Business Markets and the Economy Essay

P6 describe how business markets are regulated in the UK (Case Study) M3 explain why the government needs to regulate business markets P7 explain how EU requirements influence business markets in the UK D2 evaluate the effectiveness of the regulatory regime in a selected market The main purpose of this assignment is to: describe how business markets are regulated in the UK and explain how EU requirements influence business markets in the UK. Scenario: Case study given Task 1 (ALL): Students need to consider how governments intervene in markets to regulate them (can be linked to P4). Intervention can be through taxes and subsidies which are designed to distort the market to achieve specific objectives. The work of the Competition Commission, and the offices of the regulators for the privatised but previously state-owned monopolies, should be examined to see the purpose and effect of government intervention. Topics that can be used in a case study example (do not all need to be covered as covered in P4): market failure; justification for intervention; market regulation; deregulation; unfair competition; competition policy;Â  Competition Commission; privatisation; private finance initiative; government policies; subsidies; taxation This provides evidence for P6 Task 2 (MOST): Students should build on the work for P4 and P6 and explain why governments intervene in markets and what the consequences of market interventions are. There are plenty of examples, reported on regularly where the regulators consider the consequences of industry activity on producers and consumers. For example, rail fares are increased annually and the proposals generate debate about balancing the interests of the train operating companies and passengers. (not to be attempted until completion of P6) This provides evidence for M3 Task 3 (ALL): Students should report on how EU policies and activities impact on UK business markets. One useful area to consider is in relation to aviation policy and how the EU has tried to put national flag carriers into a competitive framework which confronts national governments’ protectionist practices and gives consumers a better deal. Topics that must be covered: European Union; the single market (free trade, harmonisation, capital, labour, technical standards, simplified trading); monetary union; social chapter This provides evidence for P7 Task 4 (SOME): Students should evaluate the effectiveness of the regulatory regime in a selected market. If the banking industry is considered then the role of the Financial Services Authority in the period before the recapitalisation of the banks will provide some contrasting views as to its effectiveness. This provides evidence for D2 Sources of information: Textbooks Gillespie A – Business in Action (Hodder Arnold, 2002) ISBN 0340848200 Mankiw N and Taylor M – Economics (Thomson Learning, 2006) ISBN 1844801330 Marcouse I et al – Business Studies (Hodder Arnold, 2003) ISBN 0340811102 Sawyer M – The UK Economy, 16th Revised Edition (OUP Oxford, 2004) ISBN 0199266514 Sloman J and Sutcliffe M – Economics for Business (Financial Times/Prentice Hall, 2004) ISBN 0273683357 Journal The Economist Newspapers Business sections of broadsheet newspapers The Financial Times Websites news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/default.stm The BBC website’s business section. www.bized.co.uk Bized provides a selection of teaching resources. www.direct.gov.uk/en/index.htm This is the UK government’s own site and there are links to a range of relevant data sources. www.esrc.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/facts/index27.aspx?ComponentId=7102&SourcePageId=7079 The ESRC has current UK data. europa.eu Website of the European Union www.ofgem.gov.uk/Pages/OfgemHome.aspx Office of the Gas and Electricity Markets – the regulatory authority. Each regulator has a similar site. www.statistics.gov.uk The UK Statistics Authority. www.ukpublicspending.co.uk The site has data on public spending both current and historic.

Internet security Essay

In the developed and developing world, the use of the internet has increased in popularity. The use of the internet has become the preferred mode of communication and resources for various players like industries, corporations, telecommunications, and governments and in business. In business, the internet has facilitated financial transactions that have greatly changed the face of business making it fast and simple and in conformation to the global village the technology has created. With the increased use of the internet, there has been a corresponding increase in cyber crime from criminals who are seeking either financial gains or other advantages for example military. The frequency of these attacks is very high and the levels of sophistication used are great . This makes it difficult for many organizations to determine new threats, their risk factors and ways of dealing with the menace (Cetron, et al, 2009). Many times it is difficult for the organizations to determine which attacks to deal with first and how to allocate resources to deal with them. In the commercial sector, attacks on electronic financial transactions have resulted in great financial losses and corresponding reductions in user confidence. Electronic transactions consist of funds transfers, data interchange, trade confirmations and benefits transfers. Many crimes that occur have plagued the industry for years like theft, service denial, extortion demands or fraud. Technology has however; greatly magnified the ability of major crimes to be committed in a matter of seconds. Electronic security is an industry that is growing and becoming globalised. This industry offers services in the categories of assessment, access and utilization. To demonstrate the severity of attacks on April, 2009, Chinese and Russian spies managed to infiltrate the United States of America electrical grid and inserted disruptive software into the system (Cetron, et al, 2009). An attack which occurred prior to this one on September 2008 would have caused the collapse of the global economy were it not for intervention. Unidentified hackers robbed the lucrative American financial market accounts a total of five hundred and fifty million dollars in a little less than two hours. If the accounts would not have been closed by the Treasury Department they would have lost almost six trillion dollars. This would have caused the global economy to collapse in approximately twenty four hours. One security threat is phishing. Phishing involves the acquisition of sensitive information like passwords, credit card details, usernames and pin numbers. It makes its presentation as being a legal entity. The unsuspecting victims are lured by receiving communications which purport to be from a popular website or payment processors. It is usually done through instant messaging services or emails (Shu-Min & Shann-Bin, 2006). These communications directs the users to enter their details at a fraudulent website which bears a great semblance to the authentic one. Phishing attacks were observed on two popular brands which provide payment services for banks globally in the United States of America in February 2010. The fraudsters created phishing sites in English and other languages, the most popular being French. These websites targeted customers by sending spam mails with the subject proving the card number and claiming that there was a risk of fraudulent transactions taking place. This attack was created using two types of phishing websites. The first utilised Uniform Resource Locators which were created with domain names with many top level domain variants. The most popular domain which was utilised was . cz which represented the Czech Republic. Upon entering their sensitive information into a card holder page for the false verification, the page redirected to the real website. The second attack utilised Uniform Resource Locators with Internet Protocol domains which were hosted on servers based in the United States (Glaessner, 2002). The Uniform Resource Locators’ strings were very long, typically with more than seven hundred characters. The pages asked for sensitive data but had an auto signed debit card or credit card number. This auto signing was done by placing stolen numbers of cards obtained from earlier attacks on the form. Upon receipt of information the page was redirected to a blank page. Cross site scripting is a form of phishing that occurs in programs or websites that allow user input. If the input data is not properly sanitized the program may then process thee input or execute the codes which the original program was not to do. This has been used to redirect users to fake websites. Users are advised not to click on suspicious links in emails and to check the Uniform Resource Locator’s of the website to authenticate brands. It is also advised that one should type the brand domain name directly into the browser address instead of following links. The use of security software has also been recommended. Pharming involves redirecting the redirection of websites traffic and taking it to a false website. Pharming is done by either converting the hosts file on the victims’ computer or exploiting Domain Name Systems servers’ software (Basu, 2009). These Domain Names Systems servers main task is to convert internet names to their real addresses. A compromised server therefore does not direct traffic to legitimate websites. Highly vulnerable sites of compromised are near internet leaves. If wrong entries on a computer’s host file are made it results in circumvention of name lookup using its own name to Internet Protocol mapping, this makes it a popular target for malware. Once it is rewritten a user can be redirected to a fake copy. The better targets for pharming are desktop computers as they receive poor administration in comparison to most other internet services. Host file compromises can compromise the network router. Many routers specify Domain Name Systems to clients on the network and wrong information here spoils the entire local area network. A compromise in routers is very hard to detect. Pharming also occurs by infecting the victim’s computer with malware or a virus. This causes the redirection of a website to a fake one. An unsuspecting user may enter information site unaware. To avoid pharming, users are advised to search for details that prove that the website is authentic. Typing the sites address into the browser bar also offers some protection. Use of an antivirus to reduce virus infiltration into the computers is also recommended. Vigilance is important in warding off attacks. Trojan horses are also a great threat to internet security. Trojan horses present themselves as valuable software which is available for downloading on the internet. This fools many people into downloading the virus in the presumption that it is another application. A Trojan horse is usually separated into parts which are the client and the server. The client is usually disguised as important software and is situated in some sharing networks like peer to peer or uncertified websites for downloads. As soon as the client Trojan is executed in the computer, the attacker who is the person operating the server has great control over the computer and can destroy it depending on his purpose. The spread of the Trojan horse virus can occur through email attachments using various spamming techniques. Malware creators spread the virus through chat software like Skype and Yahoo Messenger. The virus may also infect other machines by distributing copies of itself to those in the address book of the infected computer. There are many types of Trojan horses. Remote access Trojans give attackers complete control of he victim’s computer and access to any information stored in the files. Password Trojans copy all passwords and look for passwords as they are keyed into a computer and send them to a certain email address. Key loggers log the keystrokes used by victims and send the log information to the attacker and can be configured to online and offline modes of recording. Destructive Trojans cause destructions to files and deletes them completely from infected computers. They are able to delete all system files of a computer (Basu, 2009). While there are other types of Trojans not mentioned here, it should be noted that a Trojan may work with a combination of some of the functionalities explained. To best avoid a Trojan hose virus attack, one should open email attachments or files received from strange senders. Installing and updating an antivirus program is also helpful. For secure electronic online transactions certain criteria have to be addressed and met. There must be secure access control which determines who has access to a system and be able to deny access to intruders. Proper authentication of users and message integrity must also be established. Privacy of the parties involved must also be safeguarded and maintained (Shu-Min & Shann-Bin, 2006). Non-repudiation must be ensured where the sender cannot deny (falsely) sending a message. The use of online signatures has also been manipulated to commit fraud. Electronic signatures are a recognized electronic way of showing that a person has accepted the contents of a message sent electronically. These signatures are increasingly being used in electronic commerce and have evolved into digitized signatures which are encrypted and more secure than a simple electronic signature. While they are themselves subject to fraud the purpose of their creation was to combat fraud (Hansen, 1995). Electronic signatures are based on legal principles which have to be understood by the institutions which wish to use it. The use of digital signatures is a code that authenticates the origins of a document. A well done electronic signature causes the signer to be uniquely identified. It also causes the document to be locked using encryption technology and is electronically stamped throughout the process with time and date. It also stores the document for access without fear of being lost or its existence denied. The security of electronic financial transactions can also be enhanced by the use of digital certificates against phishing and pharming. To avoid manipulation of transactions in signature based online banking, utility of Class-3 electronic card readers should be explored. Virus scanners should be used to protect from Trojan horses. Care when downloading software should be exercised. With the mass adoption of technology, countries around the world are increasingly using technological based solutions to address their needs and carry out their functions. The use of the internet has created a highly competitive market. While cyber crime has not infiltrated or integrated itself equally in many countries it is an industry that is growing very fast and deserves much global attention (Shu-Min & Shann-Bin, 2006). As earlier discussed, it has the potential of destroying whole markets and creating great havoc. Attempts to control cyber crime have not been concerted. Many challenges have arisen in trying to control this threat. Technology is a fast changing and cyber crime has achieved very high levels of sophistication. Cyber criminals have designed malware which are virtually undetectable and are difficult to diagnose. It has proved challenging to design and keep up with these creations (Glaessner, 2002). Due to the high levels of vulnerability to cyber attacks there is an urgent need to formulate clear policies. These policies should include guidelines on how to cyber crime is to be dealt with. This should include coming up with laws that will outline prosecution of cyber criminals due to the potential of these criminals to create damage and go unpunished and detected. Users of the internet and the various services it offers should also assume personal responsibility for their own safety (Cetron, et al, 2009). Studies have shown that the ‘human factor’ is largely the cause of the success of cyber crime rather than advancements in technology. In the United States, despite various public campaigns on internet security, people continue to be reckless with their personal information. This leaves them very vulnerable to attacks by cyber criminals. Predictions have been made that incidences of cyber crime will continue to increase. Users should therefore be very vigilant in monitoring their information. Software to combat cyber crime is available and users should take the initiative to acquire this software to alert them of suspicious websites or claims. They should also regularly update their software like antivirus which is highly dynamic due to the creation of new viruses and malware that occurs at a very high rate (almost daily). In conclusion, electronic financial transactions have created great savings in terms of financial savings for both providers and users and reduced the wastage of time. The use of this technology has correspondingly exposed its users newer forms of crime and every effort must be made to combat cyber crime.

Managing Human Resources Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Managing Human Resources - Coursework Example man resource management has changed its role from primarily administrative to a more influencing and facilitating position with an aim of adopting a commercial approach to HRM. Human Resources Management is business today is the hardest duty of a manager as coordination of capabilities of humans is central to the business’s achievement of the set goals. However, HR manager is faced with challenges as humans are constantly in conflict with their psychology, assumptions, aspirations and attitudes. HRM involves activities such as development strategies, employee training, coordination of employee benefits, performance management and recruiting and hiring employees (Tichy, Fombrum and Devanna, 1982). Although both human resource management and personal management are concepts involved with management of human labor in an organization, there are notable differences between the two concepts. Personal management is a traditional style while HRM is the new and modern version. Personal management is more inclined to focus on labor relations, employee welfare and personnel administration as opposed to motivation and sustainability and acquisition and development of human resources. During the 1990s when the concept of HRM took root in organizations, the two concepts were interchangeably used to mean the same things. However, social and economic development in the structure of organizations since 1990s have seen the evolution of HRM in order to cope with the needs of the ever changing business environment. Key areas of distinction between HRM and personal management can be examined in relation to leadership and management roles, contract of employment, job design and pay policy and the nature of relations. HRM has been described as a concept that takes two different forms; hard and soft HRM. The soft model is concerned with the humans and their self-direction with a view of emphasizing centrally on self- regulating behavior, trust and commitment. On the other hand, the

Management (potential automated systems) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Management (potential automated systems) - Essay Example Automation has implications for both the engine and deck departments. One of the primary responsibilities of the deck department is safe navigation. They are responsible for communicating with other ships, communicating with the vessel tracking system, planning safe courses, executing courses, and avoiding collision with other ships. When executing manoeuvres, the deck department communicates the required changes in engine speed to the engine room, where the appropriate adjustments are made. Automation plays a major role in the deck department, and prototype systems suggest that automation may play an even more important role in the future. Automation in the deck department began with the development of the radar, and has progressed to radar enhanced with automated radar plotting aids. More recently, the electronic chart display information system is beginning to replace paper charts. Perhaps the most advanced automation systems are artificial intelligence systems that combine naviga tion and ship performance information to provide routing and manoeuvring suggestions to the crew. Other developments include more advanced autopilots that enhance fuel efficiency, and complex combinations of engine, rudder, and thruster's controllers that enable the watch officer to dock the ship without need for multiple tugboats. Several countries are working to develop fully integrated bridges that combine elements of all these automated systems to produce an integrated suite of navigation and ship control aids. These changes may make it possible for a single person to act as the helmsman, lookout, and watch officer. (Dicken, 2003) Similar changes have occurred in the engine department. Older ships operate with a 24-hour watch consisting of a wiper, a water-tender, a fireman, and an engineer. However, technology has automated many aspects of the engineering department and has made unattended engine rooms possible. Automation supports planned maintenance with computerized schedules of maintenance tasks. Automation also supports predictive maintenance by tracking changes in vibration signatures of engine components and providing sophisticated ultrasound data that verify the structural integrity of system components. On these ships, the engine room is monitored remotely and engineers perform maintenance during normal work hours. (Dicken, 2003) Automation Pros & Cons Automation on modern ships has begun to blur the distinction between the deck and engineering departments. In older ships, a bell system relayed bridge commands to the engine room, where the engines were manually adjusted to meet bridge orders. Now, direct control from the bridge allows the deck department to implement engine speed changes directly. In addition, displays on the bridge convey data that were once only available to the engineering department. Providing deck personnel with data from the engine room imposes new demands on them. These changes may introduce new knowledge requirements regarding interpretation of engine room data similar to those found in the process control domain. Introducing remote monitoring systems distances mariners from a wide variety of potentially useful information (smells, noises, vibrations) only available in the engine room

W4As Premier Kayak Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

W4As Premier Kayak - Essay Example As such, the inefficiencies in previous booking and reservations system required designing a new model which would address the disclosed gaps. The model was noted to provide access to an accurate schedule of booked customers who already paid and the information is provided to crucial personnel at Premier Kayak to enable staff members, especially tour guides, to provide the needed service. The model thereby prevents overbooking and ensures accuracy in making reservations for scheduled tours only in defined number of kayaks at a particular available date and time. The key innovations that Premier Kayak’s reservation system which avoided making the reservation system a painful process to customers included defining the available slots for the kayaks in any particular day, time, and location to prevent overbooking. Likewise, only customers who confirmed reservations through payments made online would be confirmed for the kayak tours. In addition, these schedules have defined tour guides who could access the information and abide by the reservations made. As such, the reservation system, which is available and accessible to customers and employees, would avoid overbooking or the need for rescheduling. This prevented having to refund customers due to unavailable tour guides or lack of kayaks at preferred booking dates. The new method also prevented having to contend with irate customers or the need to make refunds. Overall, the system improved Premier Kayak’s image as a reliable and dependable organization in their field of endeavor. The evaluation method that is recommended to make certain that the innovations perform as expected is through customer feedback surveys (Foot, 2013). The survey would gather information pertinent to the customers’ satisfaction on services rendered by Premier Kayak. Likewise, the 360 degree assessment is another evaluation tool that solicits information from various

Light peak( high speed opictal cable technology) Essay

Light peak( high speed opictal cable technology) - Essay Example Light Peak is defined to as a new interface technology of peripheral which enable nodes to connect devices of peripheral or other nodes through an optical connector. Use of optical technology has been in the industry for quite sometime. Telecom companies have used it for networking for years. Light, instead of a wire, is considered much more efficient means of relaying enormous data over long distances. The challenge is optical modules used in conversion of the electrical signals into optical were exceedingly large and expensive. By use of the newly come technology, there is a possibility for the firm to produce affordable and compact optical modules. There are several outstanding differences between optical cabling and electrical cabling. However, the major advantage of using Light Peak technology is seen in optical cabling substituting electrical cabling. Use of copper wire in inter-device communication has its demerits. The level of signal distortion increases with the increase in the distance and speed of transmission. Consequently, the interruption becomes too much that there is no reliable signal transmission between the peripheral and the computer. This explains the reason as to why peripheral cables have fixed lengths. Optical signals do not reflect the interruptions experienced when copper wire is used in signal transmission. This implies that optical cables can extend to serve longer distances compared to copper wire. Additionally, optical fibers are much thinner enabling more flexibility in cabling compared to bundles of copper wire. A recommended cable of Light Peak is almost of the same size of a strand of human hair. These optical cables can be increased up to a length of100 meters that will effectively serve every place within a household as well as enough for businesses. Light Peak technology has a close comparison with the allied USB technology. Although USB

Religious Influence on Literacy and Politics in Western Civilization Essay

Religious Influence on Literacy and Politics in Western Civilization to 1750 - Essay Example This portrayed the importance of religion and religious doctrines at the time. Besides the major influence of religion in politics and governance, religion influenced the development of literacy in the societies as well. Islam and Christianity are two major religions that influenced the political and literacy development of the western societies prior to the 1750 as the discussion below portrays. The history of the western society portrays the important role of Roman Catholic Church. The church influenced the social structure by influencing the politics of the society. As the largest single unifying factor, the Roman Catholic influenced the formation of the Roman Catholic, which extended its territories to parts of Africa, as the largest political unit at the time the structure and development of the early Roman Empire portrayed the influence of religion in the political and literacy civilization of the western countries. Subsequent developments and restructuring of the society arose from the numerous internal religious wrangles. The development and spread of Islam from the Middle East to parts of Northern Africa and Eastern Europe coupled with the rise of Protestants in central Europe weakened the Roman Empire owing to the fact that they limited the religious influence of the Roman Catholic. This portrays the influence of religion in the formation and governance of the earl y western societies. Prior to the disintegration of the Roman Empire, the Roman Catholic offered numerous services to the populace including medical services and schooling besides inspiring the development of arts, culture and philosophies. The church for example used strategic propaganda techniques to increase the influence of the church thereby providing an effective platform for unified governance. The Roman Catholic used such iconic artists as Michelangelo, Caravaggio and Da Vinci to propagate religious propaganda thereby succeeding in unifying the societies.

Unemployment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Unemployment - Research Paper Example Extensive research over multiple aspects of unemployment has revealed that the past unemployment results in change of preferences such as prices and constraints, affecting the levels of future unemployment as well. Individuals differ in certain unmeasured variables that, if not properly controlled, have influential impact on levels of unemployment. There exists, however, no universally acceptable definition of unemployment so far because both employed and unemployed people worldwide are measured quite differently.Over the last few decades, the progressive world economies have, though slowly, recognized the complexity and seriousness of growing unemployment issues at last. However, various scholars and economic organizations have provided with more generalized definitions of unemployment. The most widely referred definition from the International Labor Organization states that unemployment â€Å"occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively looked for work within the pas t four weeks. The unemployment rate is a measure of the prevalence of unemployment and it is calculated as a percentage by dividing the number of unemployed individuals by all individuals currently in the labor force.† According to the Census Bureau, â€Å"unemployed persons include those who did not work at all during the survey week, and who were looking for work. Also included are persons who would have been looking for work except that (a) they were temporary ill, (b) they expected to return to a job from which they had been laid off for an indefinite period, or (c) they believed no work was available in their line of work or in the community.† Unemployment can also be defined as, â€Å"An economic condition marked by the fact that individuals actively seeking jobs remain un-hired. Unemployment is expressed as a percentage of the total available work force. The level of unemployment varies with economic conditions and other circumstances.† (Investor words, 20 09). Students, children, retired personnel or people not interested in a paid job are not inclusive, however. Categorized on basis of causes and consequences, there are four major types of unemployment in macroeconomics. Frictional unemployment - People who are re-entering (are between jobs) or entering for the first time or after absence from work usually experience short-term unemployment called frictional unemployment. This kind of unemployment is sometimes considered beneficial as it provides time to individuals, organizations and societies to find better jobs build suitable workforce and improve services respectively. Structural unemployment – Unemployment also occurs if there are both jobs and workers available but the skills required for a job are not matching workers’ experience. This situation often results due to changes in structural economies and lasts for several years (long-term). For example, jobs are available in oil and gas industry and workers have sk ills with textile industry, there is a mismatch of skills leading to Structural unemployment. Seasonal unemployment – Sometimes, changes in weather, tourist activities or other seasonal factors results in short-term unemployment of related people called Seasonal unemployment. For example, some people experience joblessness as the construction activity slows down during extreme winters. Cyclic unemployment – Due to prolonged periods of recession, production outputs are reduced causing joblessness. Previous employees lose jobs and entrants have fewer openings to search. As business cycle is actively involved, this type of unemployment is called Cyclic unemployment. This is long-term and considered as the most severe kind of unemployment. When joblessness due business cycle is minimized to zero, economists say that we have reached full employment. Rise in level of unemployment is considered among the most worrisome economic problems. Due to gradual adjustments according t o the market equilibrium price and quantity over time, there exists no

Effects of franchised and international fashion stores on local Dissertation

Effects of franchised and international fashion stores on local clothing retailing and its relation to global marketing stratgie - Dissertation Example This situation analysis has been assessed and promulgated customised strategy under the â€Å"Global Marketing Strategies†. We have collected data relating to the Saudi woman and their frequency of visiting particular band irrespective local or international, and also Saudi market itself to harness what are the marketing mix positioning and strategy practiced in domestic shape. We have observed and analyzed different global marketing strategies which can help us to identify the gap in current strategy of retail mix in Saudi Arabia under current Global market strategies. This paper has dissected all the elements to identify this point in final state by breaking them in questionnaire. This fact based analysis will help to understand the upcoming competitive era with specified factors identified to contribute in greater extent to promulgate strategies for retail industry in Saudi Arabia. Research Word: Retail Industry, Retail marketing mix, Saudi franchised international brand, G lobal marketing strategy. 1. Introduction Saudi Arabia is getting very competition intense economy where most of the international brands are interested to invest and derive good revenue from the strength of local purchasing power. Many international events in Saudi Kingdom are now approaching for the foreign investment and it is arranging many exhibitions. Main area where most industry is developing for foreign trade in Dahahran, Jedda and Riyadh. In these are apparel having a important space. Diagram: Significance/ Capacity of venue From this chart we can see what are the factor’s that the Saudi woman considers for the purchasing of any clothing in retail stores. From this analysis and form the global growth of 15% for the retail fashion industry. In this point the strategy which is highly depending on the marketing mix composed of people, place, product and promotion varies significantly and contributed widely in business profitability. Ongoing brand consciousness and the strong purchasing power we can see that the international incentives to invest in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Based on this potentiality of this industry more research, information and facilitation form the government has to plan for the local retail store so that they can compete and survive with global competition. Eventually the local store can keep the customer demand in more customized way, but the fact is the taste ans culture is getting more global than particular land. We have summarized some research to support our existing research that we can continue the quantitative research based on this base of qualitative or exploratory research made by Amani Aqeel in 2012. Saudi women’s purchase intention from the total sample of 20 customers shows the figure above to prove the factors and their intensity. These summary reports can help us to pursue the further research in greater details of qualitative and quantitative extent. 2. Research aim-(Given/ Made by customer) 3. Re search Objective-(Given/Made by customer) 4. Literature Review- 2 pages Since 1853 , Levi Strauss used to believe as one of the most popular international fashion retailers all over the world. Upon continuing their operation after long years of time worldwide they have started their strategy to make standardization practice to meet the goal of meeting economies of scale and core

Live Concert Essay Example for Free

Live Concert Essay Throughout the history of time, music has changed, grown, and developed into many unique and different genres and broken off into many interesting directions. Among one of these rather recent and distinct groups comes the genre of psychedelic rock portrayed by groups like Dr. Dog and Wilco. Psychedelic rock is considered controversial simply because of its origin and the habits it produces, encourages, and signifies in present day culture. The genre of psychedelic rock uses ragas, which literally means â€Å"color† or â€Å"hue†, and the drones of Indian music to create its individual and mood enhancing sound. This genre is a style of rock that comes from the cultures of the United States as well as the United Kingdom in 1960’s in which the use of psychedelic or hallucinogenic drugs were popular. This music is meant to reflect the feeling and effects of the common drugs and to replicate the experience of a trip from certain drugs such as cannabis, peyote, mescaline, and LSD. This trend began in America first in San Francisco, California and slowly spread through the country. This genre of music still exists today and one form of that music is from the band Dr. Dog which originates from West Grove, Pennsylvania and consists of five members, Tony Leaman who plays the bass, Scott McMicken who is the lead guitar player, Frank McElroy who also plays the rhythm guitar, Zach Miller on the keyboard, and Eric Slide on the drums. Much of this music is relaxed and tranquil, not as much hype and energy as typical rock. To create something as unique as that of Psychedelic rock, or acid rock, there are certain instruments that are used to execute the sound. Commonly used instruments in these kinds of bands include the electric guitar, percussion, keyboards, and exotic instruments such as the tabla and the sitar. These exotic instruments add a new element that was never found in western culture before. These new types of foreign instruments create a new sound and sensation for the listener. Since the whole point of psychedelic rock is to reproduce the awareness of a high from certain drugs, it has many social issues that come along with it. Many of the songs of this genre allude to the use or effects of drugs and the music resembles that emotion. The dissonance of the tones within each song creates the feeling of a drug effect and adds to the large subculture of the twentieth century. Although the music did not necessarily encourage the use of drugs to listen to the music, it had a profound effect on people of that generation. The hippie subculture of the sixties and the seventies were some of the people that surrounded this type of music. That doesn’t mean that they had to do drugs, but it means they most likely did. These were the people who went against the societal norms and expectations of the era and were engaged in music like psychedelic rock. The lyrics to most of Dr. Dog’s songs are quite ambiguous. Each song has a meaning that’s personal to the individual who is hearing it. What the listener takes away is something of their own perception and thought process. Through my own interpretation of the lyrics, this part of a song called â€Å"The Breeze† refers directly to why this type of music is controversial.

The Royal Automobile Club business overview

The Royal Automobile Club business overview The Royal Automobile Club was founded in 1897 to provide its members with roadside assistance. It is part of a hugely competitive market where it is involved in a continual tussle with The AA and Green Flag for market superiority. There are fundamental problems in RACs current operations. Customer service is vital aspect of the roadside recovery business and this is where RAC are failing. RAC have had a rising in the number of customer complaints coupled with poor retention of customers. The RAC has to supply its services and respond quickly to all callouts but faces difficulty dealing with the variation in demand. The problems were outlined by Martin Connor, the director of Operations who claimed the only big winners seemed to be the contractors who provide capacity during the night and during periods of overloading. This is a time while the RACs own patrol staff are earning more despite a decline in productivity. The RAC uses private contractors during weekends and at also at night times, they also supplement day patrols if the demand is unexpectedly high. As the contractors dont carry the full RAC branding, customer service was less of a priority to them. Market research had indicated that customers were less satisfied with the service provided by private contractors. The use of such contractors was also expensive, with the average price being  £36 plus. After working a standard forty hour week, at busy periods staff were offered overtime or the option of being on standby. Overtime was paid at time and a half and double on Sundays. Staff had no motivation to complete work as quick as possible as they would be paid however long jobs took. Similarly the standby system was fraught with problems, staff were paid a flat fee of  £6 per job completed. There was no difference in pay with regard to simple jobs that would take a few minutes and more difficult jobs which could take a long time. Staff could log off at any point and would frequently do so if they were offered time consuming jobs. This would force the RAC into delegating to contractors at the much higher cost The patrol attendance rate measures how many of the jobs the RAC undertakes were dealt with by their own staff. In 1999 the rate was averaging 80%. The importance of a high PAR is underlined in the costs which suggest that just a 1% decrease would cost about  £1 million per year in contractors fees. .The RAC has a reputation for offering high quality service a but at a high price. It faced losing its market share as a number of competitors surfaced. It was faced with the problem of improving its operations whilst keeping its membership costs at a competitive price. In an independent survey the RAC was ranked 2nd to the AA in terms of customer satisfaction. The critical customer service factors are in the call taking and how quickly patrols are on the scene and complete the job. Due to more advanced call taking technology the AA was able to offer its members better customer service than the RAC. The importance of a low membership costs could not be underestimated as Green Flag, which had poor customer service feedback from the survey was becoming a leading competitor due to its low costs. The SWOT analysis shows where the RAC need to improve. SWOT analysis Strengths Strong brand Large customer base Good profitability Weaknesses Old fashioned image Capacity easily overloaded. Opportunities Innovative technology New products Threats Competition Technology of cars improving reduction in breakdowns Increased customer expectation Workforce scheduling / Capacity management Literature Review In service industries the matching of capacity and demand is particularly difficult. Capacity management plays an important role in determining how effectively an organisation uses its assets to produce income. (Sun Services, 2007) Capacity management is the ability to balance demand from customers and the ability of the service delivery system to satisfy the demand. (Armistead et al, 1991) There is either too much demand for the capacity, putting a strain on resources, or too little demand, giving rise to unused capacity and a loss in revenue. This is known as the perishability factor. (Mudie et al, 2006) Both of these are an issue for the RAC due to the numerous factors that influence the demand on the patrols such as the weather. The manner in which workforce is deployed is a large determinant of the effectiveness of service organisations. Having more staff than is necessary to provide the desired level of customer service is costly and having fewer staff than is necessary risks poor customer service and the loss of current or future revenue. In an ideal scenario the company has just enough staff available to provide the desired level of service. Temporal variation in customer demand, even within a day, compounds the difficulty of providing the ideal number of staff. One solution is the use of planning intervals of an hour or less, in conjunction with overlapping shifts, and then allowing the number of employees scheduled to change from period to period. The task of providing the right number of employees at the right time is commonly known as workforce scheduling. (Thompson et al 2006) Rotating workforce scheduling is a typical constraint satisfaction problem which appears in a broad range of work places (Musliu, 2005). Poor workforce scheduling often leads to high personnel turnover, absenteeism, resentment, poor job performance and unfit mental and physical conditions situations that translate to loss of productivity, quality and even safety (Hung, 1992) One method to solve capacity issues is to address the schedules of the workers, a re-arranged workweek can be a great recruitment tool. Many people are enthusiastic about receiving one or more extra off-days per week and longer weekends (for the 4-day workweek, there are 52 extra off-days per year). Moreover, fewer work days means including less time and money on commuting and less expenses on meals and childcare. (Hung, 1992) Another factor that can affect capacity is motivation. This can be influenced by shift patterns dictated. Motivation can be increased by adapting work times to individual needs which can change over time, better working conditions (such as security and hygiene), creation of a team spirit or through professional mobility. For example, highly skilled staff can act as tutors to new employees. (Chan et al, 2006). Part time workers can increase the flexibility of operations. A common trend amongst the literature is to offer discounted prices at times to level off the demand. This is a possibility for the RAC who could offer breakdown packages such as weekends only or off peak packages at substantially discounted prices. Competitive Analysis RAC The basic RAC policy starts at  £28. On average there patrols are able to fix 80% at the roadside. The RAC web-site has an active forum, where members can communicate with one another to give advice, this creates an online community. RAC will attend the first five callouts made by a member free of charge and offer priority for vulnerable motorists. Having over 2000 patrols and over 100 years experience are key selling points for the RAC. All labour and fittings costs are included in membership, so members only have pay for the part itself. RAC advertise offers worth over  £500 to try and lure in new members, they include discounts on health insurance, roadside restaurants and UK holidays. (RAC, 2010) Green Flag The Green Flag slogan is driven by performance, Green flag compare themselves to both the RAC and The AA by advertising its average time is under 30 minutes in contrast to their 40 minute average. The claim is backed up with data from 837,962 call outs. Its basic plan begins at  £20, they fix 86% of customers cars at the roadside. A key asset of green flag policies is the availability of the customer to adapt a policy to fit their own circumstances, you dont have to pay the price of other peoples problems . Green Flag offer no callout discounts to members and offer free, unlimited call-outs when you breakdown. They aim to answer calls within 20 seconds. Green flag operates solely through outside contractors, which has a negative affect on its customer service. (Green Flag, 2010) The AA The AA claim to fix more breakdowns by the roadside than anyone else they have strong customer satisfaction and boast 95% of members would recommend the firm to friends. On average the AA arrive within around 40 minutes of members calls. With 3500 patrols the AA has the largest dedicated breakdown patrol force in the UK,; they attend a breakdown on average every 8.7 seconds and repair around 8 out of 10 breakdowns by the roadside. Only the AA has VIxEN, a unique on-board computer to help diagnose faults. At night, as at other times of the day, the AA serves its members with its own patrols and, as with other breakdown providers and some garage agents, when appropriate. (The AA, 2010) Strategic performance objectives The Objective of the RAC is to provide a fast and quality service to its members who breakdown at the roadside. To do this they need to define what the key performance indicators are and what is the expected level. A key performance indicator is a metric that allows you to evaluate whether you are meeting a certain goal. The five kpis for breakdown companies are: Quality : the level of customer service and efficiency of the recovery Cost The cost the customer has to pay Dependability To always have patrols ready for jobs. Flexibility To adapt to unexpected rises in demand. Speed To answer calls quickly, patrol arrive quickly, job completed quickly Recommendations 1 in every 5 jobs completed are being outsourced to contractors costing the RAC a huge amount of money and risking its reputation from its members who have expressed dissastisfaction by the service they have received from such patrols. Clearly changes have to focus around ensuring more callouts are attended by RAC patrols. To do this firstly the RAC need to invest in new calling and dispatch process. More effective call technology can identify the patrol most suitable to undertake each job and can improve customer service relations. More effective utilisation of patrols will ease capacity issues. The overtime payments need to be re-structured so that is no longer based on a per job basis. The current system is open to abuse by patrols who would avoid difficult jobs by logging off. This a key reason for the excessive use of contractors. The pay structure needs to adjusted, Proposed would be a rating scale for the difficulty of jobs completed, patrols could then receive a monthly bonus based on there performance. changed to offer staff incentives and motivation to ensure customer service is top of their priority. These can include monthly bonuses or share schmes. In most cases it may be necessary to establish some scale of gradation of jobs based on some objective assessment and to relate jobs measured on this scale to rates of pay (Wild, 1991) The PAR is reducing by as much as 3% during peak holiday season. A 1% drop in PAR costs  £1 million per year in contractor fees. Holidays need to be re-reanged so that they are equally dispersed around the year. December and January are the busiest months so there must be a limt especially around this time. Monday is the busiest day of the week for the RAC with the weekend the quietist time Workforce schedules can also be adjusted, the current shift system doesnt work. One option would be to switch workers to a four day week. Workers could then have more social hours and capacity could be increased at peak periods. Needs to continue its investment in materials that help drivers fix there own faults, with a particular emphasis on problems caused by winter conditions. This can be the most effective measure to combat capacity problems. Phone operators can try an identify the causes of problems and offer the potential for the member to fix there own vehicle. The staff at RAC are approaching retirement and therefore RAC will need to attract new recruits. It is important that the knowledge built up by years of experience by the senior employees is utilised to enable the training of the new younger employers to be more effective. Staff should be encouraged to present any ideas to senior management that they believe would improve operations. With attractive incentives offered for any ideas that put into practice, the job satisfaction and motivation of employees would be likely to increase. There will be a resistance to change, particularly from the patrols who are seeking more social hours and a generally easier working schedule. The diagram above shows how the proposed changes could improve the operations of the RAC. The main advantage would be seen in the flexibility of the patrols. The RAC need to communicate more effectively with members who broke down. Breakdowns can be highly stressful situations and therefore knowing approximately how long it will take for a patrol to arrive will be a reassurance to the member.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho Essay -- Alchemist Paulo Coelho essays

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho The book I read is called The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. The Alchemist is about a boy from Spain, whose name is Santiago and is a shepherd. The book tells how he gets around countries, and how he deals with his problems and how he solves them. It shows how he follows his dreams, and who helps him along the way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Santiago leaves his family to become a shepherd, before leaving his dad gives him money he has saved up, Santiago buys sheep with the money. As a shepherd Santiago travels around Spain. As he travels he is in search of food and water for his sheep. During his journeys he gave his sheep names and really connects with them. When he ran out of money, Santiago sold wool from his sheep for money. He learns that being a shepherd is not hard as long as you have food and water for the sheep.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Santiago is a very intelligent boy, he knows how to read and write because he went to school. Santiago wanted to become a shepherd because he loved traveling and he never traveled while living on his farm with his parents. Another reason he didn’t like living on a farm was, because there was no change in every day life, and he liked change. That’s why his dad understood his reasoning for wanting to become a shepherd.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One day he had a dream while resting under a tree in an abandon ruined church. Santiago had dreamt that same dream before so he decided to go to a dream reader. There was a town near by that he knew had a dream reader,...

Do Special Education Children Benefit From Inclusion? Essay -- Educatio

Do Special Education Children Benefit From Inclusion? Many children have had learning disabilities for many years. Each year more and more of these children are being helped. Schools are working to improve their special education programs and to have all kinds of students work together in the same classroom. The practice of inclusion was started because educators felt that special needs students would achieve more in traditional classrooms with non-learning disabled students than they would in special education classes. However, research findings suggest that there really is no difference in academic achievement levels for special needs students when they are placed in regular classrooms. Inclusion can be defined as a term, which expresses commitment to educate each child, to the maximum extent appropriate, in the school classroom he or she would otherwise attend. Inclusion involves bringing the support services to the child as opposed to bringing the student to the services. Inclusion requires only that the special needs or learning-disabled child will benefit from being in the regular classroom. The term â€Å"full inclusion† means that all students, regardless of their handicapping condition or the severity of it will attend a regular classroom all the time. All the services, such as instructional aides or assistive technology, will be provided for the child in that classroom setting. The terms inclusion and mainstreaming are often used interchangeably; however, they are different methods for educating learning disabled students. Mainstreaming is the selective placement of special education students in one or more regular education classes (Special Education, 2001). When the decision to place a child in a mains... ...ith special education students. It provides definitions of inclusion and mainstreaming. It also gives information about IDEA and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Wildrot, K, & Claybrook, S. (n/d) Effects of Inclusion on Academic Outcomes. Retrieved April 12,2003 from http://ebsochost.com This article is about a study that compared math and reading achievement between regular and inclusion classrooms. They used the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills to find the results. Zigmond, N & Jenkins, J. (1995) When Students Fail to Achieve Satisfactorily. Phi Delta Kappan, 77, (4) Retrieved April 11,2003 from http://ebsochost.com This article looks at how students fail to achieve satisfactorily because of their learning disabilities. They did some research on students with learning disabilities and came up with a design for inclusive school.

The Development Of Ancient Systems Of Writing In Iraq And Egypt :: essays research papers

The Development of Ancient Systems of Writing in Iraq and Egypt Ancient systems of writing in the Middle East arose when people needed a method for remembering important information. In both Ancient Iraq and Ancient Egypt each of the stages of writing, from pictograms to ideograms to phonetograms, evolved as a response to the need to express more complex ideas. Satisfaction of this need gave us the two most famous forms of ancient writing, cuneiform from ancient Iraq, and hieroglyphics from ancient Egypt. Both of these forms of writing evolved and their use spread to other peoples even after the originators of the scripts had passed on. Some of the oldest writing found in the Middle East dates from 8000 to 3000 B.C. This corresponds to the approximate time period that the people of the region went from living a nomadic life to settlement in villages and trading among themselves. When trading large or varying types of commodities you need a method for recording. To meet this need developed a token system for the recording of financial data. These tokens were of varying shapes for various things, two to three centimetres in size, and used for enumeration and keeping track of goods and labour. These tokens eventually had to be stored so they wouldn't be misplaced or lost. To secure them, they were placed in opaque clay envelopes. To indicate what was inside the envelope markings were made on it, eventually someone realized that all you had to do was mark on the clay what was in the envelope and you discard the tokens altogether. With this major development we get the first writing on clay tablets. In Ancient Mesopotamia the most readily available material for writing on was clay. When writing on clay first arose, the scribe would try to make an artistic representation of what he was referring to. This is a logical first step in writing as if you wanted to record that you had three sheep, you would draw a picture of a sheep and then add to the picture some marking to indicate that you had three of them. Thus the earliest stage in writing arose, pictograms. Pictograms, although not really writing in the modern sense of the term, do represent a method of communicating an event or message. They also "led to true writing through a process of selection and organization." As people wanted to write more down and in a faster method, the pictograms lost their artistic look and took on a more "stylised representation of an object by making a few marks in the clay . . . ." The writing was eventually written in "horizontal lines

Customer Value Marketing Essay

This report based on the study of â€Å"Customer Value Marketing† starts with introduction section. We have mentioned the contents of the study in objectives of the report section. The methodology section deals with the means of preparation of this report and the processes that we have followed. Then the report describes the theoretical aspects of the study in the literature review. This section mainly consists of brief description about different important topics about customer value marketing. Finally in the last section, the report is concluded with findings, bibliography and appendix over the topic. The appendix section contains some International Journals on Customer value marketing. INTRODUCTION Today’s marketing process is highly customer focused. It is all about creating customer value and building profitable customer relationship. Customers are at the center of marketing process. The main theme of marketing is to create customer value and to capture value from customers in return. The goal of every marketer is to create more value for customers. Customers usually face a broad array of products and services that might satisfy a given need. Among these products or services, customers have to choose the products that give them optimum value and satisfaction. That is why creating customer value is considered to be the most important task to be performed by marketing today. The marketers do it through â€Å"customer value delivery system†, a system which is made up of the value chains of a company and its suppliers, distributors and ultimately its customers who work together to deliver value to customers. To deliver superior value to customers the marketers have to design a customer driven marketing strategy. The proper implementation of this strategy will give customers a perceived value, therefore, satisfaction. While buying a product or service, a customer is buying satisfaction. Highest value is derived when a customer is fully satisfied with his or her purchase. Today, value is considered to be an important constituent of relationship marketing and the ability of a company to provide superior value to its customers is regarded as one of the most successful competitive strategies for business. Hence, today’s marketing needs to be based on the concept of customer value. OBJECTIVES OF THE REPORT This report mainly discusses the following subjects: †¢Customer Value †¢Customer Value Strategy †¢Customer Value Positioning Model †¢The implementation of Customer Value Strategy †¢Hypothesis Regarding Customer value †¢Propositions on Customer Value †¢Methods of Customer Value Assessment †¢Customer Lifetime Value METHODOLOGY OF THE REPORT The report in this study is basically a descriptive one. Here, both the primary and the secondary data are been used. The primary data has been collected from lectures given on this topic in the classroom. The secondary sources of data are our textbooks, various international journals & different websites. LITERATURE REVIEW Customer value strategy: Customer value strategy is doing things differently from the competitors and transferring different values to the customers. There are six principles of strategic positioning. They are: †¢Strategy should have the right objectives. †¢The value of positioning should be distinguished from the competitors. †¢Strategic thinking should be reflected from the unique value chain. †¢In order to pursue the uniqueness in certain areas, we must give up some of the other characteristics of products, services or activities. †¢Strategy should enable the effective integration of various activities. †¢Strategy should have sustained direction. Customer Value Positioning Model: A Successful business is always based on its selection of the target customers for value positioning. Customers can be roughly divided into three types, but for different customers have different types of value positioning model: †¢Customers are interested in up-to-dated, modern product. Organizations which meet the needs of these customers can orient the value on â€Å"product leadership†. For example, Microsoft, Hp. †¢Customers prefer cost-effective products and services. They prefer convenient purchase and high quality service. The organizations which aim at this target group of customers orient the value on â€Å"operational excellence†. For example, Wal-Mart, Fed-Ex. †¢Customers want to get exactly what they need, even if they have to pay a higher cost or wait a little longer. Companies which serve these types of customers are committed to improving â€Å"customer intimacy†. For example, Honda, British Airways. The implementation of Customer Value Strategy: Once the customer value strategy is established, the company must ensure the implementation of the strategy by committing everyone in the workplace to its objectives and building support system for it. For this the business must ensure the followings: 1.Strengthening management for core competency: The practice of a strong management system is a prerequisite for achieving customer value. A dynamic management system is needed so that the value strategy can be effectively implied. 2.Establishing culture of the company based on customer value: In order to achieve the strategic objectives of a company, it is necessary to develop a culture based on customer value so that the idea of customer value is deep in the heart of everyone in the workplace. 3.Establishing a highly integrated value system: A highly integrated value system means company’s self-reinforcing system of various activities. 4.Establishing an effective performance measuring system: While implementing customer value strategy, companies continuously measure the performance with goal. Therefore, company should have an effective performance measuring system so that any deviation can be analyzed carefully. 5.Establishing the network marketing system: With the help of network marketing system companies can understand customer’s needs in a better way and thus can strengthen the implementation of customer value strategy. Hypothesis: Rajagopal (2006) has established some hypothesis regarding customer value. They are as follows: †¢Higher perceived value acquired by the customer help consumers to determine their buying decision on the non-conventional products of unfamiliar brands in the market. †¢The brand value of the product is enhanced by developing the communication tools effectively by the firm which help augment the customer value by marginalizing the gap between consumer perception and product attributes. †¢The brand value, quality of the product, competitive advantage and price along with other relational variables determine the customer value. †¢The product attractiveness combined with the effective informational sharing and retailing services help augmenting by providing competitive advantage. Here are some other hypothesis by Weinstein and Abratt (2009): †¢There is a significant correlation between service received from a professional service and customer retention. †¢There is a significant correlation between quality received and customer retention. †¢There is a significant correlation between the image of a professional service and customer retention. †¢There is a significant correlation between the prices charged and customer retention. †¢There is a significant correlation between overall value received from a professional service and customer retention. Propositions: Andreassen (1997) has made some propositions on customer value. They are: †¢Perceived quality is believed to have a positive impact on value †¢Perceived quality and value are believed to have a positive impact on customer satisfaction. Methods of customer value assessment: James, Dipak & Pradeep (1993), introduced some methods for assessing customer value. They are as follows: †¢Internal engineering assessment †¢Field value-in-use assessment †¢Indirect survey questions †¢Focus group value assessment. †¢Direct survey questions †¢Conjoint analysis †¢Benchmarks †¢Compositional approach †¢Importance ratings Customer Lifetime Value: According to Phillip, Mark & Robert (2004), â€Å"Customer Lifetime Value is the present value of the future cash flows attributed to customer relationship.† Therefore, Customer Lifetime Value (CLV), also known as Lifetime Customer Value (LCV) or Lifetime Value (LTV) is the net present value of the cash flows recognized from the relationship with a customer. This is a parameter to determine exactly how much a customer is worth in monetary terms and therefore exactly how much a marketing department should be willing to spend to acquire each customer. According to Jason, Ashutosh and Roberto (2010), â€Å"CLV makes it possible to explicitly link long-term financial returns to marketing actions.† They think that CLV has been gaining significance for two reasons: First, many traditional marketing metrics are not sufficient to evaluate return on marketing investments. Second, customers are not equally profitable. So, it is necessary to understand customer value at individual level which can be done with the help of CVL. CLV is typically used to calculate the cost of acquisition of a customer. For example, if a new customer costs 50000 TK to acquire and his or her lifetime value is 60000 TK, then the customer is considered to be profitable. FINDINGS 1.Customer value helps to develop & manage customer relationship 2.Customer expectation and customer satisfaction are closely related with customer value 3.There are some principles of strategic positioning which can be applied in doing things differently from the competitors and transferring different values to the customers 4.Success in business depends on selection of the target customers for value positioning. 5.The practice of a strong management system is needed for achieving customer value. 6.Developing a culture based on customer value is necessary to achieve the strategic objectives of a company. 7.A highly integrated value system & effective performance measuring system is important for the implementation of customer value strategy. 8.Network marketing system helps to understand customer’s needs in a better way 9.Some hypotheses established by various scholars are helpful for delivering superior customer value. 10. Important methods should be followed for assessing customer value 11.Customer Lifetime Value explicitly links long-term financial returns to marketing action. It also helps to understand customer value at individual level. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1.Komulainen Hanna; Mainela Tuija; Tahtinen Jaana; Ulkuniemi Pauliina (2004) â€Å"Exploring Customer Perceived value in a Technology Intensive Service Innovation†, volume 20, page 27. 2.Ravald Annika; Gronroos Christian, (1996),†The Value Concept and Relationship Marketing†, volume 30, page 12. 3.Lia Chia Chi;(2003) â€Å"The role of Customer perceived value in Generating Customer Satisfaction: An E-business perspective† volume 5, page 15. 4.Lam Shun Yin; Shankar Venkatesh; Erramilli and Murthy; Krishna Bvsan, (2004), †Customer value, Satisfaction, Loyalty and Switching cost: An illustration from a Business to Business Service Context†, volume 32, page 20. 5.Rajagopal, (2006), â€Å"Brand value, Preferences and Customer value effect of Non-conventional utility products: An experimental analysis in Mexican market†, page 23. Weinstein Art and Abratt Russel(2009) â€Å"Marketing Intelligence & Planning† Volume 27 No. 5 page 19, 2009 6. 7. Andreassen Tor Wallin (1997) â€Å"The International Journal of Service Industry Management†, volume. 8, No 4, Page 33 Anderson James C. Jain Dipak C. & Chintagunta Pradeep K.(1993), â€Å"Journal of Business to Business Marketing†Volume 1(1) , Page 29 Pfeifer Phillip E., Haskins Mark E. & Conroy Robert M. Journal of Managerial Issues (2004) page 25 Zhang Jason Q. , Dixit Ashutosh and Friedmann Roberto (2010), â€Å"Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice† Volume 18 no. 2, Page 13 7. 8.www.wikipidia.com

Impact of Managers and Leaders in Organizations on the Motivation of Employees Essay

Any organization is always started with an elaborated target to fulfill based on arrangement and strategies to be applied in the performance of achieving those goals. Actually the objective, performance and the methodology in which the organization is set up and run, defines its kind and capability in relation to other organizations. Organization consists of staffs that are categorized depending on the duty performed and the responsibilities that are bestowed upon them. In order to achieve success an organized system is essential which will involve a specified hierarchy which clearly positions each and every individual in relation to the capacity and the type of responsibilities. Under this arrangement management and leadership are considered to be the key factors in accomplishing the targets. Management comprises duties that fully covers directly or indirectly the whole structure of the organization. It combines aspects like controlling all the operations of the company inclusive of planning events, strategic steps to be followed and even the necessary concepts that improves the organization. Management is also involved in the overall organization of the available resources that are associated with the whole operation. Management determines the kind of employees working in an organization which is brought about by the coordination and leadership that is developed towards the employees. All the functions of management are carried out by the managers in the organization. Leadership and management are related terminologies and they are inseparable in the sense that managers also play the role of leadership. A leader focuses mostly on the directives to be followed by the employers in the effectiveness of their duties. This is mostly done in an interactive method and understanding the factors that affect or hinder the achievements. Both managers and leaders play an important role in motivating their employees. Despite the fact that the employees may clearly understand their responsibilities and duties in the organization, fully desirable outcomes may be affected by lack of motivation. According to (Geary, D. C. (2005)) motivation is a key factor in influencing someone to desire to add extra effort to improve the work and achieve more than expected. Through the coordination of mind motivation also promotes the inward generation of will power which alternatively has a considerable physical contribution to human body. Depending on the type of organization leaders and managers may apply different methods in motivating the employees. Some of the ways used by managers in motivation are like organizing functions which include honoring and rewarding specific employees following their best performance. This is a common method but it enhances the spirit of positive competition amongst the employees. Satisfaction is another means applied by managers to motivate employees. A satisfied employee will have more will to work. Career and talents recognition which is mostly applied by leaders to appreciate their employees plays a part in motivating them. Leaders on the other hand recommend the promotion of hard working employees to the management which also motivates the employees. Some managers have introduced a systematic salary increase which may be annual or after a specified period. This does not necessary depend on the profit made by the company but on the period spent by the employee working in the company. Bonuses and commissions on the other hand are sometimes measured against the benefits realized by the organization within a specified duration. These are among factors of motivating the employees. Following the performance and the leadership portrayed by the leader which is mostly done through leading examples, employees feel motivated and the admiration of copying the good examples of their leaders is enhanced. In an attempt to elaborate motivation and the effects, several theories have been put forward. In this paper few theories have been borrowed to expand further the contribution of motivation. According to (Kahneman and Miller (1986)) Our human behavior will be more or less be influenced by the attitudes towards certain subjects, determinations and the capacity of attaining a specified responsibility will highly depend on the feeling of the inward drive. This is clearly elaborated in the attitude-behavior consistency theory. Leaders attempt to learn the attitude of their employee through the interaction and knowing their behaviors in which they often know or decide on the way to motivate them. They also have the responsibility in influencing their employee’s attitude may be towards the organizations strategies. Consistency theory of motivation attempts to elaborate that individuals mostly achieve their motives through distinguished coordination of the willingness and the capability to perform. Employees will always feel motivated under the circumstances in which leaders and managers create a conducive environment for them to integrate their capability led by the will to perform these responsibilities. According to (Milgram, S. , 1983) a considerable situation of the capability of the employee is essential to be applied by the managers in order to clearly understand and develop the right methods in motivating the employees. According to (Adams, J. Stacey, 1965), another theory of motivation is the equity theory. This theory dwells mostly as the appreciation done to the employees through the rewards. Considerations are always important in the determination of the employees who may be rewarded according to their contribution. It’s common that rewards differ according to the quantified duties well done by the individual employee or a group. Satisfaction of the employees is always determined by the reward attained as deserved. De-motivation is likely to occur if the distribution of rewards does not match with the effort applied in the achievements. Expectancy theory clearly defines a reason which contributes to the motivation of employees. According to (Deci, E. L. & Ryan, R. M. , 1991) either on the reliance on the previous experience in the organization or through the organization procedure, the employee will add a lot of effort in relation to the reward expected. In other words employees may improve greatly on their duties under the influence of the targeted reward which they expect to get after achieving their goals. Similar to expectations of the management towards achievements of the organizational goals, employees expects the full support from the management. This can be brought about by the keen consideration of the responsibility of the employees as previously discussed employees will aim at fulfilling their duties following the attention from the management and leaders who have the responsibility of giving correct directives. motivated employees will therefore feel to be fairly treated after being rewarded from their effort according to how much they achieved. This will therefore combine and relate equity theory and expectancy theory of motivation as discussed. Following the fact that success is among the most important goal in an organization, it is important for managers and leaders to subject their efforts in order to achieve it. In order to attain success they have to depend on their employees. In other words the performance of the employees will therefore depend on the management and leadership in the organization. One of the impacts of motivation to employees is the increase in productivity. Right motivation from the managers and leaders will cause the employees to be more active and potential which will be implemented in their duties. Motivation from the managers to their employees has also been associated with the expansion and the growth of the organization. Motivated employees will always do a quality job which can have a distinguished difference when compared with the competitors. In such a situation the intended or the targeted client will focus more on that specific organization and in return the growth of the organization will be realized. Positively motivated employee will be more innovative and they will be able to contribute to the teamwork in an organization hence minimizing the unexpected pull back which may be brought about by the lack of cooperation. Creativity will also be enhanced and this will contribute a lot in coming up with the new ideas. Sustainability of employees has been a difficult and a challenge to many organizations. This is brought about by the fact that employees need satisfaction while undertaking their duties. Managers in collaboration with leaders successfully overcome the challenges of employee sustainability through positive motivation to their employees and they eventually find that they critically reduce the level of day to day recruitment of new staff to replace the ones who have resigned. This will also improve the work that is done due to the experience gained by the employees they can comfortably and undoubtedly implement it. Motivated employees become devoted to their duties and responsibility in the organization thereby reducing the errors and careless mistakes which would reduce the credibility of the organization. Though it’s a complex exercise if the managers maximize on motivating their employees they will also in return contribute directly or indirectly to simplifying the manager’s duties of planning, controlling and coordinating the organization which is contrary to de-motivated employees. The leaders on the other hand will have more room to improve their initiatives and efficiency. Irrespective of the type and the size of the organization, motivation to the employees stands to be a key factor in the achievement of goals. Considering example of institutes like universities, learning centers, production centers and others, It is through the aspect of motivation to the employees that their abilities attitudes and their interest can be utilized which will in return promote the organization name both locally and internationally. In most parts of the world most organization has reportedly realized their goals through the hard work and coordination attributed to the employees. Following this good and improved performance there has always been a system of motivating the employees through the integrative and collaborative methods put forward by the managers and leaders. According to the chairman and chief executive officer of Coca-Cola Company Mr. Neville Isdell, the company has realized positive performance and success due to good and favorable conditions which of cause have been brought about by the cooperation of the employees and commitment. This can otherwise be affected if the employees are de-motivated hence this is a good example of the impact of managers and leaders on the motivation of their employee. Conclusion In every organization, the concept of motivation by the managers and leaders to their employees has accounted to tremendous success to many organizations through the increased productivity of the organization, expansion and growth of the organization, satisfied and lively employees, minimization of errors and accidents and so on. It has been noted also that there are several methods and ways in which the employees are motivated. It is therefore the responsibility of the leaders and mangers to fully involve themselves in practical consideration of the performance of their employee’s and the necessary improvements required. Motivation is a more complex exercise but the devotional strategies that may be applied by the leaders and managers are essential to achieve the positive outcomes.

Methods of Learning: Advantages and Disadvantages

To design a learning activity or a learning program, there is a variety of learning methods which can be implemented to facilitate the learning process. These methods are divided into two main categories , trainer centered and learner centered. In the below table, I have listed different learning methods with the advantages and disadvantages of each one.Method Advantage Disadvantage Presentations 1. Save the time of transferring knowledge. 2. Gives the learners to compare their knowledge with the presented one . 3. Gives the Learner a chance to ask and discuss with the trainer directly. 2. Does not give the learners enough chance to control their own learning because it is trainer centered methodDemonstration1. Expose the learners to the best practice . 2. Considered as the first step to build the skills. 3. Save the time of sharing knowledge . 1. Unprofessional demonstrators can be a result of poor performance. 2. Does not show the reality on the work site .Group Discussions, meetings and briefings1. A quick way of sharing knowledge and skills. 2. Minimize the resistance of change 3. Learners can lead the meetings providing their agendas which meet their needs. 1. Does not involve practical part. 2. Discussions might miss the main topics and waste more time. 3. A few learners might control the discussions while the others are only listenersRole Play1. Learners can practice w hat they learn and share knowledge. 2. Build the sense of team work within learners . 3. Provide a safe environment for doing mistakes . 1. Might be over simplified , so does not reflect the real work. 2. It  requires a feedback from the facilitator. 3. It improves skills only .E-learning1. Provide time flexibility for learners . 2. The learner lead the pace of the learning. 3. Can be accessed in different ways and from different places. 1. Minimize the sense of team work and sharing knowledge with others. 2. Requires anIT access and good network3. Boring for some learners styles such as the activists . On the job training 1. Expose the learners to the real work . 2. Gives the learners a chance to practice. 3. Give the learners to share knowledge with experienced employees. 1. Requires an experienced mentor . 2. Cannot be applied in organization where there is a shortage of manpowe . 3. Learners might feel demotivated with a busy mentor or staff.Blended Learning1. Variety of metho ds combined together. 2. It addresses all learning styles. 3. Improves the competencies through learning and practice. 1. Very costly in terms of money and time. 2. Requires availability of several learning resources and facilities .Coaching1. Addresses the exact needs of a learner 2. Maximize the learners satisfaction and self-esteem . 1. Very costly because it is one to one approach. 2. Requires an expert coach because it is applied for the management levels in most of the organization.Criteria of Choosing between learning Methods: 1. Learning Objectives : after analyzing the gaps between the current capabilities and the required capabilities, learning objectives will be generated to fulfill the learning needs.2. The learning budget: It plays a main role in selecting the methods which are most effective and efficient . Organizations with very limited budget usually use the internal resources and not interested on the methods which are costly.3. Timing : the work hours and the avai lability of manpower are very important criteria in selecting the suitable methods. Sometimes, e-learning is selected due to time restrictions within the organization or the function.4. Learning resources and materials: facilities, number of learners , learning aids and IT issues are put into consideration to select the suitable learning method.Learning Resources ,Facilities and Equipments and their Advantages and Disadvantages:Item Advantage Disadvantage Power Point 1. Easy to use. 2. Support the structure of learning activity 3. Display photos, charts and statistics. 1. Requires other equipment such as data projector and a computer. 2. Might be boring for some learners styles.Internet1. Easy to access anywhere any time. 2. Include lots of learning references and materials. 1. Requires good network otherwise the learners will not be able to learn properly. 2. Learners might not be focused to the main topic when using the internet.Videos1. Interesting for most of the learners . 2. I t is not costly and does not need more spaces. 1. Contain some cultural issues. 2. It is not applicable for special needs learners such as deaf or blind learners .A flipchart1. Very cheap. 2. Useful for learning activities and preparation. 3. Utilized to get the learners involved in the learning process. 1. Requires a space in the room to be stocked up. 2. Needs clear colors. 3. Not applicable for some learning methods such as e-learning.Books and  Handouts1. Authentic references for learners. 1. New technology interference . 2. Need space or room for storing.Smart Boards1. Integrated technology 2. Interested for learner 1. Needs special training for users. 2. Very costlyClassroom or training halls1. Traditional and useful for group learning . 1. Requires a suitable preparation. 2. Not applicable for e-learning or mobile learning.Criteria for selecting suitable resources , facilities and equipment for learning activities: 1. Learners factors and learners styles : This selection is a result of analyzing the learners factors and needs such as deaf, blind, activists, theorists..etc. 2. Budget: After considering the assigned budget the suitable resources and facilities will be easy to identified . 3. Legislation : There are some learning legislations and policies which should be into consideration such as safety and health . 4. Nature of the learning activities or the learning methods : For example, e-learning requires the availability of computers or smart phone or devices. 5. Number of learners : This is very important criteria to identify the size of the class or the training hall . In addition, it enable the learning and development practitioner to identify the learning method .

Investigate different ways in which reaction times Essay

Some people have slower reaction times than others. To find this out, I have decided to test some people in my class. We are now going to investigate different ways in which reaction times of people can be measured. Reaction times A reaction time is how long a person takes to react to something. Methods of Testing Reaction Times 1: Time how long it takes to move from one point to another, after being told to start by a blow of a whistle, clap of hands or simply by saying go. 2: Time how long it takes to rise from the blocks in a race. 3: Time how long it takes a person to react when someone instructs them to stand up. 4: Time how long it takes for a person to press a button when a buzzer goes off, record how long the buzzer is ringing for. 5: Time how long it rakes for someone to turn off a light when it starts flashing using an electronic device to time how long it takes for the light to be switched off. 6: Drop a ruler and measure the distance it drops before the person catches it. The class discussed all of the above methods and decided that some would not work and that some wouldn’t be possible due to lack of resources. The class decided to use the same method of measuring reaction times so that we could collect enough data. 1: This method would be very hard to time, as the accuracy of the time would also depend upon the reaction time of the person holding the stopwatch. Also the time taken would not only measure reaction time it would also depend on how fast the person can run. 2: This would be a good method if we had access to Olympic standard equipment, which would measure the time electronically from the sound of the gun to rising from the blocks. 3: This method, just like number 1, would be hard to do. The time again would also depend upon how quickly the person can move to a standing position. The reaction time is how long it takes to begin to stand and this would not be possible to measure. 4: We cannot record this properly as we do not have any stopwatches to make sure we have an accurate reading. 5: This applies the exact same as number 4, we do not have the possible equipment for this method. 6: This is possible as the distance the ruler drops only depends upon the reaction time of the person trying to catch the ruler. After considering all the possible methods, my class decided to use the dropping of a ruler and measuring how far it falls. When we conduct this experiment, the arm will be held out at shoulder length and the ruler will be held between the thumb and the index finger at 0cm. We shall work in pairs, one person will say go and the other person will release and try to catch the ruler with the same hand. The first person will keep a record of the distance the ruler has dropped. We will assume that the longer the distance means greater time.

Good Test Takers and Diagnostic Assessment Assignment

Good Test Takers and Diagnostic Assessment - Assignment Example According to Levine (n.d.), there are five types of high-level thinking that differentiate between a good test taker and a poor test taker, namely concept formation, problem solving ability, memorization and application of rules, critical thinking ability, and creativity. Good test takers remember things by forming concepts whereas poor test takers are habitual to cramming things up. Good test takers think logically so they have excellent problem solving ability whereas poor test takers do not think quite as logically and thus do not have as good problem solving ability as the good test takers have. Good test takers easily remember the concepts and are able to apply the rules that govern different subjects whereas poor test takers cannot remember concepts and accordingly, have difficulty applying them wherever required. Good test takers draw conclusions by considering the author’s viewpoint, identifying reliable sources in support of arguments, and consider their biases wherea s poor test takers tend to take the things at face value and draw erroneous conclusions accordingly. Good test takers are creative and like to have their own input into projects whereas poor test takers want guidelines and are not as creative as good test takers. Similarities between good and bad test takers are that both commonly experience test anxiety and difficult situations during test but the way they handle them differentiates between the two. Some ways in which teachers can improve the skills of poor test takers include frequent testing, testing soon after teaching a topic and then retesting later, and testing with cumulative questions.  We should not conclude about a child’s ability or progress using only formative and summative assessments. We also need to carry out diagnostic assessment and authentic assessment before reaching any conclusions about the children’s progress. Drawing conclusion without diagnostic and authentic assessment is inadequate because the teacher tends to assume that all children have the same level of existing knowledge whereas in reality, this is not the case. Diagnostic assessment provides the teachers with a way to map out a route or chart a way using the existing knowledge of the individual children. Diagnostic assessment also provides the teachers with an opportunity to identify misconceptions or gaps in the prior learning of the students so that they exactly know what the children know already and what are they able to do. Diagnostic assessment defines the individual children’s abilities to the teachers so that they can divide their attention among the children as per their needs.

Financial Crisis In The Year 2008 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Financial Crisis In The Year 2008 - Essay Example In the mid-1990s the US embraced financial globalization as the touchstone for the grand strategy in the post-cold war period. In those periods it was common to talk about the decline of the US economy. However, the unexpected collapse of the Soviet Union and the stool of the Japan as an economic superpower brought the American economy to the center stage in the world order of business. The financial crisis of the year 2008 had multiple reasons behind its occurrence. The most important are perhaps the financers themselves. The financers claimed that they had found a way to banish the risks although, in reality, they had actually lost the track of the same. The central bankers and the regulators tolerated and let these things continue under their very noses for years. The macroeconomic environment too played an important role in the build-up to the crisis. The great moderation which was characterized by years of low inflation and stable rate of growth had fuelled risk-taking desires i n individuals. People became complacent and this increased their risk-taking ability and desires. The glut in savings in the Asia turned interested rates down. Even European banks which greedily borrowed from the American banks before the financial crisis used the funds so as to purchase dodgy securities. ConclusionThe above essay finds that there were several factors that led to the financial crisis in the year 2008. Some of the reasons behind the crisis were related to the economic policies pursued over the years.

Information to be used for my website (Etiquette Business Programs) Essay

Information to be used for my website (Etiquette Business Programs) - Essay Example This is accomplished not only by reaching our goals and expressing our knowledge and high capabilities, but also by focusing on the process of these actions. Take a moment to look at the programs that offer golden rules every person needs to be able to successfully interact in today’s world. When one receives a letter how the letter is presented will always affect the receiver, irrespective of the content. While this is one example, one considers that it is only a microcosm of our modern existence. Through high Etiquette characteristics, individuals will gain all the qualities of a letter that will receive appreciation, attention and respect even before it is opened. This is essential to the success of your life and to the prosperity of Qatari culture on the global stage. From how one holds a fork to how to organize an international VIP cocktail, etiquette covers minor and major aspects. It’s never too late to learn sophisticated manner techniques or what we often call the â€Å"golden rules†. Indeed, cutting-edge behavioral therapists have demonstrated that such practices can be learned and conditioned until they become a part of our instinctual behavior. Such guidance is given for children and their parents, professionals and non-professionals, employees and directors, young and old. â€Å"Don’t judge a book by its cover† is a phrase that we all wish to believe, but it is just human nature to have some sort of first impression of a person. It is also possible that this first impression can enact a snowball effect where the individual’s future interactions with the persons are forever affected. In one wrong move or inappropriate comment a person can face long-term impressions or misunderstandings. The problem in many cases is that the individual is not aware that he or she caused a misunderstanding or made a hurtful comment and is not

Physical education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Physical education - Essay Example At that time, it was not the jocular fun game which it has become today; instead, dodgeball was a deadly game in its origin. The tribes playing dodgeball would use putrefied matter or large rocks rather than rubber balls to play it and the game was used for intense workout. The competitors tried to knock out players of the other team by incapacitating or injuring them. The hit players were finished off by being pelted with more rocks. The team members of the injured and fallen competitor assumed the responsibility to protect the player and disperse the attackers by throwing rocks at them. The game was well-suited to encourage the tribesmen to jointly work against other tribes during the skirmishes. The tribes also used the game to identify the weak among them. Dr. James H. Carlisle, a missionary saw the tribes playing dodgeball and was left intrigued by the tribal men’s ruthlessness and agility (â€Å"History of Dodgeball†). He was also impressed by the solidarity and teamwork shown by the tribal men. Having watched the men play the game for hours and hours, Carlisle became obsessed with the weird ritual. On his way back to England, Carlisle shared his experience with some of his pupils in Europe. The reason the sport could not be carried on was the fact that the European men who were told about the game by Carlisle lacked the accuracy and natural agility to throw things on others or dodge being hit. Only after the return of Carlisle to the St. Mary’s College in Norfolk did he transform the ruthless practice into a civilized and playable game. The professional tournaments available for the Dodgeball players include the Dodgeball World Championship that is announced annually. The latest professional tournament was the â€Å"11th Annual Dodgeball World Chamionship & Convention† (â€Å"Professional Dodgeball†) organized on the 7th through 10th of August in Las Vegas. Dodgeball has a whole set of well-developed rules and regulations that the