped in New York in comparison to Los Angeles where most other shows of the time were being taped. Another major difference created by the Cosby Show was its lack of using racial themes unlike contemporary African American comedy shows such as The Jefferson’s routinely banked on racial tones to augment their comedy. On the other hand The Cosby Show did portray African American themes such as that of the Civil Rights Movement in a positive light and it also promoted Afric an American culture and values. The works of myriad African American musicians and artists were presented through The Cosby Show such as the works of James Brown, Jacob Lawrence, Michael Jackson, Duke Ellington etc. While The Cosby Show was praised for promoting African American culture and for portraying successful African Americans, it also came under fire for representing only a certain segment of the African American population. In contrast the show Married with Children featured a Caucasian family at the centre stage as well as their neighbors. The show is based on the lives of Al Bundy who is portrayed as a once famed high school football player but whose luck has forced him to work as a salesman for woman’s shoes. Al has an acrimonious and at times irritating wife Peg as well as an attractive yet â€Å"bimbo† and rather promiscuous daughter Peg and an unpopular son Bud who is intelligent and crazy for girls. The son Bud is portrayed as the only person to have at tended college in the family. On the side are Al’s neighbors Steve Rhoades and his wife Marcy. Later in the series Marcy gets married to a white collar criminal Jefferson D’

Varying Activity Preferences Essay Example for Free

Varying Activity Preferences Essay I have found that a persons culture has an impact on which physical activities individuals participate in to stay healthy. There is a definite difference in the types of activities that everyone participates in, when culture is taken into account. It has a significant effect on what activities individual’s prefer. I interviewed three people about what kind of background they have, there age, and activities they do to stay in shape to prove it. The first person I interviewed was Harris Plourde a 37 year old born and raised Canadian. Harris says I love the speed of the sport. Not just of the players, but how fast things change. I realized that you have to be constantly on your toes. Also, unlike like basketball, football and soccer, I find hockey requires refined abilities and skills. Theres no other sport that you have to skate or use a stick. Everyone is born with the natural ability to throw or kick, but hockey skills are learned. He also says that hockey is very popular in Canada. He plays whenever he gets the chance. The next person I interviewed is Alex Torres a 17 year old high school senior, told me why he loved soccer so much, â€Å"soccer is actually a lot of fun. You have more planning and you don’t get hurt as much as you think. In fact you have to be more flexible then powerful to play the game.† I asked him if he thought that his heritage liked football more than other sports and he said, â€Å"Yes, because it was the only sport we could really play when we lived in Mà ©xico, all my friends there play it too.† Alex is very active, and has participated in many soccer games. My that interview was with Dakota Hall. He is a 19 year old American high school graduate. He loves American football. He actually wants to play professionally someday. He said he doesn’t stop talking and thinking about football. American Football is very popular here in the U.S. Dakota says â€Å"American Football is the best sport ever! I can’t believe there isn’t anything else like it in other countries. To me Football really shows how truly strong a player is. That’s why I want to be a professional football player.† He is very active in the sport and he exercises every day. In conclusion it is clear to say, from the information above, that the culture that one comes from, can effect what kinds of activities that one will like to take part in. And are culture is what makes us unique. And every sport is unique to certain cultures, and with each sport comes with its own mental and fiscally benefit that will keep us healthy. You can still find an exercise plan that suits your life and her interests within any culture.

The Failure of Black Robes Cinematic Redemption :: Black Robe Research Papers

The Failure of Black Robe's Cinematic Redemption Works Cited Missing Musings over Talk Radio [1] I've been listening to talk radio lately. Not exactly sure why. I suppose I derive a smug sense of superiority over callers who are a little too concerned with high quality mulch or the Phillies' relief pitching. People become incensed over the most ludicrous things. Recently, though, I heard callers venting over something a little closer to my heart, and I couldn't listen with the same ironic distance from which I usually stand. Pope John Paul II had issued (at a papal Mass on March 12) an apology for the sins of the church over the past 2000 years. As a Roman Catholic embarrassed by many parts of my Church's history--the Crusades, the Inquisition, silence in the midst of the Holocaust--I was gratified to hear that the Pope was asking forgiveness for the Church as a whole. As can be expected, many were dissatisfied with the apology. Some felt John Paul II was not specific enough, failing to mention Pope Pius XII's failure to condemn Hitler's mass execution of Jews and ot her minorities in the Holocaust. However, when listening to the radio phone-in show, what struck me was that many of the callers were Catholics who resented being implicated in the Pope's apology. [2] I can understand the callers' indignation. I remember elementary school days, learning the Catholic doctrine of original sin, the idea that the first sin against God--whether you believe it was the Adam and Eve story or some other version of humanity's origins--stained all descendants of those first sinners (in other words, everyone). How unfair, I thought, that the sins of some stupid people from the past would cause me to be "stained" in the eyes of God. And what did the thirty-something caller from Jenkintown, PA, have to do with the Inquisition? Partial Membership [3] It's been a long time since Catholic elementary school, and original sin is still a tough pill to swallow. However, I've come to understand it (and my problems with it) as a matter of my identity not just as an individual but as a member of a group. I may not have sampled forbidden fruit, but as a part of the human race I am affected by that act (I say this not to proselytize, but to express my perspective as a Catholic).

Competitiveness and Inventory Management Essay

To be competitive, many fast-food chains expanded their menus to include a wider range of foods. Although contributing to competitiveness, this has added to the complexity of operations, including inventory management. In what ways did the expansion of menu offerings create a problem for inventory management? One form of inventory is safety stock, which is primarily carried by companies to ensure a variety of products is available at all times. However, safety stock ties up capital and hinders cash flow. Using the Argosy University online library resources and the Internet, research safety stock. Then respond to the following: †¢As a manager, what recommendations could you provide to reduce inventories as it relates to safety stock? †¢What parameters would lead you to believe that (a) large safety stock, (b) small safety stock, and (c) zero safety stock would be advantageous for the organization? Be sure to provide examples and data in support. After your initial post, discuss the following: †¢What are some of the ways in which a company can reduce the need for inventories? †¢How has technology aided inventory management? †¢How have technological improvements in products such as automobiles and computers impacted inventory decisions? Write your initial response in 200 to 300 words. Apply APA standards to citation of sources. By Saturday, June 28, 2014, post your response to the appropriate Discussion Area. Through Wednesday, July 2, 2014, review and comment on at least two peers’ responses. Consider the following in your response: †¢Provide a statement of clarification or a point of view with rationale. †¢Challenge a point of discussion or draw a relationship between one or more points of the discussion.

M Analysis

Introduction Marks & Spencer is a British retailer with over 800 stores in more than 30 countries around the world. It is the largest clothing retailer in the UK, as well as being a food retailer. Most of its domestic stores sell both clothing & food, and since the year  2000 Marks & Spencer have started to expand into other ranges such as home wares, furniture & technology. Marks & Spencer became the first British retailer to make a pre-tax profit of over ?   billion â€Å"BBC News online 1998† Though a few years later Marks & Spencer were hit  by the â€Å"credit crunch† which has had a dramatic effect on the company as they struggle in the current economical climate. M&S is a successful company. In macro-environment, M&S obeys the government and protects the natural environment. Moreover, M&S is influenced by the factors of economic, social, and technological to make its business strategies. On the other hand, in micro-environment, the M&S has created a good an d long-term relationship with the suppliers and customers.From the SWOT analysis, the most important factor for M&S is to satisfy customer needs. On the other hand, the main disadvantage is the lack of clothing market segmentation that causes M&S to lose its brand awareness among the existing customers. The significant strategies of M&S are creating potential customers and maintaining the existing customers. To sum up, the analysis of M&S has found that its business structures follow the trend of society, keep the position in the market, and increase its potential market share. MissionThe mission of the M&S is to make as high quality accessible to all. Marks & Spencer is a leading British retailer of clothing, food and household goods. They prefer to call themselves â€Å"Marks & Spencer,† using an ampersand instead of the word â€Å"and. † Their logo is a style form of the characters â€Å"M&S. † They have a â€Å"Plan A† for tackling environmental issue s â€Å"because there is no plan B. † M&S outlines its core business as clothing and Food. Its’ financial objectives is to deliver shareholder value in terms of increase returns, but also in terms of increase sales and market share in retailing.It beliefs and values are outlined as â€Å"Our customers continue to see Marks & Spencer as the place to shop for special food, produced to exacting standards†. M&S also sees its workforce as an important part of its plan and also considers modern its stores as a key corporate objective. Vision The vision of the M&S is to be the standard against which all others are measured. They sells clothes, food and home wares at more than 650 stores in Britain and about 300 shops abroad, said it expected to achieve annual benefits of around 250 million pounds by 2015-2016 from upgrading its supply chain and information technology systems.They will supply chain and IT improvements. The improvements will include shrinking the firm's network of 100 warehouses, which are run by third parties, to just four. And also to revamp its website and said it would expand its business abroad, including at least 50 stores in India over five years. They have established a long-term vision for where we want to take the business which they believe will create long-term sustainable growth. At the heart of this vision is moving the business from being product focused, store centric and UK dominated to being customer focused, multi-channel and international.M would conduct a review of its UK store network in the light of fast-growing online retail sales, with future new store likely to be offset at least in part by closures. They plan to cutting prices, stepping up promotions and introducing new products, add 800 new lines to sustain the recent improvement, including extending a trial to sell a small number of brands. They think the strong growth potential in children swear and footwear as well as home wares. PESTLE Political Fact orsThe government sets regulations for companies to abide by such as Health & Safety British Standards such as, planning for hazard identification, risk assessment and risk  control. If companies do not abide by these regulations they will be fined or even in some cases be forced to close down. Marks & Spencer did not abide by the British Standards as they were charged for neglecting health & safety regulations after a door  fell on an employee. George Blair was allegedly injured after a warehouse door in their store near Glasgow was left hanging on loose fixtures.Marks are alleged to have ignored repair requests, allowing the door to fall in to disrepair. Marks & Spencer pled not guilty to this; there is still no outcome of this trial. Also according to â€Å"BBC News 30th January 2006† Marks & Spencer would be the first major retailer to go down the Fair-trade route on both clothing and food. The fair-trade policy, which they have launched will include, cut salt and fa t in M foods, recycled packaging and animal welfare protection. Marks & Spencer Chief Stuart Rose stated, â€Å"Customers want good value, but they care more than ever how food and clothing products are made†.Economical Factors Currently the economic outlook is very uncertain and this is more than likely to affect retail sales, as people do not have the spare cash to spend on luxury items such as clothing and food luxuries. Marks & Spencer have been hit by this and have recently closed a number of stores and have had to make job cuts of 2% of their 70,000 staff. And also to show what affect the recession has had, they took the decision to have two days of 20% discounts in the run-up to Christmas.They have also recently introduced a 20% of all Wine and Champagne to keep up with their competitors. Marks & Spencer have had to change the way they market themselves so that they can try and stay ahead of the recession. Sociological factors In the last few years society has changed. In 2006 as stated by the Guardian, Chief  Executive of Marks & Spencer Stuart Rose wanted to stretch the company brand, for  example he considered selling food online as part of a plan to become a multi-channel retailer, this was obviously to keep up with the competitive market such as Asda.Asda and Marks & Spencer appeal to different markets in terms of social class and other demographics; this has a major influence on the way they respond to current issues. In response to the current cheap clothing industry supermarkets have increasingly over the last few years caught up with fashion trends, helping them to rival the high street clothing stores with their less expensive versions. Marks & Spencer is no exception to this and they have bought their clothing ranges up to date to keep up with the latest trends and to keep their customers interested.Consumer purchases are influenced by cultural, social, personal and psychological characteristics. For the most  part, marketers can not control such factors, but they must take them into account. Technological Factors Technology is vital in the retail market. Companies must manage their brand scare. First the brands position must be continuously communicated to consumers. Major brand marketers often spend huge amounts on advertising to create brand awareness and to build preference and loyalty.For Marks & Spencer to continuously communicate to consumers they need to be heavily into advertising, which they are. They have Celebrity icon Class as the Face of Marks & Spencer who appears on the adverts on the TV and she is also on their website model the M clothing, so their adverts appeal to women not only in their 20’s but also to the more mature lady so they are covering all areas with their advertising campaign. Also their  website is very appealing with bright and very easy to use, it is also constantly updated with the new M brands. Legal Factors Legislations are always changing.Marks and Spencer carry out re-training & update every year, they keep up to date with new laws or legislations, and with issues regarding Health & Safety they also ensure that their legal protection is updated. For  re-training Marks & Spencer invite business changes to the business, tax changes to the business & products changes amongst many other things. Marks & Spencer invite objectives/methods that need to be changed and new training, and also on going development. An example of legislation is the â€Å"Fair Packaging and Labeling Act (1996) – Provided for the regulation of packaging and labeling of consumer goods.Requires that manufacturers state what the package contains, who made it, and how much it contains†. Here is an example from Marks & Spencer’s website to show that they are adhere to this legislation, â€Å"Packaging helps to protect the product between being produced and used by the customer. It prevents product wastage, carries important instructions and informatio n on ingredients and helps the product look its best in the store†. Environmental Factors With the current environmental climate as it stands, issues are being promoted daily on the television, in magazines and newspapers and on the radio.All companies, industries and organizations are being pressured to change their ways when it comes to the materials they use and how they manufacture. Marks & Spencer have established their own Green Policy which they call â€Å"Plan A† The chief executive of  Marks & Spencer states that it is called this because there is no â€Å"Plan B†. Marks has today announced a 100-point five-year plan to re-engineer itself to become a carbon neutral, zero-waste-to-landfill, ethical-trading, sustainable-sourcing, health-promoting business SWOT 3. 1 Strengths 3. 1. 1 High QualityHigh quality is the major strength that makes M successful. Customers always find high quality goods such as fresh fruits, vegetables, and other superior goods i n M food hall (Ciao, 2002). With many people turning to eat vegetarian meals. M grasps the consumers need. M has high quality of products that are the food and other products, such as baby products and women under wears. 3. 1. 2 Customer Services M has high reputation for focusing on customer service. (Christie, 2002). This is one of the most important methods to make a good relationship between customers and M.For example, when women want to buy under wears for themselves, the shop assistants will help them to measure sizes and give them good suggestions. 3. 1. 3 Shopping Environment M tries to make customers feel more convenient and comfortable. It makes stores brighter, and uses modern designs (Rung 2001). All goods in the shop can be seen immediately. Furthermore, customers do not worry about being drowned in many shelves and avoiding multitudinous people. 3. 1. 4 Manager Training One of M strengths is its strict and excellent manager training system (Retail Technology,1999).Eve ry manager of M must be familiar with duty of every post. In fact, managers of M are arranged practice of every post. It helps them to improve both work experiences and management skills. 3. 2 Weakness 3. 2. 1 Clothing Lack Segmentation The clothing market of M has many segments. In fact, especially ladies outer wear, is outmoded design and cut. In addition, affluent younger consumers prefer purchasing brand-labels, such as Gap, Next and Top shop (Jobber, 2001: 149). 3. 2. 2 Stock Control The non-performance of the home delivery/shopping service even sometimes involves wedding lists.Customers were told that items were out of stock (Jobber, 2001). Customers complain the defect of e-shopping and delivery services. To some extent, M suffers from the unbalance between the stock and Information Technology System. 3. 2. 3 Waste Store Spaces Another problem is that M has many store spaces. In fact, it has added 75 percent of square foot age since the early Eighties, but its market share in clothing has not increased (Stewart, 2000). M needs to find some new products to stuff its extra spaces. 3. 3 Opportunities 3. 3. 1 Internet TechnologyInternet technology has developed fast, it offers an opportunity to increase the demand for the online products (Zakon, 1999). In terms of this circumstance, buying products online became a new trend. Customers are getting used to accept the model and adapt it to their daily lives, and the demand for this kind of products would be increased in the future. 3. 3. 2 Healthy Eating Healthy eating offers an opportunity that the demand of specific food will be increased (Leyshon, 2002). People pay attention to the life quality, they request companies to offer varied products to satisfy their needs.For example, in the food market, M does good segmentation in providing the vegetarian, low fat or organic food. This is the advantage that the competitors have not aware of it. 3. 3. 3 Marketing Extending The Company owned stores in the Republic of Ireland and Hong Kong and has 131 franchise stores in28 countries operating through a network of successful partnerships (Marks & Spencer, 2002d). In the future, the company will expand its business beyond the existing area. 3. 4 Threats Although M has its own strengths, opportunities and weaknesses, it still occurs some threats from itself and other competitors. . 4. 1 Strong Competitors Strong competitors are the most threat to M. For example, in the food market, there are four main supermarkets, such as Tesco, Asda, Safeway and Sainsbury (Oct, 2002). They provide not only high quality but also value-added products to build customers loyalty. In the clothing market, Gap, Next, Topshop and other fashionable brands may compete with M (M shuts, 2001). 3. 4. 2 The Change of Social Environment Except other competitors, M will be influenced by social environment.Since the social environment changes at any time, the customer tastes are also changed. For example, people move to other c ountries, and their culture will affect the local people lifestyles, such as eating, and dressing. M can adjust its products to satisfy different needs. 3. 4. 3 Chemical Pollution Environment pollution is a threat for M. An environmental systems manager of M claimed. Every one of the 30,000 product line that M sells is dependent on chemicals (Friend of the Earth,2002). Governments are taking measures to protect natural environment and reduce pollution.This potential risk will affect its development of M in the future. Invest strategy Focusing on improving its operations to save costs, expanding the options for customers to buy products – especially online – and driving its business outside of the U. K. The U. K. ‘s biggest department store operator told attendees at an investor day that was webcast on its website that it would improve its supply chain and implement new IT systems which would save it GBP250 million by 2015/2016 through capital expenditure over the same period of GBP1 billion.Some of those changes would include consolidating distribution sites which would mean further warehouse closures on top of the 21 already closed, sending products directly to the country of sale rather than routing everything through a central U. K. hub, and refreshing stock systems and data collection. The second stage of the company's strategy calls its 2020 program. It is to offer more choice of when and how to buy M products, with online sales a particularly large growth area especially as more people turn to shopping on the Internet.Store sales are expected to shrink slightly by 2020 to GBP206 billion from GBP212 billion this year, while online sales are expected to almost triple to GBP57 billion in 2020 from GBP21 billion this year according to research by Verdict, Forrester and Javelin Group provided by M at its investor day. Marks & Spencer aims to target some of its 8 million customers who shop online elsewhere but not at M. There is also an unt apped 21. 5 million M customers who don't shop online at all.The final plank in ITV's strategy is to grow its international business which currently accounts for 15% of M profits through 296 international stores and its online presence. The growth is expected to come from increasing the group's central and eastern European operations as well as building on its business in China and India. The company expects to open 50 stores in five years in India, and identify key regional growth areas in China where the company will focus on property, products and local sourcing.Marks & Spencer unveiled its new strategy program under the banner â€Å"2020 Doing The Right Thing† in May, which received a lukewarm reception from investors. At the time, the retailer outlined its targets but gave few details on how exactly it would implement the plans. A bellwether for British consumer sentiment, Marks & Spencer has been hit hard over the past 18 months by the economic downturn as shoppers eith er cut back spending on nonessential items or sought less expensive food and clothing elsewhere. As a result, the company has revamped its food offer and availability and introduced a budget range of grocery products.It has also cut capital spending, laid off 1,230 staff and closed some stores. At the start of the month, Marks & Spencer reported better-than-expected fiscal second-quarter sales, buoyed by the introduction of less expensive food and revamped clothing and house ware ranges. Still, it cautioned that business will remain difficult well into next year due to the economic downturn. Second-quarter group sales rose 2. 7%, due to a 9. 6% rise in international sales and a 30% jump in online sales. The company also raised its outlook on annual profit margin thanks to better stock control, sourcing and supply chain management.Targeting strategy Targeting approach used by Marks & Spencer (M&S) is more multi segment targeting than a concentrated targeting approach. When we look at the segmentation statistics, middle aged women are the prime revenue generator for the company but even the 80% of customers who bring the 20% of sales according to the 80/20 Pareto's rule can be developed to increase the sales. Therefore M has been more focused on targeting multi segments of people with good educational socio economic class and who some high income urban populations as well.M has been previously focusing on women gender only but now environmental variables are changing and M has entered into the men market with high quality products as well that has increased the brand image in the clothing and accessories industry. M cannot follow undifferentiated or differentiated approach as the product pricing techniques are such that it is targeted to limited segment of higher socio economic class, who have high demands and can afford luxury and pleasure easily. Positioning strategy M, as now has become an international brand, therefore the company needed to position its bran d in variable manner.The promotion in South East Asia region needed to be very different from what it was positioned in Britain. The company has focused a few important parameters that lift the brand in clothing industry. M has positioned its clothing and accessories with relaxation and high quality, moreover when it comes to international market specially in India where people are more in lower socio economic class and the consumer purchasing power is not equal to other international markets where M has been making profits, therefore in such regions the company has also focused on flexible pricing strategies in order to retain and add new customers.The competitors of M in the international market are large in numbers and in order to be differentiated from the others the positioning strategy currently adopted by M is well suited to the situation. The comfort and quality has been a prime concern for the clothing industry and positioning the product with such parameters requires M to provide constant results on long term basis so that the company is able to build the brand equity and customer loyalty.Positioning is promises that a company makes to its consumers and fulfilling this promise is not only the toughest task but it also need great sacrifices and unpopular decisions at times. However it is fact that if the positioning of the brand is well justified by the company with sincerity the increase in customer level is significant. In the world of similar products and services retaining customers is not easy and therefore M as a brand has to strive harder to get to the top clothing positioning.Financial position |   |Notes |As at |As at | | | |3 April |3 April | | | |2011 |2010 | | | |? m |? | |Assets |   | |   | |Non-current assets |   |   |   | |Investments in Group undertakings |C5 |9,179. 8 |9,168. 6 | |Total assets |   |9,179. 8 |9,168. | |Liabilities |   |   |   | |Current liabilities |   |   |   | |Amounts owed to Group und ertakings |   |2,591. 8 |2,603. 5 | |Total liabilities |   |2,591. 8 |2,603. | |Net assets |   |6,588. 0 |6,565. 1 | |Equity |   |   |   | |Ordinary share capital |   |396. 2 |395. 5 | |Share premium account |   |255. 2 |247. | |Capital redemption reserve |   |2,202. 6 |2,202. 6 | |Merger reserve |   |1,397. 3 |1,397. 3 | |Retained earnings |   |2,336. 7 |2,322. 2 | |Total equity |   |6,588. 0 |6,565. 1 |

Words for Subservient People and Actions

Words for Subservient People and Actions Words for Subservient People and Actions Words for Subservient People and Actions By Maeve Maddox One of the most unforgettable characters in literature is Uriah Heep in the novel David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. Heep works as clerk to Miss Trotwoods lawyer, Mr. Wickfield. Because Wickfield is often incapacitated by alcoholism, Heep is able to cheat him out of his wealth. Heeps most memorable and repellent characteristic is his frequently avowed humility. He constantly refers to himself as a very umble person, telling David I am well aware that I am the umblest person goingMy mother is likewise a very umble person. We live in a numble abode, Master Copperfield, but have much to be thankful for. My fathers former calling was umble. He was a sexton. Heep is the stereotypical toady, a person who bows and scrapes his way among his superiors, plotting his own ends behind an obsequious exterior. Here are some words for writing about such characters. NOUNS toady [tÃ… dÄ“] a fawning flatterer The word is thought to be a shortening of toad-eater a term that referred to the assistant of a travelling salesman who sold fraudulent miracle cures. The assistant would eat a toad that was supposed to be poisonous. The salesman then gave him the cure. Toady can also be used as a verb. Why do you toady to your boss like that? sycophant [sÄ ­kÉ™-fÉ™nt] This word is commonly used to refer to someone who flatters people in power. As soon as Jones lost the election, those sycophants fled to the side of his opponent. NOTE: The word sycophant is often mispronounced by inserting an n after the y. The adjective is sycophantic apple-polisher [ÄÆ'pl pÃ… lÄ ­sh É™r] In the old days, teachers were often paid their salaries in kind, that is, with produce or other necessities. Taking an apple to the teacher was a good thing. Now taking an apple to the teacher is seen as an attempt to gain favoritism. Polishing the apple signifies an extra effort to gain favor. lickspittle [lÄ ­kspÄ ­tl]- You may come across this word in old books. The idea is that the sycophant is so eager to please that hell even lick up his masters spit. bootlick [bÃ… «tlÄ ­k] One who licks his masters boots. ass-kisser [ÄÆ's kÄ ­s É™r]- Same idea as booklick. brown-nose [broun nÃ… z] (side effect of kissing a posterior) Can also be used as a verb. Harold is a brown-nose. He brown-noses all his professors. doormat [dà ´rmÄÆ't] a person who allows other people to walk all over her. VERBS kowtow [kou-tou, koutou] to abase oneself before another. The word is from a Chinese word meaning to bump the head. The proper way to present oneself to the Emperor was to kowtow, that is, get down and bump your head on the floor before the throne. That rock star expects all his band members to kowtow to him . truckle [trÃ… ­kÉ™l] behave in a servile, obedient manner to someone. The word derives from truckle bed. A truckle bed is a small bed that rolls out from underneath a larger one. When travelling, an aristocrat would sleep on the big bed and his servant on the truckle bed. If two equals travelled together, theyd probably argue or flip a coin over which one slept on the truckle bed. She truckles to his every whim. ADJECTIVES fawning [fà ´nÄ ­ng] The word comes from the verb to fawn, meaning behave like an animal happy to see its master. I cant stand watching you fawn all over her! obsequious [Ã… b-sÄ“kwÄ“-É™s] exhibiting a demeaning, servile behavor. Fraternity pledges survive by obsequious behavior to the members. servile [sà »rvÄ «l] from the word for slave. In a slave society, self-confidence and self-respect are not traits desirable in ones human property. Servile means acting like a slave, i.e., staying out of the way, not calling attention to oneself, jumping when the master snaps his fingers. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 English Grammar Rules You Should Know5 Lessons for Mixing Past and Present TenseComma After Introductory Phrases

All About Sadie Hawkins Day

All About Sadie Hawkins Day Sadie Hawkins Day is a holiday that turns the tables on male/female relationships as women take the lead in pursuing men. Named after a fictional character, Sadie Hawkins Day celebrates role reversal by sanctioning women to ask men out on a date or even propose marriage. Theres a common misconception that February 29th (better known as Leap Day) is Sadie Hawkins Day. Although that isnt the case, February 29th does hold significance for women thanks to an old Irish tradition called St. Bridgets Complaint, which granted women permission to propose marriage on that day. Sadie Hawkins Day is rooted in the story of Sadie Hawkins, a character created by Al Capp in the comic strip Lil Abner. Sadie Described as the homeliest gal in the hills, Sadie was unable ​to  get a date; so her father, a prominent citizen in the town of Dogpatch, named a day after her to help Sadie get a man. On Sadie Hawkins Day, a footrace was held in Dogpatch so the women could pursue the towns eligible bachelors. According to the Lil Abner website, Sadie Hawkins Day is an unspecified date in November which Al Capp observed in his comic strip for four decades.

Incidents Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Incidents - Essay Example As an autoethnographic text, however, Incidents also demonstrates that Linda, the main character, has a very clear idea of her own cultural identity, and that that cultural identity is in large part imposed upon her from beyond her control. As a black salve girl, she is expected to fit those cultural norms regardless of anything else in her life, and she recognizes that she must take every step she can to navigate theses issues throughout her life. Linda’s family situation is one of the main things that creates an autoethnographic understanding of herself. A child is usually innocent with the social environment during the early stages of his/her life. However, as time passes, a child is faced with the inevitable task of acknowledging the state of affairs surrounding his/her life. For Linda this meant one thing: dealing with the situation of slavery, which she experiences almost entirely through the lens of her family. The story Incidents is, in large part, the story of Lindaâ €™s growing understanding of her family. ... Linda admires her grandmothers hardworking nature and appreciates all the efforts she made while trying to free her family from bondage. This aspect of hard work and objectivity in her grandmother chores even as a slave encouraged Linda in many aspects of her life. It is through the lenses of these stories about family that Linda begins to understand her own cultural identity – her cultural understanding of self is constantly influenced by the way her family describes their interactions with slave owners. In every slavery situation, the victim faces unfair and unjustified treatment from their masters. Such mistreatments extend from basic acts of discrimination to other inhumane acts. In her narration about the condition surrounding the childhood life of her mother, the girl highlights this act of oppression on the relationship between her mother and the grandmother’s mistress daughter. Linda’s maternal grandmother was used as the foster mother of her motherâ€⠄¢s mistress. After birth, her mother as weaned from her grandmother so as to give the mistress the chance to be breast fed sufficiently by her grandmother. In the story, Linda is bitter about this content and feels that the people who at the same time pretended to care for her mistreated her mother as a child. Linda’s identity formation process is not solely centered on her blood family, however. Her extended family in the form of other slaves, and especially god-parents, leads in large part to Linda understanding her cultural place in the world. Jacobs illustrates the roles played by the people who care about us in life. Jacobs is not different to the significance of Linda’s mother mistress in taking care of her and her sibling. As we can witness from the text,